Twin Towns Once Run by FLDS Sect Enjoy New Freedoms

Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah have transformed after court-ordered overhaul of FLDS control

Jan. 30, 2026 at 7:07pm

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The prairie dresses, walled compounds and distrust of outsiders that were once hallmarks of Colorado City, Arizona and neighboring Hildale, Utah are mostly gone. The towns, once controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and its imprisoned leader Warren Jeffs, have been released from court-ordered supervision and are now embracing new freedoms and activities that were previously forbidden.

Why it matters

The transformation of these twin towns highlights the lasting impact of the FLDS sect's control and the challenges of rebuilding a community after decades of theocratic rule. The towns' shift towards normalcy and private property ownership represents a significant milestone in the region's history.

The details

For 90 years, the towns functioned largely as a theocracy under FLDS control, with the sect controlling most of the land through a trust that allowed leaders to dictate where followers could live. After Jeffs' arrest and conviction, federal prosecutors accused the towns of being run as an arm of the church, denying non-followers basic services. In 2017, the court placed the towns under supervision, excising the church from their governments and shared police department. The towns have since learned to operate as representative governments, with civic leaders now prioritizing residents' needs over religious affiliation.

  • In 2002, things got worse after Jeffs took charge following his father's death.
  • In 2005, Jeffs was charged with arranging the marriage of a teenage girl to a 28-year-old follower who was already married.
  • In 2006, Jeffs was arrested after going on the run and making the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
  • In 2011, Jeffs was convicted in Texas of sexually assaulting two girls ages 12 and 15 and sentenced to life in prison.
  • In 2017, the court placed the towns under supervision, excising the church from their governments and shared police department.

The players

Warren Jeffs

The leader and prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), who was imprisoned for sexually assaulting two girls.

Willie Jessop

A onetime spokesman for the FLDS who later broke with the sect.

Shem Fischer

A former FLDS member who left the towns in 2000 after the church split up his father's family, and later returned to open a lodge in Hildale.

Donia Jessop

The mayor of Hildale, who was once distantly related to Willie Jessop through marriage.

Isaac Wyler

A longtime resident of the towns who was ostracized by the FLDS after they expelled him in 2004, but now sees things as "like a normal town".

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What they’re saying

“What you see is the outcome of a massive amount of internal turmoil and change within people to reset themselves. We call it 'life after Jeffs' — and, frankly, it's a great life.”

— Willie Jessop, Former FLDS spokesman

“It started to go into a very sinister, dark, cult direction.”

— Shem Fischer, Former FLDS member

“We started to realize that the love was still there — that my sister that I hadn't been able to speak to for in so many years was still my sister, and she missed me as bad as I missed her. And it just started to open doors that weren't open before.”

— Donia Jessop, Mayor of Hildale

“When you tell people, 'Hey, we're getting married in Hildale,' they kind of chuckle, because they just really don't know what it's about. But of course when they all came down here, they're all quite surprised. And you're like, 'Oh yeah, there's a winery.'”

— Dion Obermeyer

What’s next

Residents say the new openness has brought common societal woes such as drug use to Hildale and Colorado City, and some people are still practicing polygamy. It will likely take several generations to fully recover from the FLDS' abuses under Jeffs.

The takeaway

The transformation of Colorado City and Hildale from FLDS-controlled theocracies to more open and representative communities represents a significant milestone, but also highlights the lasting challenges of rebuilding after decades of authoritarian rule. The towns' shift towards normalcy and private property ownership is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, even in the face of profound oppression.