Protecting Innocence: A Sister's Battle Against Warren Jeffs' Tyranny 

I have to say out of this whole story, Aarona is the hero. Hands down. She saved her whole family. As the oldest of a big family and mom of another, I have enormous admiration for her courage, love and wisdom.

Shame on these State Police/DAs for ignoring physical/ Child abuse, but thanks to GUIP for hosting the Black family to get their story out there.

To me it's important to be super kind to people that are in religious cults because they have been told not to trust outsiders. Just experiencing someone outside being kind can sometimes be the first step they need to learn that they're being lied to. Excellent interview.

I lived in Colorado Springs at that time. I had an extra room. I wish I would've known. It would have been a joy to help.

The hell that this family has been put through and how strong so many of them have come out is amazing. She's a true hero

Way to go Aarona!! You are a brave and strong woman to have come out the other side of that hell with every single last one of your little siblings! Can’t imagine being in your situation or what I would have done! God Bless you and the Black family always! May you live in love and peace from here on out and enjoy the rest of your lives with each other! We salute you for your bravery and courage! 👏🏼👏🏼💕

What a wonderful woman. Her siblings are so lucky they had her. She must have felt so helpless all those years. I wish her all the best ❤️

Big love Aarona, you are a true hero.

I would like to keep hearing from this family for as long as they are willing to tell their stories. Hopefully it is therapeutic for them.

Aarona Black is such a wonderful clever bright kind big sister who really did save her siblings. What an incredible interview. If the police will not get involved I suppose a civil action for damages for the physical abuse by those two ladies against the children is possible although I bet they have no money and the FLDS would say it was without its knowledge. In the UK you can bring a private criminal case although it si quite rare and normally left to the police and prosecutors. It is removing children still being abused now which is vital in my view even if nothing can be done about past abuse.

Sam & Melissa deserve a Pulitzer Prize for their journalism in covering in-depth stories from the FLDS community.

Such an indepth interview. This brave lady is a mine of information and I hope one day to see the story of her and her family in print. I haven't seen all your videos, but she seems to have been the first person to mention the insidious way Warren Jeffs was priming the children to accept that their parents, no matter how devout would not be a part of salvation.

Someone needs to compile all these stories into a book and let the world know what is going on, and possibly put pressure on law enforcement to get some justice for these families. Lawsuit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another great interview. I’d love to hear if Aarona has entered into a career or job field? Is there love on the horizon? Is she planning on more education? Regardless,she’s an amazing story teller.

Their story would make a great movie!

Tangled! Oo, that was a smart move. So proud of you, Aarona!

Thank you to Sam & Melissa for another enlightening, compassionate, and deep interview and story. I have been waiting for this video since Aarona’s parents talked so much about her. It’s obvious she was a huge help to them and the reason her siblings were able to get out and the family was reunited. Also, she looks so much like her dad!

Aarona - well done for protecting your siblings as much as you could and for helping you all just survive. I experienced a less extreme version having to raise and protect my younger sibling. I hope you are living a life you love now on your own terms where you can put your own needs and happiness first along with a lot of quality therapy.

Please I hope there is people that know the proper authorities to put pressure on to get this family justice ! The Black family and their story of religious indoctrination, trauma, abuse of every kind, and all out their bravery courage strength ending up all together as a loving family one again is so inspiring! Thank you Sam & Melissa and GUIP for sharing the Blacks family story of endurance strength survival and finally healing and becoming a super strong family with so much love! I feel honored to have heard their story. I wish them all the love, happiness, and freedom in the big beautiful world!❤❤❤

Sam and Melissa, I know you were interviewed on Mormon Stories Podcast. Could you send your interviews with the Black family to John Dehlin? His channel has such clout in spreading awareness and empathy. Honestly, I wish someone would do a movie documentary on the Black family. It would find an instant sympathetic audience in what now feels like its own subgenre. And, still, people really don't understand about the growing suffering.

Aarona you are remarkable and brave! You are the hero in your family. I hope you live the rest of your life with an abundance of peace and blessings.

What a brave woman/girl. I admire her so much.

What an astonishing young woman. She deserves so much more in life than she has ever had. ❤

This woman is remarkable in so many ways. I hope she knows how truly wonderful, courageous, smart, beautiful and clever she is. She’s such a role model. Her whole family are truly blessed to have her and I’m so grateful that she has been able to tell some of her story as I’m sure it will help so many others, including myself. She really is one of the most remarkable women I have ever heard about. Her compassion is beyond anything I have ever known and I think it’s because of her that her family have been able to come this far 💓💗💞

Break the silence. Break the cycle.

My heart hurts for all of them. Knowing your siblings aren't being well fed. You yourself are not well fed or liked because you're trying to do the right thing, making sure they're taken care of.

This was torture, literal torture.

I am amazed at her strength & courage. Thank you for shedding light on these beautiful people. ❌⭕️

What a tremendously terrifying story. I can’t believe that anyone could stay in that religion!!

What an amazing story. One question that keeps messing with me is if her siblings have suffered any lasting effects from malnutrition or injuries? I can't understand the thinking behind law enforcement not getting deeply involved not only in this case but in the ongoing abuse today. This whole series has been absolutely mind blowing. I lived in Draper briefly in the mid 90's and all this was going on under my nose. Holy cow. Thank you!!

What a story! What an amazing person. I'm so sorry for all those kids that had to go through such abuse. It infuriates me that law enforcement isn't doing anything about it. I'm so relieved in the end they all were lucky enough to have become a family again. I was mesmerized by this story.

Another factor that prevents people from finding help is the anti-polygamist bias in southern Utah. I grew up in cedar and was taught by the church and community to look down on instead of have compassion for members of the flds. One of the many reasons I left the church.

Lack of education is the best friend of people who want to have power over other people. Education is their worst enemy, their worst threat. So everytime you see somebody, church leaders, politicians... who wants to ban education, books, free access to knowledge and independent information - know there are selfish interests behind it, that benefit the person who bans education. Nobody else. Not my fault if you see parallels to recent incidents here.

I hate listening to these stories. I feel so badly that those children were exposed to such maltreatment. I don't understand how adults can hurt helpless children, it makes me angry to hear that a grown woman with children of her own could actually bite a child that actually left bloody teeth marks. 😡🤬 Sam is right, at that point you're dealing with a wild animal, not a human being with any kind of compassion.

Omg Inside Out always made me cry to being with, but now I don't know if I'll be able to make it through it again without crying every tear in my body. 💔 💓

What a strong, brave and beautiful human being ❤❤. Thank you for sharing your story and I hope that your present and future brings you much happiness and continued love.

As I've said before, compassion is great - but in reality it only goes so far. Real tangible help is needed. I was speaking to my daughter the sociologist about this whole situation and she's of the belief that the reason the authorities in Utah drag their feet is that politically - the Mormons are in control in Utah. It doesn't benefit that giant corporation, yes, it's really about control, power and money and not spiritual as people want to believe. (I was raised in a creepy religion thanks to my mother, not my father, so I'm pretty aware of how this stuff works and essentially it doesn't really matter what religion you're speaking of. It's a pattern of brainwashing, or attempting to, and a whole lot of abusive power.) This is an excellent example of just WHY separation of church and state is needed. I believe help, real legal help, needs to come from outside of Utah. That said, these abusers need to be held accountable for their actions as well. We have prisons for sociopaths that act out. The legal system and those prisons need to be utilized. Education is a wonderful thing and it needs to be a tool very much used with these believers that aren't part of the crowd that needs to see the inside of a jail cell. These stories are exactly why they don't want their people educated, just like many of the other nasty religions that are out there. Thank you for coming forward and speaking out. I have to believe your ability to do so will help many others. and thank goodness for your dad who was not "worthy" for priesthood. LOL I think I know why and kudos to that man! 👍

Wow! Where to ever start with a comment. My own mother had a very abusive father and tells a similar story of talking an extreme beating to save a 6 year old little brother. She was 16 at the time and is convinced that she saved his life. When Aarona talked about taking the abusive and it was worth it struck a neve with me and all I could do is cry. Aarona's mother and Lola are younger sisters to my mother. Why did this kind of abuse have to happen again??????

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Thank you so much for speaking up!

The older I get the more I'm confused by people in general. I always admired the different religious groups. Being selfsustained. But then realizing the corruption that happens no matter what. I just don't see a solution.

Wow, can CPS be called now?

whenever I watch one of these interviews, my heart breakes into tiny little pieces. I wished I would live close by and help those who need help to escape, or to help to feed the kids. Crimes in the name of religion are so so wrong and whereever in this world, no matter in which country. The government should really put those religious leaders into prison or worse. I am not a violent person at all, but if I could get my hands on Warren Jeffs and some of his criminal brothers I would do things to them, alike the horrible stuff they did to their children, their wives and members of their religion for sure. I am soo soo glad, that Texas State Law put ya "MAN" into prison, and I soo soo hope that they literaly throw away the keys. What I still cannot understand is, that he was able to preach to the people outa his prison cell. Religion is there to comfort NOT to abuse. End of story and it does not matter which religion it is. Big applause to this sweet woman to be as brave and strong as she could, I wanna wrap my arms around her to give her a true Momma Bear Hug. If I would be rich enough I would spent my whole fortune on these people, unfortunately I am just a whee person on this planet and not as rich as Elon, Rockefeller or Bernard Arnault in France. I would spent Billions of Dollars or Euros on them. Literally ;-) Bless you both for bringing light into the darkness, so many people in Europe, where I live know about this. And to make a long comment shorter, there is a Mormon church in the capital of our county and one of my friends recieved a visit from elders a couple of month ago. She never heard about the Mormon church before and after their visit, she rang me. And I actually screamed and told her, if those guys show up again, be kind try to have an open mind, but refuse to invite them for another visit. I am so sorry, I am on chemo at the moment and pretty worn out after every therapy session, so I could not be there on their second visit. I would´ve surely scared them away from what I know about Fundamental Mormonism and Mormonism in particular ;-) I would not judge, and I would be kind and I never had a visit, cause I live in a very tiny village and they never travel to us. ;) But if they one day stand on my doorstep, well, they should be prepare themselves for very hard questions to answer ;-)

Plus with the parents story. You never tell how they got out.

Very hard to find 2nd and all continuing episodes.

Sam and Melissa- I always make time to watch your videos as soon as they're released on Fridays. Thanks for all you do

❤

So disgusting how these cults do to people.

Dear Aaron’s , I see you justifying a whole lot. You have absolutely no need. You only know what you know. How in the world were you to leave with 5 or 6 little ones ? You had no choice, point blank period. If you raise a child and tell them every day the sky is purple and the grass is blue then they’re going to believe that their entire life. I think it’s amazing what you did for the little ones. You cared for them when your world was falling apart. That is bravery. You tried everything you could just to keep your family together. That is admirable.

7:46 they were starving them for compliance

Have the "caretakers" been prosecuted?! Their first names have been dropped. I want to know these people aren't out there still doing this!!!

Aaron, you are a strong and brave women and a fine example for your siblings. Keep after the police until they act on this. Go to the fbi.

How did her father end up in short creek with a plural family as a man who was never a member? Or was he excommunicated? I can't remember

Lyle thought the food stamps would be enough to feed all the people. Lots families who were eating from the storehouse were not on government assistance. But Lyle thought the foodstamps would be enough to feed everyone. And he wouldn't purchase food with the cash that came in. So the food donated from these few families was supposed to be enough for everyone. They wouldn't allow the people to eat the home canned produce because they were saving it for hard times.

Boost

This sounds like a concentration camp in 1940's Germany 😮😢

Pulling ears and hair was daily to me too when I was litttle girl and spanking. And other stuff. Running out and hiding to forest. Other religion, but same it seems.