What does Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey mean? Guide to FLDS terms

Today a new true crime documentary series drops on Netflix. Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is a chilling, four-part look at the secretive Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a far-right offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. Warren Jeffs led the church for many years as a self-proclaimed prophet before eventually being sentenced to life in prison for child sexual assault.

The series is heavy and often tough to watch, but it’s also an important look at criminal case that once captivated American audiences. In Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, we get to hear first-hand from victims of the church on how they were treated and the insidious practices that went on in the FLDS, which is still active today.

For those confused by certain terms used in the docuseries—such as “apostate,” “gentile,” and more, we’re answering common questions to help viewers get a better understanding of this account.

What does Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey mean?

It means to “keep sweet,” or remain in control of your emotions at all times. Warren Jeffs and the men of the FLDS expected women to act in a certain way, essentially docile, obedient and ready to serve the prophet in whatever way he saw fit.

What was the Alta Academy?

Opened in 1973, the Alta Academy was a school that trained and educated members of the FLDS, particularly in priesthood teachings. Warren’s father, Rulon Jeffs, pushed for Warren to become principal of the school.

Anything with an outside influence would be purged, science books were often desiccated to remove anything that conflicted with the FLDS’s teachings. The land where the academy stood, along with other buildings constructed by the FLDS, was demolished in 2014.

What is an apostate?

An apostate is someone who renounces religion or abandons it based on principles. Those who fled the church were labeled as apostates and people that were part of the church were not supposed to associate with them.

What is a gentile?

Anyone who is not a member of the FLDS is a gentile and it was very hard to become part of the church unless you were born and raised within the community.

What is Zion?

Warren told church members that Zion was a secret place that basically functioned like a heaven on earth, like Eldorado with streets of gold. As shown in Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, children were often secreted away and taken from their mothers to Zion.

In reality, Zion was a new compound called Yearning for Zion Ranch (YFZ Ranch). Warren was brining people there to “build Zion,” he would dangle the promise of Zion like a carrot to get people to obey him.

What happened to the YFZ Ranch?

The ranch is empty now. In 2014, the State of Texas took physical and legal possession of the property.

Who is Diane Weyermann?

You might have noticed a tribute to Diane Weyermann at the end of the docuseries. She served as an executive producer on Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, but sadly passed away in October 2021. Diane was a filmmaker and chief content officer at Participant Media, producing other notable documentaries like Food, Inc. and An Inconvenient Truth.

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is now streaming on Netflix.