The Moon Theory That Warren Jeffs' FLDS Schools Teach
The Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) is a polygamist sect that broke away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or the Mormon Church. In 1890, the Mormon Church established a manifesto that officially renounced polygamy laws, which members had been practicing since the 1840s, per History. Those who refused to follow the mandate were excommunicated, which resulted in the establishment of the FLDS in 1929.
In 2011, FLDS leader Warren Jeffs was found guilty of sexual assault and was sentenced to life in prison, as reported by ABC News. Throughout the years, many former FLDS members have revealed information about the radical beliefs and practices imposed on them. A few documentaries have been released throughout the years, per Go San Angelo, which show what life is like under the leadership of Jeffs. Today, the FLDS approximately has 10,000 members, and most of them live in Hilldale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona.
Education in the FLDS
In 2000, Warren Jeffs commanded his followers to pull their children from the public school system and instead teach them via homeschooling. In addition, he told them to sever ties with former members and non-members of the FLDS community. In an interview with ABC News, a former member of the church said that removing children from public school is harmful to them. Likewise, a professor of political science, Jeffrey Fox, stated that it was a way for Jeffs to assert more control over FLDS members and what they learn.
According to mothers from the FLDS, they follow a homeschooling program that consists of mathematics, science, history, English, and reading lessons (via The Salt Lake Tribune). However, former FLDS members revealed that the lessons taught are far different from the education children receive in a public school setting. The kids make use of notebooks that have Jeffs' face, and they are taught that Jeffs is the president of the United States, per ABC News.
What children are taught about the moon landing
On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first-ever person to walk on the moon. Throughout the years, though, there have been conspiracy theorists questioning the authenticity of the moon landing, saying that the photos were faked because of shadows, stars, and the American flag seemingly flapping. These theories, however, have all been debunked, as reported by History.
Children in the FLDS community are also educated about history, but when it comes to the moon landing, they are told that it never happened. According to The Daily Mail, teachers tell the students that during the Apollo 11 Mission, Armstrong never set foot on the moon, as God led him away from it. And the impressionable FLDS children know that to be fact. Furthermore, former FLDS girls were interviewed and they revealed that they never knew about AIDS, Santa Claus, or Ronald Reagan until they left the sect. Today, there are reports that Warren Jeffs is still regarded as the leader of the FLDS and controls the church from prison (via ABC News).