Some former members of the FLDS Church testified that leaders of the group control all aspects of its members lives, and members have no protection of law.

Carolyn Jessop was married to Merril Jessop, a lieutenant of Warren Jeffs and leader of the FLDS ranch in Eldorado, Texas. She wrote a book about her escape with eight children from the FLDS in Colorado City. "I was desperate because I could no longer protect my children from the increasing abuse within the FLDS as the result of bizarre pronouncements by the prophet, Warren Jeffs."

She said officials and police at Colorado City where she lived were all FLDS and did what its leaders desired. Husbands would not allow women to have licensed and insured cars, so local police could arrest them on those charges if they tried to flee.

"I stand here today to ask the U.S. government to provide federal oversight into these closed communities, so that members, such as myself, seeking refuge know were they can find a safe haven should they choose to leave," she said.

Dan Fischer, who was an FLDS member and once was married to three women assigned to him by church leaders, said, "Their prophet is as their God. Whatever he says takes precedent over any previous scripture of any previous century. It can also take precedent over the laws of the United States." He said his extended family once received a 4:30 a.m. call ordering it to a meeting with FLDS leaders. At it, his father's three wives were "released" (divorced by mandate) from his father, who had not been invited to the meeting. Warren Jeffs told the group Fisher's father was not worthy of his wives and did not have time to repent — and their father had no hope for salvation.

One of Fisher's daughters and one of his former wives were in the audience and dressed in now-familiar FLDS pioneer dress. They told reporters after the hearing they were free to come and go as they like, and that FLDS members are not as tightly controlled as others testified.

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