The Life of a Polygamous Woman

"Keep sweet, it's exactly that. No matter what, it's a matter of life and death. You don't ask why. You don't do anything except do what you're told," said former member Pam Black, who was married as a teenager while she was in the sect.

Even with those rules, many women remain loyal to Jeffs.

"I have a right to worship any damn thing I want; wear any damn clothes I want," said one female follower.

That type of fervent support for Jeffs and his church may make it difficult for Texas authorities to crack the code of silence among the women who were taught to distrust the outside world, even those who voluntarily left the ranch.

"Everything that they've been taught as members of this group is going to stand in the way of their being moved by the authorities to be helpful," said Bryn Mawr College social psychology professor Clark McCauley.