Elissa Wall is an American Author and Public speaker known for writing the book, *Stolen Innocence *, in which she gives an account about her experience in the Mormon cult, Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints lead by Warren Jeffs, where she was forced to marry her first cousin Allen Steed. ^{[1] [3] [0]}

Elissa Wall was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mormon parents who were a part of the FDLS Church. ^[1]When she was 9 years old, her father and brothers got into a fight and Warren Jeffs decided to oust them and eradicate them from the cult. ^[1]Her mother was then forced to marry Fred Jessop who was about 90 years old at the time and who took in all of her sisters. ^[6]

She lived amongst the rest of the children who would often make fun of her and the rest of her siblings due to the fact that they no longer had a father.

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At the age of 14 years old, Jeffs woulld marry her off to her first cousin, Allen Steed.

For the next three years, she tried to get out of the marriage.

She was often raped and suffered multiple miscarriages.

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Some time during the marriage, she met Lemont Barlow, a former FLDS member.

Soon they were in love and after she became pregnant with their first child she was granted a "release" or divorce from Allen.

^[1]

Once she left the FDLS, Wall still dealt with the scar of being a part of the cult and of the mentalities she kept since being a child.

She received aid from her sisters who had also left the FLDS, including her sister Rebecca who was instrumental in pressing charges against Jeffs.

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As a way to cope with the pain and the past she began to write about her experiences and was able to find a published in William Morrow and Company. ^[0]

In 2008, her book, Stolen Innocence, about her experience in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and subsequent later life outside of the church. It was first published by William Morrow and Company in 2008. The book would later be published by Harper Collins. ^[2]