🔍 Inside the Hidden World of the Apostolic United Brethren: Secrets, Silence, and Surveillance

By Katie Joy | Exclusive Report

“If this is a public church, why are they following visitors with walkie-talkies?”

Nestled quietly in Bluffdale, Utah, the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) operates under the radar — despite holding tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit religious organization. But unlike most churches, there’s no website, no public sermons, and certainly no Sunday open doors. Instead, there’s secrecy, surveillance… and silence.

In this exclusive breakdown, YouTube commentator Katie Joy takes viewers inside the shadowy world of the AUB — a fundamentalist offshoot of Mormonism with deep historical roots and tightly held beliefs, including the controversial practice of plural marriage.

📹 Behind the Curtain: The AUB’s Controlled Access

While most religious organizations welcome new faces, the AUB is known to monitor and even shadow visitors. One former member — also a descendant of the group’s founders — shared a disturbing account of visiting the Bluffdale church and being followed by men with walkie-talkies, clearly unsettled by her presence.

“If you were to walk in uninvited, you’d likely be turned away,” Katie explains. “It’s very much an invite-only kind of place, despite the nonprofit status.”

Even their media is locked away. Once publicly available videos have been sealed behind a members-only website that requires a “recommend” — essentially a worthiness interview — to gain access. These interviews are conducted by church leaders and used to assess loyalty and adherence to doctrine.

🧬 From the Council of Friends to the AUB: A History of Division

The AUB’s origin dates back to the 1950s after a schism within the Council of Friends — a collective of early Mormon fundamentalists. Leadership disputes, specifically involving Joseph Musser and Rulon Allred, fractured the group. Rulon eventually became the first prophet of what would become the AUB.

Out of that fracture also came rival sects:

• FLDS (now led by the infamous Warren Jeffs),

• The LeBaron Group in Mexico,

• The Kingston Clan (a.k.a. “The Order”).

Each group took its own path, but the AUB has since operated as one of the more secretive and structured of the bunch.

🙏 Modern-Day Prophet: David Watson

At the center of the AUB today is David Watson, the group’s current prophet. Katie Joy confirms his identity and shows his face publicly for the first time in her video, explaining, “He is the man leading this group now, and it’s important to know who he is.”The other men in video clips are blurred out — a precaution taken by Katie due to the group’s reputation for being highly litigious.

🔄 Double Lives: LDS + AUB Membership

One of the more surprising revelations? Some members maintain dual affiliation — actively participating in both the AUB and the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). A prime example is Robin Brown’s father, Paul Howard Sullivan Sr. (father of Sister Wives star Robyn Brown), who was able to straddle both worlds. He remained a polygamist and yet had his funeral held at an LDS chapel in St. George.

“People always doubt the connection between polygamy and the mainstream LDS,” Katie says. “But when you have high-profile cases like this, it’s hard to deny.”

⚠️ Secrets and Scrutiny: Why It Matters

The issue here isn’t just religious belief — it’s about transparency, accountability, and tax-exempt status. How can a group claim to serve the public as a nonprofit while actively restricting public access?And with ties to reality stars, hidden archives, and a closed-door culture, the AUB continues to attract attention from watchdogs, journalists, and former members alike.

Katie promises more footage, more voices, and more uncomfortable truths to come.