After growing up in one of the most controlled religious communities in the United States, Naomi "Nomz" Bistline is now navigating life on her own terms.

Now 27, Bistline was raised inside the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a closed community defined by strict control, limited outside contact and rigid social structures. As a young adult, she became one of multiple wives to a man who claimed to be a prophet and exercised authority over the group, in an environment she later described as coercive and abusive.

After the group’s leader was arrested on federal charges related to child sexual abuse, he continued directing members from prison. Acting on what she believed were religious instructions, Bistline became involved in retrieving underage girls from state custody, which led to her conviction and a 21-month prison sentence.

Removed from that environment, her perspective began to shift. Since her release, she has been rebuilding her life, studying psychology, documenting her experiences and speaking openly about manipulation and control within closed communities. Her participation in the Netflix docuseries Trust Me: The False Prophet brought her story to a wider audience.

Adjusting to life outside the FLDS has meant navigating both ordinary and unfamiliar experiences, something she has documented through small personal milestones as she establishes her independence.

She began writing music while in prison, using it to process her experiences, and is now working towards a pop album that reflects both her past and her current outlook. Ongoing legal proceedings linked to her former community, including the possibility of testifying again, continue to form part of that journey.

Alongside her music, Bistline has built a social media presence where she speaks openly about her experiences, often using humour as a way of reframing them, and has indicated an interest in becoming an advocate for others in similar situations.

She is currently in a relationship with Wendell Jeffson, the son of imprisoned FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, with the shared background contributing to their understanding of each other’s experiences.

Bistline’s focus now is on maintaining her independence while using her experiences to shape both her creative work and public voice.