St. George, USA - Elissa Wall, the young woman who took on polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs, tearfully told jurors about her marriage at age 14 and then sat through most of the rest of the trial clutching husband Lamont's hand.
When it was over, a verdict decided, she stood calmly before a bank of microphones and read a prepared statement.
"This has not been easy," she said. "The easy thing would have been to do nothing. But I have followed my heart and spoken the truth."
As the trial ended, Wall moved from being a faceless teen bride into public view, releasing two photos of herself and approving use of her name at the time of her 2001 marriage.
Now 21, married and the mother of two children, she has a new legal name.
Wall sued Jeffs in December 2005, alleging she was harmed because of a forced marriage when she was 14. She also named the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a communal property trust it once ran in the sect's home base of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.
A proposed settlement in that lawsuit calls for her to receive eight building lots in the towns and 4 acres in Maxwell Canyon in Hildale, and it calls for the creation of a $1 million education/assistance fund for teens displaced from the polygamous community.
She next went to Washington County authorities, who in April 2006 filed the criminal case against Jeffs based on her experience.
On Tuesday, Wall reached out to her divided family after the jury reached its verdict. Her father, Lloyd Wall, an active FLDS member, was on the state's witness list - putting him in the potentially difficult spot of having to testify against his religious leader.
Two of Wall's sisters testified for the state. But her mother, Sharon, and other relatives had been on the defense list of possible witnesses.
"I understand and respect your convictions but I will not give up on you," Wall said, speaking of her mother and siblings, who are still in the FLDS faith.
Elissa Wall's statement:
"When I was young my mother taught me that evil flourishes when good men do nothing. This has not been easy. The easy thing would have been to do nothing. But I have followed my heart and spoken the truth.
"Lamont and I want to convey our love to our families. Mother, I love you and my sisters unconditionally, and will go to the ends of the Earth for you. I understand and respect your convictions but I will never give up on you. When you are ready, I am here.
"I have very tender feelings for the FLDS people. There is so much good in them. I pray they will find the strength to step back, re-examine what they have been told to believe and follow their hearts.
"This trial has not been about religion or a vendetta. It was simply about child abuse and preventing further abuse. I hope that all FLDS girls and women will understand that, no matter what anyone may say, we are created equal.
"You do not have to surrender your rights or your spiritual sovereignty. I know how hard it is, but please stand up and fight for your voice and power of choice, I will continue to fight for you.
"To those who have been there to support and keep Lamont and myself encouraged, words cannot begin to express our gratitude. I hope the FLDS people will feel the same kindness as they make a difficult journey."