What Was It Like Growing Up in a Cult? (MY TRUE STORY) | Ep 1

Great, story, thanks for sharing. I died of cringe at "I think I belong to you" . . . :) Your life should be a major motion picture.

I've seen you on Anthony's show, Amanda's channel, and I just came from Cults to Consciousness. Every time I think I've got an understanding of fundamental Mormonism, you drop a new bit of info and I'm floored all over again. Thank you for sharing your story!

Just wow. I teared up when you told about the Plato story . I am just typical american, not part of any isolated thing, but am lower middle class, which has its own limitations about what life is. The Plato story causes me to think. But from where you came, the huge implications of this.... it just is astounding. With the extreme isolation, it was so close to the people in the cave. Thank you so much for sharing. I don't think I will ever forget your story. I think it will affect my own life. I'm currently about to leave a job of 7 years that has become not good for me. It's not the same as what you dealt with at all -- so much less at stake for me, with loving supportive parents in everything I do. But I can hear your story and relate to these insights that you have and it is beneficial to me. Thank you. I found you from some posts on Reddit from 4 years ago.

Loved this conversation so much! My only suggestion would be to try and speak into the mic a bit more directly. It was quite difficult to hear you without turning the volume up a lot, which made Amanda sound very loud. Keep up the awesome work to both of you!!

Hey Calvin! Ex-FLDS member here, actually X-wife of WSJ. The quote was, "As man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become." It would be cool to char sometime. My dad had a lot to do with the Nielsens and Waymans back in the days. They worked together in the water softner business. My dad chose to follow Roy Johnson. I'm actually his grand-daughter. Very interesting to hear what you were taught! Very similar in many ways! Great work you are doing!

Being born into polygamy, has now given you a voice to warn others.

Fantastic video 🎉 Happy to have Amanda on here.

My friend, I saw your post on Facebook and had to come watch. I love hearing your story and I’m so thankful you’re sharing. Looking forward to more!

Thank you for telling your story so well and raw! When I listen to this episode I felt like I really got to learn about your life and the cult! I'm from Sweden and not religious so it's so interesting to learn how other people can grow up and live their life's, and your story is amazing! You could have stayed in you comfort of what you knew, but closed to brake free and explore YOUR life, and find your path in life! It's so interesting to listen to! Thank you for cheering this with us! Much love from Sweden 🇸🇪

It's so fascinating to me that at its core so many different cult or constrictive manipulative religious groups have often similar methods and characteristics at its core. My family still is part of an extreme group that completely controls every aspect from what clothing they are allowed to wear, all media having to be pre-approved, no dating, only courting that skips the womans approval all the way to the last person being informed of a potential match taking place and the leader of the group making the first and also final call on the match making, down to even the length of a guys hair in mm and the length of a girls skirt in inches from the knee and so on. In this group people are not allowed to show true emotions, they cant ever admit to having a bad day, it must always be spun off as "its really not that bad because we have blessings xyz" which is so bad for mental health and has led to several of their members having commited suicide as they can't ever be open enough about what they struggle with to seek out help as struggling is a sign that you haven't got enough faith. This is just to name a few aspects. To top it all off the group is rife with domestic and child abuse and neglect, even though they would never officially condone that, its core beliefs and structuring foster the perfect environment and no one can ever tell on anyone as that would be admitting a struggle and questioning the people to whose authority your supposed to submit to. Excited to finish this episode tomorrow. Even after having been outside of that environment for 13-14 years, it still affects my relationship with my family and even how I process and react to things in life in ways that surprise me on a regular basis. Finding that informing myself about other groups/cults such as the one you grew up in and seeing those similarities even though the narrative of the faith is a totally different one is fascinating, eye opening and also a little therapeutic, if thats makes sense? Have you found that you have an increased interest in other groups/cults other than your own after having left as well? And find that seeing those similarities and learning about culty characteristics and connecting with people of other culty backgrounds is helping you dissect your own background and reconstruct from there? What are you filling the void that deconstructing your family background, history and old "faith" leaves behind?

Still so glad you guys met each other. Excited to watch this content as it unravels 🫠

Love love love the edited intros! Great work! Did you do them yourself?

Such great advice; glad to hear that there are still amazing professors out there. ❤ I have always told my kids that there is really only 1 thing you need to learn in school...that is how to read! If you can read you can find a book about everything else and learn it (math, science, history, ect.). Public libraries are better than a college because of this fact! All you need is an ID & to be able to read. Get a library card & start checking things out. Plus, now libraries have videos, audiobooks & even better apps so you can do it all on your device from anywhere.

Love this, keep more of this content coming 😊 love from sweden 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪

You two need to watch Prisoner of the Phophet!!!!!

Break the silence. Break the cycle.

Great stories.🌹🌹🌹

I guess there were some audio issues in the middle on Calvin's side. But thanks for sharing your story!

🎉

I call people like us Pligets. Hahaha my dad hates it. But so much truth around it.