Joe grew up in a polygamist cult called “The Order.” From the age of 3, he observed his father and uncles with multiple wives— his father, Daniel, fathering over 160+ chiIdren. From the age of 9, Joe started working for The Order, while dealing with the physically and emotionally abus*ve Daniel. As Joe grew up, his dating life was non existent, and he felt “behind”. It became evident that only a small portion of the men were having all of the wives, and that not all of the men would be married. What made it more difficult was that if Joe wanted to “come forward” on a girl, he had to go through Daniel, and also the Prophet, who arranged the cult’s marriages. Things came to a head for Joe at 18, when his mother became sick with cancer and Daniel prescribed his own method to help her heal— fasting, as a way to “starve the cancer”, which Joe felt he couldn’t go against. When his mother died, he decided to leave the cult. The only thing stopping Joe from starting over was The Order having control of his bank account.

Resource for those escaping polygamy:
https://holdingouthelp.org/

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Chapter Markers

00:00:00 Intro
00:03:55 Joe's experience growing up in “The Order”
00:04:43 Joe's family dynamic growing up and how he figured out who his real father is
00:07:20 Growing up with Nephi, Shannell, Allison, and Val
00:08:17 Joe's education in The Order
00:09:38 Working for The Order at a young age
00:11:23 Compensation rates for working so young
00:12:45 Feeling "othered" as an Order member
00:13:55 A male's perspective on polygamy
00:17:15 Joe's mother’s experience in The Order
00:19:44 Joe's motherss health declines
00:23:47 Standing up to Daniel
00:24:12 Physical ab*se in The Order
00:31:32 Ruling with fear
00:34:48 The Order bank
00:37:32 Getting moved around after Joe's mom passed away
00:38:41 Life as a single man in The Order
00:39:55 How does that work with Mormon doctrine?
00:41:15 Dating in The Order
00:44:05 Did Joe ever think he'd have to marry one of his siblings?
00:45:09 Joe's mom's feeling about incest in The Order
00:46:24 Forming romantic relationships after leaving
00:48:21 Curiosity about women after The Order
00:49:02 Joe's gradual discoveries about the outside world and leaving religion altogether
00:52:52 Leaving Mormonism completely
00:57:46 Being a man in The Order vs the secular world
01:02:45 Male patriarchal ideologies taught in The Order
01:04:59 Finding friendship and community after The Order
01:07:46 Struggling to connect with other men after leaving
01:09:45 Has Joe ever been able to open up to other guys about growing up in The Order
01:11:37 Communication with family that are still in The Order
01:12:49 Advice for those still in The Order
01:15:39 Linda, listen
01:17:53 What makes Joe happy now
01:20:34 Outro



Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara

*Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.*