Join with us as we have a panel discussion of the new documentary series “Shiny Happy People” and its comparison to Mormonism. There are a striking number of similarities between Joseph Smith and IBLP leader Bill Gothard. We discuss the umbrella structure of IBLP and how abuse occurs so often in these High Demand groups and religions. Tia Levings, Brooke Arnold, and Lindsey Williams were personally interviewed and featured in Shiny Happy People because of their involvement with this group.
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Mormon Stories Related
- 1522-1523: Surviving Purity Culture at BYU-Idaho – Chandler Roberson
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Other
- The Good Book Club
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- A Well Trained Wife by Tia Levings
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- Mormon Apostle teaches that victims of abuse should repent
- Elizabeth Smart
- Brooke Arnold Website
Shiny Happy People was horrifying and when you watch it you get the idea that they are just scratching the surface. I thought several practices mirror Mormonism quite closely. Excited for this episode!
I attended a Gothard seminar back in the late 70s. Since I was already in the process of leaving a fundie cult, I was ambivalent about attending but went anyway. There were some things that I found useful, but I was troubled by Gothard’s use of scripture. He was “proof texting” by ignoring any and all historical, social and cultural context. So…..he could make “scripture” say whatever he wanted it to say. It was familiar to me because I’d been manipulated by these techniques for years, and could recognize them. Scripture, in the hands of narcissistic sociopaths, is a very insidious weapon. People are often unaware of the power it can wield over their lives.
The MP3 audio is from a different podcast.
Thank you so much Monica! It’s fixed now!
Cult leaders…. Total narcissism…
Charming but insidious
Behavior!
Personality traits…..Empathic behavior with a narcissist in charge…
I’m not surprised this turned into another “all women are victims, male patriarchy, evil males” tripe. Do you really think John that Mormonism is good for males? I guess my experience in Mormonism was very different. Just like the women I was sex shamed. I was asked explicit questions by Bishops. All the same stuff. And in my marriage it was my wife that pushed a more fundamentalist view of Mormon adherence and my ex that divorced me when I lost faith in Mormonism. The anecdotal evidence in my life amongst friends is that the woman is far more likely to push an extreme application of Mormonism in the home and on the children, especially from a chastity/sex perspective. That’s true with my mother and in my marriage. It was my mother banging on the bathroom door if I was in the bathroom “too long”. It wasn’t my father.
Ran right into the point there yet somehow kept going dontcha think?