Sisters Not Wives

In this episode, we dig into the real economics of polygamy in early Mormon Utah. For years, people have argued about why plural marriage existed—some claim it was about caring for widows, others say it was purely religious devotion. But what do the actual economic studies and historical records say?

We explore research on wealth distribution, household labor, and legal issues in 19th-century Utah to understand how plural marriage really affected families. Did wealth impact polygamy or the other way around? And how did the structure of plural marriage shape opportunity, labor, and survival in frontier communities?

Along the way, we take a few thoughtful detours into topics that still resonate today:
• The culture of confession 
• Therapy training for bishops and stake presidents
• The psychology of guilt and shame
• Why human beings often internalize moral pressure in powerful ways

This episode mixes historical data, social science, and personal reflection as we ask a bigger question: what happens when religious systems intersect with economics, power, and human nature?

If you enjoy deep dives into Mormon history that go beyond the usual talking points, this conversation is for you.

🎙️ Listen now and join the discussion.

#SistersNotWives #MormonHistory #Polygamy #UtahHistory #ReligiousHistory #MormonStudies #LDSHistory #StillMormon #ExMormon #ChurchHistory #FaithAndPower #HistoricalResearch #ReligionAndEconomics #PolygamyDebate

In this episode, we unpack one of the most persistent narratives in religious history: the claim that polygamy was necessary to “build up the kingdom,” increase fertility, and rapidly populate the church. Leaders and advocates often framed plural marriage as a divine solution to demographic growth. A sacred strategy to multiply believers and secure the future of the faith.

But when you actually examine the historical outcomes, the results tell a very different story.

Rather than dramatically increasing birth rates, concentrated polygamy funneled marriage opportunities toward a smaller group of high-status men, leaving many other men without partners. Instead of strengthening community stability, it created structural imbalances; socially, emotionally, and economically. In many cases, women bore the emotional and physical burden of these arrangements, while lower-status men were pushed to the margins.

Ironically, the very system that was justified as “necessary for growth” often produced the opposite effect:

• Fewer men with families
• Increased competition and social stratification
• Heightened male isolation
• Strain within households

This episode connects those historical dynamics to modern conversations about the so-called “male loneliness epidemic.” When access to partnership becomes unevenly distributed, large groups of men are structurally excluded, not because of personal failure, but because of how the system is arranged. Polygamous concentration is one of the clearest historical examples of how that imbalance can happen.

We also explore the deeper moral question: What happens when ancient religious narratives are used as blanket justification for modern social systems? Stories from the Bible are often cited to defend polygamy, patriarchy, or strict gender hierarchies. But descriptive stories are not necessarily moral prescriptions. Just because something appears in scripture does not automatically make it ethically transferable to modern society.

Ultimately, this episode challenges listeners to separate myth from measurable outcome, and to ask whether systems justified as “divine necessity” actually produce the flourishing they promise.

If you’ve ever wondered how historical religious structures still influence modern gender dynamics (especially in Utah), and whether some of today’s social anxieties are echoes of yesterday’s theology, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre is one of the darkest and most disturbing events in Utah history and the truth is far more twisted than what most people have seen on screen.

In this episode, we break down where Netflix’s American Primeval gets the story wrong, why its portrayal of frontier violence oversimplifies what really happened, and how last year’s best-selling book None Left to Tell comes closer to capturing the emotional and human reality behind the massacre.

We walk through the actual historical events that led to the 1857 slaughter of the Baker-Fancher wagon train in southern Utah: the growing paranoia of the Utah War, the role of local Mormon militia members, the deception under a white flag of truce, and the brutal execution of men, women, and children. We also explore how the massacre was deliberately covered up for decades, with blame shifted away from those responsible and the truth buried in official narratives.

From Hollywood dramatization to historical fiction to documented fact, this episode explores how fear, loyalty, and power converged to produce one of the most horrific massacres in Utah history.

Show Notes:
Modern Scholarly Works
Walker, Ronald W., Richard E. Turley Jr., and Glen M. Leonard.
Massacre at Mountain Meadows: An American Tragedy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Turley, Richard E. Jr., and Barbara Jones Brown.
Vengeance Is Mine: The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its Aftermath. New York: Oxford University Press, 2023.
Turley, Richard E. Jr., Janiece L. Johnson, and LaJean Purcell Carruth, eds.
Mountain Meadows Massacre: Collected Legal Papers. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2017.

Primary and Early Accounts
Lee, John D.
Mormonism Unveiled; or, The Life and Confessions of the Late Mormon Bishop, John D. Lee (Written by Himself). St. Louis: Bryan, Brand & Co., 1877.
Brooks, Juanita.
The Mountain Meadows Massacre. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1950.

In November 2025, the LDS Church’s Sunday School lesson on polygamy and Doctrine & Covenants Section 132 raised more questions than answers and for many, confirmed long-standing concerns about how the Church handles its own history.

In this episode of Sisters Not Wives, we break down what actually happened in that lesson and why it felt less like transparency and more like carefully managed silence.

We talk about:

-  How the lesson skirted around the truth of LDS polygamy

- Why absolute obedience was emphasized instead of historical context

- The fear Church leaders seem to have around open discussion

- The deeply troubling parts of Section 132 that remain canonized today

- Consent loopholes, biblical justifications built on logical fallacies, and sexist rules that harmed everyone

- How “pretend transparency” keeps members compliant but uninformed

Section 132 isn’t just a relic of the past. It’s still scripture. And when you actually read it, the implications are unsettling.

This episode isn’t about attacking faith. It’s about telling the truth, asking better questions, and refusing to let institutional discomfort rewrite lived history.

🎙️ Subscribe for more honest conversations about Mormonism, polygamy, faith deconstruction and construction, and religious accountability.

Today, we're exploring how a rising climate of religious fervor, growing suspicion, and a sense of impending doom shaped life in Utah Territory during the 1850s. As tensions escalated between Latter-day Saint settlers and outsiders, the community braced for what many believed would be another invasion, this time from the United States government during the brewing Utah (Mormon) War.

We also look closely at the murder of Apostle Parley P. Pratt, a flashpoint that intensified fear, anger, and hostility across the region. These overlapping pressures—spiritual, political, and personal—created a volatile environment that ultimately contributed to the tragic events at Mountain Meadows in 1857.

Join us as we unpack the complicated, often overlooked factors that led to this pivotal moment in Western and Mormon history.

In this episode, we uncover the chilling truth behind why early Mormons believed in Blood Atonement: one of the most disturbing doctrines to ever emerge from 19th-century American religion.

We explore how this belief shaped the foundations of early Mormon history and how a culture of fear, guilt, and divine punishment took hold during the Mormon Reformation. In a time of famine, natural disasters, and desperation, many early Saints believed that shedding blood could restore their purity before God, a terrifying example of how faith and fanaticism can collide.

Join us as we dive into the untold history of how spiritual panic, charismatic leadership, and apocalyptic thinking led ordinary people to justify the unthinkable all in the name of redemption.

#MormonHistory #BloodAtonement #LDSChurch #ExMormon #Mormon #ReligiousExtremism #MormonReformation #AmericanHistory #CultDocumentary #FaithAndFear #DarkHistory

Three sisters, each raised in the LDS (Mormon) Church and now at different stages in their faith journeys, sit down for a raw, unfiltered discussion about what no one talks about in Mormon temple culture.

We dive deep into the traditions, expectations, and emotional layers behind eternal marriage, temple covenants, and the shame culture that can quietly shape women’s lives within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From exploring the origins of temple practices to confronting the pressures of worthiness interviews and modesty rules, this conversation opens space for honesty, healing, and hope.

This isn’t about tearing down faith; it’s about understanding it. We talk candidly about what’s beautiful in the culture, what’s painful, and what needs to change so that future generations can experience more authentic connection, compassion, and spiritual freedom within or outside of Mormonism.

Join the conversation, share your thoughts, and let’s take the taboo out of talking about what really matters.

#MormonCulture #LDSChurch #FaithJourney #ExMormon #MormonWomen #TempleCulture #EternalMarriage #FaithDiscussion #Deconstruction #SpiritualHealing #ReligiousTrauma #MormonPodcast #WomenOfFaith #HonestConversations #MormonStories #HealingFromReligion

Today, we dive deep into one of the darkest doctrines to ever come out of American religious extremism, Mormon blood atonement, and the chilling ways it has surfaced in modern history.

We break down three disturbing real world examples of cult leaders who justified violence in the name of God:

• Ervil LeBaron: The so called Mormon Manson who ordered dozens of killings and ran his polygamist sect like a cartel
• The Lafferty Brothers: Two extremists who believed they were commanded by God to carry out brutal “righteous” executions
• Warren Jeffs: Still exerting power from prison with disturbing future prophecies that show just how dangerous blind faith can become

But this episode isn’t just about shocking crimes. We explore how ordinary people get pulled into cult thinking, the psychology of obedience, and the terrifying slippery slope that happens when religious conviction turns into moral exemption.

Why do people follow destructive leaders? How do belief systems twist into violence? And could this kind of extremism rise again in today’s polarized world?

Listen as we unpack the warning signs and why understanding these stories is more important now than ever.

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you’re ready for more deep dives into faith, power, and the human psyche.

#cults #truecrimepodcast #mormonhistory #religiousextremism #ervillebaron #laffertybrothers #warrenjeffs #fundamentalistmormon #psychology #blindobedience #truecrimecommunity #podcastclips #exmormon #mormon 

Growing up in Utah, we were part of three different groups that, looking back, might’ve been more cult-like than we realized. In this episode, we revisit our teenage experiences, what was tied into money and power, and the red flags we missed along the way.

From risky rituals to systematic exposure of trauma, and from homeschool gatherings to inner circles with a $20,000 entry fee—this is our deep dive into what happened to us as teenagers.

🎧 Subscribe for more deep dives into hidden Utah history and current and past.

#UtahCults #GrowingUpHomeschool #ExcultStories #FaithJourney #UtahHistory #CultAwareness #SistersNotWives ##UtahPodcast

After the end of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young led the Latter-day Saints west to the remote Utah Territory, but the move wasn’t just geographical. In this video, we dive deep into the surprising doctrinal changes and theological shifts introduced by Brigham Young that reshaped Mormonism as we know it.

From Adam-God theory, The Law of Adoption, and increased emphasis on plural marriage, to the creation of a theocratic system in the Utah desert, this video explores how the LDS Church began to diverge from its original teachings...and why.

We’ll also examine how the rapidly changing world of the 19th century, from American expansionism to the discovery of gold in California, pushed the Mormons toward deeper isolationism, cultural preservation, and religious fundamentalism.

If you're interested in Mormon history, religious evolution, or the ways that belief systems adapt under pressure, this video is for you.

👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share if you want more deep dives into Mormon doctrine, American religious history, and untold stories of faith in flux.
#mormonhistory  #brighamyoung  #ldschurch  #exmormon  #churchhistory  #polygamy #doctrinalshift #hiddenhistory  #americanreligion #utahhistory  #19thcenturyamerica  #faithvsculture 

Show Notes:
Brigham Young’s sermon the Adam-God Doctrine
​​ Journal of Discourses. 1:50-51; Friday, April 9, 1852; Sermon delivered by President Brigham Young in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, SLC, Utah.
https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/JournalOfDiscourses3/id/1861/
Heber C. Kimball Quote
 Journal of Wilford Woodruff; April 10, 1852; Quoting Heber C. Kimball.
https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/documents/0c971e56-08d1-4e91-9ade-4fb00f2883f0/page/6d8e7243-1f50-4b30-a950-645434cfe26c 

Hyrum Smith’s April 8th 1844 Sermon - I was wrong about this one. It wasn’t taken out of the JSP. There are apparently two versions from the records of the meeting when this sermon was delivered. The full transcript includes the crossed out section in the first link given below. When Brigham Young and the church leaders were writing “The History Of The Church” they decided to revise these records and write a short summary of what Hyrum’s speech was about, instead of including the full transcript of his words. In the summary, they curiously left out any mention of him speaking against polygamy and the difference between polygamy and eternal marriage. 
Joseph Smith Papers. History, 1838–1856, Volume E‑1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844]. ID #8112. Edited transcript. Accessed September 28, 2025. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-e-1-1-july-1843-30-april-1844/1#full-transcript.
Shorter version omitting any mention of eternal marriage or polygamy:
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] [addenda], p. 11 [addenda], The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed September 28, 2025, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-e-1-1-july-1843-30-april-1844/434?highlight=addenda%208%20april%201844 

Brigham Young being sealed to 38 men source:
Brooks, Juanita (1992) [1961], John Doyle Lee: Zealot, Pioneer Builder, Scapegoat, Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, p. 73.
See also “Isn’t One Wife Enough?” By Kimball Young that includes Brigham Young quotes like there will be a time in the future "when men would be sealed to men in the priesthood in a more solemn ordinance than that by which women were sealed to men, and in a room over that in which women were sealed to man."