Polygamous Mormon Cult “Lost Boys” (a former member takes them in) Artwork

Cults to Consciousness

Stories of claiming independence after leaving high-control groups.

Hi! I’m Shelise Ann Sola— former devout Mormon. On C2C, my husband Jonathan and I dive deep into the nuance of culty organizations. From Extreme Christian Fundamentalism, FLDS Polygamy, Amish, Mennonite, Mormonism, Scientology, Ultra Orthodox, and Jehovah's Witnesses, to cults featured in popular docu-series, we interview cult experts, survivors, advocates, therapists, way-showers, authors, and more, to uncover how they find independence and healing through awareness and true individual sovereignty.

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Cults to Consciousness

Polygamous Mormon Cult “Lost Boys” (a former member takes them in)

November 11, 2023 • Shelise Ann Sola/ Ben & Wendy Barlow • Season 2 • Episode 102

Ben grew up in the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) living with 2 moms and 28 siblings. He started working on a construction site around 8 years old and had his own crew by 16, despite only having a 3rd grade education from the private FLDS school. After realizing the outside world ISN’T all evil, he escaped the cult around age 18 and became the go-to person (along side his now-wife Wendy) for other “Lost Boys” to seek out for help. Ben and Wendy explain what it was like helping kids transition into the “real world”.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Resources for those escaping polygamy:
https://holdingouthelp.org/
https://www.hopeafterpolygamy.org/
https://cherishfamilies.org/

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Who are the "lost boys"?
The rules and lifestyle of the FLDS
The private FLDS school system where Warren Jeffs was the principal
Ben had a hard time switching to "worldly" clothes
Buying your way to the highest level of heaven- working as a child
What church was like on Sundays
Wendy's exposure to the FLDS
Women are assigned husbands and meet them on their wedding day
Dozens of siblings, 2 sister/wives living in a hotel
The leaders had upwards of 80 wives!!!
Could the kids keep the money they made?
Why did Ben leave the FLDS if he had a great childhood?
Ben helped with a home for Lost Boys
Ben's escape story
One of the hardest adjustments was figuring out how to flirt
Wendy's perspective on showing the escapees the world
Ben's perspective on why there are so many Lost Boys
How Wendy and Ben are doing now
Linda, Listen & Resources

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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.**