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”.
Resources for those escaping polygamy:
https://holdingouthelp.org/
https://www.hopeafterpolygamy.org/
https://cherishfamilies.org/
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Chapter Markers:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:44 Who are the "lost boys"?
00:04:25 The rules and lifestyle of the FLDS
00:09:47 The private FLDS school system where Warren Jeffs was the principal
00:15:13 Ben had a hard time switching to "worldly" clothes
00:19:02 Buying your way to the highest level of heaven- working as a child
00:23:20 What church was like on Sundays
00:26:07 Wendy's exposure to the FLDS
00:30:18 Women are assigned husbands and meet them on their wedding day
00:32:46 Dozens of siblings, 2 sister/wives living in a hotel
00:40:29 The leaders had upwards of 80 wives!!!
00:46:13 Could the kids keep the money they made?
00:49:44 Why did Ben leave the FLDS if he had a great childhood?
00:53:37 Ben helped with a home for Lost Boys
00:56:41 Ben's escape story
01:07:00 One of the hardest adjustments was figuring out how to flirt
01:10:44 Wendy's perspective on showing the escapees the world
01:14:33 Ben's perspective on why there are so many Lost Boys
01:21:37 How Wendy and Ben are doing now
01:22:36 Linda, Listen & Resources
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.**