The Melissa Hansen Story - Polygamy, Abuse and Mind Control - Escaping a Fundamentalist Mormon Sect

Melissa Hansen is a former member of a fundamentalist Mormon sect known as the Davis County Cooperative Society (the Kingston Group). Born and raised in the group, Melissa was one of 12 children. During her time within the sect, she saw several plural marriages, including underaged girls married as plural wives to adult men in their 30s and even into their 70s.

At the age of 19, Melissa was married to her husband after he was directed by God to marry her. Prior to their marriage, she was clear that she did not want to be in a polygamist marriage, one week later God directed him to find a second wife, despite her protests.

Several years later, after questioning the teachings of the church, and after several instances of abuse, Melissa decided to escape the church with her four children by entering a safe house for several months. She now lives outside of the Cooperative. Her ex-husband and many of her relatives are still active within the Polygamist sect.

Melissa comes on the podcast to discuss her story, the inner workings of the sect, seeing her sister married to a 36 year old man at 14, life within the sect, abuses amongst wives, escaping with her children, co-parenting with an ex still practicing within the group, figuring out her moral system once out of the sect and so much more.

Melissa continues to speak out against Polygamy. You can find her on Facebook on her page Melissa Speaking MY Truth.