Content Warning: This episode contains references to sexual abuse, coercion, and emotional trauma.

Last week, we met Zipporah—a woman who spent 44 years inside a Utah cult so small and obscure, most people never even knew it existed. That is, until 1978, when a horrific tragedy made national headlines.

The cult was led by Emmanuel David, a self-declared prophet who eventually proclaimed himself God. After his suicide, his wife—his most devoted follower—carried out an unspeakable murder-suicide that took the lives of their children.

All but one.

Their daughter Rachel survived—and in many ways, because she did, so did the cult. It should’ve died with its leader. But for a small group of devoted followers, it didn’t.

Zipporah was one of them.

This is Part 2 of her story… how the cult kept its grasp on her for the next 40 years until she finally was able to break free.

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(Content warning: child abuse, psychological trauma, and forced labor.)

What happens when a child escapes a cult… only to be hunted, harassed, and invoiced for the “honor”?

In Part 2 of Jamie Mustard’s staggering story, we pick up with his teenage years— going deeper into the reality of life inside Scientology’s Sea Org—the labor, the fear, the indoctrination, and the slow, devastating unraveling of family.

But this is more than a story of survival. It’s about a boy who was stripped of education, family, and identity… and still found a way to outsmart the system that tried to erase him. It’s about rewriting your future when you were never taught how to read the past. It’s about the children who were trained to never speak out—and the rare few who do.

An unforgettable chapter in one of the most important cult stories we’ve ever told.

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Come See Us LIVE!

Join us in Los Angeles on July 10th at Dynasty Typewriter for our first-ever Was I In A Cult? live show—featuring special guest Moses Storm! GET YOUR TICKET HERE!

Pre-Order Jamie’s Book:

Jamie Mustard’s powerful memoir Child X drops July 30th. Pre-order now and support his story of survival, resistance, and hard-won freedom.

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What happens when a newborn is handed—by his own mother—into the arms of a cult?

On today’s episode of Was I In A Cult?, we peel back the celebrity sheen and expose the shadowy depths of one of the world’s most controversial organizations: Scientology.

But this time, it’s not about celebrities—it’s about the kids.

Jamie Mustard was born into Scientology’s inner sanctum, the Sea Org. Raised without parents, he spent his childhood in filth-ridden tenements, watched over by untrained and often abusive caretakers, and wrote heartbreaking letters to L. Ron Hubbard begging to see his mom again.

This isn’t the Scientology you’ve heard about. And this is just the beginning. Part one of a rare survival story—of someone who didn’t just escape, but managed to build an aweinspiring life far beyond the trauma.

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Come See Us LIVE!

Join us in Los Angeles on July 10th at Dynasty Typewriter for our first-ever Was I In A Cult? live show—featuring special guest Moses Storm! GET YOUR TICKET HERE!

Pre-Order Jamie’s Book:

Jamie Mustard’s powerful memoir Child X drops July 30th. Pre-order now and support his story of survival, resistance, and hard-won freedom.

Follow Us for More Culty Content:

Instagram & TikTok: @wasiinacult

Support the Show:

This show is listener-powered. If Jamie’s story moved you—please rate, review, and share.

Want ad-free episodes + bonus content? Join our Patreon!

Share Your Story:

Have a cultic experience of your own? We want to hear it.

Email us at info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

**This episode originally aired in May 2023**

Fresh to the workforce, Amber answered a job posting for a dental assitant: “No experience needed!” Looking for something reliable to support her new life as a single mother, she was thrilled when she got hired. Little did she know, her new job would be more than just dental work…

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When your mother is a self-proclaimed prophet claiming to channel the ascended master that is your deceased father as she prepares hundreds of followers for the end of the world, mother/son time isn’t baking cookies - it’s begging her not to summon nuclear holy fire so you can maybe live another day.

In Part 2 of Sean Prophet’s quite literally unbelievable story, we enter the “end times” phase of CUT (Church Universal and Triumphant) - a group that, at its peak, had thousands of members, global spiritual centers, and over $50 million in real estate. We’ve got multi-million dollar underground bunkers, military-grade weapons, mass doomsday drills, and a mother decreeing her way out of a failed apocalypse that - spoiler - never came.

Sean walks us through the harrowing logistics of leading hundreds of followers into bomb shelters, his mother’s unshakable belief in prophecy, and the moment he finally walked away - for good.

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Sean’s new memoir, My Cult, Your Cult, is out now. Order here.

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Was I In A Cult? is listener-powered. If the show has moved you, made you laugh, or made you question your group chat - please rate, review, and share.

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Have a cultic experience to share? We’re listening.

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Join hosts Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore as they take you deep into the world of the most notorious crimes ever — where a single clue can crack a case wide open.

From shocking murders to serial killers, Clues dives into all the forensic details and brilliant sleuthing of the world's most infamous cases. CLUES is a Crime House Original, powered by PAVE Studios. Follow and listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He didn’t just join a cult. He was born a "prince" in one.

In this two-part mind-bender, we welcome Sean Prophet, son of Mark Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet—founders of the Church Universal and Triumphant (aka CUT). At its height, this doomsday spiritual empire commanded tens of millions in real estate, a global following, and enough freeze-dried food and ammo to survive a nuclear winter.

In Part 1, Sean takes us from his early days living in a 17,000-square-foot mansion filled with unpaid devotees, to being groomed as the next “Messenger” of God…

…until a $1.5 million lawsuit shifted everything.

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Sean’s new memoir, My Cult, Your Cult, is out now. Order here.

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If Was I In A Cult? has impacted you, moved you, or made you laugh-uncomfortably-in-public, please rate & review—it helps new listeners find us.

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Have a cultic experience you want to share on the show?

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