Kari & Kyle Hanks share their journey of leaving the secretive 2x2 church, a religious group with no official name, written doctrine, or corporate structure. They discuss their upbringings, struggles with faith, the exclusivity of the religion, and the trauma they endured. From discovering the church’s hidden history to creating a support group for ex-members, they expose abuse scandals, strict doctrines on women, and emotional suppression within the group. Their deconstruction was influenced by the Mormon Stories Podcast, COVID-19, and personal revelations about belief, identity, and autonomy. Now, they advocate for informed consent and support those leaving high-control religions. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:40 Kari & Kyle introduce themselves and the Two by Twos group 00:14:04 They do not have a written doctrine, it is all word of mouth 00:21:59 The founding of Two by Two - founded by William Irving 00:28:28 It wasn’t until 1905 that the group started preaching exclusivity 00:37:52 Irving is kicked out of the church, although some still stay loyal to him. Another splinter group. 00:49:50 Three meetings a week 01:00:46 Background of their theology/doctrine 01:09:02 Discussion of Heaven & Hell 01:17:04 Kari’s background in the church 01:23:17 Growing up as a 2x2 girl 01:30:30 How does the group refer to themselves? 01:38:43 Never having the language to describe her feelings or sexuality 01:42:09 Higher education was discouraged for many, especially women 01:54:17 Emotional manipulation in high demand religions 02:24:47 2x2s very politically conservative, but are not typically involved politically 02:27:08 When did she start to think she was in a cult? Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/we-were-raised-raised-in-the-two-by-twos-cult/ ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117