Growing Up in Polygamy - Sam and Melissa Zitting Wyson Part 2 - Mormon Stories Ep. 1618
Join John and Jenn as they hear the unique Mormon Story of Sam and Melissa Zitting Wyson. Sam grew up in the FLDS church in Short Creek. After leaving the FLDS at age 18 he converted to the mainstream LDS church. He then met and fell in love with his beautiful wife, Melissa.
Listen in part two as Sam and Melissa begin to question doctrine of the LDS faith and their transition together out of the mainstream LDS church.
You can find them on their amazing KZhead channel Growing Up In Polygamy! / growingupinpolygamy
Show Notes:
Terra Westover book Educated: www.amazon.com/Educated-Memoi...
Growing up in Polygamy: Joanna’s Episode: • Growing Up In Polygamy...
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I was able to keep my tears at bay when he started to tear up, but when Sam said he felt like he was too stupid to learn, and talking about the lost boys, I started to tear up. As a mom, I just can't imagine my child being out there alone feeling that way.
Possibly my fav Mormon Stories episode. These two are so sincere, and I love stuff about Southern Utah.
Poor Melissa 😔. You freed your Dad, gave him the courage to finally voice his feelings. Please John, get her back sometime!!
Would love it if Melissa’s dad would consider an interview
Rewatching this. When she was crying talking about how her dad said he may be an atheist, my thought was she finally gave the freedom to express how he thought and felt and she felt bad about it.
yes and the women do most of the emotional work
It was so so sad to see her / Melissa cry.😘 She comes over as somebody who's eternally cheerful and sunny, for her to cry.. Feel for you! 💓 For you both actually!! 💓💓 ;)
I am not a Mormon and never have been, but I live in the same community as the Columbia River Temple. I have so many friends who are Mormon, but it has always felt like they held me at an arm’s length. Mormon Stories Podcast has helped me to understand why that is the case. I’ve listened to both episodes of Sam & Melissa’s Mormon Story, and it touches my heart so much. Melissa’s love and support for Sam, and their compassion for the people of their former religions is an example to me. Today I hope to walk with an open heart and less judgement. Thank you for these beautiful stories!
My heart breaks for all the Lost boy's. He is so brave to leave. We had a large polygamist family in our neighborhood and my friends Mom befriended on of the boys. She was a teacher and she taught him how to read. He was 16 and didn't know how. I was 10 and didn't realize he didn't know how to read because reading is freedom. The sin of keeping people ignorant is the worst thing they do.
I was crying along with Sam when he spoke about the family who helped him. 😭 This is one of my favourite interviews. Such a nice couple …
Interested in knowing what lunch buddies are?
Can you tell me more about it? 🤔
This was my favorite interview yet! I love everything about this couple! Their love and mutual respect for each other is beautiful. Their ability to factually and succinctly tell their stories, but in a way that draws their audience in - wanting to know more and how things turned out. They didn't interrupt each other. They affirmed each other. They shared their truth without disparaging others. Truly one of the most interesting, uplifting interviews I've heard!
I loved this interview so much, I only wish we could've heard more on Melissa's story! She does such a good job interviewing Sam on their channel, it was nice to hear her being interviewed for a change!
I agree, I would have liked to hear a little more from Melissa. If, of course, she wishes to share more. (Edit: she said she would!) Perhaps a Thrive interview. She’s pretty amazing & inspiring, imo.
Hear, hear!
I just want to say how much I appreciate this mini-series, Mormon Stories in general, and John. John is so good at these interviews. I love how he asks seemingly obvious questions that end up having non-obvious or, at least, really profound answers. He elicits all the information and facilitates all the stories in such remarkable way. John, you really have such a gift.
❤️❤️❤️
Totally agree!!
Amanda Rae and her brother would be a good guest to have she was in “The Order” or the Kingston Clan in Salt Lake City. Especially having a young woman’s perspective from a polygamist group and her brother became LDS.
Second this- but I think perhaps having her on with one of her cousins even would be cool.
I mentioned this is on the first episode!
Agree
Good idea. I have only more recently started watching Amanda and if John wants a very different story about people living in and escaping polygamy. She would be the one to ask. Amanda and others she knows that have escaped her particular cult tell some pretty eye opening stories.
I grew up LDS (pioneer heritage) and left in my 30s. I’m pretty sure I share ancestors with many of the FLDS families and learning about its origins fascinates me. I think I’ve watched most of the videos on Sam and Melissa’s channel. One thing I respect about them is how respectful they are of both the LDS and the FLDS people and their beliefs but sometimes I feel like they candy coat issues and I really just want them to say what they really think. This interview made me feel like I know them so much better now and I loved it. I could listen to them all day. The love between them is palpable.
I actually found Mormon Stories through Growing up in Polygamy, so glad to see them coming together. I would love to hear more of Melissa's story, I feel like I got so much just from the little she was able to share. Would also just like to say I love to see how you both support one another in telling your stories and are so clearly affected by how the experiences your partner went through affected them with such empathy.
Go Sam!!!! Real men cry in public when they feel the feels!!!! Seriously, my admiration for you hass just grown big time.
This was a great miniseries- I would love to see Sam & Melissa back, or maybe even Melissa & her dad? Would be fascinating to hear his perspective as a convert who lost his faith and then watched his daughter go through the same thing
It's almost 11 PM o'clock (got it right this time😊) in The Netherlands and I've finished most of the work (I make sculptures whilst listening and reacting) and I'm in for a second round! It will be late into the night when I'll go to bed, probably around 3 or 4 AM... LOVE IT THOUGH!
When I was having the discusions prior to being baptised into the Main LDS church, in the early 80's, I asked about polygamy and was told ' it only happened because women had to be married to be able to join the trek to Utah' mmmm 'Lying for the Lord'
These two are so well put together and well spoken. What a power couple.
What an amazing, thoughtful and intelligent couple! Best interviews yet!
WOW just wow, I have been a subscriber to Sam and Melissa for ages, but this interview was so in depth, inspiring, emotional and thought provoking. Thanks John and Jenn
Me too. I thought I knew their whole story. Wow I learned a lot; especially about Melissa's family and faith journey.
What is their channel?
@@Zena357 growing up in polygamy
Sam sure is a strong person. It shows that regardless of your faith, how LOVE is what truly matters and makes a difference. It is because people showed him love that he was able to believe he wasn’t stupid and that he could do things in life. Love is all we need.
Yay!
I’d love to be able to hear his sister’s story about marrying Rulon Jeffs
I just got into Melissa’s part after she sat basically in silence for so many hours of an amazing story. Now I’m so hooked on her story, but I have tickets to Top Gun 2 and I don’t wanna stop her story 😬😃😎
Jen adds such a beautifully empathetic but also analytical perspective to the show, I love when she rides sidecar
Thank you, Tori! - Jenn
I have to disagree. I don’t enjoy her style at all. Sorry Jen. PS I just read about this troublesome lady and I am so glad she is gone. What a troublesome mess she made!
Okay you have got to have Melissa back going to tell her whole story, Cuz when she spoke about the part where she met her parents and her father revealed that he didn't believe a temple marriage is necessary or that if he even believed in God, I felt every emotion that Melissa was feeling, I was in tears, Not in tears because how sad that her father believed this but in tears that it almost was his release for him and Melissa to say that they're okay just the way they are
I left church life about 20 years ago. Living in the South, having a different faith practice, is definitely not the norm. Although not Mormon, I can relate to what is being said. I find our common ground is questioning things and searching for truth. Kudos to anyone that questions everything!
I’ve been watching Sam and Melissa for a while now and they are an amazing couple.
I began watching Mormon Stories at podcast #1 a couple of years ago. I have listened to each and every one up until 1617-1618. If I were to begin writing my thoughts and observations, I would likely spend the rest of the day and night expressing the consonance with the concepts, principles and axioms that have been verbalized in these two podcasts. John, I bet you wish you had another few hours with these people. Suffice it to say that I would vote these two episodes as the best of all the rest of which there have been some profound and wise episodes for sure. The paths of the lives of these two wonderful authentic people felt like reading the history of Carolyn Jessop. Thank you all for presenting this splendid experience with us all. I send un abrazo grande to all.
Great interview! Sam voiced something that I've been thinking about for a long time and that is that high-demand religions / cults co-opt the feeling of LOVE.
Thanks for this interview - such fascinating stories. Your talking about how dark the toxic side of eternal families can be reminds me of the first time I encountered a Mormon missionary - I was 16 and running away from a pretty awful/abusive family situation and wanted nothing further to do with my family when a very wholesome looking young American came up to me and asked "what if I told you there was a religion that allowed families to be together in this life and for all eternity?" He had such an earnest/hopeful look and I opened my mouth to politely brush him off. What came out was "that sounds like hell to me. I never want to see anyone I'm related to again, much less spend forever with them." It was the truth, but I still remember how crushed/shocked he looked and I feel bad for bursting his all families are happy/good bubble.
Please, please have them back!! I love their channel but I would love to hear Melissa’s full story in your setting! You guys are so inspiring!
Really enjoyed these interviews. Thank you John, Jen, Sam and Melissa.
Sam: "I think people underestimate the power of the mind..." Holy cow! I am 50 and am just learning that! Sam and Melissa, you are both so loving and so wise! On another note: I am Addictions counselor. Who knew a young man raised FLDS would get things figured out long before a lot of others "figure it out." Wow. And the mind IS the spirit. And the heart. Reasoning is spiritual but enough of the philosophical stuff. Love Sam and Melissa!
Also, Melissa: " the Spirit is LOVE." So profound and 💯 spot on!!! On a separate note, some of the rhetoric of the church today is not very loving and ward members can really get hung up on things that don't matter. WITHOUT LOVE there is no spirit! The end
@@thisidahomomreports I LOVED that. And it makes so much sense! The BOM (and my dad) would talk about fruits of the spirit being love, peace, calm. I have chronic anxiety and definitely struggled with religious scrupulosity,.and to help me discern what was the spirit and what was just my anxiety brain obsessing over something, I would think about the fruits. Am I anxious about this and acting out of anxiety? Or do I have a calm determination,.even if still in the face of anxiety? I didn't want to disregard all the times I felt "the spirit". Sure, some of it was emotional manipulation, etc, but not all of it. I love that she said the spirit is LOVE. I usually refer to it as my intuition, but I feel like saying it's love also fills out some of the space. It makes sense.
I left the LDS church at 18 as soon as I could move out of my parent's home and was inactive for 15 years. Then after my divorce, I came back into activity for about 3 years starting only when Covid created the need for home church. It felt so wonderful to talk about Christ and feel the spirit just with my family who lived nearby and who were being so emotionally supportive of me after leaving my abusive relationship. But then after about a year or so of being back to normal in person church and really diving into Come Follow Me, I started to deconstruct my faith. Its been good for me during this time where I am trying to navigate what I believe and how I want to raise my son, to hear other's stories and I am so glad after following Sam & Melissa to find Mormon Stories. Thank you for this beautiful mini series! I am excited to dive into more of your content.
Lovely, Jen. Leaving the bubble of my own abusive family, where Dad was god, was so painful but so worth it for my own freedom and joy. But I have to be tender with my siblings who live in the bubble still.
I freaking LOVE Melissa’s commentary in all of this
Wow I love Melissa’s honesty. Such an interesting story. I only wish it could be more long form and detailed!
I could listen to another 4 hours!!!! Awesome episode!!!! Such lovely people! ♥️
Contagious cryer here…when Melissa started to cry alittle about her parents, I was crying as well.
What a wonderful young man. Incredible trials that he overcame. Wow.
Hearing about their second first date was so cute. When Melissa said “we went to the fanciest place in St. George” I immediately thought “anasazi” and then she said it. This was just such a good interview. The whole thing. Sams story and Melissa’s story. John and Jenn are pros. 💜
This has been probably my favorite Mormon stories interview. Thank you Sam and Melissa for sharing your story. ❤️ Love your channel as well!
I love the story about Sam taking on the Wyson name. I think it's such an utterly beautiful tribute.
Oh those poor sweet babies 🥹 I just wanna hug y’all so hard ❤ with all the loves
I love love love love Melissa and Sam. I love their channel. And I love their vulnerability and honesty. Talking about hard things is such a struggle and they open the door for these Harrs things.
I love this interview- really inspiring how Sam found his way in a world where so much was new to him!! And Melissa is so beautiful and intelligent!
Stories of Courage. Thank You for Sharing.
Just wanted to say how much I enjoy this channel. I’m an ex-pentecostal (UPCI) and your content has really helped me along my deconstruction. Thank you
At 1:17, I was in tears with everyone else. Regardless of faith it's a beautiful moment in describing a truly good family and two really good 18 yr old boys! ❤️ Cant' say I can relate to the circumstances, BUT THIS IS TRUE CHRISTIAN LOVE RIGHT HERE! P.S. LDS are NOT the only knew who will say that emotions like this are confirmation of spiritual and eternal principles. Such a beautiful moment! I have an 18 yr old son. I personally am so grateful this family was there for Sam!!!! Sam , you are a very unique and special person!!!
Me, too! I think it’s really the first time I’ve ever seen Sam get so emotional about anything.
What an amazing couple. This really shows how respectful and loving they are to each other. It also shows such a deep love for their children that they would question their beliefs for their children’s sakes.
All other amazing stuff aside, is it inane to compliment Sam on his diction? He does such an awesome job articulating/enunciating his words!
LOVE Melissa & Sam and now Mormon Stories! Thank you for an amazing interview and transparent talk.
“ I didn’t think women had money.” Lol that’s a good one.
I loved these so much. I would love to hear more about Melissa's story too!
Loved these interviews with Sam and Melissa!!
What awesome couple! I've been subscribed on their channel since the beginning but this interview covered up a lot of new stuff that really impressed me. Double like!! Please John, get them back!!
What else would you like them to cover Angela?
@@mormonstories I think Melissa could talk more about her experience marrying a guy with a polygamist background. Her feelings, doubts and fears about it (If they happened) and Sam could explore a little more about his transition from FLDS beliefs to Lds beliefs. What were the doctrine questions that he carried for a long time or put on the shelf. Thanks a lot. Wow, I have a suggestion: Bring Marcelo and Sandra Ribeiro from "Mormonismo sem censura". This couple rocks and have helped the Brazilian post Mormon community to thrive and find a place. Thanks a lot
@@mormonstories a deep dive into Melissa's mormon story, with maybe a fuller recount of their transition from both perspectives would be amazing! Melissa's story had me wanting a fuller deeper dive. I understand it might seem repetitive, but I think her story about digging into the what she found on mormon approved sources, and what she was able to find out after talking to her dad and looking into "anti-mormom" content would be fascinating and informative. Also hearing about when they were able to learn about Warren Jeff's without the framework of religion and processing all that would be so interesting.
I was never involved in the LDS church but in Christianity and my awakening moment was also learning about other religions & how much conviction people had for them. I’m honestly so proud of Sam for growing through all the indoctrination. He turned his situation into something so powerful, about finding truth no matter where that takes you, Melissa was so brave to really do the research that guided their journey. So happy for them. 💛
We've had the same awakening. Besides conviction, people of other religions are also just as likely to be good, kind, caring people as Christians. These are the fruits of any religion.....and they're the same. So there's no way to say that Christianity is any better or worse than any other religion. Only a strong personal or cultural bias leads people to feel that there is only one true religion....the one they just happened to be born into.
Incredible interview. Thanks to all involved.
Wow! What an impressive, intelligent, delightful couple.
It was super interesting to learn more about Melissa! Thanks for the past few episodes. I came to your channel because so many people mentioned Sam and Melissa would be on during a live stream on Eskel Grant’s channel…now I’ll be binging old episodes.
Thank you for sharing Sam and Melissa! Both of your life stories are inspirational and needed today!
Shunning is such a destructive practice.. My granny hasn't talked to her youngest son in thirty years. She's starting to get dementia and I'm not even sure she remembers that she had three kids. My sister and I have both left the religion and I asked my dad how it could be paradise for him without us and he couldn't answer me.
Oh my goodness! My favorite couple!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Sometimes, it takes years before you can honor the man/woman/family who actually was a parent to you -- When I was divorced after 20 years of marriage I asked my stepfather -- who was the only man who ever WAS my father -- if I could have his name. He cried, I cried, I'm a Fox now ♥
GREAT couple. GREAT insight. GREAT story. Thanks for putting me onto their channel Mormon stories!!!
It's so interesting to see how the similarities in different Religious groups. I was raised in a very conservative church. So many similarities but just not quite as controlling. Also, many similarities between the LDS and FLDS groups and they don't see it. Once you step away is when you can see it. ( Can't see the forest because of the trees) I feel for people stuck there and for the ones leaving. I remember I cried every Sunday after leaving the group I was raised in. I kept praying to God that I didn't want to go to Hell and if leaving was gonna send me to Hell, please stop me. He just kept giving me peace. I have the most peace that I've ever had.
Brilliant interview John you did a fantastic job. Sam and Melissa, I thought I had a mountain of admiration for you guys from watching your channel, already. This interview has upped that admiration about a thousand percent. Thank you for telling your story.
Glad you enjoyed it
@@mormonstoriesis there a part 3?
Love my new 🏡 Family! 🎈🎉🎉 ExJW (Jehovah's Witness) Solidarity! 💚💜
This was very interesting. I learned a lot and I have to say I take my hat off to this young couple for being so brave.
What a great interview! Mormon Stories seems to have an endless supply of people with such interesting backgrounds and struggles in life. What's impressive is the courage to do the right thing, because truth matters. Sam's aha moment when he realized that there are people all over the world belonging to various religions who also "feel" the truth of their faith, just like Mormons, was also my experience as a Christian but not Mormon. This is an age-old human experience provided by all religions. One reaction is to conclude that the experience must be delusional because the religions are obviously different. Another conclusion could be that the various religions have unique messages intended for a particular time or culture, just as teachers in school adapt lessons to the age levels they're teaching. One teacher is not superior to another just because she teaches a higher level of math than previous teachers. This way of examining religions allows all of them to be true, but not the only truth, and not the last truth, but the best form of the truth for a particular people. The social laws for marriage and diet may change, but the admonitions to truthfulness, honesty, compassion, love, forgiveness, etc. are the same in all religions. The evidence is in the cultures growing from each religion. Those who follow the moral and ethical laws of their religion are good people, whatever they may call themselves.
What a beautiful couple. I’m a year late to this podcast but there is a lot to get through as a never Mormon but I had huge exposure growing up in Australia and then my move to the U.K. with JW’s ,Mormons and Pentecostal Christianity. And an interest in cults and hight demand religions due to this exposure as a child and teen and into my twenties. I’m so pleased you are speaking out and continuing to keep the pod casts as you do. Huge love to you all. And I love how connected you two are as a couple xxx
Love this interview. Would love to see Melissa back for her own full interview. She speaks so passionately and clearly.
Hello from Australia! So pleased you’re on Mormon Stories Podcast!!!!
What’s so great about the channel Growing Up in Polygamy is showing how we are all the same people. It is so sad that people are still victims of Warren Jeffs. I used to go to Utah a couple times a year and we would visit relatives all over this area. I love seeing the beautiful scenery when you showed us around. Absolutely recall seeing the mountains in the dark as we made our way to relatives homes. Passing through Las Vegas back in the 1970’s was another event. The St. George Temple is my favorite.
I hope that they chose to surprise her dad, even with a simple beach or garden wedding and let him give her away. Pictures and memory making is worth it.
Beautiful, poignant, heartbreaking, heartwarming stories.❤😊
What a heartbreaking and bittersweet journey for these lovely people. Such a powerful episode.
Amazing interview. Sam and Melissa have so much grace and love.
Canadian here. Winston Blackmore's group is based in Bountiful, British Columbia (Canada's western-most province) north of Montana and Washington state.
Always so interested in Bountiful. I am Canadian as well. I am a Christian and was always interested as I have two 2 sis in laws that live close to Bountiful . So fascinating!
It’s actually above Idaho. Which is between Washington and Montana.
I listen to both podcasts all the time, but I learned so much from this series!
Wow listening to their stories was like binge watching the Netflix documentary! So much good information. Thank you for sharing your stories!
Definitely my favorite episode. Felt like listening to a the script of a movie about an amazing love story. Loved listening to both these beautiful people. Glad they have a KZhead channel because if not I'd be begging for a book.
As I listened further to this Conversation I believe it sounds like a Story of 'Eternal Progression. My own experience has been that I came to a Better Understanding of God and been able to have a Personal Relationship with God came AFTER I stepped away from the LDS Church. Good Luck to you young people on your Journey...
To make such changes takes an enormous strength of spirit. Hats off to both Of you. My wish for you is to keep growing……bless you both .
Because God is part of us, whatever channel we choose to follow will bring forth the fruits of our faith. We have a personal relationship with God no matter what religion we are born into. Religious leaders are just controllers of their flock.
I relate to this episode so much! I really appreciate all of your stories and sharing your heart. I completely understand Jen’s tug of war of wanting to tell your loved ones the truth but at the same time not wanting to cause them the Earth shattering pain that comes with finding out the truth. Lots of love to everyone, whatever path you are on 💛
I'm so glad this interview exists. It sheds a much better light on the FLDS church than the media does. Before the more recent major corruption, it seemed more like an Amish community in a lot of ways.
This episode hit me really hard. Thank you for the honesty and brutal, often gut wrenching, transparency.
Fantastic interview. Super interesting and informative! Thank you Sam and Melissa
I saw Elissa's interview before I watched this one. The most striking thing to me was how many similarities they have with the LDS church and how much (at least where I grew up) they were demonized by LDS members to distance ourselves from them. While they have many differences as well, they were/are just following what they believe exactly like TBMs do. I'm glad he got out & these two found each other.
Thanks so much for not making us wait too long for part 2!!!!
Appreciate the honesty of your guests.
To do Melissa’s story it should be an interview with her and her father!
So honest! Love this interview. Thank you for all the interviews you do. 🙏
I am an ex Mormon convert. When I was in the church I never , ever, at any time heard anything about polygamy or the FLDS. Now it is fascinating to me and I’m loving learning everything about it from Sam. I’m even reading some books about it. Your mother should be so proud of raising you to be the fine man you are. I hope sometime in the future she will know Melissa and your darling children. Aren’t you glad you moved back to St. George and met Sam !
So informative and touching! 😭
Great interview. Im late in getting to watch this. Thanks for putting out the knowledge, so maybe those still trapped can gain courage from this!
I’m thankful that my relationship with Jesus Christ is about believing in Him, inviting Him into my heart (life) and asking forgiveness for my sin. Jesus fills the vacuum in my soul rather relying on works. Jesus loves me so much that He died for me and I have certainty of my future in Heaven when I die. ✝️
Love these two so much! Sending all the love and support to their family and yours
I'm not Mormon, but truly enjoy your videos. I'm so captivated.
I have enjoyed watching your channel Sam and Melissa. I'm first Baptist and have really been interested in knowing about how other religions were formed and their beliefs. I pray God continues to bless your family. My heart hurt when you both were raw with your feelings. I too have gone thru a faith journey not being in a religious family but knowing that someone was helping me navigate my life. I had an uncle that the Lds took in and he was handy caped and slow. They were very good to him. I know that the God I feel loves all and has made all man in his image. So why can't we all be loved equally by him. So I'm sending all of you my love and hugs. We need to hear your words before we judge others we need to walk a mile in their shoes. Thank you Mormon podcast and Sam and Melissa for allowing me into the world you were taught to believe. I also will pray that those who seek a way out can find the comfort in these examples