Love Has Won | School of the Prophets | Angel's Landing

·24 min·10 clips

Episode 102 opens with a sick-day apology. The host says she had to skip the prior week because she was really sick, thought it might be a stomach bug at first, and is still dealing with some symptoms even though she is better than she was. She then says it has been a while since she last did a cult episode. This one stacks up several cult stories, and she makes clear right away that she does not understand how people get so brainwashed by leaders making ridiculous claims. The first cult story comes first. She talks through Carlson, says the group is still visible through a Facebook page and a YouTube channel, and notes that police body-cam footage exists from the welfare check when Carlson's body was discovered. She also relays what Carlson's family has said about the group's start: Carlson founded it in her thirties after leaving her McDonald's job and after her third divorce. The host lingers on the strangeness of the aftermath, saying the group did not simply fade away after Carlson died and sounding genuinely incredulous that it continues online. From there she pivots to Hulu's Under the Banner of Heaven. She reminds listeners that the series is based on a true story. The case at the center of that reference is Brenda Wright Lafferty, who was found dead by her husband Alan on the night of July 24, 1984, in Provo, Utah. Her throat had been slashed, and she had also been choked with the cord from a vacuum cleaner before her death. Their fifteen-month-old daughter was killed in the same attack. The host then says the killings were traced to Alan's brothers, Dan and Ron Lafferty. She keeps the explanation plain and chronological, which makes the legal and family connections easier to follow. The episode closes with a reminder to check the links in the description and follow her on social media, especially TikTok, where she posts smaller breaking-news stories. She signs off by saying she will be back next week, and sooner if there is breaking news.

As heard by us

Three cult stories, told plainly, with the host not hiding her skepticism.

The episode stays on cults without drifting too far from the point, and the host does not hide her skepticism. It moves from Carlson and the circle around her to the Brenda Wright Lafferty case, then lands on the odd detail that the cult connected to Carlson still appears to…

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a blunt, late-night walk through three cult cases and the harm they leave behind.

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