A woman went viral after revealing how she escaped from a cult in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to her, the cult was polygamous and incestuous: she had over 30 siblings, and the cult was trying to make her marry her cousin.
The woman is Amanda Rae, who is a survivor of “The Order” cult, also known as the Latter Day Church of Christ or the Davis County Cooperative Society. Her content revolves around escaping and surviving the cult, with this recent clip garnering 1.4 million views, 127,000 likes, and 800 comments.
The Utah woman said that she was born and raised in The Order. She has 30 siblings, and her father has three wives, including his half-sister and Amanda’s aunt. At one point, she knew she had to escape.
“They were trying to make me marry my cousin,” Amanda said. “His mom and dad were half-siblings, so he only had one grandpa.”
In 2013, Amanda escaped the cult as a 17-year-old. Alongside friends, she had a plan: take pictures of children allegedly working at the cult’s bank and use them as leverage to have The Order give them their money, which was being kept at their bank accounts.
Amanda Attacked
However, Amanda failed to be discreet. Moments after taking the pictures, and while talking to her best friend for what she believed was the last time, the leader’s brother allegedly attacked her, she said. The man, according to her, took the phone away from her and pushed her out the door.
The Utah woman was bleeding from the neck at that point, she said in a follow-up. Amanda called 911, and coincidentally, a police officer was driving by. The cop took pictures of the blood and the handprints on her neck and then tried to talk to the one responsible. He was unable to enter the building, as someone was holding the door shut, she added.
Amanda said the leader’s brother was waiting for his lawyer, and then another cop told her not to press charges against him. Meanwhile, the narrative at the order, according to her, is that she had “clawed herself” in the neck. Then, her father asked her to apologize to her alleged attacker. She didn’t, and that was the day she left The Order.
Internet Left Speechless
The video sparked many responses online.
Many users were sympathetic to Amanda. One user commented, “This is terrifying. I’m so sorry this happened to you.” Another one wrote, “So glad you made it out and shared your testimony.”
Others, given the nature of the cult and how the Utah woman described her story, were shocked to hear about The Order. One user said, “TikTok really does just drop me off anywhere.” Another one added, “Girl, hold up. Back up. Rewind. I’m sorry. What.”
The shocking nature of how she escaped The Order certainly guaranteed the video’s virality. The cult in itself has been the topic of many documentaries and streaming series, which also explains the clip’s engagement.
Based on her social media presence and posts, Amanda is likely to continue posting about The Order, as she is still actively reflecting on her time within the group.
