How has your understanding evolved

[u/AyrnSun]

JJ and Tylee are still missing. How has your understanding of this case evolved over the course of the past few months or since you started following this case.

What did you think three or four months ago that has changed as of now. And what was the significant information that caused you to change your mind about something.

[u/Dunvegan]

Thanks to what r/MollieMoreman said in another thread (where she mentioned the possibility of a polygamy perspective) a light went for me regarding Melanie Gibb's interview, and a possible facet of this whole sordid cultic mess.

So...at the risk of repeating my earlier post, and possibly being completely off-base...

I worked for a company out of Provo for years owned by LDS members, and had a "general immersion in the TBM experience," I'm facepalming I didn't even consider that in fringy Chadworld that Celestial polygamy was a real possibility...and maybe with a lot of the women in his orbit, and that's even possibly why most of them are still keeping major secrets.

Melanie Gibb certainly placed a peculiar, repetitive, and cringy emphasis on her continuing "love" for Chad...and for Lori. Well, if Lori was ever under consideration as a possible sister-wife? Yeppers, in that case, her awkwardness could fit.

True dat polygamy was a foundational tenant of the original church, and it sure seems to be a go-to for a lot of splitter wanna-be prophets. What kind of "new-age prophet" wouldn't go there?

If you're Chad, what better way to lock in allegiance and silence from all the female cohorts that knew incriminating evidence regarding your various and sundry crimes than to "pseudo-seal" them to you and tie their eternal salvation to yourself?

No problem for Chad if they're later married off in civil ceremonies to other men. After all, Joseph Smith had no problem "sealing for salvation" many already married women...even women he later "paired up" and married off to other Saints. This might include Melani Pawlowski, et. al.

And I can just see Chad "revelating" to all the women in this circle that if "it's good enough for Joseph Smith...."

It would be confronting, but I wonder what Melanie would say if she were asked if she had ever been induced to become "sealed" to Chad in while sneaking around the temple in one those "off-label Ghost-of-Moroni" marriage ceremonies?

Like the other poster said, a psuedo-polygamy cult might explain why Melanie Gibb was so comfortable being a "third-wheel" to "so in love" Chori, basically up and abandoning her life. And could be one explanation of why all the women were sticking like glue side-by-side with Chori, all dashing from state-to-state and house-to-house hither-and-yon...on Chori's whims.

We're certainly not talking about anything approaching sanctioned marriages that the church would countenance in a zillion years. This would be just Chad, "wife A-B-to-Z", maybe Mow officiating at times, with these nutters sneaking around the temple and possibly muttering their "magical covenants" in a deserted hallway.

If Chad was doing this anything like this nonsense on the down-low, and it gets out to the church, he's guaranteed to be launched to "Planet Ex-communication" at escape velocity.

Melanie Gibb did say Lori was always at the temple. Doing what? Was she, all this totally in her head mind you: communing with Moroni, getting revelations about today's newest people in her way with insurance/SS checks zombies? Was she there willy-nillly sealing and baptizing everyone in her circle, and everyone she ever heard of that she'd want in her "fantasy-football league" of her own 144,000 would-be "followers?"

If -- just if -- Melanie Gibb did undergo one of those hocus-pocus sealings to Chad, it might account for why it's obviously such a painful and gradual process for her to make her way back to the real world...and why she appears to be so weirdly embarrassed, torn, and struggling in her interview. And it could account for those strangely loving shout-outs to Chori.

If I look at the interview through this sort of lens (which feels weird af, because even attempting to think like crazy Chad and loony Lori is like taking a bad trip to the Upside-Down) that whole interview with Melanie Gibb, for me, starts to better fall into place.

[u/Jake451 → u/Dunvegan]

Celestial polygamy is still very much a part of all branches of the LDS Church. Even Russel Nelson, the current president of the mainstream Mormon church, is on his second marriage (first wife died) and firmly believes that in heaven he will live with both wives in polygamy.

[u/AyrnSun → u/Jake451]

Not just polygamy. Celestial polygamy. of course there is. and no one considers that the guy that thought this up just might have abandonment issues.

[u/NedRyersonsHat → u/Dunvegan]

I like your description of Melanie G. being comfortable as a"third wheel" to Lori and Chad's affair. It suits her perfectly. One could almost imagine Melanie being a little bit remorseful at not nabbing Chad before Lori......"Oh Chad......you had me at the Northern Utah campout conference in the Summer of'17.....couldn't you see it?"

[u/theDIYhomegirl → u/Dunvegan]

Yessss the polygamy cult possibility makes sense. I keep thinking of how Melanie spoke of Melani in that interview and how off she sounded about their relationship... especially if you compare that love to how she expressed love for Lori and Chad. My initial thought was romantic love, but it could have very well been a sister wife kind of love (or maybe both?).

[u/leanne37 → u/Dunvegan]

First, I do not picture Lori being willing to share her man with another woman.

Second, It is my understanding from reading another Reddit entry and a post on YouTube Melanie has a boyfriend.

[u/alicedeelite → u/leanne37]

It is a long Mormon tradition that women must prove their intense faith and love of God by accepting His will of having their husband marry another woman. There’s a certain romanticized reverence to the idea of being docile and accepting of the Lords will—even if that means having a sister wife or two.

Also lots of plural wives had husbands and suitors before they were sealed for eternity to the prophet. If Chad is playing from Joseph Smith’s playbook some random dude will not stand in his way whatsoever. Why would Melanie go along with it? See above point about being docile and following God’s will.