02/21/2026
Difficult subject material ahead. . . Avoid if you need to protect your heart and mind.
This week there were daily reminders of the Dueck family.
Today it was this "memory" in my own FB account. I had checked with Hope Anne about it, 2 years ago, regarding a violent case out of Utah. . . I learn so well from stories happening in other religious spaces.
It's all right if you never heard of this family. It's complicated, but it makes sense (to me) after listening to hours of interviews and reports and court proceedings.
There was encouragement among most Morman (i.e. Church of Jesus Christ or Latter Day Saints) given at a national convention about ten years ago, for members to begin to create family blogs, or video blogs, or You Tube channels. The LDS church member is commonly very good at keeping written diaries, journals and records of their activities of daily living. The v-logging thing took off, and many families created family-living stories and 'followed' one another.
There is one (which I had never heard of, either). until the Mom was arrested. It had over a million subscribers in its zenith. However, over time, exploitation of the children began to concern some viewers. Like the Duggar Family on TV, it is not nice to a child to put them on spectacle while they are still in developmental years. It's unhealthy for singing families to put their own children on stage, in the Gospel Singing world, for another example you might relate to watching. Not saying it is always sinful, but saying, it's been proven to be unhealthy for the development of children's psyche and social well-being to be on camera and watched by MANY. [ Even set-up as some sort of *ideal* to achieve, by other *regular* people. ]
Some subscribers of "Eight Passengers" started reporting suspected child abuse about the time a counsellor, who had been recommended by the The LDS Church Leaders, also convinced the parents of the "Eight Passengers" mini van You Tube channel to separate in the home and then told him he must move out.
Please note:
The Church was still sending its members to visit Jodi Hildebrandt , even through her license was suspended by the licensing board of clinical counsellors in Utah. She lost her license to practice, because of previous failures to uphold clinical counsellor standards. She shifted her credentials to certified "life coach", and kept her workshops going. ((None of us knew this, until after she was in Prison.))
So, this is why the conversation over the past couple of days, about seeking to know your counselor 's credentials, and talking with people who have experience with the people you are trusting for medical care for your children and YOURSELF, are so valuable. Learn how to look up license numbers in your State Licensing Board. Learn what the actual background and recorded complaints are for the professionals you choose to make appointments with.
The YT Channel "Eight Passengers" shut down over about 2 Year's Time. But the Mom and Jodi continued to cause devastation to the minor children. The youth had been exploited on the Channel. The Dad was villian-ized by Jodi. The courts are still deciding whether he is (or is not) responsible for following Jodi's services and advice, as a grown adult. He did agree to moving away from the children. --Some say he was part of the physical abuse of the family. -- Other former clients of Jodi's have told their experiences. All horrific in the manipulation and control she welded.
The two youngest children were finally found, by law enforcement, in Arizona or southern Utah, after another call with an emotional neighbor, led them to a desert mansion. The children had been held hostage mentally berated for being sinful, and treated in ways we don't want to read about. Jodi and the Mom were arrested and found guilty of torture of minor Children. (The activities were all documented in a daily diary found in the mansion, re- iterating the details of program against the children.)
No one wants to say this COULD happen to us. But, among my Anabaptist People, this has been happening. Let us open our doors and our eyes and see the harm that we permit, when we say, "But it didn't happen to me."
"My community is different."
"Homeschooling is My RIGHT!"
"I don't know a single person who ever told me they have a mental health condition/ were abused physically/ held captive by a church member/ insert terrible circumstances. Not one person."
"It's exaggerated. I don't believe it."
"Not on my watch."
"Why didn't the Dad/Mom/Grand parent/ Child speak up, if it was bad??"
"Why did she stay?"
"What were they wearing?"
"Was she submissive ENOUGH?"
"I'm sure I've made mistakes, too."
"Let us not judge harshly."
"Well, EV-er-y ONE who was abused as a child abuses someone. That's how it goes.".
Not so quick, there, Honi. There are different interpretations for these kind of quotes. My head is aching.
((But if you want to explore the discussions, Rebecca Davis has written about many of these sayings in her articles and books.))
Survivors hear our dismissive statements loudly and clearly. Please let us suggest they are believed, after all. Please, can we say, "I see you." With both words and actions. Let's seek gently to be informed.
Thank you for taking the effort to read this.
