Welcome to the twisted theater of human lunacy. We’re going to plunge headfirst into the rabbit hole of the world’s most notorious cults. From the desolate wastelands of polygamous zealots to the chilling echoes of doomsday prophets and their fatal finales, this is a parade of the bizarre, the deadly, and the downright deranged.
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS)
Picture a dusty town on the border of Utah and Arizona. A place where the only colors seem to be shades of beige, and where the fashion police would have a field day with the prairie-style dresses and uncut hair. Welcome to the world of the FLDS, a splinter group that decided mainstream Mormonism wasn’t hardcore enough.
In 1998, these folks decided Salt Lake City was too liberal for their taste and moved to Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. But that wasn’t remote enough. In 2003, they packed their bags again and moved to a ranch in Eldorado, Texas. Their leader, Warren Jeffs, made sure his followers adhered to a lifestyle straight out of a dystopian novel. No sports, no holidays, no TV, no books, no dogs, no fishing, no red clothes, no dancing. And that’s not even the weird part. Jeffs, who took over in 2002, decided that his father’s wives—70 of them—would now be his wives. Overall, he had at least 87 wives, some as young as 14.
Imagine living in a place where the only entertainment is watching paint dry and you can’t even wear a red dress to spice things up. It’s like a Victorian nightmare with a side of Texas heat.
Church of the Lamb of God
Next, we venture into the wilds of Chihuahua, Mexico, where Ervil LeBaron, dubbed the Mormon Manson, decided that regular Mormonism needed a splash of Old Testament vengeance.
He started the Church of the Lamb of God, where he preached “blood atonement”—the idea that you could kill sinners to cleanse them of their evil. Because, why not?
LeBaron had 51 children with 13 wives and convinced hundreds of followers to murder more than 20 people. His holy reign of terror landed him in a Utah prison, but not before he left a “hit list” of traitors. He died in 1981, but his murderous influence lingered like a bad smell at a family reunion.
Aum Shinrikyo
From the deserts of Mexico to the neon streets of Tokyo, we meet Aum Shinrikyo, a cult that started with yoga and ended with sarin gas.
Master Asahara Shoko, who believed he embodied a god after a trip to India, founded the cult in 1987. By 1995, Aum Shinrikyo had about 50,000 members, mainly in Russia.
Asahara prophesied a war and decided to kickstart it by orchestrating an attack on the Tokyo subway. On March 20, 1995, five cult members released sarin gas, killing 12 and sickening 5,500. The authorities eventually caught on, arresting Asahara and dismantling the group. He was executed in 2018, but not before leaving a legacy of chaos and death.
Imagine joining a yoga class and ending up part of a terrorist organization. It’s the ultimate bait-and-switch.
Manson Family
Now, let’s take a trip to sunny California, where Charles Manson, a man with more charisma than a used car salesman, led a group of disillusioned youths into a series of brutal murders.
Settling at Spahn Ranch, Manson preached a bizarre mix of apocalyptic prophecy and personal grievances. He dubbed this “Helter Skelter,” a race war he believed he could start.
Manson convinced his followers to murder actress Sharon Tate and others in a misguided attempt to incite this war. His followers were charged with nine murders, and Manson himself died in prison in 2017.
How do you end up following a guy who thinks the Beatles’ “White Album” is a secret code for starting a race war? It’s like a Quentin Tarantino movie, only real and a lot more disturbing.
Order of the Solar Temple
Switzerland, the land of neutrality and chocolate, gave us the Order of the Solar Temple.
Founded in 1984 by Joseph Di Mambro and Luc Jouret, the cult mixed medieval Knights Templar fantasies with doomsday prophecies. Jouret claimed to be both Christ and a reincarnated Templar knight.
In 1994, believing the end was nigh, 53 members committed suicide or were murdered. Their bodies were found in charred remains in Canada and Switzerland. Di Mambro and Jouret’s remains were among the dead, and their legacy included the murder of an infant they believed was the anti-Christ.
Heaven’s Gate
In the 1970s, Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles founded Heaven’s Gate, a cult that mixed aliens, spaceships, and Christianity… Wait, isn’t that scientology?
After Nettles’ death, Applewhite took the group to new extremes. In 1997, he claimed a spacecraft following the Hale-Bopp comet would carry them to the next level of existence.
Applewhite and 38 followers prepared for their journey by recording farewell messages, donning matching uniforms and Nike shoes, and consuming phenobarbital-laced applesauce. They believed their souls would be taken to a higher existence.
Branch Davidians
David Koresh, born Vernon Howell, turned a Christian sect into a fiery end in Waco, Texas. Koresh, who declared himself a messiah, took over the Branch Davidians and preached that all women, including underage girls, were his spiritual wives. He stockpiled weapons and faced allegations of child abuse.
In 1993, a raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led to a 51-day siege. The standoff ended in a fire that killed Koresh and 76 others. The government investigation concluded that the Davidians had started the fire themselves.
Picture this: you’re following a self-proclaimed messiah, only to end up in a fiery standoff that could rival any apocalyptic Western. The ending? Pure tragedy.
The People’s Temple
Finally, we arrive at the People’s Temple, founded by Jim Jones in Indiana in 1954.
Jones, a charismatic preacher, eventually moved his followers to Jonestown, Guyana. He convinced them of impending nuclear war and promised a socialist utopia.
In 1978, after Congressman Leo Ryan visited to investigate abuse claims, Jones commanded his followers to drink poison. Over 900 people died, making it the largest loss of American civilian life until 9/11.
Believing in a promised utopia, only to be led to a mass suicide, is the ultimate betrayal—a tragic collapse of paradise.
From forced marriages and murder sprees to doomsday prophecies and mass suicides, these cults show the dark side of human nature. They attract the lost, the desperate, and the disillusioned, promising salvation but delivering only madness. It’s a reminder that the line between faith and fanaticism is perilously thin.
