Swinging, drug-taking & marriages blighted by affairs – inside the shocking secrets of the modern day Mormon church
LIFE as a Mormon has been kept behind closed doors for the most part – that’s until Taylor Frankie Paul and her hip gang of Mormon wives took to our TV screens to bare all.
Every reality show needs a hefty dose of drama and controversy which is exactly what this eye-opening bunch of women provide.
Strict rules dictate no sex before marriage, a ban on coffee and alcohol whilst adultery ‘is unequivocally condemned by the Lord.’
But Taylor Frankie Paul claims rules get majorly broken as she claims to expose the shocking secrets of her group of Mormon mums known as ‘MomTok’.
It all started thanks to TikTok, where many Mormon wives such as Taylor Frankie Paul, Nara Smith and Hannah from Ballerina Farm were able to make a life outside of the home.
Like most religions, Mormons, the main branch of the Latter Day Saint movement, have a set of values and moral codes to follow.
And it’s a life of debauchery which includes soft swinging, drug taking and highly-charged divorce.
Lifting the lid on what really goes on behind closed doors is hit TV show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives where Taylor unveils some dark hidden secrets.
FULL SWING
Taylor first came under the spotlight on TikTok where she was seen with Mormon mums Camille Munday and Miranda McWhorter, who she often joked were her “sister wives.”
But in May 2022 Taylor posted a video announcing she was splitting with her husband as she showed herself in a new house surrounded by boxes.
Later, came another post with a cryptic message: “My life falling apart. And I can’t even speak on why … without bringing them all down with me.”
The internet sleuths soon discovered the drama involved Taylor and other sets of couples (who she has never publicly named) who were involved in soft swinging – which led to her divorce.
She revealed in a livestream that she and her partner were in an ‘open relationship’ while raising their two children and began doing soft swinger parties with friends – meaning there was couple swapping but no sex.
Speaking on the Viall Podcast, she says: “It wasn’t even a conversation [when it started]. I think we were all drinking and partying…then the guys were like, ‘You girls should make out. Make out. It’s hot.’ And we were like, ‘OK, it’s hot.’ So we make out.
“And that’s that and I feel like I had done that in my younger years so it wasn’t a big deal to me.”
According to Taylor, the same thing happened at the next party.
She reveals: “And then it was like, ‘Let’s take off your clothes and do lingerie pictures together while making out.’ It just escalated.”
A game of blindfolded spin the bottle came later, with Taylor revealing how the other women’s husbands would kiss her and she’d have to guess who it was.
But there was one couple in particular she and her husband were invested in and they had formed an even closer relationship compared to the other couples at the swinger parties.
Mentioning no names Taylor reveals how she and her husband and the unnamed couple were willing to go all the way when swapping partners – but her husband decided to put a stop to things before it could happen.
Taylor claims she had already developed feelings for her friend’s husband and he had felt the same – leading to them going ‘all the way’ and Taylor and her husband filed for divorce.
Camille and Miranda, who were part of MomTok before the drama escalated have not been seen or mentioned on the TV show and have both denied being part of the parties.
However, shortly after the swingers scandal became public knowledge, Miranda and her husband split too.
The show now follows the lives of Taylor and fellow Mormon wives Demi Engemann, Jennifer Affleck, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Matthews and Whitney Leavitt.
Who is Taylor Paul?
Taylor Frankie Paul is a social media influencer primarily known for her presence on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Here is a general timeline of her career:
Rise to Fame
2020: Taylor begins to gain popularity on TikTok. Her content primarily features comedy, dance routines, and lifestyle videos. She quickly amasses a large following due to her engaging and relatable content.
Late 2020: By the end of the year, Taylor has become one of the more recognisable faces on TikTok, especially within the “Mormon MomTok” community, which consists of Mormon mothers sharing their lives and experiences.
Career Highlights
2021: Taylor continues to grow her influence on TikTok and expands her presence to other social media platforms such as Instagram. She collaborates with other influencers and brands, further increasing her visibility.
2022: Taylor’s personal life becomes a topic of interest as she shares more about her experiences and challenges, resonating with many of her followers. Her authenticity helps her maintain a loyal fan base.
2023: Taylor remains active on social media, continuing to create content that appeals to her audience. She explores new opportunities, including potential partnerships and brand deals.
Personal Life
Taylor is open about her life as a mother and often includes her children in her content. She also shares insights into her marriage and family dynamics, which are a significant part of her online persona.
Current Activities
As of 2023, Taylor Frankie Paul continues to be a prominent figure in the social media landscape. She is active on various platforms and engages with her audience through regular posts and interactions.
Please note that specific dates and events may vary as Taylor’s career is continually evolving, and new developments can occur.
CHEAT SHEET
With adultery being utterly condemned by God in the view of the church – you’d think those in the limelight and married would be more careful.
But it seems that some can’t resist a bit of danger – including Whitney’s husband Conner who decided to go onto Tinder using old photos of himself to find women to hook up with while Whitney looked after their child.
When Whitney discussed the problem on the show the women began to ask questions, which leads Whitney to clarify that while there was no physical cheating, the issue has been going on, “our whole marriage.”
“Full on conversations with women and pictures and all of that stuff,” she says, clarifying Conner was both sending and receiving nude photos. “It makes me feel like my whole marriage was just like a lie.”
Of course, there’s also the issue of Taylor swinging with her ex-husband and a group of their friends but it also seems her new boyfriend and father to her third child may be in trouble too.
The end of the series saw Dakota be questioned about when he had relations with a woman named Jenny, with Taylor saying if she found out he was seeing them both at the same time she would ‘1000% break up with him’.
On recent TikTok videos Taylor has hinted that the pair may have split as she cryptically wrote: “not me slowly morphing into 2022 me,” the time she was going through her divorce and the ‘swingers scandal’.
CAFFEINE BAN
According to the church, coffee and tea were banned as part of the Word of Wisdom from God as they claim in the 18th century it was used as a substitute for alcohol – also a big no-no among believers.
However, some of the rule-breaking Mormon wives are seen enjoying vodka and wine, especially Jessi who says it doesn’t affect her belief in the church.
Taylor even shared a recent TikTok video of herself sipping a cup of coffee as she went to clean her house – and we can’t blame her being a busy mum-of-three with a newborn.
She was also arrested in 2022 which was captured on the show after getting drunk and throwing a chair at her partner, but has now been sober for over a year.
Many Mormons, and the church, claim that some rules shouldn’t be questioned and simply taken as the Word of God.
HIGH TIMES
While Mormons typically follow the Word of Wisdom – God’s code of conduct that bans caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs – there seems to be loopholes the Mormon wives flout.
And while the use of drugs is only allowed for medicinal purposes Whitney admits to using ketamine in therapy sessions while Demi also confessed it had even strengthened her marriage.
In one episode the women decided to head to the clinic to get some Botox and while there, were able to have fun on laughing gas before getting injected.
“It’s a party,” Whitney says while giggling. When producers asked her if the group ‘comes for the Botox or the laughing gas,’ she answered: “For both.”
CHURCHES SAY
In a statement released by the church prior to the TV show’s release they called out recent “productions” that depict Latter-day Saints in an inaccurate fashion.
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like other prominent global faith communities, often finds itself the focus of the attention of the entertainment industry,” the statement read.
“Some portrayals are fair and accurate, but others resort to stereotypes or gross misrepresentations that are in poor taste.”