How Chad Daybell Recruited Lori Vallow: Spiritual Love Bombing and Religious Trauma

October 2018. A "Preparing a People" conference in Utah. Chad Daybell walks up to Lori Vallow and tells her they were married in a past life.

This is the moment everything changed.

Part 1 of "The Chosen Ones" examines how Chad Daybell used spiritual love bombing to transform Lori from a devoted LDS mother into someone who believed she was "a god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000."

We break down the mechanics of spiritual abuse:

First, he made her feel seen. Chad Daybell told her she was special, chosen, set apart. He said he could recognize her spiritual significance when no one else could.

Then, he made her feel exempt. According to testimony, Lori would say "It doesn't count for me" when doing things that would normally require repentance. Chad Daybell had convinced her the rules didn't apply to someone at her level.

Then came the labels. Charles wasn't her husband anymore — he was a demon named "Ned." The children weren't her children — they were "zombies" possessed by dark spirits.

This episode traces the path from that first conference to Charles Vallow's death in July 2019. We examine the AVOW community, the fringe LDS conference circuit, and the belief system Chad Daybell built that would eventually justify murder.

If you're following the Daybell case — or if you've experienced religious trauma yourself — this episode provides essential psychological context.

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