A new Hulu reality TV show on Mormon women has come under scrutiny after its cast seemed to skirt some of the religion's key rules.
Premiering on 6 September, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives digs deeper into the lives of a group of Mormon TikTok influencers from Utah.
At the centre of the show is the scandal involving cast member Taylor Frankie Paul, who admitted that she and her husband engaged in 'soft-swinging' with other couples, with the episodes following the wives as they deal with the fallout.
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The series shows different approaches to Mormonism, with some members being more observant of the code of conduct encouraged by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while others displaying a decidedly more relaxed attitude.
"When it comes to the Mormon scale, there's definitely a wide range," explained star Jessi Ngatikaura as per PEOPLE.
"Some are more Mormon than others, but in MomTok, I don't think we should be judging people whether they go to church every Sunday wearing their special underwear or reading their special book.”
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"We were raised to be these housewives for the men, serving their every desire. Well, I'm like, ‘f**k this,” Layla Taylor said on the show, admitting that posting videos on TikTok was ‘freeing’.
Let’s take a look at the rules that Mormons are urged to follow and how the stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives have been dealing with them.
Swearing
Swearing is discouraged within the Mormon community as ‘offensive to the Lord and others’ - though some cast members are more comfortable dropping an f-bomb than some of their pals - case and point Taylor's earlier statement.
Piercing and tattoos
One set of earrings is fine to have for a woman, but having multiples piercings and/or tattoos is a no for Mormons as it can be medically unsafe and promote a 'rebellious attitude', according to the Church of Latter Day Saints.
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On the show, Taylor said that they know several people that went for a trip to the tattoo parlour after getting divorced.
Hot drinks
Coffee, tea and all drinks containing coffee are prohibited as a Mormons' drink of choice is soda, with soda shops opening their doors early in the morning — just like coffee shops.
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"Soda is the Mormon version of coffee because we’re not supposed to have coffee or tea, so then Mormons have tons of soda," Mayci Neely explained on the show.
"Soda shops open the same time coffee shops do, so you see people in the drive-thru getting soda at like 8 in the morning, which is crazy.”
Alcohol and recreational drugs
Alcohol is also not allowed, though some of the stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives occasionally have a glass.
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On the show, Whitney Leavitt celebrated moving into her new home with her first-ever sip of alcohol — champagne, to be exact — though she later avoided consuming more booze.
Different drinking habits in the group also led to some mild drama when Jessi and her husband Jordan took swigs from a flask in the hot tub at Jennifer and Zac Affleck's home while Zac's parents were there.
Speaking with producers, Jen said that having her friend drinking with her in-laws there almost felt like Jessi was ‘spitting’ in her face.
Recreational drugs are included in the substances that Mormons can’t have, according to the Word of Wisdom.
However, drugs for medical use are fine to have - and that’s how some of the Mormon Wives stars have incorporated some to their lifestyles.
On the show, the cast explained that they go for botox shots and inhale laughing gas before the poke to help them relax.
Meanwhile, Demi Engemann has revealed she and her husband Brett do ‘ketamine therapy’ to strengthen their marriage.
Pre-marital sex, infidelities and pregnancies out of wedlock
Pre-marital sex is also a huge issue for Mormons. While teens seem to have found a loophole to enjoy some action through a practice called 'soaking', others remain virgins till their wedding night.
On the series, Taylor has opened up on being pressured to marry her ex-husband, Tate Paul, after her parents learned they were having sex before marriage.
Other women also complained about not being taught about sex and female pleasure before getting married, with Layla saying: “Before you're married, it's like sex is taboo but the second you get married, you're supposed to be a porn star for your husband.”
Of course, infidelity and divorce are frowned upon within the Mormon Church, as is pregnancy out of wedlock.
The series shows Taylor’s infidelity within the 'soft-swinging' scandal as well as Whitney coming clean about her husband Conner’s porn addiction and emotional cheating.
Meanwhile, Taylor has decided not to marry new partner Dakota despite being pregnant.
"Having a baby out of wedlock may not be ideal in our religion but I’m not going to be pressured by Dakota, my parents, my family, my religion, for something I am just not ready to do," she explained.
'Temple garments'
Finally, endowed members of the Church are supposed to wear special ‘temple garments’ underneath their clothes to serve as a 'daily physical reminder of their covenant relationship with God', the church says.
Jen talks about wearing hers under her outfits but forgetting them on the cast trip to Las Vegas.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives streams on Hulu in the US and on Disney+ in the UK.
Stefania Sarrubba