Episode 18 Where there's smoke

Denise was three years old when her family joined Peoples Temple. Like so many early childhood memories, obscured by the lenses of time,  Denise’s recollections are vivid emotional snapshots that paint a portrait of Jim Jones and Temple life rarely seen, one that complicates the narrative shaped by Jonestown’s tragic end. As she came of age, Denise gave everything to the cause. But in the world of Peoples Temple, no sacrifice was ever enough.

On this episode of Transmissions from Jonestown, we explore Denise’s journey from Sunday potlucks in Indianapolis to the secretive Wednesday night meetings in California where punishment, indoctrination, and fear became routine. Her testimony exposes child labor, forced marriages, psychological coercion and a suspicious fire that gutted the San Francisco Temple.

What happens when devotion becomes servitude?