Last week, I posted some questions about the DoTerra oils company/product. Several of you were kind enough to respond. (Original thread here: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1150537,1150537#msg-1150537) I had mentioned in my original post that I wondered whether it might be a Mormon-owned firm, which was why I was asking RFM posters for more info.

Well, on Sunday, guess who was prominently featured in the "Living" section of our local paper...the presenter/saleswoman at the DoTerra "party" I attended recently. This is the same woman who claimed that one can't lose enough weight without the aid of DoTerra oils, that fat "attacks" and surrounds viruses in our body, etc., and, worst of all, called on one of her customers to testify how she uses the oils to protect her children from H1N1 instead of getting them the flu vaccine.

She was not featured in an article about DoTerra (thankfully), but rather in a piece about "freebirth," meaning women who give birth at home completely unassisted--no help from midwives, doulas, etc. I have no problem with that, if that's her choice. What jumped out at me, though, was that she is (as I'd suspected) Mormon. She's pregnant with her sixth child. She said her "faith" is one reason she chose to freebirth for this child and her previous one also, which I thought was interesting. She didn't go into any detail about what role her religion played, however.

No mention of oils in the article except that she sells them (the brand isn't mentioned) and also a brief reference she makes to using "antibacterial essential oils" as part of the freebirthing process.

The funny thing is, I had thought she was likely Mormon when I attended the DoTerra salespitch--er, um, "party"--for reasons that had nothing to do with it being an MLM. One, she is an extremely pretty blonde (not a lot of those around here in an area that is heavily Asian and Latin). Two, she spoke in that kind of sing-songy, almost baby voice that I have heard described on here before. (Granted, a lot of neverMo women do that too.) Three (this was the clincher for me), she was wearing a cute, tie-dyed maxi dress...with a white, high-necked T-shirt under it.

I just find this was funny after all the feedback I received here about the number of Mormon women involved in DoTerra that this woman, too, turned out to be a TBM--and I don't even live in a heavily Mormon area.

I was just thinking about Doterra and read the previous thread. Thanks for that.

My first missionary (35 year old female in 2007) has Doterra on her facebook likes.

I also discovered she had been an AMWAY rep for a while (obviously the 'while' is the part that she wasted her time and money).

She was also conned by her Branch President in some kind of scam (He was later jailed for the crime) as she and fellow church members had their money stolen as well as tithes being stolen. Some nice and kind church members then stepped in and paid for her mission as she was rendered financially broke after being scammed by this Branch President!

There seems to be a link between falling for the LDS church claims and falling for the claims of MLM scams.

There is also a ward member (lifetime in church - converted at around 18 years old and now around 53) with a lifetime of dedication to the church. Anyway she suffers from a disease that is not exactly curable by modern science. However she told me of a book online that can cure her but it's too expensive for her to buy?

I said ok no worries, send me the link, I'll buy it for you.

When I got the link I noticed straight away it looked like a scam to me! I did a bit of research and it was. Anyway I did manage to explain to her and she agreed after doing a bit of research herself with my guidance and thanked me.

I couldn't understand how the LDS lady couldn't discern it was just preying on the vulnerable and not a real cure for anything. To me it was very obvious.

It must be the same flawed reasoning that caused her to join the LDS church and I didn't, that causes her and many other LDS to fall for these MLM's and I never have.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2014 02:34PM by zeezrom.

Why... Why on earth would anyone put themselves and their child at risk with this "freebirth" nonsense?

I understand that women all over the world and for thousands of years have given birth without any assistance or modern technology... But, there's a significant death rate and illness rate that can be greatly reduced by have assistance, trained personnel around to help.

I can understand homebirth with a midwife or doula, I mean at least they've had some (hopefully) experience with childbirth and can help recognize when things are going wrong... But why try to do this on your own?

This seems like a it's just an attempt to save a few bucks at the potential expense of your child's (and the mother's) safety. To me it's pretty darn close to child endangerment... Maybe that's just me.

Finally Free! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why... Why on earth would anyone put themselves
> and their child at risk with this "freebirth"
> nonsense?
>
> I understand that women all over the world and for
> thousands of years have given birth without any
> assistance or modern technology... But, there's a
> significant death rate and illness rate that can
> be greatly reduced by have assistance, trained
> personnel around to help.
>
> I can understand homebirth with a midwife or
> doula, I mean at least they've had some
> (hopefully) experience with childbirth and can
> help recognize when things are going wrong... But
> why try to do this on your own?
>
> This seems like a it's just an attempt to save a
> few bucks at the potential expense of your child's
> (and the mother's) safety. To me it's pretty darn
> close to child endangerment... Maybe that's just
> me.

I share your concerns, in large part because some years ago I read a memoir, "Baby Catcher," by a professional, licensed midwife who practices here in the SF Bay Area. Although the vast majority of births she attended over several years of practice turned out fine, one in particular that she details in the book had a HORRIFIC result which would have been 100% avoidable had the birth taken place in a hospital or if the mother at least had been able to get to her local hospital in time. The tragedy was not the fault of the midwife but due to incompetent/callous paramedics, but still...I will never forget reading that. And that was a birth that WAS attended by a licensed, extremely competent midwife who at least knew when to call for an ambulance. If I understood the article I read correctly, at a freebirth the mother is completely alone.

I don't know if this woman (DoTerra saleswoman) is attempting to save money or not by choosing freebirth. However, my impression of her from her sales pitch is that she is extremely lacking in any accurate medical or even general healthcare knowledge and also somewhat new-agey. For example, she talked about how "negative thoughts" we have are also attacked and surrounded by fat. (Hmmm...maybe if the thoughts you're having are, "Should I eat this entire can of Betty Crocker frosting?")

If anything, if she (like her customer who gave the testimonial) thinks she will save money by treating her family against the flu with DoTerra oils, she's wrong even from a purely financial perspective. Free and very low-cost flu shots are widely available in our area every year throughout flu season, whereas the oils she hawks are very expensive, ranging from moderately pricey to insanely so. However, the entire DoTerra pitch--not just from her personally but on all of their marketing material I saw--is "makeover your medicine cabinet" and "save $$$" by doing so. In fact, the invitation to the party was headed "Make Over Your Medicine Cabinet!"

I had a family member that dealt with many alternative medicine people at primary children's hospital in salt lake. My family member had a lot of horror stories dealing with kids dying because their parents refused them traditional health care.

My stepdaughter is heavily into these oils. Fortunately she hasn't tried to push them on her father, who was recently diagnosed with a serious cancer. She's been supportive of the advanced, traditional medical care he's getting. She probably gets her brains from his side.

I am in the health field. I once worked with a colleague who would constantly get fired up about stuff he came across on the internet. From how to get better gas mileage by adding gizmos to an auto engine carburetor, acetone to gas tank (bad idea, acetone eats rubber), to the foot baths that pull toxins out of your feet, and a device that changes the ph of your drinking water. I used to get exasperated. At least he didn't do a lot of MLM.

When he shared the "proof" of the various devices he was using or ordering, he would invariably say that "this stuff is well researched and proven effective!". When I asked him to show me the literature, it always came from the same people (the "research") that were pitching the product. He always had a know-it-all smugness about this stuff (like he was in on something that everyone else was clue-less about).

The research would almost always be "anecdotal" and "testimonial" driven "research" and I am using the term "research" liberally. I always told him, "the testimonials are on the same website, and there are no third party studies, double blinded studies or anything even remotely "objective" or "unbiased" third party opinions. I always found websites debunking the devices based on science and technology, as well as actual trials and user reviews.

Looking back, it all makes sense. This dude was a TBM and in his 50's, and although having an advanced degree, he was so easily swayed by testimony and emotion. When you live your whole life being instructed that feelings=truth, someone telling you something that may be positive or beneficial, automatically induces the "feeling". He would literally claim that the "Spirit" was guiding him to find these products, and prompting him to search them out.

He was a nice guy, but a bit of an odd duck. He was quick to lose his temper and become "righteously vindictive" and emotional, particularly when I let the occasional curse word slip.

Mormons have a love affair with fake medicine.