Episode 16: MK United

In the charged atmosphere of the mid-1960s, Jim Jones moved Peoples Temple westward, seeking a new beginning in California’s radical counter cultural awakening. In Redwood Valley Jim Jones embedded himself within an obscure communal sect called the Church of the Golden Rule, an offshoot of Mankind United. Founded by Arthur Bell, a self-proclaimed messenger of superhuman beings living at the Earth’s core, Mankind United preached utopia in exchange for obedience and control. Jones listened, learned, and began to reshape his own mythology. As Temple members settled in Redwood Valley Jones adapted the language of mysticism, conspiracy, and communal living into his new gospel of apostolic socialism.