The extended Duggar family first rose to public prominence in 2008 on the hit TLC reality series 17 Kids and Counting. The show centered around parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, whose religious beliefs encouraged them to have many children. They decided to give all their children “J” names. The title of the show would be changed two times to reflect their growing number of kids. The show was canceled in 2015 amid a scandal surrounding oldest son Joshua Duggar.
Since then, the family has had its fair share of controversies. Now a new Amazon Prime series will shed light on the Duggars' extreme religious beliefs with the help of daughter Jill Duggar Dillard and cousin Amy Duggar King. People magazine got an exclusive first look at Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.
This series links the Duggar family to the Institute in Basic Life Principles, an extreme religious organization. The docuseries claims that even though the Duggars appear wholesome on the outside, on the inside there is a darker truth.
"The IBLP teachings aren't Christianity," footage from the series reveals. "They're something entirely different."
One man in the promotional trailer for the series thinks that the Duggars were a small part of a bigger agenda. "World domination was the goal,” he says.
IBLP was founded by a man named Bill Gothard. He preaches homeschooling, patriarchal world views in which women are expected to be submissive, and the importance of the Bible.
"We were part of IBLP as early as I can remember,” Jill explains.
Jill and Amy became involved with this docuseries to make sure their truth was told.
"There's a story that's going to be told," Jill explains. "And I would rather be the one telling it."
One woman compares IBLP to the Margaret Atwood novel and hit Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale. One man blames Bill Gothard for turning "every father into a cult leader and every home into an island." This so-called island set the stage for the unthinkable to happen.
One woman said that the IBLP "raises little predators." The Duggars experienced this firsthand with their oldest son. Joshua Duggar admitted to police he molested four girls. Two of these victims came forward: his sisters Jill and Jessa. In 2021, Joshua Duggar was found guilty of possessing child pornography. He is now serving time in prison.
Although the Duggars are the best-known IBLP members, the docuseries purports it goes far beyond them.
"This is much bigger than the Duggars,” one person on the trailer says. The institute is reportedly “playing the long game” by raising an army of indoctrinated members who will then go on to political offices. Jim Bob served in the Arkansas House of Representatives and sought higher offices, after all.
