Megan's right- at least I agree with her observation. And I'd have to defer to her if I hadn't, being she was right there, even living with Lori briefly.
But from my observation, this relationship was different. Lori herself believed herself spiritually special. She was tired of converting husbands and wanted a real special spiritual "equal." But in her terrestrial champagne room world, spirits are persistently one of two genders for all eternity, and we know what happens when gender and gender roles are rigid: sexism. Lori deliberately established herself as a female in a special world where patriarchs rule, although females have magical priestess roles, too. At least they can have "spiritual gifts" which does sound like a more interesting role than, say, a woman might rise to in the LDS church most people experience. Those "gifts" sound much more tempting to boast about than "decernment." Lori (and her current sis in law) had already risen about as high as possible in those ranks as females. In Lori's fantasy/cult church women had bigger roles. Not equal roles, yet far more important than street-level LDS female roles. She entered a world where she was on a very superior plane than most spirits, but would still come after Chad in someway. Thus, she needed Chad's protection and help to keep bad spirits from attacking her successfully. Lori sought that out- she wanted a man in that special world.
But the outcome was, she finally was in a relationship where she was not able to ultimately call the shots. I think her relationship with Chad is unique in that way. I think she is guilty as convicted and charged in Idaho and Arizona. Not saying at all that Chad made her do it. But IMO, Chad calls most of the shots in their relationship. In no way did Lori make him do it, either.
Lori threatened to withhold sex when Chad was not murdering fast enough. That influenced him. but ultimately, he had other followers he undoubtedly had been eternally married with. He could have moved on.
Chad threatened Lori with being "unable" to protect her from attacks from bad spirits if she didn't do what he wanted. Lori could not have easily replaced Chad with someone better able to protect her within that fantasy/cult. Who could she marry? Her brother in law, Jesus? With all the powerful evil spirits she believed to be after her, and she believed to be more aggressively after her since she and Chad formed a powerful dyad. Lori was dependent on Chad.
Chad had much more power in that relationship, and it was a new experience for Lori to be the less powerful one. She desired that experience, because it was how she could be in the ultimate terrestrial world.
IMO
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