Mormon Stories Podcast

In this episode recorded for use on Bart Campolo's "Humanize Me" podcast, John and Bart interview each other on their experience at building communities post religion

In these episodes of Mormon Stories, John and Margi interview Carol Lynn Pearson, Jana Riess, and Jana Johnson Spangler to explore their experiences as they navigate progressive Mormonism.

We cover important topics such as:

*Each panelist’s experience when their faith became more complex and whether they would self-describe as a Mormon
*What made them choose to remain engaged in the Church
*What the most valuable aspects of the faith are to each of them, and how they inform and impact their life
*Their social experience in their wards and whether they feel alone or among many others who are navigating a middle-way
*How they approach Sundays and whether they have supplemented their Sunday experience with anything that would be helpful to share with our audience
*Whether they observe a decline in the health and vitality of the Church

In these episodes of Mormon Stories, John and Margi interview Carol Lynn Pearson, Jana Riess, and Jana Johnson Spangler to explore their experiences as they navigate progressive Mormonism.

We cover important topics such as:

*Each panelist’s experience when their faith became more complex and whether they would self-describe as a Mormon
*What made them choose to remain engaged in the Church
*What the most valuable aspects of the faith are to each of them, and how they inform and impact their life
*Their social experience in their wards and whether they feel alone or among many others who are navigating a middle-way
*How they approach Sundays and whether they have supplemented their Sunday experience with anything that would be helpful to share with our audience
*Whether they observe a decline in the health and vitality of the Church

In these episodes of Mormon Stories, John and Margi interview 3 of the hard-working moderators of the “A Thoughtful Faith” Facebook group.  The group comprises LDS members who are working to stay engaged in constructive ways within Mormonism and offers a safe space to ask faith-challenging questions.

Mark Crego, Jeralee Renshaw, and Dan Wotherspoon answer questions about the purpose of the group, but also embark on a very interesting conversation about how they each are able to remain happily involved in the Church despite being aware of the faith-challenging aspects of the Mormon faith.

In these episodes of Mormon Stories, John and Margi interview 3 of the hard-working moderators of the “A Thoughtful Faith” Facebook group.  The group comprises LDS members who are working to stay engaged in constructive ways within Mormonism and offers a safe space to ask faith-challenging questions.

Mark Crego, Jeralee Renshaw, and Dan Wotherspoon answer questions about the purpose of the group, but also embark on a very interesting conversation about how they each are able to remain happily involved in the Church despite being aware of the faith-challenging aspects of the Mormon faith.

In this series on Mormon Stories, we interview the fabulous Natasha Helfer Parker, MFT, CST — moderator of the Mormon Mental Health podcast — to finally hear her “Mormon story.”

This interview covers:

*Being raised in the Church with convert parents in Spain and her eventual move to the US
*Natasha and her family’s concerns about the practice of polygamy and frustration that their questions never seemed to be answered, yet remaining true-believers
*The impact of being a victim of sexual abuse as a child and teenager and how it influenced her experiences exploring her sexuality as a teenager and young adult
*Her removal from BYU because of her sexual experiences and her thoughts now about the unintended consequences of honor code enforcement
*How she met her husband and disclosed her sexual past in an act of transparency, and how it affected the first years of their marriage
*Her thoughts now about the difference between behavior and self-worth within the Church, especially as it relates to sexual behavior
*Her decision to become a sex therapist and how her move to the Midwest became an impetus to develop a wider online presence
*How being a believer in the faith, but having a nuanced view of sexuality led her to being widely known as the “Mormon Sex Therapist”
*How cracks developed in her Orthodox faith foundation
*Her feeling of being in a continuing faith transition for much of the 20+ years of her practice

http://www.mormonmentalhealth.org

https://www.symmetrysols.com

In this series on Mormon Stories, we interview the fabulous Natasha Helfer Parker, MFT, CST — moderator of the Mormon Mental Health podcast — to finally hear her “Mormon story.”

This interview covers:

*Being raised in the Church with convert parents in Spain and her eventual move to the US
*Natasha and her family’s concerns about the practice of polygamy and frustration that their questions never seemed to be answered, yet remaining true-believers
*The impact of being a victim of sexual abuse as a child and teenager and how it influenced her experiences exploring her sexuality as a teenager and young adult
*Her removal from BYU because of her sexual experiences and her thoughts now about the unintended consequences of honor code enforcement
*How she met her husband and disclosed her sexual past in an act of transparency, and how it affected the first years of their marriage
*Her thoughts now about the difference between behavior and self-worth within the Church, especially as it relates to sexual behavior
*Her decision to become a sex therapist and how her move to the Midwest became an impetus to develop a wider online presence
*How being a believer in the faith, but having a nuanced view of sexuality led her to being widely known as the “Mormon Sex Therapist”
*How cracks developed in her Orthodox faith foundation
*Her feeling of being in a continuing faith transition for much of the 20+ years of her practice

http://www.mormonmentalhealth.org

https://www.symmetrysols.com

In this series on Mormon Stories, we interview the fabulous Natasha Helfer Parker, MFT, CST — moderator of the Mormon Mental Health podcast — to finally hear her “Mormon story.”

This interview covers:

*Being raised in the Church with convert parents in Spain and her eventual move to the US
*Natasha and her family’s concerns about the practice of polygamy and frustration that their questions never seemed to be answered, yet remaining true-believers
*The impact of being a victim of sexual abuse as a child and teenager and how it influenced her experiences exploring her sexuality as a teenager and young adult
*Her removal from BYU because of her sexual experiences and her thoughts now about the unintended consequences of honor code enforcement
*How she met her husband and disclosed her sexual past in an act of transparency, and how it affected the first years of their marriage
*Her thoughts now about the difference between behavior and self-worth within the Church, especially as it relates to sexual behavior
*Her decision to become a sex therapist and how her move to the Midwest became an impetus to develop a wider online presence
*How being a believer in the faith, but having a nuanced view of sexuality led her to being widely known as the “Mormon Sex Therapist”
*How cracks developed in her Orthodox faith foundation
*Her feeling of being in a continuing faith transition for much of the 20+ years of her practice

http://www.mormonmentalhealth.org

https://www.symmetrysols.com

In this episode, we interview Brynne Thomas Gant -- the author of "They Can Leave the Church, But They Can't Leave the Church Alone"

In this episode, we interview Brynne Thomas Gant -- the author of "They Can Leave the Church, But They Can't Leave the Church Alone"

In this episode of Mormon Stories, we interview Savannah and her mother, Heather.

In this episode of Mormon Stories we interview Savannah and her mother, Heather.  Savannah recently generated international media attention when she came out as gay to her Mormon ward (congregation) in Eagle Mountain, Utah during fast and testimony meeting (May 7, 2017).  Towards the end of her testimony, a presiding priesthood authority cut off her microphone and told her to sit down.  A friend recorded the video of her live testimony.

In this episode John interviews both Savannah and Heather in order to provide the context for Savannah's testimony that day.  Questions answered in this episode include:

*What was Savannah's relationship with the Mormon church prior to her testimony?
*Why did Savannah want to come out as gay to her ward?  
*Why did she write out her testimony beforehand?
*Why did Savannah's parents "allow" her to bear her testimony in this way?
*Who recorded Savannah's testimony, and why?
*How did Savannah and her mother feel when the microphone was cut off, and Savannah was asked to sit down by her Mormon priesthood leader?
*Was this event a conspiracy orchestrated by Savannah's parents?
*What has been the reaction to these events?
*What do Savannah and Heather hope to accomplish by talking about this publicly?
*What would Savannah and Heather like to say to LGBT Mormons and their family/friends?

Special thanks to Heather and Savannah for visiting with the Mormon Stories crew and sharing her beautiful story!

In this episode of Mormon Stories and Mormon Transitions, John and Margi reflect back on their 13 years of experience as semi- and non-believers and provide their advice on how to successfully navigate activity in the LDS Church.  Some of the topics discussed are:

*Advice on how to determine whether church attendance is a healthy option for you and your family

*Living the “Law of Tithing” in a way that is meaningful to you

*Focusing on teaching lessons about truths that resonate with you, and less on the topics that trouble you as they most likely will be covered many other times

*How to respond to inquiries about your activity status from fellow ward members

*Setting boundaries and expectations when given a calling

*Protecting your children by having an open discussion after church that allows them to safely process and talk through the information 

*Building social credit in your ward to spend thoughtfully when the time arrives

*Advice on how to ethically navigate the temple recommend interview

*Answering the question “can you be honest and ethical in staying?”

Continuing our series on “Losing the Lamanites,” we interview Sarah Newcomb who descends from the Tsimshian of the NW Coastal Tribes. In this interview we cover:

*How Sarah struggled as a youth knowing that she came from the ‘Lamanites,’ who had turned their backs on God.
*How she worked her way through college in Rexburg, ID, acquired a degree in Communications/Journalism, and how her new knowledge around sourcing served as an impetus to her questioning her faith.
*How her husband ignored the Mormon admonition against interracial marriage, out of love for Sarah.
*Her avoidance of dancing (and other native customs), as they were practiced by the ’Lamanites’ in the Book of Mormon.
*Her avoidance of the sun, as a way to ensure that her skin would stay as light as possible.
*How she used her knowledge of sourcing (seeking original documentation) to discover many of the problems with LDS church history and doctrine, all before discovering the CES Letter.
*How Mormon Stories Podcast validated her feelings, and provided strength and a sense of community during her faith transition.
*How she now embraces her life in the sun, and is on a journey to connect to the heritage and identity she felt forced to distance herself from while a member of the LDS Church.

We thank Sarah for sharing her powerful, beautiful story and know that it will touch lives!

We are excited to release an interview with Jen Parkinson that has many fascinating components, including:

*Her devout LDS upbringing and bout with perfectionism while a youth and as a missionary

*Her first marriage to a gay man, unbeknownst to her

*Experiences with LDS Family Services in addressing her husband’s sexual orientation

*Her resulting divorce and intense feelings of guilt and shame

*The experience of seeking a sealing cancellation and how it made her relive the nightmare of her divorce

*Dating and marrying her current husband

*Working for BYU-Idaho and the gender disparity she observed

*Her husband’s faith transition and her reaction to it by “quintupling down” on her beliefs

*How leaving her job at BYU gave her the freedom to learn and question

*Her own faith transition and hope for the future

We are excited to release an interview with Jen Parkinson that has many fascinating components, including:

*Her devout LDS upbringing and bout with perfectionism while a youth and as a missionary

*Her first marriage to a gay man, unbeknownst to her

*Experiences with LDS Family Services in addressing her husband’s sexual orientation

*Her resulting divorce and intense feelings of guilt and shame

*The experience of seeking a sealing cancellation and how it made her relive the nightmare of her divorce

*Dating and marrying her current husband

*Working for BYU-Idaho and the gender disparity she observed

*Her husband’s faith transition and her reaction to it by “quintupling down” on her beliefs

*How leaving her job at BYU gave her the freedom to learn and question

*Her own faith transition and hope for the future

We are excited to release an interview with Jen Parkinson that has many fascinating components, including:

*Her devout LDS upbringing and bout with perfectionism while a youth and as a missionary

*Her first marriage to a gay man, unbeknownst to her

*Experiences with LDS Family Services in addressing her husband’s sexual orientation

*Her resulting divorce and intense feelings of guilt and shame

*The experience of seeking a sealing cancellation and how it made her relive the nightmare of her divorce

*Dating and marrying her current husband

*Working for BYU-Idaho and the gender disparity she observed

*Her husband’s faith transition and her reaction to it by “quintupling down” on her beliefs

*How leaving her job at BYU gave her the freedom to learn and question

*Her own faith transition and hope for the future

In these episodes of Mormon Stories, we interview Derrick Clements—a new contributor to “The Cheeky Mormon Movie Review” podcast series with Gina Colvin, avid podcaster, and reporter for Provo’s Daily Herald.

In part 2, Derrick shares his beliefs and reasons for remaining active in the LDS Church and the important role personal honesty and integrity play in that decision. As a general rule, Derrick avoids dogma and does not rely heavily on truth claims as the root of his faith.

Derrick and John answer the difficult questions such as:

• “Is it disingenuous to stay active in the LDS Church with knowledge of ‘problems’ of historicity and knowing the harm the church inflicts on groups of people, like LGBTQ individuals?”
• “Are the people who remain complicit in that harm?”
• “Should the teachings of the church be taken literally or metaphorically?”

In these episodes of Mormon Stories, we interview Derrick Clements—a new contributor to “The Cheeky Mormon Movie Review” podcast series with Gina Colvin, avid podcaster, and reporter for Provo’s Daily Herald.

Derrick and John begin part 1 by discussing categories of people who remain active in the LDS Church, including those who are:

Unaware of church “problems”

Unable to leave without massive disruption in their lives

Unempathetic to those the church harms

Staying to improve the church

Genuinely spiritually converted

Motivated to stay for tribal / identity sentiments

This episode is a recording of Dr. John Dehlin's goodbye presentation to Cache Valley Oasis - a secular support community formed in Fall of 2015 in Logan, Utah.

In his presentation (recorded May 21, 2017), John shared reflections of "lessons" he has learned over the course of 13 years as a Mormon/Post-Mormon activist.

In this episode of Mormon Stories, Margi and John share and discuss their ideas in creating a family culture.  Margi uses the metaphor of a “tower” with 5 building blocks to show their cumulative effect.

These building blocks are:

Values — the foundational layer

Embodiment — the living of those values

Ritual — the framework that integrates those values into your schedule

Tradition — opportunities to celebrate that cement values

Home Environment — the space and “vibe” that reflects values

Continuing our series entitled “Losing the Lamanites,” we interview Mormons from Central and South America, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders — with the intent of exploring their faith transitions, and focusing (where relevant) particularly on their thoughts and feelings around having been handed the now questionable “Lamanite” identity.

In this episode we interview Hyrum Joe, and cover the following:

*His 3rd-generation upbringing in the LDS Church
*The culture shock he experienced when he moved off the Reservation while in grade school
*His feelings of being an outsider both in and out of the Church while growing up in his new community
*His inactivity in his younger years and how he subsequently went back into activity after meeting his ex-wife and becoming sealed in the temple
*How he realized he never truly had a "testimony" of the truth claims of the LDS Church, even while being active and being heavily involved in ward missionary activities
*His impending faith transition
*His thoughts and feelings of the "Lamanite" identity

https://www.facebook.com/artofhyrumjoe/

Continuing our series entitled “Losing the Lamanites,” we interview Mormons from Central and South America, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders — with the intent of exploring their faith transitions, and focusing (where relevant) particularly on their thoughts and feelings around having been handed the now questionable “Lamanite” identity.

In this episode we interview Hyrum Joe, and cover the following:

*His 3rd-generation upbringing in the LDS Church
*The culture shock he experienced when he moved off the Reservation while in grade school
*His feelings of being an outsider both in and out of the Church while growing up in his new community
*His inactivity in his younger years and how he subsequently went back into activity after meeting his ex-wife and becoming sealed in the temple
*How he realized he never truly had a "testimony" of the truth claims of the LDS Church, even while being active and being heavily involved in ward missionary activities
*His impending faith transition
*His thoughts and feelings of the "Lamanite" identity

https://www.facebook.com/artofhyrumjoe/

This episode begins our series on “Losing the Lamanites” where we interview people from Central and South America, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders with the intent of exploring their faith transitions—especially their thoughts and feelings on the identity of “Lamanite” being given to them.

Vania Moore was raised in the LDS Church and has recently experienced a faith transition.  In this episode, we explore:

*Vania’s upbringing in the LDS Church and her desire to serve an LDS mission

*Her thoughts about the label of “Lamanite” and how she never felt it applied to her, and why

*The cultural differences of the LDS Church she noticed having been raised in Brazil and then immigrating to Utah

*Her marriage and subsequent divorce

*Immigrating to America in search of a new life for herself and her children

*How her struggle with anxiety and depression immediately subsided after she decided to leave the LDS Church

*Her remarriage to a true-believing member of the LDS Church and how they make their mixed-faith marriage work

*Vania’s YouTube channel where she explores different truth claims of the church

This episode begins our series on “Losing the Lamanites” where we interview people from Central and South America, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders with the intent of exploring their faith transitions—especially their thoughts and feelings on the identity of “Lamanite” being given to them.

Vania Moore was raised in the LDS Church and has recently experienced a faith transition.  In this episode, we explore:

*Vania’s upbringing in the LDS Church and her desire to serve an LDS mission

*Her thoughts about the label of “Lamanite” and how she never felt it applied to her, and why

*The cultural differences of the LDS Church she noticed having been raised in Brazil and then immigrating to Utah

*Her marriage and subsequent divorce

*Immigrating to America in search of a new life for herself and her children

*How her struggle with anxiety and depression immediately subsided after she decided to leave the LDS Church

*Her remarriage to a true-believing member of the LDS Church and how they make their mixed-faith marriage work

*Vania’s YouTube channel where she explores different truth claims of the church

In this episode John Dehlin (OSF Chief Executive Officer, Board Member) and Craig Woodfield (OSF Board Member, Finance Committee Chair) review the successes of the Open Stories Foundation for 2016.  Items discussed include:

• The OSF's longstanding commitment to financial transparency.
• The incredible growth of OSF podcasts in 2016.
• The emergence and success of a new retreats/workshops initiative to support Mormons experiencing a religious transition.
• A review of the newly released financial statements.
• Compensation of OSF staff and OSF podcasters.
• A discussion of the Mormon Transitions project.

SUPER grateful for all the questions submitted by OSF donors and listeners.

Please email any additional questions to: openstoriesboard@gmail.com.

In this episode Margi Dehlin shares an essay she recently wrote named "Broken Open."

Concluding our series on Transgender/Intersex issues within Mormonism, we interview London Flynn.  London discusses her transition from male to female as a post-Mormon teen, including:

*Her desires and behaviors she wanted to take part in as a child, but was not free to express

*Achieving the Eagle Scout award as a teen, but feeling disconnected from the other boys

*Her fears of “coming out” when she began to study the methods others were subjected to as a way to “correct” gender confusion

*The different milestones in her transition and how her family, friends, and institutional leaders have responded

*Her hope and vision of the future

Thank you London for sharing your beautiful story and for helping all of us understand more the transgender experience within Mormonism!

In this episode, John, Margi, and Natasha Helfer Parker discuss guiding principles to maintaining successful relationships

In this episode, John, Margi, and Natasha Helfer Parker discuss forming a foundation for marriage that withstands change

In this episode of Mormon Stories, we continue our series on Transgender/Intersex education within Mormonism by interviewing Alex Autry.  Alex discusses his transition from female to male as a post-Mormon teen, including:

• His early feelings and experiences with gender as a child
• His upbringing in the LDS Church and feelings of disconnection while involved in Young Women’s activities
• The constant desire to receive the Priesthood along with all the other boys
• How his strong and orthodox testimony served as a barrier to confronting his gender identity
• The feelings of relief when his family and schoolmates accepted his identity
• Leaving the LDS Church along with his family
• His beliefs now and his vision for the future

We are grateful to Alex for sharing his unique story and for shining a light on the transgender experience within the Mormon context!

In this episode John and Margi interview four individuals who are transgender and either active LDS or former LDS. Our panelists for this interview are Kimberly, Ann, Emmett, and Augustus. We discuss:

*What it was like growing up in the LDS Church
*What effect bullying and life in the “closet” had on them
*How the panelists see transgender people fitting (or not) into LDS Church doctrine
*“Trans-erasure” in the Church where lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities receive more focus and attention; therefore, transgender issues are less understood
*How they were treated when they attended church as their authentic selves
*Things they would like the Church to address with their transgender members

We thank our panelists for sharing each of their unique stories and for bringing light to the Mormon transgender experience!

Part 4: Kimberly shares the impact her transition had on her Mormon life, and shares her vision of the future

Kimberly Anderson is a self-actualized woman who has made the change from living for 45 years as a Mormon man to living openly as a woman. Before her transition, she lived, worked, and thrived for decades as a spouse, parent of two children, faithful Mormon, professional photographer, and university professor (BYU, UVU, Snow College).

Kimberly has a BA and an MFA from Utah State University, has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally as a professional photographer, and has work in various collections throughout the Intermountain West. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University, Snow College and Utah Valley University. She is the founder/photographer for the Mama Dragons Story Project which was recently featured on Mormon Stories Podcast.

This interview kicks off a 4-part series on Transgender/Intersex education within Mormonism.

Part 3: Kimberly details the sacrifices required when she made the decision to transition

Kimberly Anderson is a self-actualized woman who has made the change from living for 45 years as a Mormon man to living openly as a woman. Before her transition, she lived, worked, and thrived for decades as a spouse, parent of two children, faithful Mormon, professional photographer, and university professor (BYU, UVU, Snow College).

Kimberly has a BA and an MFA from Utah State University, has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally as a professional photographer, and has work in various collections throughout the Intermountain West. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University, Snow College and Utah Valley University. She is the founder/photographer for the Mama Dragons Story Project which was recently featured on Mormon Stories Podcast.

This interview kicks off a 4-part series on Transgender/Intersex education within Mormonism.

Part 2: Kimberly tells about her LDS mission experience, her marriage, and having children

Kimberly Anderson is a self-actualized woman who has made the change from living for 45 years as a Mormon man to living openly as a woman. Before her transition, she lived, worked, and thrived for decades as a spouse, parent of two children, faithful Mormon, professional photographer, and university professor (BYU, UVU, Snow College).

Kimberly has a BA and an MFA from Utah State University, has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally as a professional photographer, and has work in various collections throughout the Intermountain West. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University, Snow College and Utah Valley University. She is the founder/photographer for the Mama Dragons Story Project which was recently featured on Mormon Stories Podcast.

This interview kicks off a 4-part series on Transgender/Intersex education within Mormonism.

Part 1: Kimberly describes her early life as a child and teen raised in the LDS Church

Kimberly Anderson is a self-actualized woman who has made the change from living for 45 years as a Mormon man to living openly as a woman. Before her transition, she lived, worked, and thrived for decades as a spouse, parent of two children, faithful Mormon, professional photographer, and university professor (BYU, UVU, Snow College).

Kimberly has a BA and an MFA from Utah State University, has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally as a professional photographer, and has work in various collections throughout the Intermountain West. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University, Snow College and Utah Valley University. She is the founder/photographer for the Mama Dragons Story Project which was recently featured on Mormon Stories Podcast.

This interview kicks off a 4-part series on Transgender/Intersex education within Mormonism.

In this episode we discuss what happens when religions or religious people praise abusers in front of their victims.

In April 2017, Keith Robert Vallejo, a Mormon bishop, was convicted of 10 counts of forcible sexual abuse and one count of object rape, involving two women – who were both staying at his home at the time of the rape/abuse.

During his sentencing hearing in Provo, Utah, Fourth District judge Thomas Low (who is currently serving as Mormon bishop of the Valley Hills First Ward of the Heber City Utah North Stake), praised Vallejo as a "an extraordinarily good man" in front of his two victims.

You can hear his full statement here: https://soundcloud.com/user-592916436/judge-thomas-low-statement

In today’s Mormon Stories Podcast episode we are interviewing Ashlie.  Ashlie currently attends a Mormon ward where a former bishop who has abused two separate victims who were both ward members.  He was convicted of rape for the first offense has been fully reintegrated into the ward at the expense of his victims (who also remain in the ward).  According to Ashlie:

• After the former bishop served time in prison, wealthy ward members pooled a large amount of money to have his name removed from the sex offender’s registry in Florida.
• He has been reinstated with full membership status back into the ward, and is currently serving as seminary teacher and as a high priest teacher.
• Many ward and stake members have not been informed of his former abuses.
• The victims and their families have been marginalized by the ward and stake for not being more “forgiving,” and for not “understanding the atonement.”

Today we will be discussing Ashlie’s perspective on the impact of protecting abusers at the expense of the abused, along with how this has impacted her own faith journey.  Ashlie’s stories includes:

• Her conversion to the church.
• Her temple marriage that ended in divorce
• Her inappropriate excommunication for drinking alcohol
• Her rebaptism into the church by Bishop Mark McConkie (Colorado Spring)
• Her re-marriage (elopement, then temple sealing)
• Her experience in a ward where three successive bishops were excommunicated
• Her “shelf breakers” and faith transition (which happened only a month ago).

This episode includes a beautiful shout-out to Kristin Marie (Bennion), so check it out!

In this episode we discuss what happens when religions or religious people praise abusers in front of their victims.

In April 2017, Keith Robert Vallejo, a Mormon bishop, was convicted of 10 counts of forcible sexual abuse and one count of object rape, involving two women – who were both staying at his home at the time of the rape/abuse.

During his sentencing hearing in Provo, Utah, Fourth District judge Thomas Low (who is currently serving as Mormon bishop of the Valley Hills First Ward of the Heber City Utah North Stake), praised Vallejo as a "an extraordinarily good man" in front of his two victims.

You can hear his full statement here: https://soundcloud.com/user-592916436/judge-thomas-low-statement

In today’s Mormon Stories Podcast episode we are interviewing Ashlie.  Ashlie currently attends a Mormon ward where a former bishop who has abused two separate victims who were both ward members.  He was convicted of rape for the first offense has been fully reintegrated into the ward at the expense of his victims (who also remain in the ward).  According to Ashlie:

• After the former bishop served time in prison, wealthy ward members pooled a large amount of money to have his name removed from the sex offender’s registry in Florida.
• He has been reinstated with full membership status back into the ward, and is currently serving as seminary teacher and as a high priest teacher.
• Many ward and stake members have not been informed of his former abuses.
• The victims and their families have been marginalized by the ward and stake for not being more “forgiving,” and for not “understanding the atonement.”

Today we will be discussing Ashlie’s perspective on the impact of protecting abusers at the expense of the abused, along with how this has impacted her own faith journey.  Ashlie’s stories includes:

• Her conversion to the church.
• Her temple marriage that ended in divorce
• Her inappropriate excommunication for drinking alcohol
• Her rebaptism into the church by Bishop Mark McConkie (Colorado Spring)
• Her re-marriage (elopement, then temple sealing)
• Her experience in a ward where three successive bishops were excommunicated
• Her “shelf breakers” and faith transition (which happened only a month ago).

This episode includes a beautiful shout-out to Kristin Marie (Bennion), so check it out!

As part of our series on meetings with Mormon General Authorities, we interview Scott Duke. Scott met with Elder Christoffel Golden of the Seventy November 15, 2012.

In this episode, Scott recounts:

-His LDS mission experience and the troubling historical issues he put on his “shelf”
-His confusion about the role of personal revelation within the framework of the Mormon Church
-How he “came out” about his faith crisis to his wife and family
-How he landed an opportunity to meet with a General Authority of the Church as a last effort to restore faith
-The events and impressions of the meeting with Elder Golden
-The letter he wrote to Dieter F. Uchtdorf and the subsequent response
-The emotional fallout and impact on his family that resulted from his non-belief

As part of our series on meetings with Mormon General Authorities, we interview Meg and Jake Abhau as they relay the story of their September 2013 meeting with Mormon Apostle Elder D. Todd Christofferson.  

Meg and Jake appeared on episodes 508-510 of Mormon Stories discussing their experiences in early 2013 when their 13 year old son, Jon, came out to them as gay while they were living as committed, orthodox Mormons.  During this period Meg and Jake met Tom Christofferson, brother of Mormon Apostle D. Todd Christofferson.  At the time Meg and Jake met Tom he was an excommunicated gay Mormon man living in a committed relationship for over 18 years.  After hearing the Abhau’s story, Tom graciously offered to arrange a meeting between them and his brother, Elder D. Todd Christofferson.

In this episode Meg and Jake recount in detail their 1+ hour with apostle D. Todd Christofferson, which included:

• Elder D. Todd Christofferson acknowledging that the LDS Church may not be a safe place for our LGBT youth,
• Elder Christofferson acknowledging to Meg and Jake that personal revelation trumps revelation from Mormon leadership  (but that he would never be able to admit this publicly to church members), and
• Meg informing Elder Christofferson that he and other LDS leadership had/have “blood on their hands” for the way that they have mishandled LGBT issues, contributing to a modern wave of LGBT youth suicides.

Meg and Jake also express their disappointment with Elder Christofferson’s role in speaking as the representative for the LDS church during the November 2015 policy decision denouncing same-sex couples as apostates, and disallowing their children from being baptised into the Mormon church.  They also discuss their respective decisions to leave the Mormon church after decades of orthodox membership.

In this 4-part series, we interview Nicki and Lance Miles who share their Mormon upbringing, how they met, and how their individual mission experiences intertwined in Episode 1.

In Episode 2, we have a serious discussion about Lance’s father who comes out as gay and the impact it had on the Miles family.  Nicki and Lance share how their feelings towards their father evolved in a more positive direction as time progressed. 

Episode 3 details the meeting Nicki and Lance had with Marlin K. Jensen, former historian for the LDS Church.  They detail the questions asked of the historian, and the impact his answers had on them.

Rounding out the interview, in Episode 4 we discuss Nicki’s feminist awakening and the impact it had on Lance’s view of their marriage.  Transitioning out of the LDS Church led the couple to take a serious look at the foundation of their marriage and their approach to raising their children.

In this 4-part series, we interview Nicki and Lance Miles who share their Mormon upbringing, how they met, and how their individual mission experiences intertwined in Episode 1.

In Episode 2, we have a serious discussion about Lance’s father who comes out as gay and the impact it had on the Miles family.  Nicki and Lance share how their feelings towards their father evolved in a more positive direction as time progressed. 

Episode 3 details the meeting Nicki and Lance had with Marlin K. Jensen, former historian for the LDS Church.  They detail the questions asked of the historian, and the impact his answers had on them.

Rounding out the interview, in Episode 4 we discuss Nicki’s feminist awakening and the impact it had on Lance’s view of their marriage.  Transitioning out of the LDS Church led the couple to take a serious look at the foundation of their marriage and their approach to raising their children.

In this 4-part series, we interview Nicki and Lance Miles who share their Mormon upbringing, how they met, and how their individual mission experiences intertwined in Episode 1.

In Episode 2, we have a serious discussion about Lance’s father who comes out as gay and the impact it had on the Miles family.  Nicki and Lance share how their feelings towards their father evolved in a more positive direction as time progressed. 

Episode 3 details the meeting Nicki and Lance had with Marlin K. Jensen, former historian for the LDS Church.  They detail the questions asked of the historian, and the impact his answers had on them.

Rounding out the interview, in Episode 4 we discuss Nicki’s feminist awakening and the impact it had on Lance’s view of their marriage.  Transitioning out of the LDS Church led the couple to take a serious look at the foundation of their marriage and their approach to raising their children.

In this 4-part series, we interview Nicki and Lance Miles who share their Mormon upbringing, how they met, and how their individual mission experiences intertwined in Episode 1.

In Episode 2, we have a serious discussion about Lance’s father who comes out as gay and the impact it had on the Miles family.  Nicki and Lance share how their feelings towards their father evolved in a more positive direction as time progressed. 

Episode 3 details the meeting Nicki and Lance had with Marlin K. Jensen, former historian for the LDS Church.  They detail the questions asked of the historian, and the impact his answers had on them.

Rounding out the interview, in Episode 4 we discuss Nicki’s feminist awakening and the impact it had on Lance’s view of their marriage.  Transitioning out of the LDS Church led the couple to take a serious look at the foundation of their marriage and their approach to raising their children.

In this episode of Mormon Stories, we interview Noah Rasheta — the Executive Director of the Foundation for Mindful Living and host of the Secular Buddhism podcast.  This meaningful and compelling interview covers:

• Noah’s early life as an orthodox Mormon believer and his struggle with the thought that with all of the good in the world, is it possible that the path set forth by the LDS Church is the only valid one?
• How he felt uneasy and shaken as he broadened his study of the Mormon faith
• His description of his transitioning process, his fears of leaving the LDS Church, and “coming out” as a non-believer to those in his faith community
• How as his transition progressed, his view towards people became more kind, warm, and compassionate
• His studies of Buddhist philosophy and the development of a purpose-driven life by integrating Buddhist teachings, modern science, humanism, and humor

In this episode of Mormon Stories, we interview Noah Rasheta — the Executive Director of the Foundation for Mindful Living and host of the Secular Buddhism podcast.  This meaningful and compelling interview covers:

• Noah’s early life as an orthodox Mormon believer and his struggle with the thought that with all of the good in the world, is it possible that the path set forth by the LDS Church is the only valid one?
• How he felt uneasy and shaken as he broadened his study of the Mormon faith
• His description of his transitioning process, his fears of leaving the LDS Church, and “coming out” as a non-believer to those in his faith community
• How as his transition progressed, his view towards people became more kind, warm, and compassionate
• His studies of Buddhist philosophy and the development of a purpose-driven life by integrating Buddhist teachings, modern science, humanism, and humor

In this episode of Mormon Stories, we interview Noah Rasheta — the Executive Director of the Foundation for Mindful Living and host of the Secular Buddhism podcast.  This meaningful and compelling interview covers:

• Noah’s early life as an orthodox Mormon believer and his struggle with the thought that with all of the good in the world, is it possible that the path set forth by the LDS Church is the only valid one?
• How he felt uneasy and shaken as he broadened his study of the Mormon faith
• His description of his transitioning process, his fears of leaving the LDS Church, and “coming out” as a non-believer to those in his faith community
• How as his transition progressed, his view towards people became more kind, warm, and compassionate
• His studies of Buddhist philosophy and the development of a purpose-driven life by integrating Buddhist teachings, modern science, humanism, and humor

In this episode of Mormon Stories, we interview Noah Rasheta — the Executive Director of the Foundation for Mindful Living and host of the Secular Buddhism podcast.  This meaningful and compelling interview covers:

• Noah’s early life as an orthodox Mormon believer and his struggle with the thought that with all of the good in the world, is it possible that the path set forth by the LDS Church is the only valid one?
• How he felt uneasy and shaken as he broadened his study of the Mormon faith
• His description of his transitioning process, his fears of leaving the LDS Church, and “coming out” as a non-believer to those in his faith community
• How as his transition progressed, his view towards people became more kind, warm, and compassionate
• His studies of Buddhist philosophy and the development of a purpose-driven life by integrating Buddhist teachings, modern science, humanism, and humor

Panelists Wendy & Thomas Montgomery and Daniel Parkinson delve into topics related to Utah’s escalating suicide crisis and the feeling of despair that many LDS LGBT individuals experience.

Part 1: In this episode, the panel discusses appropriate guidelines when discussing suicide and work to identify possible correlates unique to Utah and the broader LDS LGBT community.

Part 2: In this episode, the panel discusses the perceived “whiplash” of mixed messaging from LDS Church leadership about LGBT people.  They also discuss how to communicate and address the possible causes of the escalating suicide crisis, without violating the guidelines shared in episode 1.

Panelists Wendy & Thomas Montgomery and Daniel Parkinson delve into topics related to Utah’s escalating suicide crisis and the feeling of despair that many LDS LGBT individuals experience.

Part 1: In this episode, the panel discusses appropriate guidelines when discussing suicide and work to identify possible correlates unique to Utah and the broader LDS LGBT community.

Part 2: In this episode, the panel discusses the perceived “whiplash” of mixed messaging from LDS Church leadership about LGBT people.  They also discuss how to communicate and address the possible causes of the escalating suicide crisis, without violating the guidelines shared in episode 1.

SUPER honored/proud to release my latest interview with Heidi Nielson Packard and Dr. Josh Packard. This powerful, informative, and in-depth interview covers:

• Heidi and Josh’s very orthodox Mormon upbringing and early years as Mormons. For those interested, Heidi’s brother is Christian Nielson, who is married to Stephanie Nielson of the NieNie Dialogues blog (sister to Courtney Clark Kendrick or CJane)
• Their faith crisis involving science and LDS history (reading Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling), which resulted in Josh asking to be released from the bishopric,
• How Heidi and Josh found value in secular humanism as a way to raise their children after Mormonism,
• How the military community has helped to meet there social needs after leaving Mormonism, and
• How they overcame early “mistakes” in communicating with believing family, resulting in more loving, respectful relationships with believing family members today.