Widowhood, Career Decisions, and PhD

Today we are kicking off our two-part series with Rebecca Lucero Jones, who is here to share her story of losing her husband and the unique complications widows face within the Mormon faith. We will be examining the question of what the Mormon afterlife looks like for widows.

In Part 1, Rebecca describes her Mormon upbringing and her eventual marriage to her first husband, Isaac, with whom she had two children before he was tragically killed in a car accident.

Be sure to join us again later this week for the conclusion of Rebecca’s Mormon story and her efforts to obtain a second-sealing clearance from LDS Church leadership.

This is a fascinating and important issue faced by widows in the Mormon church—one we feel deserves to be brought to light.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:04:44 Rebecca’s Mormon story begins - born in Missouri

00:06:00 Her father was ex-communicated and parent were divorced

00:12:07 How this shaped her view of her mom vs her dad

00:16:16 What message did this send her about the importance of living the gospel?

00:20:46 Teenage years & dating

00:31:28 Palmyra, NY spiritual experience

00:32:28 Experience in the Sacred Grove

00:38:17 Did the idea of a heavenly father fill the absence of her own father?

00:39:44 Deciding to attend BYU & what to study

00:50:58 Dating at BYU

00:52:24 Had roommates who were anorexic at BYU - they got more dates

01:00:54 There is no space for intellectual women in Mormonism

01:06:16 Deciding to go on a mission

01:09:00 Was called to serve in Russia

01:20:13 Coming home from her mission she felt she lost a sense of purpose 

01:22:48 Dating gay men

01:25:59 Dating a man who came out to her as bisexual

01:40:45 Going to therapy through LDS services 

01:49:58 Dating in Texas

01:52:55 Getting married - a lot of people questioning them

02:13:25 Their wedding

02:17:41 Had their first child in 2012

02:28:39 What is it like as a Mormon woman to have your eternal companion die?

02:39:08 What did she feel about being a single widowed mom in the church?

02:57:18 Persuing her masters and PhD

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