Mormon Stories Podcast 1569: From Mormon Prepper to Ex-Mormon - Emma Pt. 3
Since the founding of Mormonism in 1830 there has been a core belief in the imminent 2nd coming of Jesus Christ (thus the "Latter-day Saints" portion of the Mormon church's official name). Within modern Mormonism over the past few decades there has been an increasing trend towards "end times" preparedness - wherein ultra-orthodox Mormons begin preparing for the 2nd coming of Jesus by selling their 401k's and retirement plans, moving to rural areas, attending "Prepper" conferences like "Preparing a People," building fortresses, stockpiling food/weapons/ammunition/tents/trailers, denying traditional health care to children, etc., and preparing (i.e., "prepping") for the arrival of Jesus. This movement has been at best benign (for a few), but for many has led to extreme behaviors, divided families, financial ruin, a host of emerging "prophets" (e.g., charlatans) who prey on this mentality (e.g., Julie Rowe), and in some cases murder (e.g., Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow story).
Emma was raised in a Mormon Prepper household. In Part 3 of our 3-part series with Emma, she discusses "coming out" as lesbian while as BYU student, and how her emerging LGBTQ identity, along with family rejection and problems with her family's "Prepper" beliefs, led her to lose faith in the Mormon church, and to become alienated from her orthodox Mormon family.
Show Notes:
- "LGBTQ students at BYU light up the 'Y' in rainbow colors," by Courtney Tanner, Salt Lake Tribune, March 5, 2021
- "A Bishop's Family Questions Mormonism," Kelly and Kayla Mikesell on Mormon Stories
- Cultish podcast
- "Coming Out as a Non-Believer to Family Members," Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis
- Encircle: Utah Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth
- "Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Urges BYU to Embraces Its Uniqueness, Stay True to the Savior," the August 2021 speech at BYU, in which Holland urges "musket fire" in defense of the school's current standards under pressure for equal rights for LGBTQ+ students and staff
- The Out Foundation
- "Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus," Quentin L. Cook, General Conference October 2016, in which he warns against the "stumbling block" of "expensive preparation for end-of-days scenarios"
- Upcoming Events with the Open Stories Foundation
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