Latter Day Struggles 397: What Happens When Only One Kind of Latter-day Saint is Allowed to Exist in the Church
Series title: Mormon Faith Crisis—Progression, Not Pathology [Part III of III]
In this episode Valerie welcomes back friend and researcher Jeff Strong for the third installment of their series exploring Jeff's research learning about the actual experiences of thousands of Latter-day Saints. The theme that came through? Massive amounts of TENSION.
Today they go deeper into six distinct kinds of Latter-day Saints and highlight that one type, "the protector" is disproportionately rewarded while other types are often silenced and squeezed to the margins and sometimes out of the church altogether.
They unpack how an ignorance of the true diversity of 21st Century LDS membership is causing crippling harm to families and the church itself and emphasize the power that could come if we all understood and supported one another as a truly open and welcoming 'body of Christ'.
Timestamps:
01:04 – Understanding Cultural Differences
01:57 – Stages of Faith and Identity Segments
03:38 – Framework for Understanding Differences
08:00 – Setting Up the Segment Discussion
09:36 – Overview of the Six Segments
14:30 – Personal Examples of Segment Fluidity
16:19 – Avoiders and Their Journey
18:30 – The Spectrum of Development
21:15 – Disaffiliation and Its Complexities
22:50 – The Public Narrative vs. Reality
24:43 – Conformity and Control in Religious Communities
26:33 – Fear vs. Love Orientation
28:13 – Focus on Protectors
33:40 – The Need for Balance and Integration
35:02 – Balancing Different Attributes in Church Culture
39:30 – The Dangers of Fear-Driven Leadership
41:40 – The Role of Fear and Love in Leadership
44:00 – The Impact of Historical Persecution
50:00 – Everyday Conflicts and Growth Opportunities
53:14 – Final Thoughts on Growth and Development
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