Lindsay and Todd McCormick, a couple from Knoxville, Tennessee, share their powerful and emotional journey navigating faith, doubt, and community pressure within the LDS Church. From their musical Mormon upbringing and successful business ventures to being threatened twice with excommunication, this interview dives deep into the cost of questioning and choosing authenticity over conformity.

They open up about their faith crisis, the controversial City Creek Mall, navigating parenthood in the church, and ultimately, their heartbreaking experience with betrayal from close friends and leaders. Through all of it, their love for each other and desire for truth remained steadfast.

Topics include:

-Faith deconstruction and polygamy

-Church discipline and double standards

-Excommunication threats and “apostasy”

-Cultural expectations, identity, and healing

-Choosing honesty over fear in Mormonism

-Watch their raw and courageous story unfold.

Contact Information:

Lindsay's Photo Business

00:00:56 Introductions

00:03:14 Lindsay’s Mormon story

00:10:23 Gender expectations growing up

00:14:48 Lindsay started a photography business

00:17:15 Todd’s Mormon story

00:21:40 They met on her birthday and married in the Nauvoo Temple

00:24:06 When did their faith journey begin and their doubts?

00:25:47 How did the threats for excommunication start?

00:35:11 Todd didn’t feel inspired, he felt stagnant

00:36:30 They started their Photo Barn business and became successful overnight

00:41:55 Story of them in the temple and Lindsay thinking critically

00:43:33 Story of them in Sunday School and the prophets not leading them astray

00:50:21 The next catalyst happened on a ward temple trip

00:55:00 They chose to start over in all of their beliefs, taking subjects one by one, etc.

01:10:04 They realized the Doctrine and Covenants was a mess

01:16:22 The Word of Wisdom is confusing

01:29:20 They gave talks in Sacrament Meeting and were corrected publicly

01:31:08 “There is a case being built against the McCormicks”

01:33:55 Facing excommunication or baptizing their eight year old

01:37:13 Not being authentic can really hurt your physical and mental health

01:57:36 It’s a testament to how much they love the church that they attended for years

02:01:08 The person in the bishopric that worked for them that they let go

02:07:45 They got a message that the Stake President wanted to meet with them

02:12:05 They presented seven letters in a folder, less letters than before

02:17:58 Her friend repeated that Lindsay joked about wine

02:21:09 What happens when you get excommunicated

02:32:30 One critical part of the story - telling the leaders that they needed a warning

02:38:32 They were shocked when they found out that they were NOT getting excommunicated

02:41:49 How has the membership played out after this moment?

02:49:18 Nathan apologized for how he treated her when she left the church

02:59:14 I didn’t leave the church AT you, it’s just our path

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Episode 170: A Conversation with Gary Abbot and Laurel Schumacher