Latter Day Struggles

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: The 21st Century LDS Church's Ongoing Struggle to Respond to the Realities of Faith & Trust Crisis [Part I of II]Join Val and friend, colleague and returned guest, Dr. Greg Prince as they talk about Greg's involvement in the profoundly important document "The Official Faith Crisis Report". A document that was the first of its kind, it compiled data about struggles in faith and trust that was sweeping the LDS church just after the turn of the century. In this episode, you will learn backstage details that only someone involved in the actual process can tell you. Greg, as usual, adds his wit and wisdom to a fascinating story about the beginning of an era that we are all living through at this moment in the LDS faith expansion space. Next episode Val & Greg tackle several sections of the report itself and engage in some spicy banter about what can happen with people in different stages of faith during a typical LDS church meeting. Join in for a great conversation! The Official Faith Crisis ReportBooks by Dr. Greg Princehttps://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title:  Transcending Church Rules on the PathTowards Genuine Christlike Discipleship w/Russ Hinckley Part III of IVWhat do you think Jesus would desire that we focus on in our worship services and within our larger lives? In these last two episodes of this series Val invites Russ to share his thoughts on his "Christ Creed", or his "rewrite" of what he thinks Jesus would want his followers to focus on. In this episode they focus their conversation on Jesus using social gatherings and meals to push back against cultural outgroups. Among other topics, they dig into why and how Jesus' ministry tries to prove that society (not God) creates out groups. Jump into this one--so good!Beyond Belief - Russ HinckleyTattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion- Gregory Boylehttps://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title:  Transcending Church Rules on the Path Towards Genuine Christlike Discipleship w/Russ Hinckley Part I of IVWelcome to a beautiful series featuring guest author Russ Hinckley (who doesn't mind being referred to as Mr. Susan Hinckley of the "At Last She Said It" podcast) where Val and Russ explore his book "Beyond Belief" a radical reinterpretation of what Jesus likely would have those who gathered in his name focus on.  In this episode Russ and Val riff a bit about early Christian history and why creeds (official belief statements) were made and why Jesus likely could not care less about what are in those creeds. The rest of the series tackles what Jesus would probably have us focus on as individuals, families, and congregations.Beyond Belief - Russ Hinckleyhttps://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!In this episode Valerie is invited to be a guest on "Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt," a podcast where she shares many experiences leading to her choice to commit her career to the psychological and spiritual healing of those connected to her own Latter-day Saint faith tradition.Val shares some personal experiences, some of her reasons for beginning and staying in this nerve wracking space, about the ups and downs of the work she does. Mostly she shares her conviction that what she is doing feels deeply "right" to her core... that when one knows they are in their integrity, other concerns fall away.Join Valerie and host Meagan Skidmore for a fresh, heartfelt look at faith journey—through the eyes of someone who’s walking the path right alongside you.https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: A Look into the Minds of Creators of The Mother Tree & Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos [Part I of II] Why is my job the very best?  Because I get to sit down with two of the kindest, more brilliant and beautiful souls out there--Kathryn Sonntag and Taylor Petrey-- to facilitate a conversation about all things modern Mormon feminism, scripture, symbology, and the feminine divine.  The Mother Tree: Discovering the Love and Wisdom of Our Divine Mother - Kathryn  Knight SonntagQueering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos - Taylor G. Petreyhttps://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: A Deep Dive into the Fascinating Cosmos Found in Taylor Petrey's Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos [Part III of IV] One definition of "queering" that Taylor uses in his book is to complicate or expand--and this episode does just that in the realm of the feminine divine.  Buckle up as Taylor and Val walk through his fascinating ideas regarding what Latter Day Saints call Heavenly Mother.  This episode addresses historical and current scholarship around this highly charged topic and offers new ideas on how we might see this part of our theology in a whole new and provocative way. Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos - Taylor Petreyhttps://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title:  A Deep Dive into the Fascinating Cosmos Found in Taylor Petrey's Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos [Part I of IV] In this episode Val and guest scholar and author Taylor Petrey set this series up by walking through the focus of Taylor's phenomenal new book, Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos.  They set the stage to blow your mind in the many ways that an open-minded and close reading of scripture makes all kinds of space for a heaven packed with not just heterosexual love and connection.  Welcome to the world of "kinship"!Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos - Taylor PetreySupport the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Valerie & Nathan Hamaker Forced Resignation from the LDS Church [Part III of III] In this final episode detailing the tough events of Val and Nathan's last year trying to collaborate with their local priesthood leaders, they share why they chose to resign their membership instead of experiencing a disciplinary counsel.  They also explorethe fear that some LDS leadership experiences with mental health workers and conclude with their process of letting go of resentment or anger so that they can move forward with true freedom. Please SHARE these episodes. Val and Nathan want the narrative around their need to formally resign from the LDS church to be understood firsthand. Thank you for your love and support at this time! https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Valerie & Nathan Hamaker Forced Resignation from the LDS Church [Part I of III] Please join Valerie & Nathan in this tough 3-part conversation sharing the events that led to what felt to them like their forced resignation from LDS Church this past week. In today’s episode Val and Nathan walk through a timeline of a lot of painful experiences in the past eighteen months with multiple well-meaning local priesthood leaders who ultimately could not overcome their fear of the healing work happening on the LDS Church on the Latter Day Struggles platform.  The episode ends with several truly beautiful testimonials sent to us by many of you, which were sent to all of these priesthood leaders, detailing the impact of our ministry—to no avail. COMING UP...PART II - Friday 3/21 episode: Special full-content listener Q&A episode answering your questions asked on @latterdaystruggles.com Instagram stories today. PART III - Monday 3/24/25: Second half of Val and Nathan’s experiences, on their decision to resign, and their thoughts love, forgiveness, and moving forward with you. *** Please SHARE these episodes. Val and Nathan want the narrative around their need to formally resign from the LDS church to be understood firsthand.  And thank you for your love & support friends.  It means everything.  We can proceed showing a different and better way. Love over fear.  WE HAVE NO REGRETS “[They] drew a circle that shut me out, heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But LOVE and I had the wit to win: I drew a circle that took [them back] in." -Edwin Markham https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Community Healing: How our Greatest Wounds & our Greatest Healing Happens through Human Relationship [Part VIII of VIII]Join Valerie in the final episode of a series exploring the beauty of community healing in the context of an LDS faith crisis. In this episode you will meet two current members of Valerie's brand new advanced content group, processing the impact of growing up in a patriarchal world and church. This group dives deeply into how each and every one of us has been deeply impacted by the "Christianization of Patriarchy," and how awareness of our roots brings about healing and wholeness. Valerie made a point to invite both a woman and a man from the new group to join her in this episode, where they could not only share their own personal journeys of awakening but also reflect on what it was like to witness someone of the opposite gender go through their own process of learning and growth. https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showShare this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Annual Friday Episode Full Access only $89/year Join an LDSS Support Group Visit Our Website: https://valeriehamaker.com/ Want to support Valerie & Nathan? Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠