Latter Day Struggles

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: End of LDS Growth Analysis [Part V of VI]We’ve made it to episode #5 of this six part mini-series exploring LDS church growth struggles as studied in the recent journal article titled, “End of Growth?  Fading Prospects for Latter-day Saint Expansion” (article in full linked below)In today’s episode, the focus of analysis is on the following three points:The historical ‘gathering to Zion’ mentality has created isolationist culture to those gathered; has left many parts of the world with few members to grow the church; has therefore defaulted heavily on Utah-centric “world-view”, with secondary privileging of  US “worldview”; less so on the rest of the worldOccupational hazard of itinerant missionaries with low investment to quality conversion and hyper-focused on number of baptismsThe accelerated baptism program of the church which pressured all parties from mission presidents to missionaries to aggressively pressure lay people to quickly decide to be baptized with inadequate time to understand not only what they were learning about but also to acclimate to a new social network, belief system, an ideologyThe next and final episode of this series tackles perhaps the most fascinating concept explored in this report: a proposal that the LDS church's stance as God's only "true church" is at the foundation of the various administrative struggles that have impeded the church's ability to grow.Link to the article analyzed in this series:   https://jmssa.org/stewartSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: End of LDS Growth Analysis [Part III of VI]In the next three episodes of this six part series analyzing the article titled “End of Growth?  Fading Prospects for Latter-day Saint Expansion” (article in full linked below) Nathan and Val work through 10 reasons social scientists postulate the LDS church did not grow (as forecasted about 40 years old) into the “the next Islam”. This episode focuses on the following:The church’s emphasis on “building from centers of strength.”  In the 1990’s the church rolled out a program redirecting missionary efforts and funds to parts of the world to "grow in leadership and capital before expanding to other parts of the world.”Multiple trends unfolded that were not expected based on early predictions: LDS fertility rates dropped significantly.  Marriage rates dropped.  New converts worldwide were frequently empty nesters.  Many international converts had less children than their neighbors attending other churches.A contracting LDS missionary force relative to early predictions.Nathan and Val break down each of these topics and weigh in on how each each of these research findings represents (in their opinion) either an administrative situation, gradual and unable-to-predict-societal-evolution, or perhaps a subtle trending towards personal authority and spiritual autonomy that does not concurrently translate into LDS institutional nominal growth.In the next episode Nathan and Val tackle topics 4-6 of the ten topics covered explaining lower than expected LDS church growth according to the journal article linked below. Stay tuned!Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: End of LDS Growth Analysis [Part II of VI]Join Nathan and Val this entire series analyzing the article titled “End of Growth?  Fading Prospects for Latter-day Saint Expansion” published recently in the Journal of Mormon Social Science Association (article in full linked below) where Nathan breaks down some incredibly fascinating data about the growth of several Christian churches in sub-Saharan Africa to offer some context and critique regarding the "massive growth" that some claim is happening in this part of the world in the LDS church.Questions answered in this episode:Are there a lot of LDS baptisms happening in sub-Saharan Africa compared to the rest of the world?How does the nominal growth of the LDS church compare to other missionary-minded churches  in this same area?What are some possible reasons why especially the Seventh Day Adventists and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are baptizing and retaining exponentially more people in this area of the world than the LDS church?What might the LDS church’s tendency to bring the “American church” and it’s culture to Africa have to do with their relative struggles in membership growth and retention?What might the LDS church learn from other thriving religions in this same demographic about allowing locals to infuse their beautiful customs and culture into a basic structure of a religious system?Link to the article analyzed in this series:The End of Growth? Fading Prospects for Latter-day Saint Expansion, David G. Stewart, Jr., University of Nevada, Las VegasInfo on how to subscribe to listen to Friday’s episode is directly below.  See you there!Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: End of LDS Growth Analysis [Part I of VI]Val and Nathan are so excited to jump into a VERY FASCINATING six-part podcast mini-series analyzing a recently published journal article titled, “The End of Growth? Fading Prospects for Latter-day Saint Expansion”.In the mid 80’s a team of social scientists predicted that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was on track to become “The next Islam”, projecting that if the LDS church stayed on track with its current growth, it would achieve a membership between 36.4-121 million members by the year 2020.At year end 2019 the LDS church reached a mere 16.5 million members, less than half of the number projected by these social scientists.What Happened?This is the topic of the next several episodes of the Latter Day Struggles Podcast.In this specific episode, Nathan and Val offer an overview of six “misses” that the research team did not account for and then they break down each general area:  including (but not limited to) serious issues of member retention, a significant drop in child-of-record baptisms,  the shrinking size of the church’s missionary force, unexpected shrinking LDS fertility rates, and skewed membership record keeping practices.IN FRIDAY’S EPISODE Nathan and Val tackle the topic of church growth specifically in Africa (the LDS church’s current missionary growth emphasis) and put the LDS church’s relative success in this geographic area in context by looking at the astronomical growth in Africa of two “cousin” church traditions—the Seventh Day Adventist’s and the Jehovah’s Witnesses.Nathan and Val then discuss some valid reasons why these other faith traditions might be enjoying exponentially more growth in Africa and how the LDS church might benefit from learning from their religious counterparts, who seemed to have cracked some codes in multicultural membership growth and retention.Link to the article analyzed in this series⁠The End of Growth? Fading Prospects for Latter-day Saint Expansion, David G. Stewart, Jr., University of Nevada, Las Vegas⁠Info on how to subscribe to listen to Friday’s episode is directly below.  See you there!Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Valerie’s Personal Journey [Part I of II]Join Val and fellow therapist Brannon Patrick this week as Brannon interviews Valerie about her first year accidentally diving into the deep end as a professional voice speaking respectfully but directly on behalf of thousands of individuals in the LDS faith and trust crisis and expansion space.In those two episodes Valerie responds to a variety of personal questions including (but not limited to): Her own experiences finding herself a in a role speaking at the intersection of good psychology, a call for healthy theology, with a keen understanding of the dynamics of healthy and unhealthy organizations.How she has navigated activity in the church.Her and Brannon’s experience first deciding to work together and then his deciding to no longer work with her and their touching conclusions about this tough relational period.Her experience with the very real possibility of burnout in this highly emotional work.Her reasons for committing so much time and nurture to the support and processing group process and the unintended benefits of this experience for her as a facilitatorHer and Nathan’s journey as a couple, evolving parents, and working together on the podcastVal’s thoughts on the possibility of church discipline due to her ministryAnd much more! Latter Day Struggles Podcast Episodes mentioned in this episode as most impactful for Valerie:Latter Day Struggles Podcast Episode 118: Stumbling Blocks and the Book of Mormon with Paul Toscano—Part IV⁠Latter Day Struggles Podcast Episode 126: A Glimpse into the Spiritual Journey of LDS Theologian Fiona GivensInfo on how to subscribe to listen to Friday’s episode is directly below.  See you there!Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: PRIDE and Personal Growth [Part II of II]Join Val and a handful of special guests on this second half of a series honoring PRIDE month.  In this episode several beautiful women and men share their unique journeys finding self/other love and acceptance on the full spectrum of gender and sexuality.Unlearning can be more challenging than learning, especially in a religious system that has focused so strongly on heteronormativity.  But these beautiful people show that is can indeed be done and that the journey is sacred and one worth celebrating and sharing. Please note: In the section featuring Kit and Bree and their beautiful love story, I want to make clear that the manner in which they have been able to navigate their marriage is a representation of what has felt congruent to each of them in their own personal story. I do not want to communicate that other outcomes in other marriages are not acceptable or reasonable.  I believe that giving each individual in each couple the liberty follow what is most congruent to them is the path to wholeness.  Books and podcasts recommended in this episode:Questions from the Closet PodcastListen, Learn, and Love PodcastBeyond the Block PodcastGoodbye, I Love You, written by Carol Lynn PearsonSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: PRIDE and Personal Growth [Part I of II]Join Valerie for the next couple of week honoring PRIDE in a variety of different ways.First and most importantly, Valerie has invited several individuals (like yourselves!) from her small groups to share their own growth journeys in the context of PRIDE month.In each of these stories shared you will learn from gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and straight ally individuals who learned profound lessons about love over fear, love over judgment, and love over unhealthy theology.They share the beauty of being a work in progress and each model how it is okay to believe one way until we experience enough life to teach us to belief another way that is more aligned with God’s love for the diversity of their sacred creations.Books and podcasts recommended in this episode:⁠Questions from the Closet Podcast⁠⁠Listen, Learn, and Love Podcast⁠A Walk in My Shoes: Questions I'm Often Asked as a Gay Latter-day Saint, written by Ben SchilatySupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: When Marriage Doctrines Unintentionally Divide a Couple [Part I of II]This week on the Latter Day Struggles podcast Valerie focuses on a population of people whom she loves and sees consistently in a lot of pain here in and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.Married couples in the LDS church tend to experience a great deal of distress when one partner begins a growth process that departs in any way from the standard beliefs and practices of the LDS faith. In this episode Valerie breaks down what she has coined “the successful failure” of LDS marriage theology, a belief system that is so incredibly successful garnering the faith and loyalty of some individuals that they would choose their religious beliefs about marriage over the marriage itself.In short, the success of the LDS indoctrination about the specific demands of an LDS marriage may strongly contribute to the failure of the actual LDS marriage. This is tragic.As a marriage therapist and a witness to too many LDS marriages coming undone unnecessarily,  Valerie has chosen to commit the past few months creating two profound online courses to help couples not become casualties to this “successful failure” phenomenon.This episode describes the phenomenon in detail and the next episode in this mini-series describes Valerie’s overarching philosophical and psychological orientation to helping couples work through this challenge and become a stronger, more unconditionally loving couple than they ever imagined possible.See directly below to grab the link to check out these self-paced online classes to support your marriage!  These classes can be taken as a couple or individually.  Support the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Visionary Women Past & Present [Part I of II]Join Valerie and guest Fiona Givens as together they discuss a true prophetess and mystic, Julian of Norwich.Father Richard Rohr has often called Julian his "favorite mystic" and Fiona attributes this woman as one of the most personally influential to her in the development of her own whole and holy theology of the divine.  If these two recommendations aren't enough for you...then I don't know what to say!A few highlights of this episode:Julian's “showings” really shine a light on God’s inability to be angry with us for our humannessOur current struggles with the nature of God in some brings up pain, anxiety, religious scrupulosity, and defection from the churchOur misunderstandings of the nature of God brings up generational trauma to the extent that we perpetuate a God concept that estranges us from Julian's God of infinite loveAccording to Julian's visions, sin is “no thing” in God’s eyes.  Our missteps are the education that endears us to GodAs a committed Catholic, Julian too struggles with heavenly visions that did not align with the teachings of her “holy church” and she [as do we] does the work of differentiating her church’s imperfections with her personal revelations, choosing to align with the truth that was revealed to her directly from it’s sourceBook referenced in this episode:Julian of Norwich: The Showings: Uncovering the Face of the Feminine in Revelations of Divine Love, by Mirabai StarrThe God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life, by Terry and Fiona GivensSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!If you loved the last episode of Latter Day Struggles, you’ll love Valerie and Nathan’s discussion about the 5 components that can help each of us know that we have embraced a mature spirituality:  A MATURE SPIRITUALITY: Resonates from within (is not compelled from beyond)Invites the numinous (beckons, compels us forward, drives us to know more with a magnetic-like pull)Opens us to mystery (welcomes the unknown; is open to a different way of seeing, worshipping, experiencing, that is unconnected to our programming)Asks us to grow up (does not hand off the soul stretching discerning process of life to authorities, experts, or any other "big person", thus preventing us from the inevitable anxiety of growth)Invites us to live a value driven relational life (the culmination of all of the above points shows up "on the ground" as responsible, accountable, respectful of other's journeys, and loving of the process of life as a sacred growth experience)**Each of Valerie’s Support and Processing Groups and Online Courses is Grounded in these Five Principles and offers a structure for achieving a mature relationship with spirituality. Book referenced in this episode: Living an Examined Life by James HollisSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website