Mormon Stories Podcast

In our final segment with Laura Schnell, she describes her faith deconstruction, responds to criticisms, and expresses the immense beauty she’s found rediscovering her own voice as a post-Mormon woman. Show notes and links: Laura’s Instagram “Why the Church is as True as the Gospel” Eugene England “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion” Gregory Boyle “Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype” Clarissa Pinkola Estés “Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage To Stand Alone” Brené Brown

When we left off with Laura Shnell at the end of part one, Laura had decided to pursue a career in the LDS Church Education System as a seminary teacher. In this episode, we hear her describe the inappropriate interactions from her mentor, the great lengths Laura went to for her Spanish speaking seminary students, and the sexism she faced as a woman working for CES. Show notes and links: Laura’s Instagram LDS church’s Gospel Topics Essays The Charted Course of the Church in Education

In part one of this exciting three part interview, Colombian immigrant and former Mormon seminary teacher, Laura Schnell, shares her very unique Mormon story. Laura left South America with her mother and sister in the 90s to Queens, New York, and remembers her time in their small Spanish speaking LDS branch with fondness. In this episode, she discusses her step-dad joining the family, her time in India with BYU’s International Development Program, and the road she took to choosing a career in the Church Educational System and meeting a friend of the podcast, Marc Oslund.  Show notes and links:  Laura’s Instagram Godly Sorrow video Latter-day Labia Pioneers in Petticoats ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

Show Notes: Simon Southerton on evidence of LDS membership decline and the Church covering it up John Larsen’s Mormon Expressions The Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis "The Biggest Lie About the Mormon Church, by Jacob Hess, Meridian Magazine, Sept. 8, 2021 Mormon Stories' response to Jacob Hess Part 1 Part 2 Secular Buddhism podcast Cwic Media Mormon Stories' panel, Finding Spirituality After Mormonism Communicating with Believing Family and Friends Communicating with the Church Leadership, Ward Members, and Neighbors During and After a Mormon Faith Crisis Communicating with Children During a Faith Transition Recording of 2019 Thrive Retreat Mormon Stories' interview with polygamist Anne Wilde Mormon Stories interview with Lance Allread, grandson of a polygamous leader Mormon Stories interview with Luna Corbden on mind control in the Mormon Church Lindsay Hansen Park's podcast Year of Polygamy Radio Free Mormon Mormonism Live with Radio Free Mormon and Bill Reel  Marriage on a Tightrope with Allan and Kattie Mount Thinker of Thoughts by Jonathan Streeter  Dan McClellan's TikTok channel Chelsea Homer's Faith Journey Meetups (private group; apply to join) Kim Sandberg Turner's Women of a Certain Age (send her a private message on Facebook for more info) ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Have you ever found yourself reacting in unhelpful ways to the distress that accompanies a religious faith crisis (or life in general)? Margi Dehlin has spent two decades supporting and/or coaching Mormons in faith crisis, post-Mormons, and women experiencing significant life transitions. As part of a new series on Mormon Stories Podcast providing free coaching support to transitioning and post-Mormons, Margi will share her general approach to managing the emotional distress that often accompanies a religious faith crisis. Her framework will be based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which is a cutting-edge form of mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Show Notes: Donate to "The Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis" Podcast Calm App ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 —————

In April of 2019 Brigham Young University valedictorian Matt Easton came out as a faithful gay Mormon during his valedictorian address, which was pre-approved by the LDS Church. Matt's speech received very positive national media attention, including an appearance on the Ellen Show. Matt is currently attending U.C. Berkeley as a Political Science Ph.D. student. Last week, Mormon apostle Jeffrey R. Holland publicly "called out" Matt Easton, accusing him of "commandeering" the 2019 graduation ceremony. His exact words were: "If a student commandeers a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas in order to announce his personal sexual orientation, what might another speaker feel free to announce the next year until eventually anything goes? What might commencement come to mean — or not mean — if we push individual license over institutional dignity for very long? Do we simply end up with more divisiveness in our culture than we already have? And we already have too much everywhere." Please join us on August 29, 2021 at 1:30pm Utah time as Matt Easton shares with us his Mormon story, and responds to Elder Holland's irresponsible attacks. Show Notes: Matt Easton's Valedictorian address. Matt's appearance on Ellen. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's BYU Speech attacking Matt ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 —————

As most Mormons are just now beginning to learn, Joseph Smith left multiple and varied First Vision accounts that changed dramatically over time. Joseph Smith's 1st handwritten First Vision account was produced in 1832, and was intentionally hidden from LDS Church members for over a century and a half - primarily because of the many problems it presented to orthodox belief. The "official" First Vision account that the LDS Church ended up adopting is the 1838 version, which varies in several significant ways from the previous versions - primarily reflecting Joseph Smith's evolving theological beliefs. Join us today as John Larsen analyzes Joseph Smith's FIRST (1832) handwritten First Vision account, and explores the many difficulties this version presents to modern Mormon faith. Show notes: Joseph Smith Papers MormonThink IRR.org Mormon Infographics Letter for my Wife Mormon Stories Really good comparison chart Wilford Wood museum ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 —————

Wrapping up our epic three part interview with the Laing family, Heather and Kelly detail the path of love and acceptance they took while deconstructing their faith in the Mormon god’s plan for families. We hope you’ll resonate with their description of uncovering troubling Mormon history, growing closer as a family, and realizing none of them are broken, least of which their two gay sons. Show notes: Kelly’s TikTok channel Mark E Petersen Chastity pamphlet Church News Article on Laing family ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

What happens when two sons in a Mormon military family come out as gay? In part two of our interview with the Laing family, we talk with Britton and Mason Laing about the unique struggles they faced, what it was like coming out, and their advice for other gay teens. Show notes: Kelly’s TikTok channel Mark E Petersen Chastity pamphlet Church News Article on Laing family ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Batten down the hatches and prepare for an epic Mormon Stories interview like you’ve never heard before! Part of what is often called “the Silent Service”, former nuclear submarine commander, Kelly Laing and his family, finally speak out. We dive deep in this three part interview and hear from Heather and Kelly Laing, followed by two of their four children, Britton and Mason, in part 2. In this episode, we discuss Heather and Kelly’s courtship as teens, the road Kelly took into the military, and the ways they kept their family and love life afloat.  Show notes: Kelly’s TikTok channel Mark E Petersen Chastity pamphlet Church News Article on Laing family ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117