As a man, I love the female perspective of your episodes. The experiences are so different for men and women in the church (from my perspective of listening to my wife, your episodes, and Mormon Stories.) On my mission, there was an incident of teaching investigators outside the area (misunderstanding of where the line was). The family was ready to be baptized but then the fight had them questioning. Finally the area authority got involved and gave permission with a plan to get the family eventually integrated into the correct ward. (Angry at the Bishop pushing the girl out in your story). In the mid-90s, the Church gave direction to organ players to not do prelude music (e.g. Bach, Beethoven, Handle, Mozart, etc). The music should only be the hymns. Other performances distract from the spirit of the meeting. I played for a bit on my mission, only good enough to play right-handed without spending time to practice. My mission companion told me I should be next to him focusing on our investigators. "Unpaid clergy" to "we need your money to fund the basement studio" :) Love the transition.

This is such a sweet opening to the episode.. I may comment throughout still but just wanted to say that YES! Please keep going if you feel like you want to, as it’s super helpful to people like me who is in a mixed faith marriage and surrounded but member-only friends and family. It’s super hard to deal with, and so having fun and relatable content to do with Mormonism is SO refreshing in so many ways. Thank you so much ❤❤❤

can i just say i love you two together on here! it’s fun to hear both your opinions on things!

on doing well outside of a calling or church; I had hoped my family would see how much happier i was out of the church but then I started to realize that a lot of members will come up with reasons as to why they think some people may be unhappy with their life, to make themselves feel better. then I realize, oh it might not matter how happy and full my life is, they might always see me as this fallen apostate! And it's like, what if I do experience a lot of adversity? Then they'll think it's because I don't have the spirit anymore, when in reality everyone has adversity. But if you're an active member it's part of god's divine plan and you can always spin it into a positive. Part of spiritual alchemy is facing the unknown and experiencing "the dark night of the soul" at multiple life stages. I don't think mormonism really recognizes or embraces that. They often repress and demonize depression, when depression is a teacher. Without dark there is no light. being a queer/subversive artist and activist I worry my family will always see me as "angry and disturbed" even though I don't have panic attacks anymore like i did in the church. i feel so much more peace, my heart just breaks appropriately for the oppressed. even though i know they've noticed the development in my spiritual maturity and compassion. I just think as ex-mormons we can't help but put a lot of pressure on ourselves to look happy/successful, even when we don't believe that's inherently good or worth doing otherwise. I have to somehow let go of my intense desire for some amount of approval from them, easier said than done.

Love your podcast! I appreciate the stories even though some make my blood boil.

green smoothies... no greater gift