In this episode Kristy and John talk together about how through future episodes of this podcast they plan to help Mormons who are transitioning out of orthodoxy*.
Faith crises can be difficult and Kristy and John discuss how the podcast will be a pratical tool to help people heal who are hoping to move on. They reminisce about their years of experience counseling Mormons through faith crises from all walks of life, including college students at BYU and USU where they earned their Ph.D.s, and share their theories of human and spiritual development.
Going forward, the podcast will be spearheaded by Kristy (a Mormon psychologist), with participation from John, other experts/clinicians, and interviews with everyday transitioning Mormons. This podcast will be a collaborative effort and we talk about what that could look like for you, our valued listeners. In NPR-like fashion, we want your ideas, your voices, your stories, your sorrows and dreams–we want to hear from you! In this episode we share some preliminary teasers of already-scheduled future episodes coming up (spoilers: parenting post-orthodoxy, managing anger and letting go, how to talk to orthodox family/friends, Mormon women’s mental health, and much, much more).
* = Where your individual, unique journey takes you post-orthodoxy is up to you because you’re the expert of your own life–only you will know what’s best for it. We are simply here to help you reach your goals with minimal anxiety and to promote understanding and growth along your path to authenticity.
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Embrace the goo-goo! I love it (and I love those sweet infant noises.) 🙂
Thank you both!
John and Kristi,
Thank you for this new focus in Mormon Transitions.org. First, I want to say thank you for so many helpful and good messages that you’ve tried to offer to so many of us in transition. I can’t imagine the pressure to keep good programming going from week to week on this website and on Mormon Stories.org. So many of us look to both of these sites as a place of sanity and a source for hope and help in our faith journeys. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to guide his/her own destiny. It is not the responsibility of anyone else.
May I offer a comment and a critique? This is intended with the utmost respect and love.
Recently, these two websites have offered many insights, informed opinions, and poetic messages of hope. For these I am grateful. I respect that there will always be diverging opinions on things. Lately however, I’ve begun to question the validity of coming onto these sites, as I’ve felt that some topics have simply seemed too negative, or incessantly snarking at the LDS church. I feel that to continue to mention them only gives nod to the power that the organization seems to continue to have over people.
It’s time for a new chapter in moving ahead as post-Mormons. Therefore, your new approach as outlined, seems to be something that I feel will be more helpful to many who are essentially trying to get healthy and de-programmed from our former cultural and religious nuttiness.
This website has bounced back and forth from very reflective pieces that have urged us all to a higher path. It has urged us to understand that we each own our own path and understanding, aside from any institution.
I find that some of the pieces that have been posted here are from people have obviously been wounded by religion, and have completely retreated from all things religious; including a belief in a God or a Savior. These have been a bit extreme. Some are way too over-intellectual. This is why recently I’ve been questioning the relevance of this website for me personally. I am still a person of faith. I still try to do good works with community and family. I’ve never felt more spiritual in my life than now — completely devoid of religion. I continue to earn this each day, by trying to be reflective, studious and involved with humanity. It feels great! I do not need an organized faith practice to own these things.
Thanks for what you are continuing to try to do here for so many of us. Know that it is appreciated.
since I stopped believing I don’t have a greater fear of death. A heaven sharing my husband with who knows how many other women never seemed like happiness to me! Anyway I’m sorry if people seem offended by others being negative toward religion but honestly considering how it’s hurt so many people it’s perfectly understandable.
Thanks again, I just listened to Kristy’s interview on Mormon stories. Sorry about your family not being kind; I have not talked to my parents about how I believe for several years for fear of very negative outcomes in our relationships; yet this will be requiring a rebirth soon, this needs to change. I have talked to my wife about my beliefs, especially over the past few months and things continue to go well. But I would really like some insights into raising how we can raise our kids, and sharing my beliefs in a constructive way (i.e. not in a “what I do not believe in Mormonism” way; it is so double negative, pun intended!). I value any insights that I can find.
I will add that I really like idea of “rebirth” touched upon. I will quote: “Where the finite player aims for eternal life; the infinite player aims for eternal rebirth.”
(this is the last sentence in this article, ‘the infinite game’: http://fractalenlightenment.com/32173/life/6-signs-you-may-be-an-infinite-player | FractalEnlightenment.com ; I highly recommend reading it; all of it really speaks to me)
From this article, the idea of eternal rebirth has been very empowering. This article has been the catalyst for destroying many destructive thoughts out of my mind. We flow, we are ever-changing. My child self had to died for my adolescent self to live. Mentally, I have had to metaphorically die and be reborn several times, it all part of the game of life. I now strive for both death and rebirth, in my option this is the very nature of life on earth, spiritually, mentally, physically. The infinite life is about horizons, not boundaries.
I will somewhat second Doug’s message, I prefer positive stuff. I want both to find a way of healing and respect between believers and post-believers. I have seen heaps of bad blood between Mormon and post-Mormon belief systems; much I have experienced first hand. I have had to deal with anger and hurt, and I would guess if you are reading this you have had to deal with negative emotions and consequences as well; some of you have very severe issues. At the same time I am OK with the non-thesis articles. I am personally drawn to pantheism type ideas and I quite like Andrew Ainsworth’s posts. I am guessing Doug wants more thesis based articles that he can relate to a little better. I want everyone to have the balm needed for healing, so I hope he is able to find what he needs. Thanks for posting Doug!
Thank you
Nancy,
I appreciate your honesty and thoughts. No one has been more hurt by religion than me. I have no use for it, especially in light of some of the confounding policies and practices that average, hard working parishoners are now being tasked to abide by. I am not at all offended by someone snarking at religion. I find it confounding however, that because someone was hurt by religion, that they find a need to throw all things religious and spiritual away —- especially a belief in a loving Higher Being and a Savior. Our God has not given up on us, we should not give up on the power of His love, in spite of some around us who profess to act in the name of God or claim to have all truth. They do not speak for God and certainly do not exemplify His love and acceptance of all of His children. But we can choose to go forward daily, trying to do our best each day to lift and help and exemplify that love.