A Thoughtful Faith - Mormon / LDS

Brenda Nicholson joins me to discuss the social life of women in the FLDS church where she grew up under Rulon and Warren Jeffs.   She’s since left the sect and fiercely argues that there is no way, that polygamy benefits anyone. 

Women, she argues are dehumanized in a system that was designed, as Section 132 intends, for the glory of men. More recently Brenda has made some interesting connections between Hulu’s Gilead in the Handmaids Tale and the social hierarchy in the FLDS community.

David Ostler is a former LDS Bishop, a Stake President and a Mission President.  David has been kept awake at night by questions of what good pastoral care or ministry to those who question and doubt might look like.

But, rather than guess (as is often the case), he went to both those in faith crisis and to those in leadership and he collected data.  From that data his book ‘Bridges; Ministering to those who Question’ emerged, and the results are fascinating.


This episode is co-hosted with Nathan McCluskey.

Gina Colvin, host of A Thoughtful Faith Podcast offers a reflection on her personal spiritual and religious journey and how a vibrant spiritual life is invariably filled with interesting twists and turns; some quite surprising! 

In this Reconstructing Death series, I talk with a range of LDS spiritual, palliative and health care professionals whose work is with those at the threshold of death.  Each of them explores their evolving understandings of dying and death as a result of both their professional work and their personal faith development.

Dr Kathleen Moncrieff:  Family and community physician:  Calgary

Dr Kathleen Moncrieff completed medical school, her family medicine residency, and her master’s degree in medical education at the University of Calgary and she currently works in community-based family medicine.  Kathleen talks about assisted dying in light of Canada’s new laws.  She discusses how religious and cultural pluralism has shaped her approach to the dying and their families.

In this Reconstructing Death series, I talk with a range of LDS spiritual, palliative and health care professionals whose work is with those at the threshold of death.  Each of them explores their evolving understandings of dying and death as a result of both their professional work and their personal faith development.

Dr Julia Durrant:  Neurocritical care attending physician:  Oregon

Dr Julia Durrant is an attending physician in neurocritical care at a university hospital in Oregon.  Julia has attended hundreds of deaths and she talks wisely about the point at which religion, faith and science intersect which has caused her to strongly believe that God is not orchestrating anyone’s death. 

In this Reconstructing Death series, I talk with a range of LDS spiritual, palliative and health care professionals whose work is with those at the threshold of death.  Each of them explores their evolving understandings of dying and death as a result of both their professional work and their personal faith development.

Anni Lehti-Nieminen:  Oncology Nurse:  Finland

Anni Lehti-Nieminen is a registered nurse who works in outpatient palliative care at a university hospital in Tampere in Finland.   Anni talks about dying, death and grief in Finland including how LDS funerals can sometimes be in competition with Finnish customs and needs.

In this Reconstructing Death series, I talk with a range of LDS spiritual, palliative and health care professionals whose work is with those at the threshold of death.  Each of them explores their evolving understandings of dying and death as a result of both their professional work and their personal faith development.

Dr Ryan Williams:  Internal Medicine Physician: Idaho

Dr Ryan Williams is a  Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician.  He served for 4 years in the US Air Force and he went on to specialize in Hospital, Skilled Nursing and Hospice Care. He has been practicing in the Boise Idaho area for 10 years.  Ryan discusses how his maturing faith has gifted him with more uncertain views of death and dying but have improved his capacity to respond to his patients with more openness.

In this Reconstructing Death series, I talk with a range of LDS spiritual, palliative and health care professionals whose work is with those at the threshold of death.  Each of them explores their evolving understandings of dying and death as a result of both their professional work and their personal faith development.

Ana Nelson Shaw: Spiritual Care Co-ordinator

Ana Nelson Shaw lives in Butte Montana where she works coordinating spiritual care and volunteer services for hospice patients including making spiritual care visits.  Ana talks about creating environments of kindness and compassion for those at nearing death.

Dr Taylor Petrey and I talk about the Bible, its wonders, its frustrations and its possibilities.  And we discuss openly and honestly the widely felt frustration that Sunday School classes are not always welcoming of the skills of Biblical interpretation. While the curriculum is not always sound as it could be.

Lesley Butterfield is a registered nurse and survivor advocate who works with victims of abuse. 

She’s passionate about increasing literacy about abuse and trauma in particular for women survivors of spiritual and ecclesiastical abuse in the Church. 

Lesley has certifications and training in Trauma-Informed Care, Community Advocacy, Faith and Spiritual Development, Familial Mental Health, Domestic Abuse, and Resiliency.

We discuss the role that women play in the revictimization of female trauma victims in the Church and the lack of protection and safety for women who find themselves in abusive situations.