Blonde Apologist

What does it look like to stay in the Church while carrying experiences that are often misunderstood? In this episode my guest, Trevor Schoeny, shares his story of growing up gay in the Church, navigating scrupulosity and trauma, sustaining Church leadership, and discerning how he would raise his future children in the faith. My hope is that conversations like this help us build more understanding, more compassion, and stronger unity as we strive to follow Christ together.

What does it actually mean for women to have priesthood power?

Today I’m joined by Dr. Barbara Morgan Gardner to dig into priesthood power, women’s roles, and how the Church talks about both. Together, we address common misconceptions, challenge oversimplified narratives, and share personal experiences of how women access, exercise, and recognize priesthood power in their everyday lives.

If you’ve ever felt confused, curious, or even quietly frustrated by conversations around women and the priesthood….this episode is for you!

More Latter-day Saints struggle with religious OCD, or scrupulosity, than we often realize. For those who face it, obsessive anxiety can twist gospel living into a cycle of fear and toxic guilt, and many even mistake that guilt for promptings from the Spirit.

In this episode, therapist Annabella Hagen helps us understand what scrupulosity is, how it shows up in our culture, and how we can stay connected to God without letting fear take over. We also talk about how families and leaders can offer better support, when it may be time to seek professional help, and how to discern between the Spirit and anxiety.

For anyone interested in joining Annabella’s FREE Online OCD Support Group for Members of the Church or the one for All Faiths, they can request to be added to the email list by contacting [email protected]

The Faith Leaders’ Guide to Scrupulosity OCD pamphlet (PDF): https://mindsetfamilytherapy.com/books/downloads

Today we’re going through all the claims made about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the newest season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Season 3 gives us plenty to unpack! We’re going to discuss m the Book of Mormon’s racial history, how Latter-day Saints view the LGBTQ community, if we can “earn” God’s love, and what “fighting the patriarchy” doesn’t look like as a Mormon woman in 2025. Let’s talk about what they got right, what they missed, and everything in between.

Mary Alice from the What Now podcast is basically the OG “blonde apologist,” and I adore her. She’s been tackling hard gospel topics from a place of deep faith for years, and this conversation left me thinking long after we stopped recording. We talked about how she felt called to start her podcast, the shifts she hopes to see in our Church culture, and how we can build better bridges with those who have stepped away from the Church.

Checkout her podcasts (Apple podcast) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-now/id1474476293

Checkout her podcast (Spotify) https://open.spotify.com/show/2zY4GanR2iYfVgRyabNvbI?si=U6Fcg600RKm9E85A15F9qw

After losing her baby boy just one day after birth, my guest shares how she found strength, faith, and healing through unimaginable heartbreak. Together we talk about the tender mercies that carried her, how she’s learned to reconcile loss through the gospel, and the quiet ways she still feels connected to her son in heaven.

You guys sent in some deep questions, and we’re diving into all of it: navigating confusing parts of Church history, how to handle doubts when faith feels shaky, frustrations with garments, and finding your spark again in marriage. We also talk about judgmental family dynamics, forgiveness, and staying connected when a spouse leaves the Church. Thanks for being here, now let’s dive in!

Today I’m joined by Matt Whitaker, director of the new film Truth and Treason, which tells the remarkable true story of Helmuth Hübener, a teenage Latter-day Saint who stood up to Hitler’s regime and paid the ultimate price for speaking truth. We talk about what drew Matt to Helmuth’s story, how faith shaped this young man’s courage, and what his example can teach us about standing for truth in our own day.

Get your tickets here: https://www.angel.com/tickets/truth-and-treason

This conversation with Shima Baughman hits so many of the things I feel like women of our faith wrestle with: career, motherhood, timing, guilt, and how to actually let God lead without losing yourself in the process. We talk about what it looks like to make big life decisions without the social or church pressure, how to stop comparing your timeline to everyone else’s, and how confidence shows up when you let Christ author your story.

Inspired by this message by President Camille Johnson: https://www.youtube.com/live/pulAR6uRP6Y?si=ZlPib1IwpRGOysiH

Dating can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. In this fun, big-sis-style episode, I sit down with Sarah Sweeten to talk all things dating—navigating today’s culture, waiting for missionaries, boosting confidence in your single season, and spotting the red and green flags that matter most.