My friend Guillermo Lemus (age 30, BYU grad student, BYU-Idaho grad, married, RM) joins us to share his multi-year journey to process the complicated aspects of our Church and find a way to remain a member of the Church. In sharing his story, Guillermo normalizes a faith crisis/expansion (including all the pain one feels on this road) and what he (and other did) to help/support him.

Guillermo uses the model of the “Garden/Fall/Redemption” to frame up a faith expansion in a positive and on-shaming way. Guillermo shares a beautiful poem (“Lord of the 4th Watch—see show notes) and also talks about self-love.

If you are in faith expansion and want to find a way to authentically stay in the Church, Guillermo story will help you (it helps me!). And if you are looking to better support our good members walking this road, Guillermo story/insights will help you better support others.

Thank you, Guillermo, for being on the podcast. You represent everything good about our Church and world. You are a good man and friend. Your story will help so many.

Links:

Guillermo’s IG: @glemoose and @edens_exodus

Twitter: @GELemus13

Richard Ostler’s chapter 10 (from his book Listen, Learn and Love: Improving Latter-day Saint Culture) on Ministering to Those With Questions: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tvlalac35zozq8625hc4r/Chapter-10-Ministering-To-Those-With-Questions.-Listen-Learn-and-Love-Improving-Latter-day-Saint-Culture.pdf?rlkey=e2fdmkkwwa3pu80n33ighncix&dl=0