Girlscamp

Today I’m diving into the Mormon POV on Mother Mary. And beyond some very ahem interesting doctrinal points (see the title), Mary opens up a much bigger conversation about virginity and virtue, the physical nature of the Mormon God, and the absence of any real female divinity in LDS theology.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus (according to TCOJCOLDS)

FAIR Latter Day Saints on Mary

The Guardian Article

Mormon Research Ministry Article on Mary

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Benny grew up feeling like something about him was “wrong.” After pushing through the Mormon path—full-time mission, BYU education—he eventually came out and began learning how to love himself for who he is. With his expertise in gender and sexuality, we talk about Mormon manhood, coming out at BYU, his continued fascination with deep-cut LDS doctrine, and how he’s embracing new forms of spirituality today.

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I consumed a lot of Mormon and Mormon-adjacent media this week: Heather Gay’s Surviving Mormonism, Elizabeth Smart’s new documentary Kidnapped and Jennette McCurdy’s latest novel Half His Age. As you can imagine, I’ve got thoughts!

We get into purity culture and sex, what it means to face the very worst of Mormonism, and where the bounds of “religious freedom” really are. And I also end up sharing a heavy family conversation I had this week about immigration enforcement and just how intense everything feels right now.

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Three years later, I’m revisiting the question that kicked off the whole Girlscamp podcast. I talk about how my answer to why I left the Mormon church has evolved, and reflect on how this podcast has helped shape me. Here’s to three more years! 

The first Girlscamp episode

The Trevor Project Utah LGBTQ+ mental health statistics

Sober Mormon TikTok post

Tishmal “Leaving for Love” episode YouTube

Tishmal “Leaving for Love” episode

Join the Girlscamp: After Dark Patreon account ⁠⁠here⁠ for two bonus episodes per month and more.

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I’m resurrecting the campfire chat ✝️ and diving into your thoughts and questions. We end up covering a lot of ground: Mormon adult infantilization, mixed-faith extended family dynamics, learning to trust yourself after high-demand religion, threesome thoughts, and more.

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THRIVE Conference- St. George 2026

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“The most tragic episode in the history of the Church,” according to the Mormon Church’s own website, is the Mountain Meadows Massacre. In this episode, we talk about the violence carried out by early Mormons at Mountain Meadows, what was deliberately covered up, and how to reckon with that history now—especially after leaving the church. We dig into the social and political tensions between Mormons in the Utah Territory and the federal government, the complex relationships with the Paiute people, and the fact that Mormon headquarters still isn’t fully addressing the elephant in the room.

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Though we both left Mormonism, Ash and I ended up in very different spiritual places. We talk about the tension between my skepticism and her mysticism, what New Age spirituality looks like in her everyday life, and the meaning it brings her. We also talk about her family’s move to Missouri to prepare for the Mormon Second Coming, and how that has shaped her worldview. Tune in for a dose of Ash magic ✨

Ash's Instagram

Ash's Patreon account

Ash's first Girlscamp episode

Head to MarleySpoon.com/offer/GIRLSCAMP for up to 25 free meals

Join the Girlscamp: After Dark Patreon account ⁠⁠here⁠ for two bonus episodes per month and more.

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This year was a big one for internal change. I’m sharing what I’ve changed my mind about in 2025 — my relationship with Mormonism, how I feel about Jesus, and what I now think counts as grounds for divorce. Then I’m reading your mind-changes, from something as small as eating kiwi skin to something as big as a 180 on political beliefs.

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In light of senior Mormon apostle Jeffrey R. Holland’s passing, we’re sitting down to take a real look at his life and legacy. He shaped so many of us in our Mormonism (and influenced many of our exits, too). He was my former favorite apostle, and I still have lines he said memorized. Those lines ring very differently now. Let’s get into it.

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Today I get to be the Catholic priest. I’m reading your end-of-year confessions: marriage woes, smut enjoyment, religious indoctrination worries, and getting freaky at BYU. I also unpack my thoughts on the uproar over John Dehlin’s comments about his Mormonism, and whether I think I’m more ethical than practicing Mormons.

Tommy Johnson’s reel about John Dehlin

Terry real Instagram

Zoomie (the girl with the list) TikTok account

Join the Girlscamp: After Dark Patreon account ⁠⁠here⁠ for two bonus episodes per month and more.

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