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Series Title: Straight Talk on Patriarchy and Harm [Part I of II] 

In this episode I read to you a shocking and brilliant article that I wish every Latter-day Saint can hear. This is a tough topic but one where reform will not touch until we start looking it in the eye. Please listen and share this article. Thank you to the Dialogue Foundation and to the author Suzanne E. Greco, whose trailblazing work may eventually be instrumental in preventing countless LDS women and girls from future harm. 

She wrote the article. I read the article. Please do your part and share the article (via the podcast or linked HERE!)

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Context

00:26 Upcoming Episode Preview 

03:31 Reading the Article: Confronting Men's Violence 

05:26 Author's Background and Article Introduction 

06:26 Article Reading: Violence Against Women in LDS Church 

11:11 Personal Story of Abuse 

14:56 Credibility Issues and External Validation 

19:59 Global Perspective on Violence Against Women 

25:38 Utah Statistics and Under-Reporting 

28:38 Male Ecclesiastical Leaders as First Responders 

32:38 Challenges and Solutions 

33:18 Solution One: Legal Changes and Clergy-Penitent Laws 

38:31 High-Profile Cases and Institutional Betrayal 

42:58 Solution Two: Women's Ministry and Male Protection Racket 

46:23 Solution Three: Training and Education 

48:23 DARVO Tactics and Victim-Perpetrator Dynamics 

52:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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One thing that Val is always juggling is how to do it all and maintain her sense of humor, high commitment to play, and overall sanity.  She loves running the podcast, the groups, and squeezes work with amazing LDS faith-journeying individuals and couples between the cracks (which is a highlight of her week!) 

Fitting it all in can become tricky, which is why she has been looking for the 'just right' person to help with individuals & couples in Utah looking for a mental health worker with the stamp of approval from Val at Latter Day Struggles. 

In today's episode you will meet Heather Sundahl, the newest member of Valerie's Latter Day Struggles team.  Heather is a licensed mental health worker, a resident of Utah and strongly endorsed by Valerie as someone you can trust on your faith expansion journey.   If you loved their laughter, tears (mostly Val!) and banter, you'll love knowing that Heather plans to come on a few times a year to tackle tough topics with Val relevant to your healing and growth.  Jump over to latterdaystruggles.com if you're from Utah and want to work with Heather.  

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome And Guest Intro

01:01 Heather Background And Mentors

04:07 Early LDS Gender Messages

07:03 BYU Awakening Moment

09:58 Storytelling And Exponent Two

12:27 Becoming A Therapist

14:23 Healing Through Narrative

17:42 Owning Faith Narratives

19:18 Eve And Going Off Script

21:35 Life Beyond The Script

25:47 Navigating Church Tensions

26:57 Community Over Purity

28:05 Permission to Be Honest

29:05 Jesus as the Anchor

29:23 Self Care for LDS Women

31:24 Beyond Constant Sacrifice

33:51 Therapy Approach and Boundaries

35:33 Staying or Leaving the Church

39:02 Trusting Your Inner Compass

43:43 Faith Journeys and Belonging

49:08 Honoring Mormon Identity

51:14 Closing Vision and Next Steps

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We've heard it a thousand times...and probably have said it a few times ourselves.  "The ________will never change."  You fill in the blank..."The world will never change" or "the church will never change"...and yet they do.  

How does evolution actually happen?  This "bonus episode" is a download that Val had over the weekend after asking herself why she was doing this platform.  The answer to her question is what you will hear in this episode.  In short, the only way anything ever changes is when a small group of people gather and use their synergy to productively heal themselves and thoughtfully agitate for change in their worlds.  Its how it has always been and always will be.  

Listen in and decide if you are someone who wants to be a part of the change that is already underway in our world right now.  

"We Shall Be Known" by MaMuse

Timestamps:

00:00 Bonus Episode Check In

00:32 Existential Questions

02:01 Live Fellowship Vision

03:56 Awakening Or Breakdown

05:54 Labor Pains of New Consciousness

07:05 Thesis Antithesis Synthesis

09:51 Seekers As Change Agents

11:19 Why Side Communities Matter

12:48 Community for Healing and Growth

14:53 Early Church Example

20:02 Feminine Divine and Equality

21:35 Institutions Retrench

26:08 Laboratories of Expanding Consciousness

30:07 Transformation In Groups

34:51 Who This Is For

36:16 Needs The Fellowship Meets

42:45 How Live Fellowship Works

48:40 Founding Group Details

53:36 Song And Great Turning

58:07 Enrollment And Scholarships

01:00:14 Closing Thanks

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In this episode Val is joined by Jana Riess, author and researcher of the LDS spectrum of experience and Jason Bergman, former BYU professor & faculty member.  Together they discuss the many facets of the Clark Gilbert call to the Q12 of the LDS church.   

In this conversation Jason contrasts his experience on the BYU faculty both before and during Gilbert's leadership and candidly shares the painful and life altering impact Gilbert's fervor for loyalty and conformity of LDS orthodoxy had on him and his career.  

They also explore the possibility that well-intended loyalty to tradition can actually fracture lives, families, and even the potential good that churches can do in the long run--especially when loyalty to old ways end up getting in the way of further light and truth hiding in plain sight.  

Join them for another bold, courageous, and candid conversation inviting spiritual growth in and around the LDS church.  

Jana's Salt Lake Tribune Article

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome and Guests

00:36 Why This Topic Matters

01:55 Jana Riess Research

03:42 Jason BYU Background

07:20 Mixed Reactions Online

12:11 Why Gilbert Stands Out

17:27 Culture Warrior Defined

27:12 Polarization and Autonomy

35:53 BYU Orthodoxy Crackdown

40:43 Honor Code Turmoil Timeline

43:58 Choosing to Leave BYU

44:56 Faculty Fear and Silence

47:15 Big Tent Tensions

49:14 Incognito Faculty Support

52:41 Loyalty Oath Explained

58:33 Surveillance and Dismissals

01:00:35 Hiring and Worthiness Filters

01:02:52 Growth Versus Orthodoxy

01:07:31 Data on Same Sex Marriage

01:10:02 What BYU Lost

01:17:44 Evolution One Funeral

01:20:46 Gerontocracy and Mini Me

01:22:07 Final Thanks and Farewell

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Join us for this one-time-only recording of our FIRST Latter Day Struggles "Live Fellowship"!  

What is this, you ask?  Valerie has decided to offer a gathering place for those on the LDS and surrounding faith expansion journey wanting consistent (2x/month!) connection with her to go deeper into the mind & heart expanding content on both the Monday and Friday tracks of the Latter Day Struggles podcast.  

In this opening gathering, Valerie explored with those in attendance how both The Family Proclamation to the World and the call of Clark Gilbert to the Q12 are reflections of a historical moment and a choice point that all organizations confront as they grow.  The question? 

  Do we adapt to a more connected and pluralistic world that is experiencing an awakening of light and truth? Or do we double down in fear-based conformity? 

This amazing interactive Fellowship Live episode gives you a taste of how your faith journey can move beyond a passive listening experience and towards active healing and connection with other seekers like yourself.   

Jump in now and you can become a founding shaper of the first cohesive and intentional community of individuals whose LDS faith journey was an entry point into their greatest spiritual growth and evolution.  

If you listened and this is for you, jump into the Latter Day Struggles LIVE FELLOWSHIP by clicking on the link below and enroll.  

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome: Why Seeing Faces Matters 

00:51 Building a Faith-Expansion Community 

02:33 What a "Sangha" Is 

04:14 How the Fellowship Works 

05:23 What This Space Is (and Isn't) 

07:43 Ground Rules: Staying with Growth 

09:28 Why Context Heals 

10:48 The Family Proclamation & Clark Gilbert 

13:57 America and the LDS Church as Parallel Institutions 

15:52 Master Narratives & Threatened Identity 

19:38 Retrench or Adapt: The Choice Point 

27:00 Discussion: Authoritarian Systems vs. Healthy Communities 

32:54 Pocket Communities Over Polarization 

34:08 Seeing the System with Compassion 

37:50 Why Narrative Change Feels Threatening 

40:00 High-Level Language vs. Real-Life Details 

42:42 Moving Beyond Fixed Rules 

46:45 Transcend & Include 

51:37 Rethinking Prophecy 

56:13 Our Role in the Larger Awakening 

01:00:16 Closing: Breakout Groups & What's Next

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Series Title: What does the Family Proclamation Mean to You? [Episode II of II]

This episode of Latter Day Struggles continues a two-part conversation about the LDS Church's Proclamation on the Family, examining the tension between claims of unchanging doctrine and the historical reality of doctrinal evolution.

Petrey demonstrates through historical analysis that LDS teachings on gender, sexuality, marriage, and family have repeatedly changed over time—from positions on interracial marriage and the priesthood ban, to birth control prohibitions, plural marriage, conversion therapy for LGBTQ individuals, and women wearing pants. 

The conversation highlights how church leaders have consistently taught that their current positions were "unchanging doctrine" until those positions eventually changed, creating a pattern that contradicts claims of doctrinal fixity. Petrey offers a constructive framework for understanding doctrine as historically contingent and evolving—consistent with the LDS concept of continuing revelation—rather than eternally fixed. 

The Family Proclamation

Op Ed by Taylor Petrey

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome 

00:19 - Overview of the Proclamation to the Family 

01:19 - Recap: Last Week's Discussion 

01:31 - Defining Doctrine and Authority 

02:08 - What Does 'Doctrine' Mean to Members? 

03:48 - The Salvational Weight of Doctrine 

05:31 - Elder Rasband's Talk and Proclamation Analysis 

09:40 - Historical Changes in LDS Doctrine 

11:41 - Race, Interracial Marriage, and Doctrinal Change 

13:14 - Birth Control and Plural Marriage 

15:11 - History vs. Faith-Promoting Narratives 

17:34 - Redefining Doctrine: Making Space for Change 

20:06 - Conversion Therapy and Evolving LGBTQ Positions 

22:31 - Holding Contradictory Positions Simultaneously 

25:31 - Challenges of Authoritarianism in the Church 

28:09 - Religious Authority Across Denominations 

32:33 - Who Defines History vs. Who Defines Doctrine? 

34:22 - Doctrine as Continuing Revelation 

35:15 - Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions

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Series Title:  What does the Family Proclamation Mean to You? [Episode I of II]

Welcome to this two-part series where Valerie welcomes returned guest scholar Taylor Petrey to discuss the LDS Church's Family Proclamation to the World as it reaches its 30th anniversary.

The heart of the episode centers on Taylor's controversial Salt Lake Tribune opinion piece in September 2025 (linked below) arguing that The Family Proclamation should be understood as commentary rather than revelation or unchanging doctrine. This characterization sparked significant pushback from conservative church members who insisted the document represents eternal, unchanging truth. 

Taylor and Valerie explore the complex and often inconsistent ways that the LDS Church uses terms like doctrine, revelation, policy, and commentary, noting how these categories shift depending on context and speaker. They discuss how the proclamation itself has been reinterpreted over time and set you up for the second part of their conversation where they dive deeply into the changing interpretations themselves. 

The Family Proclamation

Op Ed by Taylor Petrey

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:11 Discussing the Family Proclamation

01:48 Cultural and Political Context

04:20 Historical Background of Family Proclamations

07:04 The 1995 Proclamation and Its Impact

13:21 Opinion Piece and Public Reaction

24:43 Controversy and Clarifications

27:57 Historical Changes in Church Teachings

28:33 Modern Reinterpretations of Doctrine

30:42 Balancing Eternal Truths and Continuing Revelation

32:58 The Controversy of Words and Authority

36:15 Revelation vs. Policy: A Case Study

38:10 The Fluidity of Revelation

43:45 The Role of Commentary in Church Doctrine

48:20 Setting Up for the Next Episode

51:36 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

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Have you ever listened to a Latter Day Struggles episode and wanted nothing more than to talk about it but no one is around or would understand?  Have you noticed that while your heart is growing faster than ever, your relationships are changing just as fast?  

Val has noticed that this podcast community has served not only to help you make sense of your LDS faith journey but also has created friendship networks that are life enriching in ways no one could have imagined.   

So why not expand our reach and create more places to connect and find healing + community?  

Listen in today for all of the details on the new biweekly LIVE FELLOWSHIP: a place where you go to join live discussions on current podcast topics with Valerie & then make new friends on a healthy LDS faith journey in your own region.  

What could be better?  A few details:  

• Join Val for 24 Live Fellowship gatherings a year + recordings if you miss out!
• Jump into the FREE Inaugural LIVE Fellowship on 2/18 at 9:30a PST!
• All who enroll by 2/28/26 get an extra month tacked onto their annual enrollment, compliments of Val :).  
• Already in the Friday Fellowship as an annual member?  Your tuition will be applied towards the upgrade (plus an extra discount!) 
• New to all Fellowship Opportunities? Friday Fellowship content is INCLUDED with your annual tuition! 

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:12 Announcement of Live Fellowship

01:36 Understanding the Faith Crisis

04:12 Overview of Learning Tiers

04:42 Monday Episodes Explained

06:20 Reframing LDS Doctrine & Theology

08:34 Friday Fellowship Deep Dive

12:30 Transcending & Including Mormonism

14:01 Introduction to Live Fellowship

17:12 Growth and Processing Groups

19:27 Individual Consulting Services

20:30 Why Create the Live Fellowship?

23:50 The Importance of Community

26:10 Forming Side Communities

28:30 Regional Breakout Groups

32:10 Differences: Live Fellowship vs. Depth Groups

34:00 Patriarchy Healing Curriculum

36:08 Logistics and Launch Details

37:00 First Session: Proclamation to the Family

38:30 Second Session: Transcendence & Inclusion

40:00 Recordings & Accessibility

41:00 Scholarships & Faith Journey Foundation

41:37 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

45:10 Ken Wilber Quote on Consciousness

47:30 Individual Transformation & Cultural Change

49:00 Closing Remarks

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In this  episode Nathan & I pause to honor the impact that Ken Glenn had on us at this time of his early and tragic passing.  

In this episode we share many examples that prove that the traditionally believing [Ken] and the… shall we say...less traditionally believing…[us!] LDS can co-exist, when vulnerability, love, and curiosity are chosen over judgment.    We love you Ken.  Thank you for showing us Christ-like love even if you did not fully understand our work.  

Timestamps: 

00:00 Welcome and New Beginnings 

00:53 Transition to YouTube 

02:52 Memorializing a Mentor 

06:17 Ken Glynn's Impact 

09:54 Personal Stories of Ken 

13:16 Ken's Humility and Kindness 

14:14 Early Leadership Challenges 

19:29 Parenting and Church Dynamics 

20:10 Parental Decisions and Church Conflicts 

22:53 Podcast Beginnings and Community Reactions 

24:04 A Touching Tennis Meet Encounter 

29:32 Mission Preparation and Temple Challenges 

40:31 A Heartfelt Tribute to Bishop Ken

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In this episode I respond to your requests to explore President Dallin Oaks' desire that LDS girls get married younger.  As a bonus, I propose a counter-solution to. the current LDS mixed-faith marriage crisis that does not involve pressuring younger marriage (and its well-documented risk factors) on LDS young adults.  

Please share this episode if it resonates!  

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:18 Valerie's Analysis of Early Marriage

02:00 President Oaks' Comments and Valerie's Response

09:10 Exploring the Motivations Behind Encouraging Early Marriage

13:50 Risks and Drawbacks of Early Marriage

25:04 Correlation Between Temple Marriage and Divorce Rates

28:40 Concerns of Church Leadership

31:34 The Marriage Crisis in the Church

32:22 Challenges of Mixed Faith Marriages

33:30 Theological Strain and Parenting in Mixed Faith Marriages

34:44 Historical Context and Faith Crises

36:42 The Push for Early Marriage

39:24 Differentiation of Self and Its Importance

45:06 The Impact of Early Marriage on Development

57:43 Proposing a New Approach to Faith Journeys

01:01:15 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

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