As a Zimbabwean convert Loretta relates how two encounters have built, challenged, and sustained her faith in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. The first experience was as a waitress in a restaurant in Zimbabwe and the second was as a missionary in England when a street contact asked her how she feels about the church’s historical treatment of Africans, a history she didn’t know.

Bruce Hafen is co-author of Faith is Not Blind and is an emeritus General Authority for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this interview, Elder Hafen details the role of questioning in distinguishing between Gospel belief and knowledge in his own life.

Sarah’s questions about women’s roles that were raised in graduate school taught her how spiritually enriching and multifaceted her role as a faithful woman could be. She shares how her education enhanced her appreciation of unique Restoration doctrines about women and motherhood.

In a rare, personal interview about his childhood and teenage years, Terryl Givens recounts how his family encountered the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and what originally attracted him to the faith when he was a teenager. He also shares a personal account of how writing By the Hand of Mormon both challenged and sustained his faith.

Further reading in Faith Is Not Blind:

“There are some natural tensions between faith and reason, which offer an instructive variation on the theme of tensions between early simplicity and complexity. These experiences reinforced my inclination to seek what I would simply call a balanced approach. I didn’t need to make a permanent choice between my heart and my head.”

(Faith Is Not Blind, Chapter 6, “The Head and Heart Paradox,” p. 46)

Sister Hafen is the co-author of Faith Is Not Blind and was on the Young Women General Board. She discusses how she tried to create a nurture a “Gospel Classroom” in her home where her children could learn how to deal with complexity and feel free to have open discussions about belief and doubt.

With a Phd in American History, David’s academic perspective on using meekness to understand Church History is enhanced by his personal connection to an ancestor who played a significant role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

A survivor of sexual abuse and early exposure to pornography, Emily G found herself feeling helpless about how to overcome the effects of this trauma. As a mathematician, she discusses how her love of finding solutions to difficult problems helped her to endure and to cope with these difficult issues. Emily is refreshingly honest about her experiences and doesn’t minimize the burden, which makes her story both realistic and encouraging.

With remarkable wisdom and courage, Lauren gives us a raw and rare glimpse of what it's like for an LDS adolescent to realize that he or she is gay. It is a privilege to listen to her describe how she survived a suicide attempt and was able to rebuild not only her life, but her relationship with her parents. We encourage both parents of LGBTQ children and members of the LGBTQ community to listen to Lauren’s advice about how to maintain both faith and supportive relationships.

With admirable honesty and candor, Connie shares her experience about learning her daughter was gay and gives us the opportunity to witness how she allowed the Savior to change her heart when she stopped insisting that her daughter needed to change.

As a thoughtful mother, Jessica’s honest perspective about the difficulty of raising children teaches a unique lesson about how faith can be nurtured by situations that stretch us in unexpected ways.