Scott Braithwaite has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and specializes in marriage counseling. He is an associate professor at Brigham Young University and a popular presenter at BYU Education Week, where he most recently taught about supporting loved ones through a faith crisis. He is currently serving as bishop of his ward.

Highlights

10:10 The difference between sadness and depression

13:40 Leaders should ask for recommendations for good qualified counselors

14:15 You choose who to marry. God gives you agency.

17:40 Scott shares his experience going through a faith crisis

22:40 James Fowler’s Stages of Faith can be helpful in understanding what someone may be going through. Stage three faith identifies as a group, has rules, and is concrete. Most fall under this level of faith. Things also appear black and white.

29:00 During a faith crisis the bottom falls out, they can leave the faith and find community elsewhere.

30:35 Going through the stages of faith are not linear

33:00 Perfectionism shows up in our minds as rules, as all or nothing.

33:40 Doctrinal Latter-day Saints vs. Cultural Latter-day Saints

34:50 Sometimes struggling with faith comes from cultural issues

36:50 The idea of organic evolution showcases the different thought processes of doctrinal vs. cultural Latter-day Saints

38:10 You can’t go back to stage 3

40:30 Stage 5 is accepting the complexity of faith

40:50 Faith allows room for doubt

42:00 All faith allows room for wrestling

43:00 Stage 6 examples, such as Mother Teresa. Most people fall between stages 3, 4, and 5.

46:40 We can act as a midwife and help while people are in a faith crisis

48:30 Help others going through a faith crisis by listening to them. Listen more than talk.

50:50 Elder Ballard: Leaders ought to know and be able to address the difficult questions

56:00 There is a progression from stage 3 to stage 4

57:00 We should be able to talk about doubt at church

59:45 Help create a culture of faith

1:02:00 Elder Hafen's stages of faith

Links

* "Like a Broken Vessel", by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

* Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, by Linda King Newell

* Stages of Faith, by James Fowler

* Planted, by Patrick Mason

* On Dealing with Uncertainty, by Bruce C. Hafen

Scott Braithwaite BYU Bio