wHoly Human

Since many of our followers might be engaging with the disability and social justice communities for the first time, we decided to produce an episode dedicated to defining important terms. We use these all the time in our podcast, so feel free to come back to this episode as a reference whenever you need it!

Side note: These are not all-inclusive terms for all disabilities and neurodivergencies. Instead, this episode "jet-skis" over the terms to include as many as possible within our time constraints. We leave the "deep sea diving" for our regular episodes. There are more vocab episodes to come!

Terms defined in this episode:

• Ableism
• Capitalism
• Toxic positivity
• "Nothing about us without us"
• Examples of ableist language
• "Policing" disabled expression
• Identity-first language
• Person-first language
• Medical Model of Disability
• Social Model of Disability
• Inspiration porn
• Invisible disability
• Ambulatory wheelchair users
• Spoon Theory / "spoonie"

In this episode we discuss two weeks' worth of Come Follow Me: Doctrine & Covenants 12-13, Joseph Smith History 1:66-75, and Doctrine & Covenants 14-17.

We learn that God's power and authority are not necessarily the same thing, and in fact, are often manifested separately in the scriptures and in LDS Church history.

We discuss the implications of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery receiving authority from an angel, the 3 witnesses volunteering to testify of the Golden Plates, and the interesting fact that two female witnesses were not selected to be official witnesses.

What does authority mean in the Church for marginalized people, particularly disabled and neurodivergent people? Does it help or harm? Are there ways we can innovate our church authority and decision-making structures to better accommodate and include people with disabilities? We say YES!

We have a special treat this week! Our friends over at Beyond the Block podcast, James and Derek, interviewed us for their listeners. In this episode we discuss the inspiration behind wHoly Human, the assumption of some privileged persons that they have no bias, and similarities between the LGBTQ+ and disability movements.

Check out other Beyond the Block episodes: https://beyondtheblockpodcast.com/

Support Beyond the Block: https://glow.fm/beyondtheblock/

In this episode, we wrap up our conversation with Brooke by talking about how Autistics function in a larger neurotypical society. Many Autistics experience meltdowns when they are overstimulated by their environment, which can be embarrassing and socially - and often, physically - costly.

We discuss how Autistics "mask" themselves to fit in and survive in a neurotypical world, and the suspicions Autistics may have that neurotypical people don't like or trust them.

Finally, Brooke explains how her PDA alters and enhances her relationship with the Divine. She shares a tender experience of finding a church congregation that better fits her neurodivergence.

In this episode, Brooke references Autistic advocates Dr. Chloe Farahar and Kieran Rose, as well as a University of Glasgow study, and a few other studies.

Brooke is a Westminster College graduate, an award winning poet and author, and an Autistic queer person with a profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), and other disabilities. 

In this episode, she covers Autistic terminology including PDA differentiation, religious nationalism, spiritual bypassing, the benefits of social ecology in a church setting, general Autistic culture, and she even does a short poetry reading to give us insight into how her mind processes her surroundings.

This interview is part one of the second episode in our interview series.

Our goal is to lift the perspectives of all disabled and neurodivergent people. As you listen, please keep in mind that experiences vary widely. The views expressed by an interviewee do not necessarily express the wHoly Human host's views. Instead, we seek to share diverse experiences, learn from each other, and combat ableism together.

To learn more about Autism PDA, Brooke recommends these helpful resources: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/ https://www.harryjackthompson.com/musings

https://www.kristyforbes.com.au/blog

 https://www.facebook.com/Aucademy/

In this episode, she also references the Double Empathy problem, a study by autistic scholar Dr. Damian Milton.

A discussion of Come Follow Me: Doctrine & Covenants 6-9 and Doctrine & Covenants 10-11. 

In this episode, we talk about the resurrected Jesus Christ's body, John the Beloved, and what "perfection" means for disabled people and other people that don't fit a white, heteronormative, cisgender model.

We talk about how accommodations are shown as holy throughout the scriptures and especially when receiving revelation. We examine how logic relates to poop, question odd metaphors, and laugh when Serena slips into a Russian accent.

Finally, we pay a visit back to our old friend Lucy Harris and her husband Martin, and question the necessity of vilifying opposition.

We begin our interview series by talking with César, a BYU-Idaho instructor, convert to the LDS Church, and spunky biologist with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). César relates his experiences in the Church and describes how his faith intersects with his disability.

Our goal is to lift the perspectives of all disabled and neurodivergent people. As you listen, please keep in mind that experiences vary widely. The views expressed by an interviewee do not necessarily express the wHoly Human hosts' views. Instead, we seek to share diverse experiences, learn from each other, and combat ableism together.

Who really was Lucy Harris? Did she really steal the 116 pages of the translated Book of Lehi? That and more insights about disability & the divine from D&C 2, Joseph Smith History 1:27-65, and D&C 3-5.

Can God heal disabilities? We would say yes. Will God heal disabilities? Not always. Perhaps not even usually. Some people on Earth will always live with disabilities. We need to learn how to grapple with that truth, no matter how “dark,” “crazy,” or uncomfortable it may be.

When we speak to people in less ableist language, or in more disability-inclusive language, with metaphors that pertain more to them, we become more godlike.