Mormon Stories - LDS

In this four-part episode, Trevor Haugen shares with us his experience meeting with LDS General Authority Don R. Clarke and LDS church historian Dr. Matthew J. Grow as they attempt to address his mounting concerns with deeply troubling Mormon history and doctrine.

Part 1: Trevor discusses his life as an orthodox Mormon believer, including his mission service and temple marriages.

Parts 2, 3, & 4: Trevor and John Dehlin discuss the apologetics offered by Elder Clarke and Dr. Matthew Grow.

Direct download: MormonStories-711-ClarkeGrowHaugenPt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 7:53am MDT

A two-part interview with the founders of MormonLeaks: Ryan McKnight and Scott K. Fausett.

Direct download: MormonStories-710-MormonLeaksPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 8:07am MDT

A two-part interview with the founders of MormonLeaks: Ryan McKnight and Scott K. Fausett.

Direct download: MormonStories-709-MormonLeaksPt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 8:04am MDT

In part 2 of this two-part series, we discuss death, loss, and grief. Co-hosts are John and Margi Dehlin.  Today’s Panelists: Emily Celis and Aimee Heffernan.

Direct download: MormonStories-708-DeathLossGriefPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 10:33pm MDT

In part 1 of this two-part series, we discuss death, loss, and grief. Co-hosts are John and Margi Dehlin.  Today’s Panelists: Emily Celis and Aimee Heffernan.

Direct download: MormonStories-707-DeathLossGriefPt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 9:29pm MDT

We are a group of women 40+ with longer life experiences. We are grandmothers, mothers, aunts, single, divorced, widowed or married. We are LGBT friendly and feminists! Many of us are just learning feminism. Having felt the pain of patriarchy, but not having a “language” to describe our experiences, we are giving ourselves permission to flourish and grow with no limitations or constructs.

Many of us are at the beginning of a life we never imagined. We have had to make tough decisions, been tried by our choices, and some of us have lost important connections along the way. Being of a “certain age” makes it harder to make friends and to find a community of like-minded souls with whom to move forward with love, joy and friendship. We realize that our decisions can affect many generations, so our time is spent fostering relationships with our loved ones and excelling in our careers, businesses, and at home, all of which leaves little time and opportunity to make new friends.

This group is for “women of a certain age” or lovingly called WOCA (Wah-kah). We also have a group for “women of a certain age” and under. This age group, affectionally known as the UNDERS is from 30-40. The final group under the umbrella of WOCA are the COCAs. These are “Couples of a Certain Age” for those wishing to participate as couples. And housed inside of COCA is the “men only” group which meet regularly in men-only events.

WOCA activities are NOT within the paradigm of our former religious background, although themes from our lived experiences may come up. We have transitioned from our former organized religious choices and wish to create wonderful spaces where ALL people with commonalities can come together, share and find community.

If you would like to join us, please contact, from the list below, the appropriate person from your geographical area by way of Facebook messenger.

Wasatch (The Mother Ship): Christine Elkington & Kim Turner
COCA: Brett Nord
UNDERS: Ruth Tyson
Phoenix: Amy Grubbs
Boston: Amy Grubbs
Las Vegas: Christine Elkington
Bay Area: Kim Turner
Texas: Lisa Keyes
So-Cal: Lisa Durtschi
Idaho: Lisa Keyes
Sacramento: Lisa Keyes
Seattle: Nicole Bruderer
Cedar City/St. George: Nicole Bruderer
Denver: Ruth Tyson
Florida: Kim Turner
Oregon: Kim Turner

And if where you live isn’t on the list, please join our ONLINE group and be with women around the world just like you!

ONLINE: Kim Turner & Christine Elkington

Direct download: MormonStories-706-WOCA.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 7:33am MDT

Marco Meiling, active and believing LDS church member in the Netherlands, reports on the beginning of a major contraction of the LDS Church in Europe.

From Marco's original message to me:

Have you heard yet about a big push to consolidate the units in Europe.
We are having closing after closing being announced. Yesterday a closing was announced, and the Stake President stated there are 800 units in Europe which are considered too weak and would need to merge.  We have 1163 units in Western Europe acc to Cumorah.com.

Holland with 34 wards will close 5 at least this year.  In Holland the Church is phasing out all wards which don´t have a purpose-built Chapel.

Temple-attendance here is down 60% compared to 2000.  However the amount of recommendholders went up 200%. So what do we make of this: A Temple is a way for the Church to increase revenue. So even with less people, the Church can make a higher turnover. 

The main reason given is that these units are too weak to run programmes aimed at the youth. and small units demand too much from the few members.  Research has shown that people and families benefit form larger wards, and families are less burdened. That why the policy direction. Of course the longer travel will cause problems for some menbers. Assistance will be needed.

Direct download: MormonStories-705-EuropeContraction.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 4:07am MDT

Kim Sandberg Turner is the founder of Women of a Certain Age (WOCA) - a network of support groups for 40+ post-Mormon women.  In this four part episode, Kim discusses:

  • Part 1: Her years growing up as a faithful Mormon in Salt Lake City, meeting and marrying Terry (her childhood sweetheart and husband of 42 years), and the many years her family lived in Bolivia as devout Mormons (Terry serving as a Mormon bishop twice, and Kim in multiple Relief Society Presidencies).
  • Part 2: How Kim and Terry's Mormon faith began to unravel as their son Josh came out to them as gay, and as they began studying LDS church history in depth.
  • Part 3: Kim discusses how she and Terry navigated their faith transition as parents and grandparents, exploring topics such as how they dealt with their Draper ward once they decided to leave the church, how they have handled parenting and grandparenting through a faith transition, what they do and don't believe today, and the importance of community in their transition.
  • Part 4: Kim shares the story of how she founded WOCA, how WOCA operates, and what WOCA means to her and to the other WOCA women.
Direct download: MormonStories-704-KimTurnerPt4.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 12:22pm MDT

Kim Sandberg Turner is the founder of Women of a Certain Age (WOCA) - a network of support groups for 40+ post-Mormon women.  In this four part episode, Kim discusses:

  • Part 1: Her years growing up as a faithful Mormon in Salt Lake City, meeting and marrying Terry (her childhood sweetheart and husband of 42 years), and the many years her family lived in Bolivia as devout Mormons (Terry serving as a Mormon bishop twice, and Kim in multiple Relief Society Presidencies).
  • Part 2: How Kim and Terry's Mormon faith began to unravel as their son Josh came out to them as gay, and as they began studying LDS church history in depth.
  • Part 3: Kim discusses how she and Terry navigated their faith transition as parents and grandparents, exploring topics such as how they dealt with their Draper ward once they decided to leave the church, how they have handled parenting and grandparenting through a faith transition, what they do and don't believe today, and the importance of community in their transition.
  • Part 4: Kim shares the story of how she founded WOCA, how WOCA operates, and what WOCA means to her and to the other WOCA women.
Direct download: MormonStories-703-KimTurnerPt3.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 12:16pm MDT

Kim Sandberg Turner is the founder of Women of a Certain Age (WOCA) - a network of support groups for 40+ post-Mormon women.  In this four part episode, Kim discusses:

  • Part 1: Her years growing up as a faithful Mormon in Salt Lake City, meeting and marrying Terry (her childhood sweetheart and husband of 42 years), and the many years her family lived in Bolivia as devout Mormons (Terry serving as a Mormon bishop twice, and Kim in multiple Relief Society Presidencies).
  • Part 2: How Kim and Terry's Mormon faith began to unravel as their son Josh came out to them as gay, and as they began studying LDS church history in depth.
  • Part 3: Kim discusses how she and Terry navigated their faith transition as parents and grandparents, exploring topics such as how they dealt with their Draper ward once they decided to leave the church, how they have handled parenting and grandparenting through a faith transition, what they do and don't believe today, and the importance of community in their transition.
  • Part 4: Kim shares the story of how she founded WOCA, how WOCA operates, and what WOCA means to her and to the other WOCA women.
Direct download: MormonStories-702-KimTurnerPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 12:14pm MDT