In this powerful episode of Mormon Stories, Clare and Jackson share their personal journeys of growing up in the Mormon church, struggling with shame, guilt, and anxiety, and eventually undergoing faith transitions. Clare discusses her challenges with modesty, body image, and mental health, especially during her mission, while Jackson opens up about his battles with pornography, shame, and a dangerous mission experience in Honduras. Together, they reflect on their experiences with church teachings, therapy, and the emotional toll of deconstructing their faith. This episode explores their healing process, the impact of questioning Mormonism, and the growth they’ve found in rebuilding their lives and relationship after leaving the church.
Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/devout-mormon-couple-leaves-the-church/
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:35 Intentions for being on Mormon Stories
00:17:50 Modesty and Young Women lessons
00:23:30 High School years
00:32:34 Jackson’s Mormon upbringing
00:39:40 Adolescent years
00:47:13 Issues with pornography and masturbation
01:07:20 Claire’s mission
01:16:13 Having panic attacks while serving her mission
01:27:35 Someone proposed to her on her mission
01:28:25 Jackson’s mission
01:35:00 Jackson’s dangerous mission experience
01:47:25 Claire going to college after her mission
01:51:30 He went through a disciplinary council
01:58:20 He was assigned to the Addiction Recovery Program
02:04:55 Meeting, engaged and married was five months
02:17:40 Parenthood and the church
02:24:25 TikTok was her demise of her testimony
02:31:10 Why she didn’t tell her husband of her struggles in the church
02:40:16 Jackson’s journey with his testimony
02:47:40 What happened after the faith crisis?
02:55:50 Healing after the faith transitions
03:07:00 How will their friends and parents respond to this episode?
03:14:03 Rebuilding after their faith transition
___________________
At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.
Our overall mission is to:
1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology
2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis
3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions
🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today
One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories
Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories
Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories
Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join
Our Platforms:
🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes
🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories
✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772
🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories
📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast
🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF
Contact us:
📧 [email protected]
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117