Review of Mormon Stories Podcast - Mormon Stories Saves Lives

Mormon Stories Saves Lives

☆

“When I first hit my faith crisis, I got there because I cared about the LDS Church. I learned more about it than I ever had before, and I struggled with what I learned. I came to doubt my experience in the Church, and I wondered how I could go forward with life. I felt like my family would reject me and so would all of my Mormon friends and acquaintances if I ever told any of them that I was struggling to believe in the Church. Last year, my struggle became overwhelming. I began to experience vivid suicide ideation for the first time in my life, and it frightened me. I decided that I needed to resolve my cognitive dissonance by continuing to learn as much as I could about the Church, and I wanted to achieve personal integrity by telling my parents, siblings and close friends about my doubts. At the end of the year, I finally told my parents, and for months, my mother couldn't stand the sight of me. My whole life she had smiled at me, constantly. But now she would burst out crying whenever she saw me. During those months of initially sharing my experience with others, I felt more isolated than ever. I looked around enviously at my self-assured Mormon friends. They had purpose and happiness that I couldn't achieve. It was during that time that Mormon Stories may have saved my life, as I'm sure it has many others. I searched iTunes for podcasts related to Mormonism, and I discovered this one. I had never heard of it before, but I started listening. And I found a home. Mormon Stories is a place of understanding. In this podcast, John Dehlin has candid conversations with thoughtful people all along the spectrum of Mormon experience. Each new episode presents another person's story. While everyone's experience is their own, they have each experienced Mormonism and they are willing to share their experience. As you listen to the podcast, you discover that even the host, John Dehlin has his own story. It unfolds not only as he poses questions to his guests, but also as he exposes himself in extremely candid self-reflections. While his overall approach to the Church develops overtime, the central purpose of Mormon Stories is constant: to allow people to share their experiences with Mormonism and to help listeners understand that they are not alone in having had such a deep experience with Mormonism. I started listening to Mormon Stories right as my mother stopped smiling at me. As I hit the most intense period of my struggle, I listened to Mormon Stories every spare second of the day. I stayed up late at night listening to it. I made it a priority. Ultimately, John Dehlin played a central part in carrying me through the darkest time of my life to date. I hope he can do the same for you. Good luck. Be brave. You're not alone. Welcome to a community of storytellers. Your story is important.”Read full review »

Mormon Stories Fan via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 10/23/13