Episode 35: "Connected to this Life" — Jenne's Story Part II

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Photo Credit

Part of the aim of this podcast is to give voice to our stories as Daughters of Mormonism. This episode is an interview with Jenne, one of our panelists.

In this interview she talks about her journey toward finding her voice as an advocate and discovering her personal mode of spirituality. Jenne began as a Unitarian Universalist, later converting to LDS church in the aftermath of her father's death. Now she calls herself a Universalist Mormon Pagan, and she reaches out with her heart and abilities to help women with childbirth and trauma as she connects to this life through her children.


For resources and to comment, please see Part I.

Episode 34: "Connected to this Life" — Jenne's Story Part I

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Jenne will be watching the comments to respond to the ideas brought up in her interview.

Resources and References

• What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson, BOOK and FILM
• The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes
• Fighting for Your Marriage by Howard Markman, Scott Stanley, Susan Blumberg
• Empowering Couples Building on Your Strengths by David Olson and Amy Olson 
• First Comes Love by Douglas Brinley and Mark Ogletree
• Women of the Church by Gordon Hinckley
• How Can I Become the Woman of Whom I Dream? by Gordon Hinckley
• Words of the Prophet: Seek Learning by Gordon Hinckley (Special Counsel for Girls heading)
• Mormon Podcast Community
• Mormon Democrats on Facebook
• Solace for Mothers
• Mutual Approbation
• Fair 
• How to Worship Our Mother In Heaven (Without Getting Excommunicated) by Kevin Barney
• Jenne's blog post on the above article
• Yoga of Christ by Philip McLemore
• Women and Authority edited by Maxine Hanks
• Mother Wheel
• Yo Gabba Gabba

Special thanks to Carolyn Erigero for taking care of "cute but determined" during the recording of this interview.

Episode 32: "Not Suffering" — Opening Sexual Identity

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Art by Randi Johns

In the recent past, there was only one sexual identity: Heterosexual. It was the norm in such a way that there wasn't really any space in the collective understanding for alternate sexual identities. Today, sexual identity has become a place of discovery, controversy, and question, bringing in terms like gay, lesbian, homosexual, bi-sexual, and transsexual. Julia identifies herself as queer, which is not so much a sexual identity as an approach to sexuality that leaves the "box" wide open. She talks about the freedom that comes from being in a safe place to exist as she is.

Julia will be watching the comments to respond to the ideas brought up in her interview.

As you leave comments, remember that Daughters of Mormonism seeks to provide a safe place for women to share their stories. This is a real story from a real person. Please see the Comment Policy for further details. 

Resources and References

• Queer and Questioning Blog
• PDF download of Trans/gender 101: Terms and Explanations
  
• Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
• PDF download for Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network "Guide to Being an Ally"
  
• TransChristians
• Affirmation
  
• Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
• Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us by Kate Bornstein
• Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein
• "Cleansing the Inner Vessel" by Boyd K. Packer RECORDED VIDEO
• "Cleansing the Inner Vessel" by Boyd K. Packer EDITED TRANSCRIPT
• ABC News article on the edit  
• Quote from The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball about masturbation leading to homosexuality: "Thus prophets anciently and today condemn masturbation [...] it too often leads to grievous sin, even to that sin against nature, homosexuality. For, done in private, it evolves often into mutual masturbation--practiced with another person of the same sex and thence into total homosexuality."

Episode 27: "I came out of the womb singing" — The Divine Worth of a Lesbian

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Art by Mara Berendt Friedman

As a teen, Janice converted to the LDS church as part of an attempt to cure herself of her lesbianism. She served a mission and married in the temple as part of her determination to be "fixed." Her journey to find her whole self — the wild woman, the lesbian, the feminist — led her into the depths of depression and to the brink of taking her own life where she was gifted with a deep realization that God loved her.

Janice will be watching the comments so she can respond to questions and issues brought up in her story.

As you leave comments, remember that Daughters of Mormonism seeks to provide a safe place for women to share their stories. This is a real story from a real person. Please see the Comment Policy for further details.

Janice's Recommended Resources

• Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
• Mormon Stories Podcast hosted by John Delin
• Mormon Matters Podcast hosted by Dan Wotherspoon
• Ask Mormon Girl by Joanna Brooks
• Dialogue: Journal of Mormon Thought
• Sunstone Magazine
• Affirmation.org for Gay and Lesbian Mormons
• Stonewall Center

You can contact Janice at outofthewombsinging @ gmail.com

Episode 25: "Sacred all the way through" — Owning Her Lesbian Self Part II

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Art by Marcia Snedecor

Here is the second half of the interview with Stacey where she tells about coming out as a lesbian, getting her master's degree, continuing her relationship with her husband through their divorce and departure from the church, and finding her feet as a whole self.

To leave comments and for resources, please see Part I of Stacey's story.

As you leave comments, remember that Daughters of Mormonism seeks to provide a safe place for women to share their stories. This is a real story from a real person. Please see the Comment Policy for further details.

Episode 24: "Sacred all the way through" — Owning Her Lesbian Self Part I

Right click here to download the mp3.

Art by Marcia Snedecor

After her mother converted to Mormonism, Stacey was baptized a member of the church at age eight. The church offered her a place of safety and stability in the midst of difficult family life. She went on to attend BYU, serve a mission, marry a returned missionary in the temple, and have four children. But all the while, she knew she was different. No matter how much she threw herself into being the best possible Mormon, there was always something hiding below the surface ... that she was a lesbian.

Stacey will be watching the comments so she can respond to questions and discuss issues brought up in her story. 

As you leave comments, remember that Daughters of Mormonism seeks to provide a safe place for women to share their stories. This is a real story from a real person. Please see the Comment Policy for further details.

Resources from Stacey

Support Groups

• Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons: Women's Links
• Mormon Lesbian Big Tent Support Group
• Mormon Lesbian Yahoo Group

Books & Articles

• Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
• There's Nothing Wrong with You by Cheri Huber
• Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine
• Article on The Key to Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine
• The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
• Wikipedia article on panopticon tower structure
• Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams and a review of Refuge
• Review of The God We Never Knew by Marcus Borg

TED Talks

• "The Power of Vulnerability" TED Talk by Brene Brown 
• "Suddenly, my body" TED Talk by Eve Ensler, the author of the Vagina Monologues

Religious Exploration

• Belief-O-Matic "What's Your Faith?" Quiz which takes you through about 20 questions to see where your personal beliefs align with various faiths

Episode 22: "Choices and Options" — Katrina's Story

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Art by Brian Kershisnick

Part of the aim of this podcast is to give voice to our stories as Daughters of Mormonism. This episode is an interview with Katrina, one of our panelists. She shares how her story didn't happen the way she had planned, as she married a divorced man with three children.

When they applied for a sealing clearance so they could marry in the temple, they were denied with no explanation. Katrina moved on from this point to create her own script for her life, including how she would bear her children.

Katrina will be watching the comments to answer questions or discuss issues raised in her interview.



Posts from Katrina's Blog: Musings of a Redhead

• The Story of Miriam's Breech Homebirth
• Birth and Breastfeeding Resources
   
   
• Finding My Inner Feminist Part I
• Finding My Inner Feminist Part II
• Finding My Inner Feminist Part III

Katrina's Photography Websites

• At Mother's Breast Photography Project
• Redbean Photography

Recommended Books

• Mother Wove the Morning by Carol Lynn Pearson
• Introduction to Mother Wove the Morning
• Beginnings and Beyond by Carol Lynn Pearson
• Daughters of Light by Carol Lynn Pearson
• The Flight and the Nest by Carol Lynn Pearson
• Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd

Episode 17: "She wasn't a wife for me": Polygamy in Mainstream Mormonism

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Polygamy has been a part of the Mormon church almost from the beginning. Current church policy prohibits the practice of marrying and living with multiple wives, although there are still men who are sealed to multiple women.

This episode is the story of a woman who grew up in mainstream Mormonism and how she and her husband searched for a way to practice the doctrine of the plurality of wives inside the dictates of the church and the law of the land.

Michelle will be watching the comments so she can respond to questions and discuss issues brought up in her story. 

As you leave comments, remember that Daughter of Mormonism seeks to provide a safe place for women to share their stories. This is a real story from a real person. Please see the Comment Policy for further details.

If you would like to learn more about polygamy in the early Mormon church, here are some resources.

Websites

• Remembering the Wives of Joseph Smith 
• Family Search Record for Joseph Smith
• LDS.org entry for Polygamy (Plural Marriage)

Books

• Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith by Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery 
• In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith by Todd Compton 
• Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman

Podcasts

• Mormon Stories: Intro to Mormon Polygamy with Todd Compton Pt. 1
• Mormon Stories: Intro to Mormon Polygamy with Todd Compton Pt. 2
• Mormon Stories: Intro to Mormon Polygamy with Todd Compton Pt. 3
• Mormon Expression: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith 
• Mormon Expression: Book Club: Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith
• Mormon Expression: Polygamy Manifesto for Dummies Part 1 
• Mormon Expression: Polygamy Manifesto for Dummies Part 2 

Episode 15: "Not in Conflict" — Jenni's Story

Right click here to download the mp3.

Part of the aim of this podcast is to give voice to our stories as Daughters of Mormonism. This episode is an interview with Jenni, one of our panelists. She shares her journey through marrying a divorced man with a child, her miscarriages, and her integrated belief system of paganism and Mormonism.

Jenni will be watching the comments to answer questions or discuss issues raised in her interview.


Links from Jenni's interview:

• Integrated Path post on Jenni's Blog
• Mormon Stories Podcast on Masonry and Mormonism
• MO 2.0 Facebook Group 
• LDS WAVE: Women Advocating for Voice and Equality
• The Crunchy Mormon Forum (also "The Coven" inside that form)
• The Mother Wheel
• Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd
• Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler