Latter Day Struggles

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Hey Latter Day Struggles! 
Due to your many requests—we are dropping a Latter Day Struggles series in “audiobook” format. You can enjoy the entire narrative arc in a single, uninterrupted format! Enjoy the experience as things 'click' into place as you take in this 'audiobook'! Please let us know what is happening within you as you transcend and include Mormonism one series at a time! 
As a bonus drop, we have prepared one of our favorite series titled, "Community Healing: How our Greatest Wounds & our Greatest Healing Happens through Human Relationship" for you!  Enjoy this deep dive.
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Reset 
10:32 Faith Crisis Isolation 
16:00 Shunning and Going Underground 
27:53 Finding Support Groups 
36:38 Quotes on Group Healing 
48:56 Trust the Healing Process 
56:17 Roadmap Out of Chaos 
01:01:19 Witnessed Healing in Relationship 
01:13:25 Beyond All In or Out 
01:21:22 Curriculum True Self to Rebirth 
01:27:37 Relationships and Patriarchy Work 
01:35:08 Hope Through Community 
01:42:07 Introducing the True Self 
01:59:37 Gnostics and Inner Authority 
02:16:18 Love Over Fear 
02:26:10 Sharing True Self Statements 
02:45:22 Grief and Identity Shift 
02:56:20 Writing the True Self Statement 
03:03:02 Love Based Spiritual Growth 
03:16:25 A Healthier Faith Relationship 
03:23:23 Men Patriarchy and Identity 
03:31:52 Reclaiming the Core Self 
03:39:51 True Self Statement Practice 
03:44:26 Welcome to Eden Poem 
03:54:16 Community Stories Begin 
 04:11:37 Community and Belonging 
04:46:17 Seeing Pain Not Ideas
04:53:18 Final Invitation to Heal
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In this follow up episode on recent LDS news that women are now allowed to serve in Sunday School presidencies, Val & Nathan pivot to the peculiar part of the announcement prohibiting no "mixed-gender" presidencies and share the outcome of their exploration of this odd move.  
Upon deeper reflection, the move seems less about worries about slippery slopes towards sexual iniquity and possibly more about preserving another kind of slippery slope--the one that disrupts what some feel is the "natural order of the universe".  If a female formally presides over a male in one realm of the LDS church, what could this possibly lead to?  
Listen in as we propose that moves of this nature is proof that ultimately an all male priesthood must be surrendered...even if excruciatingly slowly...if the LDS church is going to survive in the long run.  
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Context 
02:09 Reading the New Policy 
02:46 First Reactions and Jokes 
04:54 Why Mixed Gender Feels Weird 
5:51 Relief Society President and Bishop — Mixed Gender Already Exists
08:21 Loyalist Perspective Brainstorm 
09:32 Women Under Men in Leadership 
11:09 Nathan's BYU Co-Mission Leader Experience
13:33 Men Under Women and Shame 
15:53 Two Existential Questions the Church Dodged
17:14 Presiding and Priesthood Questions 
19:13 Can Women Practice Revelation Without Male Approval?
22:49 Priesthood as Human Construct — "All or None of Us Have It"
25:12 Keys vs Duties Explained 
28:12 Baptism Witnesses — A Case Study in Power Shifts
29:47 Power and Control Creep 
32:39 Family Proclamation Implications 
35:23 Women Leading Faith Journeys at Home
37:38 Joseph Smith Gave Women Blessings — Then They Were Taken Back
39:25 What Reforms Might Come Next 
44:21 Closing Thoughts and Farewell

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Series Title: Straight Talk on Patriarchy and Harm [Part II of II]
In this episode Val & Nathan lay out a several reasons why they feel that the LDS church is not able to address the strong correlation between its patriarchal structure, s*xual abuse & s*xual abuse under-reporting. The foundation of this struggle is a refusal to question the divinity of patriarchy...which leads to the patterns outlined in this episode. 
Please note--episodes of this nature are intended to be "hard on system, soft on people." Val & Nathan maintain that no person is actively trying to harm others--but harm is the inevitable outcome of structures that will not confront their own shadows.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome 
00:16 Recap of Previous Episode 
01:00 Nathan's Faith Journey and Institutional Critique 
02:43 The Harm of Institutional Patriarchy 
05:11 Centralized Authority and Its Consequences 
07:38 Theological Justifications and Their Flaws 
11:45 The "Ship vs. People" Metaphor 
15:20 Patriarchy in the Book of Jacob 
17:38 Patterns of Abuse and Institutional Response 
21:15 Science vs. Religion: Reconciling Evidence 
25:30 Handling Abuse Internally 
30:41 Legal Counsel and Institutional Protection 
35:32 Credibility Issues and Reporting Abuse 
38:45 Women Reporting to Women: Limitations 
41:24 Conclusion and Call for Change
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In this episode I respond to your requests to explore the March 2026 Church news release announcing that women can now serve in ward Sunday School presidencies, and how this is linked to stages of psychological/faith development.
Please share this episode if it resonates! Link to the church's announcement can be found HERE.
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and context
01:21 Gratitude and reflection
03:58 Reading the news release
07:52 What we will cover
09:04 Big picture framing
11:43 Liminal perspective reactions
16:59 Loyalist perspective reactions
19:58 Faith development stages
24:08 Leadership tension and paths
27:01 Beyond black and white
28:14 Real Reform Or Optics
29:05 Why Change Is Slow
31:10 Gradualism Explained
32:55 Lincoln And Strategy
37:37 Applying Gradualism Today
39:36 Women Priesthood Forecast
41:08 Near Enemy Concept
45:43 Near Enemy In Practice
48:41 Divine Authority Corner
52:11 Continuing Revelation Tension
56:17 Community And Next Steps
58:25 Closing Reflections
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Series Title: Straight Talk on Patriarchy and Harm [Part I of II] 
In this episode I read to you a shocking and brilliant article that I wish every Latter-day Saint can hear. This is a tough topic but one where reform will not touch until we start looking it in the eye. Please listen and share this article. Thank you to the Dialogue Foundation and to the author Suzanne E. Greco, whose trailblazing work may eventually be instrumental in preventing countless LDS women and girls from future harm. 
She wrote the article. I read the article. Please do your part and share the article (via the podcast or linked HERE!)
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Context
00:26 Upcoming Episode Preview 
03:31 Reading the Article: Confronting Men's Violence 
05:26 Author's Background and Article Introduction 
06:26 Article Reading: Violence Against Women in LDS Church 
11:11 Personal Story of Abuse 
14:56 Credibility Issues and External Validation 
19:59 Global Perspective on Violence Against Women 
25:38 Utah Statistics and Under-Reporting 
28:38 Male Ecclesiastical Leaders as First Responders 
32:38 Challenges and Solutions 
33:18 Solution One: Legal Changes and Clergy-Penitent Laws 
38:31 High-Profile Cases and Institutional Betrayal 
42:58 Solution Two: Women's Ministry and Male Protection Racket 
46:23 Solution Three: Training and Education 
48:23 DARVO Tactics and Victim-Perpetrator Dynamics 
52:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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Support the show
Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES
Friday Episodes Annual Access $89
Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10
Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups
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