Latter Day Struggles

Send us a Positive Review!
Join Val as her audience while she does a final run through on a topic that has come to be a passion project for her on Latter Day Struggles.  In short, what can we do as faith-expanding people in and around the LDS church to ease the polarization between the fiery fundamentalist Mormon and the fiery Ex-Mormon?  
Oddly enough, these two "poles" exist as counterpoints to one another on the opposite extreme.  If one pole chooses a "third way" balance is disrupted, and growth becomes more likely.  We on the Mormon faith journey may not be able to impact all aspects on the extreme side of Mormon fundamentalism/ orthodoxy...but how we handle our own growth journeys CAN change a LOT.  Listen in and let us know what you think! 
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Sunstone Preview
01:26 Why Polarization Matters
05:20 The Growth Ladder Model
11:05 Healthy Mormon Fusion
14:55 Differentiation and Faith Crisis
19:55 Integration and Inclusion
26:54 When Growth Gets Stuck
27:56 Fixation in Orthodoxy
33:53 Chronic Differentiation Trap
45:58 Breaking the Polarization Dance
48:47 Processing Wisely in Crisis
58:57 Third Way Closing
Support the show
Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group
Support the show
Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES
Friday Episodes Annual Access $89
Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10
Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups
Gift a Scholarship
Download Free Resources
Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!
Have you ever done something for the first time and feel that pit in your stomach as it approaches?  Well, here at Latter Day Struggles, pretty much EVERYTHING  that we do is a first!  And it always brings that insecure "what have I gotten myself into?" sensation!  
This episode is Val's candid reflections about an evening shared with over a hundred "in person" and "streaming" loved ones who have experienced growth and healing with her.  
A bottom line?  You might be experiencing growth and healing in some way through this podcast and platform.  But you are also giving this gift of healing to Val and Nathan Hamaker.  They thank you and love you.  
Hoping you enjoy Val's thoughts on the gift that this healing community is to her.  Because of you.  
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Event Recap
01:06 Why Stories of Healing
04:25 Origin Story Artwork
06:08 Sharing Beyond the Room
08:19 Event Day Emotions
08:37 Three Audience Groups
13:04 Grief and Perspective Shift
16:56 Program Highlights and Readings
25:40 What It Meant to Me
29:24 Q&A Next Steps
34:24 Closing Gratitude
Support the show
Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group
Support the show
Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES
Friday Episodes Annual Access $89
Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10
Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups
Gift a Scholarship
Download Free Resources
Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!
Lately there has been a lot of talk about the LDS disaffiliation crisis in the 21st century. Here at Latter Day Struggles we support open dialogue about what happening in our LDS homes and congregations.  
Please enjoy this special "audiobook" addition of a Latter Day Struggles series unpacking some groundbreaking research done by therapist Liz Macdonald exploring common LDS family dynamics shared by young adults whose disaffiliation experiences were the most challenging.  
We care about people all across the spectrum of faith in and around the LDS church.  Taking research like this seriously could profoundly reshape our community in healthy ways. 
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome
03:54 Meet Liz and The Study
11:48 Method and Study Limits
22:03 Four Key Findings Overview
28:00 Disconnected From Self
52:20 Fear-Based Theology and Parenting
01:02:38 Conditional Love and Worthiness
01:12:42 False Self and Hidden Struggles
01:22:32 One-Way Communication and Fear
01:31:17 Blaming Outside Influences
01:40:20 New Episode Research Overview
01:57:49 Purity Culture and Shame
02:08:05 Adult Development and Compassion
02:20:19 Fear of Selfhood
02:30:25 High Demand Religion
02:44:22 Research Recap
02:52:12 Eight Stages Walkthrough
03:04:59 Parents Threatened by Growth
03:19:13 Fundamentalism and Safety
03:27:20 From Identity to Intimacy
03:34:37 Recommendations and Repair
03:41:27 Closing and Resources
Support the show
Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group
Support the show
Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES
Friday Episodes Annual Access $89
Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10
Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups
Gift a Scholarship
Download Free Resources
Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!
In this episode Val digs into the concept of prophet worship [or any time humans hand over their discerning power to a formal authority figure] from the context of psychology and the “shadow”. 
While we tend to talk about our “shadows” from the context of that which we are ashamed of, sometimes we actually disown our greatest divine attributes. 
Tune in to this episode to learn why this happens and how to reintegrate our “golden shadows” back into our core identities.  This conversation is an extension of Episode 447, so go back and listen if this intrigues you!
Does the idea of awakening your core identity or "True Self" resonate with you ? If so, jump onto a waitlist to join Valerie’s next healing group that focuses on the awakening of one’s True Self core identity. 
This group is titled “Fundamentals of LDS Faith Crisis Healing” and the next group of this type begins spring of 2027!
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Setup 
03:09 Traditional Shadow Basics 
07:58 Golden Shadow Defined 
09:27 Projection and Triggers 
12:36 Golden Shadow Projection Example
17:07 How Outsourcing Happens
20:08 Official Carrier and the Cost of Imperfection 
25:37 When Following the Prophet Doesn't Work 
29:36 Reclaiming Discernment 
32:22 Practicing and Giving Yourself Grace 
35:52 Integration Not Overcorrecting 
39:15 Closing Thoughts
Support the show
Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group
Support the show
Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES
Friday Episodes Annual Access $89
Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10
Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups
Gift a Scholarship
Download Free Resources
Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!
In this episode Valerie tackles a seemingly contradictory pair of claims: 
The LDS church is experiencing record-breaking growth! 
The LDS church is experiencing record-breaking defection! 
Is one narrative simply not true? 
Interestingly, the answer is no, both narratives are true. Join Val as she unpacks these seemingly contradictory claims & breaks down how these claims reflect specific kinds of data collection.  She also explores how these narratives are tracking two different demographics of people in different stages of faith and consciousness development.
Valerie’s hope in episodes like this is to shine a light on normative human growth & development in the context of faith and to illustrate how the churches that do not understand or believe in stages of faith development only serve populations in [important but] earlier stages of growth & pathologize those in later stages, causing ever increasing levels of family fractures and institutional defection. 
PS: to read more & see the data, pick up a copy of download the book Torn: Why People We Love are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn from Them by Jeff Strong, linked HERE.
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Series Setup
02:45 Two Conflicting Narratives
04:16 Record Baptisms Data
06:17 Disaffiliation Statistics
12:01 Both And Explanation
14:03 Three LDS Demographics
14:21 Active Core Strengths
17:58 Disaffiliated Core Growth
22:30 Never Fully Affiliated
26:11 Stages of Faith Framework
29:26 Attachment Stage Church Fit
31:02 Differentiation and Homelessness
41:44 Integration and Compassion
44:20 Closing Reflections
Support the show
Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group
Support the show
Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES
Friday Episodes Annual Access $89
Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10
Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups
Gift a Scholarship
Download Free Resources
Visit our Website