347: Public Voices: Navigating an LDS Culture of Quiet Dissent

In this episode Valerie is the guest on the thought-provoking Inside Out Podcast, one of the first podcasts to interview her following the dramatic events that led up to the Hamakers' decision to resign from the LDS church rather than collude in an excommunication process that they did not endorse as ethical, legitimate, or appropriate.  

This episode takes you through Val's early life and path leading to her current work and delves into the challenges she faced with church leadership due to her public mental health work on behalf of thousands of Latter-day Saints through her Latter Day Struggles Platform.

Among other things, Valerie discusses the critical tensions between church policies, doctrines, and personal mental health, while providing insights on how the LDS Church can evolve to better support its members.  

**In the next several Monday episodes documenting Valerie's and Nathan's experiences connected to their resignation from the LDS church in March of 2025, Valerie represents the couple as Nathan is currently working out of town and unavailable during traditional recording hours.  They apologize as so many of you so deeply benefit from his unique insights and perspectives!