395: We Need to Stop Calling Growth a Sin in the LDS Church

Series title: Mormon Faith Crisis—Progression, Not Pathology [Part II of III]

In today's episode Valerie and guest researcher Jeff Strong explore why people in the same LDS congregation can experience church so differently, depending on where they are in their faith journey. They introduce Jeff’s model of six faith mindsets—seekers, cultivators, protectors, avoiders, connectors, and explorers—each representing valid and meaningful ways of engaging faith. 

The problem? That many of these healthy and normal ways of engaging with one's faith journey are pathologized within the LDS culture at both local and general levels. Valerie and Jeff hope that research like Jeff's and platforms like Latter Day Struggles will place growth where it actually belongs--as normal, natural, and precisely what each of us are here on this earth to do. 

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction and Welcome

00:22 – Series Overview and Jeff's Background

01:18 – Exploring Church Demographics and Tensions

02:45 – Review of Previous Episode

04:00 – Cultural Causes of Tension

05:30 – The Weight of Disaffiliation

07:00 – Research Methodology and Data Collection

07:58 – Strengths of LDS Culture

09:45 – Personal Reflections on Community

11:35 – Weaknesses of LDS Culture

13:20 – The Soil Metaphor for Culture

15:00 – The River Metaphor: Rigidity vs. Chaos

17:10 – The Impact of Cultural Rigidity

18:45 – The Struggle for Belonging

20:09 – Stages of Faith Development

22:00 – Simplicity and Complexity Explained

23:45 – Perplexity and Harmony Explained

25:30 – Faith Journeys and Community Reactions

27:00 – The Pain of Being Misunderstood

28:22 – Personal Faith Journeys

29:47 – The Garden of Eden Metaphor

30:47 – Pathologizing Growth in Faith

32:00 – The Need for Community Support

33:09 – Community and Belonging

33:52 – Brian McLaren's Model in Scriptures

35:30 – The Arc of Human Spiritual Growth

37:25 – Understanding Different Faith Mindsets

39:00 – Disparities in Perceptions of Christ-Centeredness

40:30 – The Loneliness of Nonconformity

42:04 – Introducing the Six Segments

44:00 – Descriptions of Each Segment

46:00 – The Dynamic Nature of Faith Mindsets

47:00 – Encouragement for Self-Reflection

48:24 – Conclusion and Next Steps