About this episode
Dana shares her personal journey of growing up in the Mormon church, navigating mental health challenges, and eventually deconstructing her faith. From her Mormon upbringing and mission experience to questioning societal and religious expectations, Dana's story explores themes of self-discovery, the impact of religion on her life, and the search for meaning beyond traditional beliefs. After leaving the church, Dana delves into topics like mental health, fertility, relationships, and motherhood, offering a candid perspective on her path toward healing and personal growth. This channel is a space for open discussion on faith, identity, and life after Mormonism. Show Notes YouTube 00:05:00 Dana’s Mormon Story begins 00:17:00 What examples did she see of women in the church? 00:21:34 It was out of the ordinary to see women with careers 00:38:23 She was reported to the Bishop and her parents that she had experimented with cutting 01:06:30 Dana’s mission experience service in Atlanta, Georgia 01:12:22 She didn't love the temple experience - was “underwhelming” 01:24:24 David Archuleta was at the MTC during the same time 01:32:51 Dana knew very soon that she wanted to leave the mission early and she had to fight to go home 01:38:27 Dana Decided to go to BYU 01:56:25 Felt pressure to be married by the time she finished BYU 02:02:17 Dana to tell her parents that they could not be married in the temple and her mother told her “He’s taken everything from you” 02:18:07 Mormon therapist asked her to consider if she would be open to dating a non-Mormon 02:29:50 Dana lists the ways the church failed her - the church makes promises it can’t keep 02:41:20 Began to research severe PMS and PMDD, and learned that she suffered from it 02:47:02 Dana decided to have a baby by herself - very radical in Mormonism 03:08:00 Dana feels that she was a better foster parent as an ex-Mormon 03:14:40 Deconstructing the idea of “motherhood” in Mormonism 03:27:18 Dana focusing on her PhD Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord