"John Smith"

Samantha Sorensen is the author of "Nonconsentual Morality: A Silenced Woman's Voice From The Dark." In this episode she tells us her story of growing up within the LDS faith and facing abuse and sexual assault along with not getting the help she needed. She then discusses her breaking point and how she came to discover the perfect title for her book. We are grateful we chose to share her story with us!

"John" is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He tells his story anonymously as he has experienced retaliation from church members and leaders when he has attempted to gain justice and promote change. John's story involves multiple periods of his life and experiences in the church. We are so honored to be trusted to share his story here.

Chris Davis, author of Worthy: The Memoir of an Ex-Mormon Lesbian, shares her experiences of abuse and continued trauma as a member of the Mormon church. She was a lifelong devout Mormon, who checked all the expected boxes: wife, mother, teacher, leader, follower, and believer until 2020 when she left her family and her church to fulfill her personal destiny as a gay woman and independent thinker. She remains close with her two adult children, one of whom is a believing member of the church, and the other who is a transgender man who has also left the church. She now lives quite happily in her home state of Maine and looks forward to a long and joyful life as her authentic self. She can be found online at www.chrisdavisproud.com (http://www.chrisdavisproud.com/), on most social media at @ChrisDavisProud, and on Facebook at @ChrisDavisPr0ud. The blog post titled "The Day I Stopped Believing" can be found at this link. (https://chrisdavisproud.com/blog/f/the-day-i-stopped-believing)

Celestine joined the LDS religion as a young adult after she was introduced to it by her first husband. After facing years of narcissistic, physical, and sexual abuse from him, she finally worked up the courage to leave. However, her ex-husband used her history of depression against her and was able to obtain full custody of their children. In this episode, Celestine tells her story of heartbreak, resilience, and hope.

https://www.latterdaysurvivors.org/podcast1/episode/d4881398/deep-thoughts-on-compulsory-heterosexuality-with-sarah-and-kindraIn this episode Sara and Kindra discuss our experiences with compulsory heterosexuality as former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

Re-release After sharing his story intially, Kenny needed space and time to work on healing and therapy. The initial recording of his story was taken down at his request, and he opted to rerecord it when it would be healing for him. Kenny is a documentary film maker and activist for social change. His most recent film, Healing US, is set to release this week. Kenny shares his story about how he came to consciously identify what happened to him as a child, was rape. While listening to the Latter Day Survivors podcast, he recognized the significance of what happened to him, how it informed many of his life choices, and is learning how to manage the PTSD symptoms that followed when acknowledging and processing the trauma. 

Myndee shares her story of the decades-long trauma she suffered after giving up her baby for adoption through LDS Family Services. Her story includes themes of abuse, religious trauma, adoption trauma, and deception. Join us for an in-depth discussion into Myndee’s healing journey.  A wife and mother of three daughters, Myndee also enjoys raising Rottweilers.    

Stacey Brown is an intuitive healer, certified reiki practitioner, podcast host, author, and spiritual mentor & coach. Her recently published book is titled, "Journey to Soul: Discovering the Gift of Surrender." Her story includes an upbringing in Mormonism and how an incredibly traumatic event caused her to reevaluate everything she knew and which set her on a path of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. You can follow Stacey on Instagram at @staceybrown555 and on her website at stacey-brown.com.

After Taylor Sundberg (30) was sexually assaulted as a teen, she turned to her bishop for help. Instead of finding help or resources, she faced church discipline and was blackmailed into silence. She shares her journey from the assault, the aftermath, and the realization she’d been blackmailed, to the unraveling of a toxic and dangerous belief system. This is far too common. Join us for this important discussion.

Ashley discovered clairaudient abilities when an ancestor came through with a message. The message he shared led her out of the church and helped her reclaim her life, her soul, and her health. The healing she has experienced has been so profound that she felt called to write a book. Ashley is an author, life coach, and budding medium. She feels passionately about the worth of souls. Her book is titled, "Always Worthy: Healing Generational Trauma in Mind, Body and Spirit."