Subscriber-only episode

SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through ⁠a paid subscription⁠. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here!⁠

WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! ⁠ Sign up here!⁠

SUPPORT: Like what you’re hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to ⁠her business Venmo account⁠ or become a recurring donor on Patreon⁠.⁠

CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ⁠...

In this episode three (of a four-part series) Val and Nathan continue their deep dive into applications of the Buddhist concept of the near enemy, shining a light on how this concept might apply to how the LDS and surrounding community might grow in light and truth as these ideas are understood and embraced.

They focus on how behaviors like self-aggrandizing, pity, and clinging subtly undermine virtues such as charity, compassion, and love, often posing as their close allies.

They analyze how these near enemies negatively impact missionary work, intimate relationships, and spiritual growth within the Latter-Day Saints community, particularly highlighting how spiritual exceptionalism and codependency in eternal marriage theology can hurt connection at the micro and the macro levels.

The episode culminates in a reflective call for embracing both light and shadow selves and emphasizes acting from a place of genuine love and virtue rather than fear or the desire for validation.

Thank you for joining us in this series intended to expand our capacities to grow whole and healthy in and around the LDS church.

Support the Show.

SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through ⁠a paid subscription⁠. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here!⁠

WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! ⁠ Sign up here!⁠

SUPPORT: Like what you’re hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to ⁠her business Venmo account⁠ or become a recurring donor on Patreon⁠.⁠

CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ⁠...

Subscriber-only episode

In this Latter Day Struggles EXCLUSIVE [episode two of a four-part series] Val and Nathan explore several topics relevant to the LDS faith journey through the lens of the "near enemy". Their focus in this advanced-content episode includes an analysis of:

**Faithfulness as the near-enemy of personal integrity

**Checklist obedience as the near-enemy of personal transformation

**Leadership by seniority/nomination/inheritance as the near-enemy of leadership by attraction

**Placating as the near-enemy of true reform (specific to current queer issues)

**Pedestalizing as the near-enemy of gender equality

This (and every) series endeavors to help faith-expanding Latter-day Saints better understand ourselves and our faith institution so that we all might connect, heal, and transform.

Thank you for subscribing to these advanced content exclusives, intended to help our faith expanding LDS and surrounding community grow and thrive in their faith journeys.

SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through ⁠a paid subscription⁠. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here!⁠

WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! ⁠ Sign up here!⁠

SUPPORT: Like what you’re hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to ⁠her business Venmo account⁠ or become a recurring donor on Patreon⁠.⁠

CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ⁠...

In this episode one [of a four-part series] Valerie and Nathan delve into the profound concept of the "Near Enemy," highlighting how certain behaviors that superficially resemble virtues actually hinder personal growth and damage interpersonal relationships.

Drawing from Buddhist wisdom and Brené Brown's integrative work, they discuss how the near enemy behaviors can creep into all individual and systemic relationships and how these behaviors prevent genuine connection.

Episode 2 of this series will be a Latter Day Struggles EXCLUSIVE: tackling sensitive and idiosyncratic "near enemy" topics within the LDS faith tradition.

Episode 3 will tackle less sensitive "near enemy" topics found within the faith and typical of many faith traditions and other community settings.

Episode 4 of this series will be another EXCLUSIVE, exploring from a psychological lens some possible reasons why our LDS faith tradition uniquely struggles with its idiosyncratic "near enemy" behaviors.

This series is groundbreaking in that it integrates an element of sound Buddhist philosophy in an effect to help our LDS community understand some of our tradition's most significant shadow parts.

We hope that this series brings light, understanding, healing, and eventual reform. We care about the wellness of our faith tradition and those over whom it has influence.

Support the Show.

SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through ⁠a paid subscription⁠. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here!⁠

WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! ⁠ Sign up here!⁠

SUPPORT: Like what you’re hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to ⁠her business Venmo account⁠ or become a recurring donor on Patreon⁠.⁠

CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ⁠...

Subscriber-only episode

In this final episode in their series tackling the topic of OCD spiritual scrupulosity within the context of the LDS faith, Valerie and Brannon Patrick reflect on their own experiences as missionaries to offer a respectful critique of a culture that of vulnerable to struggles with mental health in general and spiritual scrupulosity in specific.

Their conversation addresses the critical issue of psychological distress among missionaries, exacerbated by a culture of perfectionism, performance, and a focus on missionary success connected to personal obedience.

Through personal stories and insights on their own faith journeys, they advocate for a healthier, more balanced approach to spiritual beliefs and the missionary experience, aiming to help individuals both on missions and beyond reclaim their sense of self-worth and belovedness.

SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through ⁠a paid subscription⁠. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here!⁠

WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! ⁠ Sign up here!⁠

SUPPORT: Like what you’re hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to ⁠her business Venmo account⁠ or become a recurring donor on Patreon⁠.⁠

CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ⁠...

In this episode three [of a four-part series] Valerie welcomes fellow therapist colleague Brannon Patrick for a discussion highlighting the profound impact of OCD scrupulosity on individuals within the LDS community.

In an unexpected turn of events, both Val and Brannon realize that they each struggled in their adolescence with the same unnamed fear of God's disappointment accompanied by attempts to mitigate these fears with scrupulous behaviors.

They explore how church teachings can exacerbate anxiety, particularly through doctrines that emphasize perfectionism and earning forgiveness.

This discussion advocates for a shift towards creating a supportive, healing church environment that views God as a loving companion in our journeys, not a harsh or disappointed judge.

Join them on Friday for a final conversation in this series about the vulnerabilities of full-time LDS missionary service on those with tendencies to struggle with spiritual scrupulosity and several recommendations on how to begin to heal as a spiritual community.

Support the Show.

SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through ⁠a paid subscription⁠. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here!⁠

WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! ⁠ Sign up here!⁠

SUPPORT: Like what you’re hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to ⁠her business Venmo account⁠ or become a recurring donor on Patreon⁠.⁠

CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ⁠...

Subscriber-only episode

In this episode two [of a four-part series] Valerie and guest author Taylor Kerby delve into the complexities of OCD scrupulosity within the context of the Latter-Day Saint faith.

They continue their conversation tackling the following topics connecting OCD spiritual scrupulosity with the LDS faith tradition:

1. Spiritual Exceptionalism (addressed primarily in episode 231)

2. Low emphasis on the cultivation of personal authority

3. High anxiety around sexuality and an integrated sexual identity

4. A transactional relationship with God

5. An atonement theology that leaves people feeling anxious, guilty, afraid, or shameful

The episode concludes with a call for church leaders to know their limits and a plea to direct individuals to professional help, aiming to foster a more supportive and growth-oriented environment for all connected to the church.

SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through ⁠a paid subscription⁠. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here!⁠

WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! ⁠ Sign up here!⁠

SUPPORT: Like what you’re hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to ⁠her business Venmo account⁠ or become a recurring donor on Patreon⁠.⁠

CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ⁠...

In this opening episode of a four-part series focused on OCD spiritual scrupulosity in the context of the LDS church, Valerie begins by interviewing Taylor Kerby, author the the book "Scrupulous: My Obsessive Compulsion for God".

In this episode Taylor shares his journey with spiritual scrupulosity, explaining how these conditions manifested as compulsive religious behaviors fueled by some of the doctrine and practices connected to his LDS faith tradition.

This episode tackles the first of five key vulnerabilities linking spiritual scrupulosity within the LDS faith: spiritual exceptionalism, low emphasis on personal authority, anxiety around sex and the theology of the body, a transactional relationship with God, and an atonement theology sometimes leading to shame and fear.

Friday's episode digs into the rest of the five topics--ultimately emphasizing the importance of respectful and healing dialogue and urging listeners to prioritizes love, service, and grace over perfection. This entire series is a call for greater awareness and support for those grappling with OCD spiritual scrupulosity.

Support the Show.

SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through ⁠a paid subscription⁠. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here!⁠

WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! ⁠ Sign up here!⁠

SUPPORT: Like what you’re hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to ⁠her business Venmo account⁠ or become a recurring donor on Patreon⁠.⁠

CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ⁠...