#037 Morgan Leaves the Mormon Church

Jen and Tesha chat with Morgan Flores about her decision to leave the Mormon. She describes what it was like growing up in the Mormon church, and the ways in which the church placed demands on every aspect of her life. Morgan not only describes her decision to leave the church, but also explains the freedom that she has felt since leaving. 

 

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Life Updates: Jen and Tesha talk about what they’re reading these days, what they’re watching on TV and what they’ve been up to lately.

(7:58) Introductions: We meet Morgan. 

(12:00) Joining the Mormon Church: Morgan talks about her mothers decision to convert and join the Mormon Church and to baptize Morgan when she was 8.  Morgan tells us about things that she likes about the church, growing up surrounded by other Mormons and beginning to question her Faith. 

(22:58) High-demand religion: Morgan details some of the demands placed upon members of the Mormon church and the ways, from telling you what to wear, and what to eat or drink, who you could be friends with, and how you should be spending your money. 

(26:52) How she spends Sundays now: Morgan talks about all of the freedom she has now that she isn't a member of the church. No longer looking for organized religion.  She discusses where her spirituality is moving now. 

(29:39) Marriage: We discuss how Morgan is balancing her marriage while her husband is still a member of the church. She says the key is respecting each other's opinions, and focussing on the reasons why they got married. 

(35:47) Reaction: Morgan talks about the support she has received from others (including social media) when she talks about leaving the church. She also describes some of the push back she has received from other Mormons. 

(41:11) Being weighed down: Morgan shares about some of the ways that she felt weighed down and dismissed by the church. She describes always being sent the message that the church is perfect, and any concerns you have are your own personal fault. She also describes the way that mental health issues are treated by the church, and the toxic positivity they encourage. 

(49:57) A weight lifted: Morgan describes feeling relieved when church was canceled during Covid lockdowns, and noticing her anxiety lower, feeling lighter and free. Morgan only realized how heavy the weight of the church was once it was gone.

(53:08) Learning to deal with emotions: Morgan is learning to accept emotions as they come and go on this journey. 

(1:02:32) Advice for anybody leaving the church: go slow, turn to people who love you unconditionally. 

Resources:

Glendon Doyle’s Book,  Untamed can be found in our Amazon shop. 

https://www.amazon.ca/shop/jen_hoffmeister_?ref=inf_pub_jen_hoffmeister_

 

What is Mormonism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism

 

About Morgan: 

Morgan Flores runs an Instagram account where she talks about minimalism, organizing and cleaning. She also speaks out about growing up with a mother who had hoarding tendencies and deconstructing from the Mormon church. She’s married to her husband, has three daughters and is currently a film student. She also runs a podcast with her husband called The Minimalist Couple.

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