Blonde Apologist

Is it possible to grow while raising kids? In this episode, Montana Coles and I talk about developing ourselves in motherhood, avoiding comparison, making mom friends, and partnering with Christ through the highs and the lows.

In 2016, Amy Allebest’s essay Dear Mormon Men sparked a lot of conversation inside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For many members, the essay feels uncomfortable—or even threatening—because it raises questions about gender, authority, and women’s experiences in the Church.
In this episode, I sit down with Amy Watkins Jensen, the voice behind Women on the Stand, to talk through some of the ideas raised in Dear Mormon Men and the real experiences of women in the Church that often sit underneath conversations like this. We discuss why women sharing their experiences matters, how culture and doctrine sometimes get tangled together, and how we can wrestle with difficult topics while staying rooted in faith in Jesus Christ.

What does it look like to stay in the Church while carrying experiences that are often misunderstood? In this episode my guest, Trevor Schoeny, shares his story of growing up gay in the Church, navigating scrupulosity and trauma, sustaining Church leadership, and discerning how he would raise his future children in the faith. My hope is that conversations like this help us build more understanding, more compassion, and stronger unity as we strive to follow Christ together.

What does it actually mean for women to have priesthood power?

Today I’m joined by Dr. Barbara Morgan Gardner to dig into priesthood power, women’s roles, and how the Church talks about both. Together, we address common misconceptions, challenge oversimplified narratives, and share personal experiences of how women access, exercise, and recognize priesthood power in their everyday lives.

If you’ve ever felt confused, curious, or even quietly frustrated by conversations around women and the priesthood….this episode is for you!

More Latter-day Saints struggle with religious OCD, or scrupulosity, than we often realize. For those who face it, obsessive anxiety can twist gospel living into a cycle of fear and toxic guilt, and many even mistake that guilt for promptings from the Spirit.

In this episode, therapist Annabella Hagen helps us understand what scrupulosity is, how it shows up in our culture, and how we can stay connected to God without letting fear take over. We also talk about how families and leaders can offer better support, when it may be time to seek professional help, and how to discern between the Spirit and anxiety.

For anyone interested in joining Annabella’s FREE Online OCD Support Group for Members of the Church or the one for All Faiths, they can request to be added to the email list by contacting [email protected]

The Faith Leaders’ Guide to Scrupulosity OCD pamphlet (PDF): https://mindsetfamilytherapy.com/books/downloads