Latter Day Struggles - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Latter Day Struggles — Health & Fitness
Latter Day Struggles

The Latter Day Struggles Podcast addresses beliefs and issues within the LDS faith that are challenging to talk about but vital to discuss for those trying to navigate their relationship in or around the church. Valerie and her guests invite psychological maturity, theological health, and institutional integrity.

Copyright: © 2025 Latter Day Struggles

Latest Episodes:

253: From Darkness to the Light: Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" & Latter-day Saint Faith Journeys Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series title: Plato's Allegory of the Cave & the LDS Faith Expansion Journey [Part I of IV]
What could Plato and "The Matrix" possibly have in common??

In episode one (of this four part series), Val and Nathan discuss themes that echo throughout ancient philosophy and modern day society. They begin this series by introducing Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and the symbolism throughout one man’s journey from darkness to light.
Drawing parallels between Plato’s allegory and pop culture, (including movies and TV shows), Valerie and Nathan discuss universal truths on spiritual enlightenment, and the challenges that individuals face when transitioning from a world of shadows to one of truth and enlightenment.

Val and Nathan set the stage for further exploration of Plato’s allegory in the upcoming episodes, promising to delve even deeper into its significance to the LDS faith journey.

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

251: Fostering Environments for Growth & Interdependent Thinking in the LDS Church Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: Vertical Development & the LDS Faith Journey with Ryan Gottfredson [Part III of IV]
In this episode, Valerie and Ryan expand on the characteristics of a vertically developing mind. This episode highlights the characteristics of the most psychologically developed mind--characteristics that embody only 1% of the population!
This "mind 3.0" values contributing to the world in meaningful ways, interdependent thinking, embracing vulnerability, and holding loving space for experiences and perspectives that vary (even in Sunday school!!).
Val and Ryan also explore how and why trauma [individually, generationally, and systemically] stagnates vertical development.

This series wraps up on Friday with an inspiring final episode that you don’t want to miss. Valerie and Ryan integrate these "big ideas" about vertical development into the Latter-day Saint setting and explore how a vertically developing membership and leadership could contribute to unprecedented relational and spiritual expansion and satisfaction in our faith community.

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

249: A Modern Map for Psychological Growth in our Latter-day Saint Community Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: Vertical Development & the LDS Faith Journey with Ryan Gottfredson [Part I of IV]
In this opening episode [of a four-part series], Valerie welcomes organizational psychologist Ryan Gottfredson for a fascinating study of how our level of psychological development impacts how we (our loved ones, our friends, and our church!) navigate religion and spirituality.

This episode is a broad overview of Ryan's scholarship, found in his book "The Elevated Leader" and sets the stage for their in-depth conversation in the following three episodes tackling each stage of vertical development and why so many don't reach their developmental potential.

Throughout this series, Valerie and Ryan discuss the intersection of leadership, organizational behavior, and faith systems, highlighting the significance of holistic development in personal, family, and faith systems.
The final episode integrates the concept of vertical development into specifics of the LDS church, offering insights into how a better understanding of human development might help our system support the growth and thriving of all connected to the church.

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

247: Processing Former Spiritual Experiences after LDS Faith Crisis Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: Redefining Spiritual Experiences [Part I of II]
In this episode of Latter Day Struggles, Valerie and Nathan respond to a very common question that people in early faith crisis often ask: "What do I make of my former spiritual experiences?"
This two part series tackles many aspects of this perplexing aspect of faith expansion. Val and Nathan talk about the feelings of confusion that many feel about early faith defining experiences. They talk about other feelings that come including mistrust in oneself, one's feelings, one's former answers, one's capacity to get guidance, and sometimes mistrust in God.
They offer thoughts around how many of us were taught to discern truth and how the spiritual journey is all about working through past experiences, emotions, and interpretations of our experiences as necessary for our growth into spiritually complex beings.

You definitely won't want to miss Part II in this Friday’s subscriber-exclusive episode either, where Valerie and Nathan delve deeper into how to move from a transactional relationship with God that was often connected to former spiritual experiences and how the faith journey is about expanding one's capacity to embody spiritual experiences rather than just having them.
They also touch on how to navigate relationship impasses with others who cannot understand our journeys due to their own spiritual experiences.

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

245: Transaction as the "Pee Wee Level" of True Discipleship with Steve Young Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: Moving Beyond the Transactional Gospel [Part I of II]
Is it time to graduate from your "Pee Wee" (aka "beginner level" for all of you non-football players) level of discipleship? If you're listening to this podcast, we are pretty sure the answer is a resounding YES! Bring on the Pro-Level!
In this enlightening episode of Latter Day Struggles, Valerie welcomes special guest Steve Young to delve into the transformative power of love within the context of faith expansion in and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Together they explore ideas from Steve's book, "The Law of Love," highlighting the journey from transaction towards an upward leaning desire towards selfless love as the foundation of all belief and relationship.

Together, they address the inevitable anxieties surrounding non-transactional relationships with God and challenge listeners to embrace a higher, more intimate relationship with the divine, moving away from prescriptive (transactional) guidelines towards personal, holistic engagement with self, faith, others, and ultimately with God.

This episode offers a profound perspective on love's capacity to evoke authenticity and divine potential in ourselves and others.

Friday's episode is a tender conversation between Steve and Val where they share how their own strivings to embody the Law of Love has changed them and enriched their relationships.

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

243: Why a Call for Loyalty is a Red Flag Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: A Study of Loyalty [Part I of II]
In this episode Valerie and Nathan delve into the delicate relationship between love, loyalty, and integrity. They discuss how loyalty, when prioritized over love, can lead to moral conflicts, confusion and systemic issues.
The conversation centers around recognizing loyalty as a near enemy to love, particularly within political, religious, and social contexts. With their usual compassion and candor, Valerie and Nathan advocate for genuine love over superficial loyalty. Tune in to explore how loyalty can overshadow true virtues and how embracing love as the true virtue can foster healthy connection and growth.

Friday’s powerful advanced content exclusive episode will delve deeper into how unquestioned loyalty is both damaging and dangerous, particularly within a religious system. Valerie and Nathan examine the proper place that loyalty should hold within relationships, and how Christlike love, compassion and one’s own integrity should always come first.

Don’t miss this compelling and thought provoking episode of Latter Day Struggles!

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

241: How Neuroscience Validates the Need for U.S. Prison Reform with Fiona Givens Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: Atonement & the American Criminal Justice System [Part III of IV]
Welcome to this episode where Valerie and special guest Fiona Givens dive deep into each of their favorite topics: neuroscience & trauma (looking at you Valerie!) & healthy atonement theology (now looking at you Fiona!).

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the impact of trauma on individuals, especially those within the criminal justice system. Fiona brings insights from scholars and trauma experts, emphasizing that what is often perceived as deviant behavior is deeply rooted in trauma and human woundedness.
Fiona and Valerie advocate for a theological vision committed to healing and redemption, affirming that a compassionate approach can lead to true transformation and restoration. This one is a must-listen and quite possibly will have you pondering things you haven't ever connected before!

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

239: How Christians Became Sinners with Fiona Givens Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: Atonement & the American Criminal Justice System [Part I of IV]
Welcome to a podcast series that has been months in the making and one that you will NOT want to miss if you desire to find health and healing in your relationship with God, atonement, hope, and healing.

In this four part series, Valerie welcomes return guest and gifted LDS theologian Fiona Givens. Together they delve deeply into the development of various atonement theologies and their impact on both the average Christian "sinner" as well as the "criminal", especially and how each "deserves" to be punished.

This series explores roots of atonement theology; how, why, where, and when it changed, and how the atonement theology that came to North America eventually impacted the criminal justice system.

They further explore how modern neuroscience has become an unexpected partner in revealing the infinite goodness and inevitable woundedness of all human kind and how our understanding the nature of the brain can bring about lasting reform of our atonement theology and our criminal justice system.

Don't miss this entire series packed with cutting edge scholarship and a windfall of hope and healing on our ongoing reimagining of God's infinite love for all of their children.

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

237: Near Enemy Behaviors that Creep into Missionary Work & Marriage Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: Exposing the Near Enemy [Part III of IV]
In this episode 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

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

235: What is a "Near Enemy" & Why Exposing Near Enemies Matter Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

Send us a Positive Review!

Series Title: Exposing the Near Enemy [Part I of IV]
In this opening episode of this new 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

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

Related Podcasts