1043: Ana Reading: My Swiss Mormon Journey Pt. 4
Mormon Stories Podcast
Dr. John Dehlin
4.5 • 5.7K Ratings
🗓️ 11 January 2019
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ana Reading is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, and inspiring Mormons I've ever met. Born to a semi-functional family in Switzerland, Ana clung to Mormonism as a source of strength and comfort. Ana served an LDS mission in Ireland, went to BYU, married a devout American Mormon in the temple (Bill Reading), had four children, sacrificed her career to live the Mormon dream, and served in high-level ward callings (while Bill served twice as branch president/bishop).
Ana's Mormon dream was disrupted when she began feeling unfulfilled and overwhelmed at church, and then ultimately learned about the church's troubling historical past. Ana's story concludes with struggles to survive a mixed faith marriage (facing Bill's sadness and disappointment), reconstruct a relationship with her faithful children, and pursue a happy, healthy life outside of the church.
“Alright to Be You” is a collaboration song by electronic musician, Milocraft, and singer-songwriter, Angela Soffe. Raised in the LDS Church, both are returned missionaries, and each chose to leave the Church when faced with a faith crisis. In 2018 they founded the “Be Moved Project” to create music that helps people feel happy and connected. To hear more music or support the project by becoming a patron, please visit: www.angelasoffe.com
Transcript
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| 0:46.6 | Couple comments from our listeners Penny writes, wow good mothering, allowing your daughter to get |
| 0:51.9 | angry at you and to listen to her. So Penny loves that. So does Victoria, hey Victoria. |
| 1:00.5 | Allison writes, great podcast, a great mom and strong woman to think for herself. |
| 1:07.0 | David writes, others have doubts but don't mention them because they're afraid of being treated as she was |
| 1:12.8 | and that's true. How many Mormons struggling, questioning, doubting Mormons live in silence |
| 1:20.5 | because they're petrified as to how their spouse because as tough as it was with Bill, he didn't |
| 1:26.8 | kick you out, he didn't divorce you and your kids haven't, you know, become estranged from you. |
| 1:32.6 | So in that sense, you, as hard as it has been for you on a, you were fortunate. |
| 1:39.4 | And there are other people that live in fear, there are other people that come out and lose their |
| 1:44.6 | marriages, get divorced, become estranged from their kids, lose their jobs. That's kind of why |
| 1:49.6 | Mormon stories and exist. But then there's others that are just so scared to even come out |
| 1:56.0 | that they keep all this inside. And can you just imagine how toxic that is to your mental health, |
| 2:02.0 | to your anxiety, to your depression, to just try it for a year so I know. What does that do? |
| 2:07.6 | What does that do to just keep it inside? Ana? Oh, it's terrible. It's terrible. I felt like a |
| 2:13.6 | hypocrite. I felt like a liar. You know, I felt like every aspect of my life was nothing but a |
| 2:20.2 | lie. You know, and I'm a very honest person normally. You know, I wear my heart on my sleep. |
... |
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