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Hello and welcome to another edition of Warmest Stories podcast. I'm your host John DeLin.

It's very exciting to have you with us today both in audio and for those of you joining us on YouTube in video.

It is July 29th, 2015. We're broadcasting or recording today from Salt Lake City, Utah in Sugar House.

And we're just very, very excited to have with us today a really important emerging voice in progressive Mormonism.

Her name is Juliana Villegas-Haz. She is super cool and interesting for a number of reasons.

She's from Belgium. It's sort of important to note in a time when race is really an important issue to be discussed nationally and internationally.

It's worth noting that Juliana is a person of color. We'll be talking about that. She's also European. She was raised in Belgium.

She speaks French as her native language, but she also speaks English fluently. And a few other languages in addition to some degree or another.

She is most known in 2015 for a really important op-ed that she wrote in the Salt Lake Tribune.

The op-ed is called What Do Progressive Mormons Want, a dialogue about change. And it's really struck a nerve on Facebook and on Twitter and on the Internet.

And so we're going to be talking about that in depth today about her views. But most importantly, we're going to talk about her story, which includes, again, being raised in Europe and Belgium.

It includes being raised as a person of color within the LDS Church in Europe. It'll talk about her experience as a missionary on Temple Square here in Salt Lake City, Utah.

She is married to a Caucasian LDS Church member. So she's in an interracial marriage. We'll be talking about that.

And then also we're going to talk about her faith journey that aligns with her family. And then we're going to talk about this article and her views on the Church in the 21st century.

And her thoughts on what might need to happen to help make Mormonism healthier and better.

And so I just can't say I'm excited enough to have you today, Juliana Villegas-Has, to Mormon stories. Welcome.

Well, thank you. Thank you very much. I'm happy to be here. I am excited to do this.

And a little nervous. And a little nervous.

Well, you've got a great story. I'll relax as it goes.

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