Episode 724: Jessy Markowitz, LDS Convert, Sexual Assault Survivor, Finding Healing

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2023

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

** Trigger Warning: This podcast discusses suicide. If you are suicidal, please call/text/chat 988 ** My brave friend Jessy Markowitz joins us from Las Vegas to share her story. Jessy starts with the realities of her life resulting in immense pain and, at times, loss of hope. Jessy talks about her father’s death at age 4, being sexually assaulted, and then her brother Dennis’ death from suicide in Feb 2017. Jessy was very close to Dennis and talks about the pain of his death. Jessy, now a married mother, talks about feeling so much darkness and lack of hope in her life following Dennis’ death. Jessy talks about the deeply spiritual experiences that led her to Jesus and to membership in the Church (and later her husband). Jessy talks about the dramatic contrast between her life without Jesus and her life now with Jesus, the Church, and the healing power of His atonement. It is a remarkable story that gives hope to everyone. Jessy talks about her love of the temple (including her husband Mitch doing the proxy work for her brother and father). Jessy concludes with her testimony of the Church, Jesus, BYU-Pathways, and her plans to write a book. I was so moved listening to Jessy’s powerful story and testimony. Thank you, Jessy, to being on the podcast and your work to help everyone feel the love, peace, and hope of Jesus. You are a remarkable woman and help make this world a better place. Links: Instagram: @mychallengehisstrength E-mail: [email protected] Richard Ostler books/bio/etc.: www.papaostler.com

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome listeners to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love, hosted by Richard Osler.
0:09.6	Just a personal note, as we go into 2024, I've felt impressed of focusing and only do LGBTQ-focused podcasts.
0:19.1	And while some of the other podcasts have been terrific and so helpful for our
0:23.6	listeners, my emotional gas tank's a little low and I need to cut back and find a sustainable way to
0:30.2	keep the podcast going. So I'll probably do a solo podcast and talk more about that. But this is the
0:37.1	kind of podcast we're doing right now that I'm so
0:39.7	glad we're doing, but it probably won't be the kind of podcast I'll be able to do in 2024. So I'm so
0:46.3	glad that Jesse Markowitz emailed me and we get to get her story in the podcast series. It's a remarkable story. Welcome to the podcast, Jesse.
0:58.4	Thank you, Richard. I will give you a bit of a bio. This isn't an LGBT podcast, but it's a
1:06.1	terrific podcast. Jesse is a convert to the church. She spent most of her life in Las Vegas, and like
1:14.0	many wonderful people, has sort of has been a victim and a survivor of really difficult
1:21.5	situations. Her father was an alcoholic and died when he walked into traffic at age four. Her brother, who was a really helpful supporter, her life died of suicide on Valentine's Day in February of 2017.
1:38.8	She'll probably talk about that.
1:40.7	She's also survivor of sexual abuse.
1:44.0	She'll talk about her connection with God
1:46.2	loosely as a raised Catholic. She found her husband and they got married and realized he was Jewish.
1:55.6	And she'll talk a little bit about that. But then she'll talk about just needing a savior in her life and finding
2:03.0	the church and joining the church and her Jewish husband and her two biological children
2:08.4	and have joined the church with her. And they've been sealed in the St. George Temple.
2:14.5	So I was so moved when Jesse sent me her email. This is a unique, brave story. And I think
2:22.9	our joint prayer is that if you're walking a complicated road with complicated family issues and
2:28.2	just feel darkness and no hope and where's God in the complicated life I'm living that Jesse's story will help you.
	...

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