Episode Details

In this episode, I sit down with my little brother Ryan Liston to talk about his journey of leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were both raised in traditional Latter-day Saint households, and while I'm still an active member, Ryan's path took him in a different direction. He shares his beautiful, hard, and honest story of how he went from being the "perfect" Mormon kid—seminary president, never missed scripture reading, went a whole year without listening to secular music—to questioning everything he believed.

Ryan talks about how his faith crisis started at BYU around age 21-22, those moments on his mission when he questioned if he actually believed what he was teaching, and the long process of coming to terms with not believing in God anymore. He shares about the grief of losing his belief, the loneliness of that transition, and how he's found peace on the other side. We get into resources that helped him like "Stages of Faith" by James Fowler and "Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis" by Thomas McConkie. Ryan's advice is powerful: let your experience happen, give yourself compassion, and choose to end up peaceful and loving even when the journey is hard.

Brynne’s Social:

Facebook: @Brynne Erickson - my public page

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355

Instagram: @brynne_erickson

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Threads: @brynne_erickson

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Resources Ryan References:

• Faith Matters Podcast and Foundation

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/faithmattersfoundation/

• Stages of Faith, by James W. Fowler
• Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis, by Thomas Whirthlin McConkie

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ryan's Journey

04:57 The Beginning of Doubt

11:40 Questioning Faith and Identity

16:45 Seeking Professional Help

21:54 Rebuilding Identity and Values

25:59 Looking Ahead: Future Aspirations

27:01 Embracing Life's Experiences

31:40 Navigating Spiritual Uncertainty

34:30 Coping with Hardships

41:11 Resources for Personal Growth

48:34 Choosing Your Emotional Journey

51:48 call to action