wHoly Human

Serena Aguirre

Bringing disability and neurodiversity to the pulpit: An LDS Come Follow Me podcast and more. Dedicated to amplifying disabled perspectives in religious settings, especially within and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  1. Ep. 35: Mourning in "Liberty" - D&C 133-136

    26/11/2021

    Ep. 35: Mourning in "Liberty" - D&C 133-136

    Two weeks' worth of LDS Come Follow Me study and commentary, covering Doctrine & Covenants Sections 133-136. In this episode, we deepen the conversation around 19th century Mormon polygamy and disability/neurodivergency. We mention various instances of disabled and neurodivergent people in polygamous relationships, and discuss how that relationship style worked to either aid or disadvantage the disabled/neurodivergent person. We reiterate the fact that just because a person has a specific disability or neurodivergence, it does not make them an automatically good person; we can hold space for disability/neurodiversity representation while also holding people accountable for the harm they've caused others. This is especially true when discussing Brigham Young and both his eschewment of tradition (a neurodivergent trait) and the fact that he promoted eugenic, ableist rhetoric around Mormonism, as well as his complicity in the enslavement of indigenous people. Lastly, we bring Emma Smith to the forefront during our discussion of Joseph Smith's martyrdom, as we read the blessing she requested from Joseph right before he went to Carthage Jail. We correlate the mourning of the LDS church after Joseph's death with the expression of mourning of Black people in America during Black Lives Matter. The spilling of innocent blood is therefore something that Mormons should especially resonate with. CW: In this episode, we touch on eugenics, enslavement, and anti-Black racism.

    56 min
  2. Ep. 34: BONUS - We Need To Talk About How We Talk About Polygamy

    13/11/2021

    Ep. 34: BONUS - We Need To Talk About How We Talk About Polygamy

    A solo episode by Serena, where she breaks down how one cannot speak about polygamy without also speaking about how it is shaped by and connected to disability, neurodiversity and queerness. If we only talk about the negative aspects of 19th century Mormon polygamy, while talking about both negative and positive aspects of Mormon monogamy, then we are not taking an equitable approach to polygamy as a relationship style/structure. And when the history of polygamy is also shaped by disability, and when neurodivergent and queer people are highly represented in modern day nonmonogamy, the way we talk about polygamy matters.  Those of us in the progressive Mormon sphere are trying to build a bridge from Mormon history and doctrine to those of us who have historically been excluded and even expelled from Mormonism. If the bridge purports to lead towards inclusion of neurodivergent, disabled, and queer people, then should it not consider our viewpoints while reimagining and analyzing our collective Mormon history? How can you talk about polygamy - literally, marriage to more than one person - without centering love? How can you talk about polygamy, a “deviant” relationship style, without centering the people whom modern Mormonism considers deviant, meaning queer and neurodivergent people?  If we believe that “love is love”, and that “we are here and we are queer!” are true principles when it comes to BYU students protesting homophobic policies at the Church administrative building in downtown SLC, then those principles are also true when people engage in nonmonogamous relationships.

    1h 3m

About

Bringing disability and neurodiversity to the pulpit: An LDS Come Follow Me podcast and more. Dedicated to amplifying disabled perspectives in religious settings, especially within and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.