Latter Day Struggles

Valerie Hamaker
  • 4.5 (847)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

The Latter Day Struggles Podcast addresses beliefs and issues within the LDS faith that are challenging to talk about but vital to discuss for those trying to navigate their relationship in or around the church. Valerie and her guests invite psychological maturity, theological health, and institutional integrity. 

  1. 4D AGO

    BONUS: How the World ACTUALLY Changes

    Send us a Positive Review! We've heard it a thousand times...and probably have said it a few times ourselves.  "The ________will never change."  You fill in the blank..."The world will never change" or "the church will never change"...and yet they do.   How does evolution actually happen?  This "bonus episode" is a download that Val had over the weekend after asking herself why she was doing this platform.  The answer to her question is what you will hear in this episode.  In short, the only way anything ever changes is when a small group of people gather and use their synergy to productively heal themselves and thoughtfully agitate for change in their worlds.  Its how it has always been and always will be.   Listen in and decide if you are someone who wants to be a part of the change that is already underway in our world right now.   "We Shall Be Known" by MaMuse Timestamps: 00:00 Bonus Episode Check In 00:32 Existential Questions 02:01 Live Fellowship Vision 03:56 Awakening Or Breakdown 05:54 Labor Pains of New Consciousness 07:05 Thesis Antithesis Synthesis 09:51 Seekers As Change Agents 11:19 Why Side Communities Matter 12:48 Community for Healing and Growth 14:53 Early Church Example 20:02 Feminine Divine and Equality 21:35 Institutions Retrench 26:08 Laboratories of Expanding Consciousness 30:07 Transformation In Groups 34:51 Who This Is For 36:16 Needs The Fellowship Meets 42:45 How Live Fellowship Works 48:40 Founding Group Details 53:36 Song And Great Turning 58:07 Enrollment And Scholarships 01:00:14 Closing Thanks Support the show Support the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

    1h 3m

  2. 6D AGO

    413: Complexity of Clark Gilbert Call to the Q12

    Send us a Positive Review! In this episode Val is joined by Jana Riess, author and researcher of the LDS spectrum of experience and Jason Bergman, former BYU professor & faculty member.  Together they discuss the many facets of the Clark Gilbert call to the Q12 of the LDS church.    In this conversation Jason contrasts his experience on the BYU faculty both before and during Gilbert's leadership and candidly shares the painful and life altering impact Gilbert's fervor for loyalty and conformity of LDS orthodoxy had on him and his career.   They also explore the possibility that well-intended loyalty to tradition can actually fracture lives, families, and even the potential good that churches can do in the long run--especially when loyalty to old ways end up getting in the way of further light and truth hiding in plain sight.   Join them for another bold, courageous, and candid conversation inviting spiritual growth in and around the LDS church.   Jana's Salt Lake Tribune Article Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and Guests 00:36 Why This Topic Matters 01:55 Jana Riess Research 03:42 Jason BYU Background 07:20 Mixed Reactions Online 12:11 Why Gilbert Stands Out 17:27 Culture Warrior Defined 27:12 Polarization and Autonomy 35:53 BYU Orthodoxy Crackdown 40:43 Honor Code Turmoil Timeline 43:58 Choosing to Leave BYU 44:56 Faculty Fear and Silence 47:15 Big Tent Tensions 49:14 Incognito Faculty Support 52:41 Loyalty Oath Explained 58:33 Surveillance and Dismissals 01:00:35 Hiring and Worthiness Filters 01:02:52 Growth Versus Orthodoxy 01:07:31 Data on Same Sex Marriage 01:10:02 What BYU Lost 01:17:44 Evolution One Funeral 01:20:46 Gerontocracy and Mini Me 01:22:07 Final Thanks and Farewell Support the show Support the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

    1h 29m

  3. FEB 23

    411: Inaugural Live Fellowship Recording

    Send us a Positive Review! Join us for this one-time-only recording of our FIRST Latter Day Struggles "Live Fellowship"!   What is this, you ask?  Valerie has decided to offer a gathering place for those on the LDS and surrounding faith expansion journey wanting consistent (2x/month!) connection with her to go deeper into the mind & heart expanding content on both the Monday and Friday tracks of the Latter Day Struggles podcast.   In this opening gathering, Valerie explored with those in attendance how both The Family Proclamation to the World and the call of Clark Gilbert to the Q12 are reflections of a historical moment and a choice point that all organizations confront as they grow.  The question?    Do we adapt to a more connected and pluralistic world that is experiencing an awakening of light and truth? Or do we double down in fear-based conformity?  This amazing interactive Fellowship Live episode gives you a taste of how your faith journey can move beyond a passive listening experience and towards active healing and connection with other seekers like yourself.    Jump in now and you can become a founding shaper of the first cohesive and intentional community of individuals whose LDS faith journey was an entry point into their greatest spiritual growth and evolution.   If you listened and this is for you, jump into the Latter Day Struggles LIVE FELLOWSHIP by clicking on the link below and enroll.   Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome: Why Seeing Faces Matters  00:51 Building a Faith-Expansion Community  02:33 What a "Sangha" Is  04:14 How the Fellowship Works  05:23 What This Space Is (and Isn't)  07:43 Ground Rules: Staying with Growth  09:28 Why Context Heals  10:48 The Family Proclamation & Clark Gilbert  13:57 America and the LDS Church as Parallel Institutions  15:52 Master Narratives & Threatened Identity  19:38 Retrench or Adapt: The Choice Point  27:00 Discussion: Authoritarian Systems vs. Healthy Communities  32:54 Pocket Communities Over Polarization  34:08 Seeing the System with Compassion  37:50 Why Narrative Change Feels Threatening  40:00 High-Level Language vs. Real-Life Details  42:42 Moving Beyond Fixed Rules  46:45 Transcend & Include  51:37 Rethinking Prophecy  56:13 Our Role in the Larger Awakening  01:00:16 Closing: Breakout Groups & What's Next Support the show Support the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

    1h 5m

  4. FEB 16

    409: The Family Proclamation: Living Document or Unchanging Doctrine?

    Send us a Positive Review! Series Title: What does the Family Proclamation Mean to You? [Episode II of II] This episode of Latter Day Struggles continues a two-part conversation about the LDS Church's Proclamation on the Family, examining the tension between claims of unchanging doctrine and the historical reality of doctrinal evolution. Petrey demonstrates through historical analysis that LDS teachings on gender, sexuality, marriage, and family have repeatedly changed over time—from positions on interracial marriage and the priesthood ban, to birth control prohibitions, plural marriage, conversion therapy for LGBTQ individuals, and women wearing pants.  The conversation highlights how church leaders have consistently taught that their current positions were "unchanging doctrine" until those positions eventually changed, creating a pattern that contradicts claims of doctrinal fixity. Petrey offers a constructive framework for understanding doctrine as historically contingent and evolving—consistent with the LDS concept of continuing revelation—rather than eternally fixed.  The Family Proclamation Op Ed by Taylor Petrey Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and Welcome  00:19 - Overview of the Proclamation to the Family  01:19 - Recap: Last Week's Discussion  01:31 - Defining Doctrine and Authority  02:08 - What Does 'Doctrine' Mean to Members?  03:48 - The Salvational Weight of Doctrine  05:31 - Elder Rasband's Talk and Proclamation Analysis  09:40 - Historical Changes in LDS Doctrine  11:41 - Race, Interracial Marriage, and Doctrinal Change  13:14 - Birth Control and Plural Marriage  15:11 - History vs. Faith-Promoting Narratives  17:34 - Redefining Doctrine: Making Space for Change  20:06 - Conversion Therapy and Evolving LGBTQ Positions  22:31 - Holding Contradictory Positions Simultaneously  25:31 - Challenges of Authoritarianism in the Church  28:09 - Religious Authority Across Denominations  32:33 - Who Defines History vs. Who Defines Doctrine?  34:22 - Doctrine as Continuing Revelation  35:15 - Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions Support the show Support the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

    42 min

  5. FEB 9

    407: Is the Family Proclamation a Commentary or a Revelation?

    Send us a Positive Review! Series Title:  What does the Family Proclamation Mean to You? [Episode I of II] Welcome to this two-part series where Valerie welcomes returned guest scholar Taylor Petrey to discuss the LDS Church's Family Proclamation to the World as it reaches its 30th anniversary. The heart of the episode centers on Taylor's controversial Salt Lake Tribune opinion piece in September 2025 (linked below) arguing that The Family Proclamation should be understood as commentary rather than revelation or unchanging doctrine. This characterization sparked significant pushback from conservative church members who insisted the document represents eternal, unchanging truth.  Taylor and Valerie explore the complex and often inconsistent ways that the LDS Church uses terms like doctrine, revelation, policy, and commentary, noting how these categories shift depending on context and speaker. They discuss how the proclamation itself has been reinterpreted over time and set you up for the second part of their conversation where they dive deeply into the changing interpretations themselves.  The Family Proclamation Op Ed by Taylor Petrey Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:11 Discussing the Family Proclamation 01:48 Cultural and Political Context 04:20 Historical Background of Family Proclamations 07:04 The 1995 Proclamation and Its Impact 13:21 Opinion Piece and Public Reaction 24:43 Controversy and Clarifications 27:57 Historical Changes in Church Teachings 28:33 Modern Reinterpretations of Doctrine 30:42 Balancing Eternal Truths and Continuing Revelation 32:58 The Controversy of Words and Authority 36:15 Revelation vs. Policy: A Case Study 38:10 The Fluidity of Revelation 43:45 The Role of Commentary in Church Doctrine 48:20 Setting Up for the Next Episode 51:36 Final Thoughts and Conclusion Support the show Support the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

    53 min

  6. FEB 2

    405: Announcing: Biweekly LIVE Fellowship! More Healing & New Connection

    Send us a Positive Review! Have you ever listened to a Latter Day Struggles episode and wanted nothing more than to talk about it but no one is around or would understand?  Have you noticed that while your heart is growing faster than ever, your relationships are changing just as fast?   Val has noticed that this podcast community has served not only to help you make sense of your LDS faith journey but also has created friendship networks that are life enriching in ways no one could have imagined.    So why not expand our reach and create more places to connect and find healing + community?   Listen in today for all of the details on the new biweekly LIVE FELLOWSHIP: a place where you go to join live discussions on current podcast topics with Valerie & then make new friends on a healthy LDS faith journey in your own region.   What could be better?  A few details:   Join Val for 24 Live Fellowship gatherings a year + recordings if you miss out!Jump into the FREE Inaugural LIVE Fellowship on 2/18 at 9:30a PST!All who enroll by 2/28/26 get an extra month tacked onto their annual enrollment, compliments of Val :).  Already in the Friday Fellowship as an annual member?  Your tuition will be applied towards the upgrade (plus an extra discount!) New to all Fellowship Opportunities? Friday Fellowship content is INCLUDED with your annual tuition! Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:12 Announcement of Live Fellowship 01:36 Understanding the Faith Crisis 04:12 Overview of Learning Tiers 04:42 Monday Episodes Explained 06:20 Reframing LDS Doctrine & Theology 08:34 Friday Fellowship Deep Dive 12:30 Transcending & Including Mormonism 14:01 Introduction to Live Fellowship 17:12 Growth and Processing Groups 19:27 Individual Consulting Services 20:30 Why Create the Live Fellowship? 23:50 The Importance of Community 26:10 Forming Side Communities 28:30 Regional Breakout Groups 32:10 Differences: Live Fellowship vs. Depth Groups 34:00 Patriarchy Healing Curriculum 36:08 Logistics and Launch Details 37:00 First Session: Proclamation to the Family 38:30 Second Session: Transcendence & Inclusion 40:00 Recordings & Accessibility 41:00 Scholarships & Faith Journey Foundation 41:37 Final Thoughts and Call to Action 45:10 Ken Wilber Quote on Consciousness 47:30 Individual Transformation & Cultural Change 49:00 Closing Remarks Support the show Support the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

    52 min

  7. JAN 26

    403: A Tribute to our Former Bishop, Ken Glenn

    Send us a Positive Review! In this  episode Nathan & I pause to honor the impact that Ken Glenn had on us at this time of his early and tragic passing.   In this episode we share many examples that prove that the traditionally believing [Ken] and the… shall we say...less traditionally believing…[us!] LDS can co-exist, when vulnerability, love, and curiosity are chosen over judgment.    We love you Ken.  Thank you for showing us Christ-like love even if you did not fully understand our work.   Timestamps:  00:00 Welcome and New Beginnings  00:53 Transition to YouTube  02:52 Memorializing a Mentor  06:17 Ken Glynn's Impact  09:54 Personal Stories of Ken  13:16 Ken's Humility and Kindness  14:14 Early Leadership Challenges  19:29 Parenting and Church Dynamics  20:10 Parental Decisions and Church Conflicts  22:53 Podcast Beginnings and Community Reactions  24:04 A Touching Tennis Meet Encounter  29:32 Mission Preparation and Temple Challenges  40:31 A Heartfelt Tribute to Bishop Ken Support the show Support the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

    48 min

  8. JAN 19

    401: A Response to Dallin Oaks' Desire for LDS Girls to Marry Younger

    Send us a Positive Review! In this episode I respond to your requests to explore President Dallin Oaks' desire that LDS girls get married younger.  As a bonus, I propose a counter-solution to. the current LDS mixed-faith marriage crisis that does not involve pressuring younger marriage (and its well-documented risk factors) on LDS young adults.   Please share this episode if it resonates!   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:18 Valerie's Analysis of Early Marriage 02:00 President Oaks' Comments and Valerie's Response 09:10 Exploring the Motivations Behind Encouraging Early Marriage 13:50 Risks and Drawbacks of Early Marriage 25:04 Correlation Between Temple Marriage and Divorce Rates 28:40 Concerns of Church Leadership 31:34 The Marriage Crisis in the Church 32:22 Challenges of Mixed Faith Marriages 33:30 Theological Strain and Parenting in Mixed Faith Marriages 34:44 Historical Context and Faith Crises 36:42 The Push for Early Marriage 39:24 Differentiation of Self and Its Importance 45:06 The Impact of Early Marriage on Development 57:43 Proposing a New Approach to Faith Journeys 01:01:15 Final Thoughts and Call to Action Support the show Support the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

    1h 5m
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About

The Latter Day Struggles Podcast addresses beliefs and issues within the LDS faith that are challenging to talk about but vital to discuss for those trying to navigate their relationship in or around the church. Valerie and her guests invite psychological maturity, theological health, and institutional integrity. 

Information

  • Creator
    Valerie Hamaker
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    279
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Latter Day Struggles
  • Show Website
    Latter Day Struggles

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