In June 2014 Kate Kelly, the vocal spokesperson for Ordain Women, was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for apostasy.

Kate Kelly had led a high profile campaign including two actions on Temple Square in order to ask the President of the LDS Church to pray about whether or not women should be ordained.   This public petition that eventually included hundreds of women from around the world was met by a resounding silence and denial by the LDS leadership.  But it was Kate's excommunication that either catapulted women out of the church or aroused a new awareness in the faithful that the church they had thought of as benevolent had, in this case, acted vindictively and egregiously to support the supremacy of the patriarchy.

Katie Langston, Nancy Ross and Brittany Mangleson, women who arrived at an impasse after the excommunication and chose to pursue ordination in other faith traditions join me to discuss the impact of Ordain Women on them and the Mormon feminist community.

Sabine (name changed) served faithfully in the church for years.  Then several incidents involving her children occurred causing her to act swiftly to protect them from bullying and shaming from adult leaders.   The result was a fall-out with her local LDS community followed by a request that she no longer enter the church premises.

Sabine's is one of many stories in which solvable interpersonal problems are compounded by poor pastoral practice, difficulties in dealing with interpersonal difficulties, an attachment to affirming the status of leaders and a subtle rejection of parents as the ultimate authority when it comes to their children.

Brian and Gina discuss the complexity of the experience of Mormonism when confronted with eyes wide open to both its past, its present and its changing contexts.

Kirtland is a singular place in the history of the LDS movement.    The Kirtland Temple once stood as a symbol of a faith that shattered and splintered upon Joseph Smith's death.   Now it's a powerful symbol of a shared history and language of faith rooted in multiple denominations.   As a spiritual home to many, the Kirtland Temple, cared for by the Community of Christ, is remarkable in its power and willingness to gather in all expressions of the Restoration. 

Tom Kimball joins me to talk about the Kirtland Temple or as she is affectionately known, 'Grandmother'.