Lately I’ve been feeling a very strong pull to bring Mormon Stories back.  If I were to do so, I would target few areas I feel really strongly about:

  1. Attempts at interviews with prominent LDS church members — Stephanie Nielson (Nie Nie), Shannon Hale, Robin Jensen, Chad Hardy, Stephen Kapp Perry, Dustin Lance Black, Laura Compton, Hawkgrrrl, Kevin Barney, Lisa Butterworth, Philip Barlow, John Hamer, Daniel Peterson, Peter and Mary Danzig, etc.
  2. A deep dive/exploration into mental illness within Mormonism.
  3. Provide stories to help couples wherein one or both are experiencing a crisis of faith — in a way that might help them to avoid unproductive pain and/or divorce, and
  4. Providing stories that will help people through the damaging social, familial and spiritual effects of an LDS-related faith crisis (without any “nudge” or preference as to whether or not they stay in or leave the church).  The overarching goals here would be to
    • Create deeper understanding and empathy within our culture for those in a faith crisis, and
    • Provide healthy “role models” (tips and tricks) from people who have successfully worked through this crisis — from across the spectrum of belief/non-belief (ex-Mormons, post-Mormons, New Order Mormons, StayLDS, Apologists, etc.).  The idea isn’t to point people in a specific direction, but instead to provide stories that will help people find the path that works best for them.
  5. And of course, all the Mormon Stories goodness you have come to know and love.  :)

I could not do it alone.  I would need lots of help to make it happen.

If any of you are interested in supporting such a podcast, please contact me at: mormonstories@gmail.com.

Thanks!

John Dehlin

2 Comments

  1. Hellmut January 12, 2010 at 7:00 am - Reply

    I like that, John. There are many people who need the support.

    The challenge is to render Mormon Stories sustainable. In my opinion, you ought to determine a budget. You will probably need something in the neighborhood of $3,000 per episode to sustain yourself.

    Raise the money on your website. Let listeners see how much you have collected with a thermometer. Do not release the next episode until the target is hit.

    The transparency will go a long way to improving on your previous efforts. There are other ways to improve your fundraising potential. For example, there could be a board of directors. Each member would commit to organize their friends, neighbors and relatives to raise money.

    But if it is not possible to raise in the neighborhood of $3,000 then you ought to dedicate your talents to another effort.

  2. OzPoof April 4, 2010 at 11:18 am - Reply

    Thank you for your work.

    As a gay ex Mormon in Australia, I find your subject matter very enlightening and comforting. While I can never see myself returning to church, your podcasts give me hope for people I know who are still in.

    Looking at Utah from as far away as Australia we always thought Mormons in the US were clones of each other – rich, happy, straight, white, fertile. Your show makes them seem human, with all the differences that entails. This makes me think that one day the church leaders might get a timely “revelation” that might mean an end to the suicides of gay youth who are told they choose to be gay and are evil for it.

    Your discussions and stories make me see Mormons as people. I have long had a hatred of them due to the treatment I received as a teen, and the fact that their entire history has been sanitized and changed. I felt I was judged by people living a lie, and who didn’t know what they were talking about when it came to me. The Prop8 news we saw here also suggested that Mormons hate gays despite us not being able to choose to not be gay. I understand now that there are people in the church who have transcended the level that the General Authorities have stagnated at.

    Keep talking to people. Truth doesn’t ever have to keep quiet.

    OZPoof

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