Podcast
Latter Day Struggles
Hosted by Valerie Hamaker · EN
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.
29episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
443: Addressing Real Mental Health Needs for the Full-time LDS Missionary
2w ago01:03:49Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: "Latter Day Missionaries": A Mental Health Resource for LDS Missionaries & their Families [Part I of II]Do you know anyone who experienced issues with anxiety, depression, homesickness, getting along with that annoying companion, or struggles with shame and perfectionism on their LDS mission? Was that you? Your child? If you have been touched in any way with the LDS mission experience and would like a resource that is worth its weight in gold, this series is for you. In today's episode you will meet Dr. Bryson Ensign, a former LDS missionary and psychiatrist in training who has dedicated countless hours creating a resource that he wishes he had on his own mission. As a devoted listener to the Latter Day Struggles podcast, Bryson shares a passion with Valerie to help those in and around the LDS faith with issues of mental well being that are often not understood (and therefore not addressed ) at the institutional level. This episode shares his vision, sense of call, and an overview of his program. The next episode walks you through an entire segment of his curriculum (dealing with scrupulosity on the LDS mission). Enjoy!Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:48 Bryson's Background and Faith 07:24 Why Mission Mental Health 10:56 Program Overview: Latter Day Missionaries 16:01 Mental Health Training Center 20:36 Lesson Topics and Tools 28:19 Designed for Every Faith Stage 33:13 Holding Complexity: Obedience, Shame, and Mental Health 36:13 Systemic Challenges and Early Returns 40:30 Real Stories: Missionaries Suffering in Silence 46:10 The Church, Mental Health, and Cultural Change 51:16 Personal Call and Inspiration 57:52 Next Episode: Scrupulosity Preview 01:00:00 Closing and ResourcesSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →441: The Politics of Jesus: Not Subtle, Not Silent, Not Neutral
3w ago00:50:59Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part VII of VII]This final episode of this series is our response to the point of view that Jesus did not ‘get political’. Jesus (and each of us) cannot avoid being political. We state our “politics” with each stance to either uphold or resist dominator hierarchies. And Jesus’ whole ministry can be defined by resistance to any system that placed the life of any human being over the life of any other human being. Listen to this episode to answer for yourself the following questions: Did the actual Jesus of Nazareth embody radical love for all human beings and speak strongly and often about very "political" topics? Or did claim neutrality in a way that left those of his time uncertain about how he felt about authoritarian power structures and their treatment of "the least of these"? Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Series Finale02:06 Recap of Episodes One to Six05:01 Liberation Jesus or Empire Mascot06:42 Scripture Lenses and Competing Jesuses08:47 Jesus of Nazareth vs Christ of Empire12:48 Refusing Power and Inner Kingdom20:30 Flattening Margins and Social Norms27:58 Good Samaritan and Bad Laws Today34:42 Challenging Religious Gatekeeping40:05 Taking Jesus Name Through Action43:23 Love Over Fear God Image47:06 Closing Thanks and Fellowship InviteSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →BONUS EPISODE: Do you Want to Make a Difference? Join us!
3w ago00:55:22Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Hey listeners of the Latter Day Struggles podcast! Join Val in this bonus episode as she answers audience questions that will help you feel like you've come to the right place for psychologically sound resources and community on your LDS faith expansion journey. We're not about burning anything down. We are about bridging. Building. Expanding. Transcending. Including. Becoming. In this bonus episode Val answers a couple of questions about relationship struggles that inevitably come up when our relationship with the LDS church is evolving. She also shares her vision for the future of the LDS church if faith expanding people continue to gather and practice a more radical, inclusive, and non-polarized love than currently exists in our present LDS culture as groups gather at the opposite poles. To be a part of a movement that actively practices critical thinking and personal growth--join Valerie & others leading out in a new way to manifest what true faith expansion is.Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Purpose02:07 How We Are Different05:09 Beyond Binary Healing07:45 Transcend and Include12:18 Monday vs Friday Episodes14:32 Friday Spiritual Expansion21:57 Live Fellowship Overview24:36 Fellowship Topics and Schedule30:11 Upcoming Mission Mental Health Series34:52 Why Groups Matter42:52 Talking Across Ladder Rungs52:15 Enrollment and ClosingSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →439: Religious Silence is Complicity in Times of Social Unrest
4w ago00:34:49Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part VI of VII]In this episode Val & Nathan break down what religious institutional silent is communicating in times of social unrest. Don't miss this episode or series if you want to more deeply understand why religions are simply never neutral! They are loudly communicating what they stand for when they choose silence over speaking truth to power. Timestamps:00:00 Series Recap Setup02:12 Religion Meets Politics05:24 Legitimacy vs Transformation06:59 Silence Equals Complicity08:48 Why Churches Stay Quiet13:23 Truth Claims Block Reform20:05 Faith as Moral Reform26:01 Rethinking Prophets29:37 Prophetic Not Partisan31:30 Closing and Next EpisodeSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →437: Whose Life is Worth Protecting? Politics & Religion Weight in 2026
May 2500:59:17Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part V of VII]In this episode exploring the intersection of religion and politics, Val & Nathan explore several specific areas where politics and religion are addressing the exact same fundamental questions around human dignity & worth; justice & injustice; and the appropriate use of power. They then compare how these fundamental issues are confronted in real time on a world stage as Politician Donald Trump and Religious Leader Pope Leo XIV prove powerfully that politics and religion cannot be dissociated but must dialogue in order to find common ground in questions of human value, safety, and basic dignity. They also each demonstrate (through their respective approaches and value systems) two very different levels of human moral & consciousness development. Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:33 Religion Meets Politics 02:33 Same Core Questions06:21 Human Dignity and Rights 11:22 Consciousness Development and Political Behavior 13:35 When Laws Protect the Wrong Values14:40 Christian Nationalism and the LDS Church's Silence 20:42 LDS Shadow History and the Epstein Files 22:52 Justice and Accountability 26:07 Power Morality and Resistance 28:18 Rosa Parks and Inner Authority 30:03 Early Faith vs Transformation 33:08 Follow the Leader vs Follow the Divine Within 33:21 Elder Gilbert, ICE Raids, and LDS Silence 35:07 Legitimacy as the Highest Value in Mormonism 41:45 Pope Leo vs Trump 51:33 Episode Wrap and Next StepsSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →435: Why Some Religions Drag their Feet even when the Rest of Society is Ready to Embody More Love?
May 1800:52:25Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part IV of VII]In this episode Val & Nathan continue to build a case that it is impossible for religious systems to be "neutral" on political issues. They explore how society evolves as religions & political systems engage in the dance of shaping and being shaped by one another and how in every era brave individuals lead out in inviting social change & can come from either spiritual realm as both politics & religions confront how to dignify human life. They also talk about how some churches lead the charge of social justice (confronting longstanding dominator hierarchies) and some churches are society's great "feet draggers" (defending dominator hierarchies). Why the feet-dragging? And why do the "feet draggers" often finally begrudgingly jump on the enlightenment train? Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Series Setup01:44 Legitimacy vs Transformation Religions05:43 Silence and Power Structures09:42 Why Churches Cannot Condemn11:37 Article of Faith 12 Obedience13:54 Moral Consequences and Neutrality18:38 Religion and Politics Interwoven19:55 Civilizational Development Framework22:50 Center of Gravity in Mormonism24:13 Leading Edge Reformers25:54 Civil Rights Awakening27:52 Laws Versus Hearts30:17 Legitimacy Church Trap31:19 Pressure Forces Change37:06 BYU And Wyoming Seven39:27 Social Capital And Attrition42:47 Patriarchy Next Frontier44:17 God Beyond Hierarchy47:18 Why Churches Catch Up48:03 Spiraling Toward Transformation49:00 Next Episode PreviewSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →433: On Churches of Legitimacy & Churches of Transformation
May 1100:43:21Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part III of VII]In this episode Val & Nathan go more "macro" and explain how churches (just like human beings and human civilizations) go through stages of development and that a church will choose its stances of "significant moral consequence" accordingly. In short, if a church is focused on earlier stage legitimacy--its all about preserving its favorite form(s) of dominator hierarchy. If the church has matured into a focus on personal transformation--it moves towards a stance of dismantling dominator hierarchies. And it is in moments of social unrest that one can see more clearly where a church is developmentally. Listen in and keep in mind--both type of church are necessary and serve a role in the development of the human race. As these topics are explored, it is fundamental to the growth of our culture at large to recognize that later stages of development (in the human being and in the church) are built on earlier stages of development. So lean into this, even if it's uncomfortable! Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Series Setup00:46 Recap Political Neutrality02:35 Statement Versus Practice06:42 Why the Silence Now08:51 Faith Leaders Speaking Up14:20 Solidarity Over Self Preservation20:32 Legitimacy Seeking Religion27:59 Transformation Seeking Religion31:18 Jesus Versus Christian Nationalism32:43 Personal Stakes and ClosingSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →431: LDS Strategic Political Engagement & the Upholding of Traditional Male Power Structures
May 400:33:48Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part II of VII]In this episode Val & Nathan walk through the last several decades and map issues of high and low LDS political involvement, offering a template for what the church feels is significant enough to merit their active public statements, financial resources, active instruction to LDS membership regarding the vote. What the church deems "of significant moral consequence" (per their official statement of neutrality) and what is deemed not morally significant enough to comment on in times of social unrest makes for very interesting conversation. Join Val & Nathan as they unpack this highly relevant topic in an effort to make sense of this phenomenon, which they realize is anything but neutral. Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Series Setup00:19 Recap Political Neutrality02:42 Follow the Leader Tension03:45 LA Churches Speak Out05:26 Stated vs Observed Neutrality06:31 High Engagement Moral Issues11:40 Low Engagement Justice Issues16:29 Matthew 25 Reality Check19:47 2026 Silence and Current Events23:16 Doctrine and Covenants 9826:48 Silence as Endorsement29:13 Next Episode Preview and WrapSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →BONUS EPISODE: Tired of Feel Stuck, Angry & Alone?
May 200:38:30Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!In this Bonus Episode, Val answers some piling up questions about the power of healing that uniquely happens in the Latter Day Struggles Fundamentals of LDS Faith Crisis Healing Groups that hundreds of you have experienced in the past 3+ years. A few of the questions that she answers: **What is the difference between your Faith Crisis Healing groups and your new Live Fellowship Group? **How are they different than other platforms where people meet and talk? **How are these groups different than other platforms where people meet and talk?**Are both-gendered groups effective? **Should I do a faith crisis healing group instead of therapy? I am_____________ (fully active, all of the way out, etc., etc.,) Am I Good fit? Interested in grabbing the very last seat of the ONLY 2026 group of this kind? Click below to enroll! **If watching this in the future, check out https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ and see what is available. If no groups are registering, contact admin@latterdaystruggles.com and get added to a wait list! Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Q&A Setup01:45 Why Only One Group02:48 Live Event Announcement05:48 Book and 2026 Plans07:25 Live Fellowship Explained12:52 Who Joins the Groups15:58 What Has Changed21:45 Platform Difference and Curriculum25:16 Why Mixed Gender Groups29:54 Groups Versus Therapy31:59 Am I a Good Fit35:15 Closing and Next StepsSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →429: Is the Mormon Church Politically Neutral?
Apr 2700:42:44Tap to summarizeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part I of VII]Anyone else noticing religious leaders from some faith traditions throughout the world speaking out against more and more egregious forms of US government-imposed violence, force, exploitation of power, and unaccountability at levels unfathomable until only recently? And other churches, LDS included choose silence and stand by a formal stance of neutrality at this moment. This series might be one of the more important and relevant of this podcast as Val & Nathan take you step by step towards their conclusion that religion and spirituality is and always will be political and politics is an expression of one's level of spirituality. Join them each week for this six-part series hopefully giving you words to make sense of your discomfort over silence in the face of harm and injustice. Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Series Intro00:42 Why Church Silence Matters03:32 Six Episode Roadmap05:02 Personal Take on Neutrality07:02 Prop 8 and Moral Exceptions09:08 Isolationism and Autonomy13:34 Reading the Official Statement20:51 Initial Reactions and Agreement23:33 Conscience vs Real Practice27:44 Mitt Romney as Case Study30:42 Obedience and Hierarchy Thread35:12 Immigration Example and Wrap Up39:21 Closing and Next Episode TeaseSupport the showSupport the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODESFriday Episodes Annual Access $89Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10Valerie’s Support & Processing GroupsGift a ScholarshipDownload Free ResourcesVisit our Website
Transcribe →