In this episode, we explore one woman's journey of faith, identity, and self-discovery within and beyond the Mormon Church. From her experiences in musical theater auditions, serving a mission, and navigating family trauma, to struggles with infertility and finding her own path, she shares deeply personal insights. We discuss the cultural pressures of motherhood, the challenges of deconstructing religious beliefs, and the impact of leaving the Church after COVID. Her story also touches on her evolving perspective on topics like polygamy, women's roles, and Heavenly Mother, along with finding empowerment through fitness, creative expression, and fantasy literature. Join us for a candid and heartfelt conversation about redefining purpose, embracing authenticity, and thriving in "Plan B." Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/my-wicked-mormon-journey-abbie-clark-ep-1966/ 00:00:00 Beginning 00:01:35 Intentions for coming on Mormon Stories 00:04:25 The story of her parents 00:10:50 Her Mormon adolescence 00:13:25 IRS agents came and asked about her dad 00:19:00 Her parents announced their divorce 00:28:10 Her dad was excommunicated 00:33:50 Her dad’s faith crisis 00:40:33 Her adolescent years 00:42:20 Acting and singing in plays 00:48:00 How did she cope with not having a dad 01:00:35 Auditioning for the Musical Theater Program 01:06:10 The prospect of serving a mission 01:09:00 Her dad went to prison after her mission 01:11:30 Her first temple experience 01:14:00 The prayer circle 01:15:19 Her mission experience 01:24:50 Coming home from her mission in 2017 01:27:26 Meeting her future husband on her mission 01:31:30 Her mom got remarried while she was on her mission 01:42:20 Different selves in the mission versus out of the mission 01:44:45 Marriage classes at BYU about healthy sex 01:50:20 Life after getting married 01:54:30 How her family reacted to brother coming home from his mission 02:03:44 Patriarchal blessing is Mormon fortune telling 02:06:32 PCOS and struggling with infertility 02:14:20 How she felt being the one that couldn’t have kids 02:22:15 They didn’t go back to church after COVID 02:29:55 Deconstruction of the idea of Satan 02:39:50 We never talk about Heavenly Mother 02:43:10 Sad Heaven explained 02:51:40 Tom Phillips and the Second Anointing ritual 02:58:00 Letter for My Wife, feeling relief that it was all false 03:07:40 She didn’t know how to listen to herself or decide what she wanted 03:12:20 How she views her identity now than before 03:18:20 Challenges in deconstructing and rebuilding ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117