In this deeply moving and raw interview, Jennie shares her powerful life story—from growing up in a strict Mormon household to breaking free from the expectations that shaped her identity. She opens up about her parents’ conversions, her challenging marriage, the emotional toll of purity culture, and her gradual disillusionment with the church. Jennie also recounts the heartbreaking loss of her daughter Izzy, and how grief reshaped her spirituality and perspective on life. Through it all, she finds resilience, healing, and the courage to choose herself. A story of love, loss, faith, and transformation you won't forget. Topics Include: -Childhood in a devout LDS family -Marriage, purity culture, and incompatibilities in marriage -Crisis of faith and discovering church history -Navigating grief after the loss of her daughter Subscribe for more real stories about faith, loss, and rebuilding. Show Notes for this episode can be found on the Mormon Stories blog, here: https://www.mormonstories.org/losing-a-child-after-losing-mormon-faith/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:25 Background on her parents, who were both converts to the church 00:14:02 Their early family life 00:18:37 How did her baptism affect her 00:23:04 Stories about her grandmother, and the passing of her uncle 00:25:14 Her mother began looking into her ancestry and finds out she has other family in Texas. 00:29:30 Jennie loved theatre as a kid 00:38:02 Her dad was very strict with what content they were allowed to watch 00:45:45 Confessed to her bishop about sexual sin 00:49:33 What is a patriarchal blessing 00:54:46 Discussing her marriage 01:06:09 Hated sex in their marriage because she was so afraid of it before 01:22:39 Jennie’s reaction to the new changes for women's garments 01:36:48 Who was Fanny Alger? 01:40:46 Who was Helen Mar Kimball? 01:49:00 Told her husband that she wanted to stop attending church, and he is thrilled 01:54:00 They officially separate, and decided to start dating other people 02:02:28 They unexpectedly got pregnant 02:13:49 What it is like to have a newborn with a health issue 02:21:32 Izzy’s passing 02:52:50 Unsupportive things people have said to her, and what to say instead 03:00:25 Discussing the stages of grief and the healing process 03:10:23 Pressure to have a Mormon funeral 03:19:05 How does she ground herself when things feel uncertain 03:27:58 Conclusion ___________________ 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