In this episode of Mormon Stories, John and Margi Dehlin sit down with Sharon Beesley, a therapist, writer and former Mormon “mommy blogger,” to explore the evolution of her faith journey in Mormonism. Sharon was brought into the church as a child in Florida when her mother chose to convert. She discusses the warmth and community she found in her ward there, and the early testimonies that grounded her. Yet her story also weaves through deep loss with the death of her mother, and how that grief initially drew her closer to the Church. Sharon attended BYU, got married, and set out to live the ideal Mormon lifestyle. Their family ultimately ended up in New York city, where Sharon began to find relationships with people outside the church. With this move, her worldview began to shift as she encountered new ideas about faith, feminism, and authenticity. Topics Include: -Growing up Mormon in Florida -Coping with grief through faith -Marriage, motherhood, and mixed-faith relationships Feminism This episode offers a gentle, wise, and grounding perspective for anyone navigating faith transitions, loss, or rediscovering joy beyond belief. Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/finding-joy-after-mormonism/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction to Sharon & where Margi discovered her 00:05:20 Sharon’s Mormon Story begins 00:07:15 Loved growing up in the church and the community 00:10:13 What was her ward like where she grew up? 00:11:07 What was her testimony like growing up? 00:12:48 One of the girls in seminary was harmed by the teacher and he was sent to jail 00:18:03 What were her interests growing up? 00:20:09 Her mom was diagnosed with cancer when Sharon was 10 00:25:49 Meeting her husband her freshman year at BYU 00:26:44 The cultural difference between Florida and Idaho 00:33:38 What music was she interested in? 00:39:10 Dating her husband 00:46:05 Moved to California and started having kids 00:52:40 Prop-8 happened while they were living in San Francisco 00:55:22 Discussing New Order Mormons 00:57:17 They move to NYC and start making non-Mormon friends 01:01:30 Rise of “mommy bloggers” in mormonism and deciding to start one 01:04:56 Changing her perspective on death and the afterlife 01:07:12 Her husband begins to notice that she is seeing the church differently 01:19:45 What was her husband’s reaction? 01:23:14 Starting therapy 01:26:39 Deciding to become a therapist 01:36:46 Discussing mixed-faith marriage - what worked and what didn’t? 01:47:34 How physical activity helped her during her transition - trained for the NYC marathon 01:48:56 Discussing the “garden” metaphor deeper 01:53:22 Opinion on why ex-Mormon influencers can be dangerous 02:00:36 What is her response to people who say she gave up Jesus? 02:06:00 How does it feel to be living in the “garden” she’s created for herself? 02:09:26 What she enjoys about her marriage today 02:11:13 Has “empty-nesting” brought a new awareness to their marriage? 02:22:46 Happiness expectation in life 02:25:36 Anything she is proud of in her journey? 02:29:14 Sharon’s information and where to find her 02:29:51 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