In this powerful and first-ever interview with a Latter-day Saint convert from Kenya, we explore the remarkable faith journey of Dr. Joe Ngatia (pronounced “ga-tia”). Africa has become one of the fastest growing regions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yet Joe’s story reveals the complexities behind that growth – from faith and miracles to history, race, and resilience. Joe shares his encounter with the missionaries and how his family first reacted having only heard rumors about “Mormons being devil worshippers.” His story moves from Nairobi to Rexburg, Idaho, BYU-Provo, and on to medical school in Florida, chronicling his faith, struggles with racism in America, and developing cracks in his testimony. Joe reflects on questions of revelation, truth, miracles, and identity – asking what it means to remain true to one’s own spiritual experiences while confronting painful history? This is one of our most profound and far-reaching conversations yet – bridging continents, beliefs, and experiences in search of understanding. Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/an-african-kenya-mormon-story/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:05 Joe’s Mormon Story begins 00:10:38 The concept of “race” in Africa 00:15:45 His mother was worried about him joining the church 00:23:32 Learning about the church’s racist history 00:31:41 Joe’s mission and the Kenya's conflict with the church 00:48:44 Learning about the Salamander Letter 00:51:52 Promising a woman in a blessing that she would be healed, though she later died 01:04:50 Gordon B. Hinckley visiting his mission in 1998 01:11:34 Working for his visa to get to the United States for school 01:16:22 Joe was told that the church in America was not welcoming 01:20:02 His experience at Rexburg, Idaho 01:24:07 His patriarchal blessing 01:26:41 Going through the Mormon temple 01:29:41 His experience at Ricks College and becoming aware of racism 01:33:31 Taking the “Pearl of Great Price” class at Ricks, professor taught about curse 01:42:37 Why were Brigham Young’s teachings too much but the ban was acceptable 01:50:55 Dating in Rexburg then Provo 02:06:22 He made it into medical school 02:13:54 Dating and marriage in the temple 02:18:39 His visa got canceled during school 02:25:51 Learning about organic evolution 02:27:46 Who is Joseph Satati? 02:34:14 Talking to people going through the same things in the Church 02:42:21 Romney vs Obama (some believed Obama was Kenyan) 02:51:52 His journey to baptize his son during a faith crisis 02:59:25 Visiting with Joseph Sitati and asking him his questions 03:11:16 He never answered his questions 03:13:49 The last straw for him was the November 2015 Policy 03:18:56 He resigned from the Church 03:24:08 How could he walk away from all of this after so many miracles? 03:27:30 He had to make sense of the burning in the bosom 03:34:24 Leaders of African descent 03:41:30 Internalized racism doll study 03:45:11 The LDS Church being in decline everywhere BUT Africa 03:49:44 Helping people will always be good 03:53:18 ExMormons who were hurt by the Church 04:02:18 Would he want missionaries to teach the true history of the church? 04:08:45 The question is: Are they getting the help that they need? 04:13:20 Disclaimer for certain groups of people in the church 04:23:56 Healing and growth after leaving the church 04:30:51 You don’t need theology to make sense of life 04:34:34 Final remarks ___________________ 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 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