We are very excited this week to release a first-of-its-kind Mormon Stories episode! Born and raised in Hyderabad, India, Sirisha Shumway converted to Mormonism at the age of 14, against the wishes of her family. She quickly became a very devout member of her LDS community, served a mission, and even worked for the church as a translator. After moving to the US to completer her education, Sirisha faced increasing pressure to marry and raise a family in the LDS faith. But when her husband began questioning church history, she embarked on her own faith crisis, uncovering disturbing truths about Joseph Smith, polygamy, and other deceptions about church history. Topics include: -Sirisha's upbringing in India -Structure of the LDS church in India -Church interfetance in family relationships -And the long-lasting impact of high-demand religions on personal identity We are grateful to Sirisha for sharing her story with us, and hope you enjoy this very unique episode. Show notes can be found onthe Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/mormon-church-alienated-me-from-my-family-in-india/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:14 Missionary work in India started back in the 80s 00:12:52 Sirisha’s upbringing 00:18:00 Was she raised in a religious household? 00:26:07 How she came across the LDS missionaries in 1995 00:30:17 Why isn’t the church bigger in India? 00:42:33 What elements of her experience were most convincing for her to convert? 00:48:19 Her parents were very averse to her joining the church - told her she could not see the missionaries anymore 00:52:20 Can a 14-year-old consent to joining a religion? 00:56:22 She was baptized at 14 without her parents knowledge 01:03:54 The scriptures taught that the church should come above even her family 01:07:11 Discussing the male patriarchy in India 01:10:49 How her parents discovered that she got baptized 01:17:17 A missionary told her that he was in love with her and wanted to marry her after his mission 01:30:51 Working as a translator for the church 01:35:53 How did her family react to her mission call? 01:37:52 The church drove a wedge between her family 01:53:43 Experiencing sexual harassment by another missionary 01:57:46 Learning that her grandmother passed away on her mission 02:09:20 They were only permitted to speak English on her mission and wear American style clothes 02:17:31 What brought her to the United States after her mission? 02:28:59 The church has only taken from me, and I only gave to it 02:32:49 Meeting her husband 02:43:24 Her mom converted to the church in 2010 02:48:35 What led her to start questioning the church? 02:57:28 What did she learn at this time that disturbed her 03:01:24 How their ward reacted to them questioning the church 03:10:35 How did it feel when she learned the church had deceived her? 03:15:40 What was it like to realize she had built her life on lies? 03:22:47 What is her response to people who would say that she is lucky the church brought her to America 03:26:43 Very sad that the church brought her away from India 03:32:52 What would she say to her 14-year-old self? 03:41:55 “The church took a lot from me, but I rose up like a phoenix” 03:42:57 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