In this episode of Mormon Stories Podcast, we talk with Jean Daniel about his journey from a devoted Mormon convert to a Christian pastor. Growing up in Boston, Jean discovered Mormonism as a teenager and found in it a strong sense of structure, identity, and belonging. He served a mission in San Diego, CA and was later married in the Newport beach temple. While studying at Harvard and Yale Divinity Schools, Jean began to see the value in many Christian traditions and ultimately let go of the idea of “one true church.” He shares how this shift led him toward a more open, hopeful approach to Christianity grounded in community. Today, Jean serves as the National Pastor of Canada for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This is a thoughtful conversation about faith after Mormonism and building a meaningful spiritual community with progressive beliefs. Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/from-mormon-to-christian-pastor/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:08:07 Intentions for this episode 00:11:27 Jean’s Mormon Story begins 00:16:52 He was a “golden convert” and related to Joseph Smith’s story 00:21:45 Dropped out of high school and served a mission 00:39:19 He worked as an EFY councilor 00:40:14 Marriage and Harvard 00:48:10 Prop-8 00:54:29 Did he confront any truth claim issues at Harvard? 01:00:21 He felt he was supposed to be a pastor 01:01:41 Telling his wife he was doubting Mormonism 01:04:07 How did he overcome atheism/nihilism? 01:10:30 Discussing if the Bible is flawed 01:19:47 Does he believe in literal Jesus? 01:37:13 Attending divinity school at Yale 01:45:13 Working at University of Montreal 01:48:14 How did he become the head of his church? 01:51:33 Discussing Community of Christ 01:59:42 Is progressive Christianity in decline? 02:13:36 Other religions operate on a volunteer basis, unlike Mormonism 02:15:54 Creating a meaningful community at church 02:19:07 Is there correlation between decline of religion and mental health? 02:24:50 Ideas for new approaches to church 02:35:44 Church gives you a framework to “love thy neighbor" 02:36:44 Final thoughts - Invitation to explore other religions ___________________ 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