A trip to Europe gives Kelsey a chance beyond her mission to see more of the outside world and the goodness and happiness that others have found while clearly outside of Mormonism. The trip also gives her the chance to tune in to herself and trust her intuition. Not ready to give up on her religion just yet, Kelsey returns home after the trip and ends up working with LDS Public Relations in various projects while also holding the calling of Relief Society President as she works through her active doubts. Kelsey moves back to LA and finally realizes how much of a “box” LDS doctrines & beliefs put herself in. Kelsey takes us on a journey of personal discovery as she learns who she really is & to trust her own authority, leading her to the most free and fulfilled life she’s experienced thus far. Social Media: New Song: Life in a Box: https://open.spotify.com/album/1zDLJKEXqBgEkrbt2REsBM Insta: www.instagram.com/kelseymarieedwards TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kelseymarieedwards YouTube.com/@kelseyedwards Squad Goals: Courses.kelseyedwards.co (For teen girls about making/keeping good friends) Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:00 Trip to Europe opens more opportunities to question Mormonism 00:18:00 Being Relief Society President and working for LDS PR campaigns with active doubts 00:33:30 Mormon friends come out as gay 00:37:30 Moving to LA for a clean break. 00:42:00 You can’t realize until you’re out how much Mormonism boxes you in 00:52:00 Becoming your own authority 00:58:00 The Mormon programming of “selflessness” vs. pride and “selfishness” 01:10:00 Freest and happiest version of self 01:13:30 The hard parts about leaving Mormonism.. 01:17:30 Birth of “Life in a Box” song 01:22:35 Redefining spirituality. Being ok not knowing. 01:25:00 Community comes from passion. 01:28:00 Dating after Mormonism 01:32:30 Career ambitions 01:38:00 Final messages Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/mormon-family-fell-apart-kelsey-edwards Part 1: When Your Mormon Family Falls Apart as a Teen https://youtu.be/LOtVVdJOZAg Kelsey Edwards Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxq5opj6GqODiBnVhLtU1oVP4l2yKMg4T ABOUT US: Mormon Stories Podcast is the longest-running and most successful podcast in Mormonism - hosted by Dr. John Dehlin. 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. We also occasionally interview 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, and 3) Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions. Mormon Stories Podcast is a product of the Open Stories Foundation - a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to supporting Mormons in religious transition. 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 Amazon Smile: Be sure to select “Mormon Stories” website: https://smile.amazon.com app: https://amz.run/5r2M 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 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 #MormonStories #kelseyedwards #mormon