Tina’s upbringing in the Mormon Church seemed uneventful until she had a troubling temple experience that made her question whether it was a cult. Zane, initially attracted to Tina’s spirituality, went through his own faith crisis after reading anti-Mormon literature but eventually had a “spiritual experience” reaffirming his belief in the church.
Their story takes a dramatic turn when Tina starts losing her testimony, leading to emotional turmoil within their marriage, especially since Zane is called to be a bishop. The couple navigates the complexities of a non-believing bishop leading a congregation and the challenges of facing their doubts and fears while remaining true to themselves and their family.
Note: The airing of this episode was delayed at the request of the Beards until they felt more comfortable in their circumstances for it to become public.
Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors!
Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today:
- One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox
- Support us on Patreon
- PayPal
- Venmo
Our Platforms:
- YouTube
- Patreon
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
Contact us:
MormonStories@gmail.com
PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117
Social Media:
Show Notes:
Mormon Stories Related
- 1777: Honest Conversation with Mormon Bishop – Bishop Moroni Ortiz
- 1784-1786: The Making of Mormon Bishop Bill Reel – Bill & Amanda Reel
- 1025-1028: The Excommunication of Mormon Bishop and Podcaster Bill Reel
Other
5 Responses
Great show. Please invite Scott Hensler on the show to discuss the spiritual binding that happens during Mormon temple rituals. The “covenants” made are Masonic and derived from the “Magus: Celestial Intelligencer”, Barrett, 1801.
It breaks my heart to hear about the loss of joy, creativity, love and peace that is natural—and we are designed to feel daily—after these oaths are made with the demonic via Occult-based rituals in Mormon temples.
The spiritual familial curses and bonds entered into are broken if you ask Jesus to break them and heal your soul. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” -Matthew 7:15, KJV
Wow! This was a very powerful episode and I truly hope they are able to move on. I’m afraid they are a bit naive about what will happen once they leave. Living in a predominantly Mormon region (southeastern Idaho,US) as a non Mormon I am all too familiar with the heartbreaking choices people make when they leave. Many times they are cut off from family and most definitely from friends. We experience first hand the exclusion in the community and it’s extremely difficult. The church likes to say they are “inclusive” but when push comes to shove they are the most exclusive clique around. They’ll turn on you in a heartbeat as if you are a different person than when they met you. In my mind, definitely a cult, they are not Christians as they believe Joseph Smith is their savior, not Jesus Christ. And no matter the principles…many don’t follow them. Highest being “love thy neighbor “, unless you’re non-Mormon. Zane is a kind and generous human who will find a way to help others with or without organized religion and Tina is strong and so lucky to start fresh with her partner instead of her overlord.
Wow, I love you, John, but every episode your wife is in reveals her to be orders of magnitude more inciteful and less self- focused when interviewing. I would love to see her interview more people without you to get in the way. Oh, and in minute 3h 52, you say “Margie wants to ask a question too, but let me ask…” And then you proceed to offer the observation that women are made to “go last” and are not valued in the church. *While putting yourself first in asking a question.* Facepalm, indeed.
Such a good episode. I wish more bishops, stake presidents, and mission presidents would come on the show. I lost my faith when I was an elders quorum president and it’s tough because you do t want to rock the boat. But once the cats out of the bag, it opens the doors for other members to feel empowered to express their doubts. We need more of this.
All the best to Tina, Zane, and their family going forward. I’m hoping they will return to Mormon Stories in a year or so with an update on their experiences.