Jill and Julie Durrant share their Mormon upbringing and the challenges they faced within the faith. They discuss the expectations placed on Mormon children and the milestones they must achieve to be considered successful in the community. Julie’s scrupulosity and the patriarchal blessing she received add to her struggles. Jill talks about the superiority you can feel as a Mormon and the cognitive dissonance she experienced when her sister, Alli, came out as a lesbian. Jill went on a mission to find answers about her siblings, and Julie’s faith crisis begins in earnest after talking with her son, Tom. They discuss the complications of navigating family dynamics and the difficulty of leaving the church. Ultimately, the Durrant family’s story is one of resilience, growth, and learning to navigate the complexities of life within and outside of Mormonism.
Julie can be contacted bia email here.
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Show Notes:
Mormon Stories
- Brad Wilcox
- 1465: Elder Holland – Losing Control Over Mormon LGBTQ Support at BYU
- Doctrine & Covenants 132
Other Podcasts
- 139: Our Gay Kids: A Mother’s Perspective
- Mormonism LIVE: 009: David Bednar & Wendy Nelson – Has The Day Of Miracles Ceased
Other Sources
2 Responses
I’ve been a faithful viewer of Mormon Stories Podcast for many years. This interview was, indeed, one of the most powerful I’ve watched. Thanks to Jill and Julie for their vulnerability in sharing with us, and John and Margie for their usual job well done.
I’m a never Mormon (former Catholic)
I want to acknowledge Jill’s pain and loss. I could hear her pain in leaving the church and it sounds like it was very self – sacrificial to leave ultimately. Even in her acknowledgement of the pain it was causing others, clearly her membership was very fulfilling for her.
I feel especially sorry for faithful people like this who are good people to their core, and model their goodness on something they thought was SO true. They’ve been so entirely duped.