Having compassion for yourself means honoring and accepting the messiness of your own human experience. This messiness is often painfully present as our faith evolves. In this session, we will explore how to integrate the practice of self-compassion when challenging experiences arise. Through discussion, meditation, and experiential exercises, we will learn how to treat ourselves …
Speaker: Jana Spangler
Reframing the Grief in a Mixed-faith Marriage
As more Mormons experience faith transitions and faith awakenings, many couples find themselves grieving their mixed-faith marriages. In this session, we will explore both personal and professional insights into honoring both the challenging and beautiful aspects of differing beliefs in a marriage. We will highlight the gifts associated with individualization and fostering mutual respect for …
Harnessing the Power of Vulnerability as a Spiritual Practice
Vulnerability has been an underappreciated and underutilized virtue in LDS culture. Through her research, Brené Brown has opened up a global conversation about the power of vulnerability in our personal and institutional lives. In this session, we will talk about how vulnerability could help the Church and its members live up to their Christian potential …
An Alternative Orthodoxy for Mormonism
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, a prominent Catholic priest, writer, and teacher, has referred to his Franciscan teachings as an alternative orthodoxy that “doesn’t throw out the mainline tradition; [it] simply place[s] our effort and our energy on overlooked or misunderstood aspects of the tradition.” In this session, we will use Fr. Rohr’s alternate orthodoxy as …
Nurturing Growth and Development Post-Orthodoxy
As more Mormons experience faith transitions and faith awakenings, many find themselves looking for continued growth and expansion without knowing how to pursue that in emotionally safe and intellectually stimulating ways. This session aims to explore approaches to individual and/or spiritual growth outside of an orthodox framework. We invite others to be empowered in their …
Imagining Mormonism: The Church at Mid-Century
Thirty years ago, no one—likely not even prophets and visionaries—could have imagined today’s LDS Church, especially with the advent of modern technology like the Internet, iPhones, and other inventions. So, how can we begin to imagine the Church at mid-century? This session consists of a panel of futurists and other visionaries who gaze into the …
Fostering and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries within a Mormon Construct
Boundaries are the simple declaration of what you are comfortable with and what you are not comfortable with. Yet, fostering and maintaining healthy boundaries can be anything but simple, especially within a religious construct. This session brings together a panel of mental health professionals and wellness coaches from Symmetry Solutions, LLC to provide suggestions on …
Mormons and the Enneagram
The Enneagram is a spiritual tool that teaches us to know ourselves better, helping us to pinpoint our deepest longings—and our potentially destructive behaviors. The Enneagram’s nine basic “types,” or numbers, all have positive and negative aspects, and all exhibit different ways of relating with others and with God. In this session, “the Janas” will …
The Gifts of a Faith Crisis
As individuals grow and develop, it is common for their spirituality and beliefs to be challenged and subsequently change. This experience, often called a “faith crisis,” can feel disorienting, traumatic, and isolating. This session honors those challenges but also highlights the unexpected gifts a faith crisis can offer. Sara Hughes-Zabawa, Anthony D. Miller, Jana Spangler
Deepening Spiritual Journeys Beyond a Traditional Mormon Paradigm
As people’s religious worldviews shift they often go through periods where it is difficult to find fulfillment in church attendance and the spiritual practices of their upbringing. These things can feel empty or even triggering. In this session we will explore framings and practices that can open up possibilities for spiritual deepening—supplementing or replacing those …