This episode features the story of Rosa, a woman from Nicaragua. Having been raised without positive male influences, Rosa has looked to church teachings to form her ideal masculinity based on the Proclamation to the World. MA student Amy Elkins discusses with Amanda Tew, a temporary resident of Niagara, how global LDS women often approach the Proclamation differently to American women. Rather than viewing the principles outlined as restrictive for women, Rosa demonstrates how it can be used to encourage men to live up to their responsibilities.

This episode features an interview with Nick, a Mexican American member of the church. Unable to fully claim either a Mexican or American identity, Nick describes living on the borderlands between LDS and mainstream culture, his “Mexican-ness” and “American-ness,” and his mother’s LDS heritage and his father’s Catholic heritage. PhD student Brandon Wilson and PhD candidate Stephanie Griswold discuss Nick’s story and the reality of living in isolation within one’s own community.

In this episode, MA student Emily McClean and Dr. Julie K. Allen examine an interview with “Freya", a Swedish student at BYU Provo. Having grown up as part of a religious minority, Freya finds moving to a high-density Mormon community instructive and liberating. Her experiences reveal how Mormon identity is inextricably linked to nationality, while Mormon cultural “norms” are relative to location.

This episode focuses on Shiralee’s story, an LDS woman of multiple ethnic heritages. Not claiming any single cultural identity, and having lived in many locations, Shiralee has adopted a fundamental identity based on “gospel culture”. Yet as she has moved to different states and countries, she has been surprised at the variations of attitudes and opinions between members. PhD student Stephen Cameron and Dr Matthew Bowman discuss Shiralee’s story, exploring the inevitable disparities between members as the church continues to globalize.

In this episode, PhD candidate Lori Denning and Dr. Stacilee Ford, professor of history and gender at Hong Kong University, discuss the complexity of LDS identity in southeastern Asia. Their discussion is based on “Claire’s” story, a woman from Malaysia with a multi-faith background. Through her church service and studying at BYU-Hawaii, Claire connects her church membership with unexpected opportunities to gain an education, valuable employment, and develop skills. This episode explores how Asian converts navigate the impact of religion on family dynamics and their social status.  

In this episode, Claremont Graduate University student, Natalie Nelson and Dr. Caroline Kline discuss Kaya’s story, a young adult from a Zulu tribe. Although raised in the church, Kaya only heard of the black Priesthood-Temple ban during an institute class. Despite the shock, Kaya decided to not leave the church, but research the history independently. Nelson and Kline discuss Kaya’s extraordinary ability to navigate difficult history as well as cultural clashes between the church and her tribal traditions, including the practice of lobola.   

In this episode, PhD students Joseph DuWors and Vinna Chowriamah discuss the impact of colonialism and racism on church members in Mauritius. Reviewing an interview with “Jacques,” a Mauritian of European descent, they explore how race and “otherness” can effect church experience. Vinna, also a Mauritian, explains how, despite the multi-ethnic composition of church units in Mauritius, racism is often hidden from plain sight.

This episode features the experiences and perspectives of Ruth, a Zimbabwean convert who is studying at BYU-Idaho. Comparing her expectations of living in an LDS community and the reality, Ruth believes American members do not yet fully understand or embrace the dynamics and implications of a global church. Claremont PhD student and Rexburg resident Elizabeth Mawlam discusses Ruth’s story with BYU-Idaho professor of history, Andrea Radke-Moss. Together they explore how international students are slowly changing one of the most densely LDS communities.

Welcome to season 2! We have switched podcast platforms, so please resubscribe wherever you get your podcasts in order to access season 2. RSS feed is https://www.globallatterday.org/feed.xml  Like the first season, the podcast will share the stories and voices of Latter-day Saints from around the world as they discuss their hopes and fears, their sorrows and joys, and the way their faith informs their daily lives. Again, we’ll be joined by scholars and other community members who offer insight and explore questions that arise along the way. This season, however, is different from the first because this seasons’ episodes are hosted by graduate students from Claremont Graduate University. These students each researched, wrote, and edited an episode, which means that every episode has a different flavor, focus, and energy. I think the stories they highlight—most of which were contributed to CGU’s oral history collections—are fascinating, as are the insightful conversations the hosts have with scholars as they together unpack the themes that arose in each of the interviews. I hope you’ll join us for this second season. Subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. 

This episode features the story of Sarah, a Navajo church member, who has experienced some dislocation from her Navajo culture of origin. She discusses her family’s history with the church and on the reservation and her search for stability in her life. Farina King joins Caroline to discuss the Sarah’s oral history, along with the […]

This episode features the story of Kalani, who navigated membership in the church during times when interracial marriage was discouraged. She discusses the difficulties those teachings brought into her life, as well as the challenges of her years as a single mother. Kalani Tonga joins Caroline in a discussion about Kalani’s own oral history, focusing […]

This episode features the story of Thabisa, who navigated the brutal injustice of apartheid South Africa, and who ultimately found a sense of peace when she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kalani Tonga joins Caroline in a discussion about Thabisa’s oral history, focusing on issues of race within the church and […]

This episode tells the story of Beth from the Caribbean, who experienced abuse at the hands of her husband. She escaped and built a life for herself in the United States, ultimately becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sarah Bonilla joins Caroline in a discussion about Latter-day Saint discourse […]

This episode features the oral history of Ana from Mexico, who found herself in an abusive Latter-day Saint marriage. Eventually Ana, with the help of friends and family, took steps to end the abuse and to push against prevailing norms that lead women to keep silent about the problem. Sarah Bonilla joins Caroline in a […]

This episode explores the oral life history of Naomi, a convert from Botswana, who navigates the challenges of Latter-day Saint single life in a context where societal norms and parental expectations sometimes conflict with church chastity standards. Taunalyn Ford joins Caroline in a discussion about Naomi’s oral history, sexuality norms, and single Latter-day Saint women. […]

This episode features the oral history of Aanya, a convert from India, who is searching for a spouse who shares her vision of partnership and self-development. Taunalyn Ford joins Caroline in a discussion about marriage, caste, and family structures in India. Taunalyn is a fellow at the Maxwell Institute at Brigham Young University. Her dissertation […]

This double episode features the stories of Sofia from Mexico and Mary-Anne from Botswana, whose lives changed in big but practical ways when they joined the church — gaining literacy and other skills which enabled them to carve out new opportunities. Melissa Inouye joins Caroline in a discussion about social mobility and practical skill acquisition […]

Join host Caroline Kline to hear about the perspectives and life stories of Latter-day Saints from places like Botswana, Mexico, the Caribbean, and other countries around the world. Each of the women you’ll meet in this podcast contributed her story to Claremont Graduate University’s Mormon oral history collections. Episodes will feature scholars and other community […]