Pioneering Paradox: A podcast for conflicted saints

Finding Wholeness After Leaving the Church: Audra Phelps

For the past 13 years Audra Phelps has been living with her family over seas working in international schools  in Azerbaijan, Kazakstan, Kosovo, and timor-leste which is a country I didn’t know existed but is near Indonesia.  Living abroad gave her the freedom to begin asking herself deeper questions about her faith and what she actually wanted in her own spiritual life. Naturally living abroad gave her many opportunities to meet people of other faiths which led to her questioning the idea that Latter Day Saints had a monopoly on joy. This is her story of how she eventually left the faith of her youth and then slowly found her way back to wholeness.  We had a delightful conversation with her a day after she arrived back in the United States after a long time gone. Audra is now back in United States building a coaching practice to help women find wholeness again after the devastating loss of faith.  Audra's Coaching: website: mamaaudra.com insta: @mamaaudraofficial Guatemala Womens retreat: www.truewithinyou.com

Exploring New Spirituality: Coffee Hour w/ Blake Muir

Entering new stages of faith can be frightening but it can also be very exciting. In this convo with our good friend Blake Muir we discuss how spirituality can mean many things and ritual can expand into territory that is unique to each individual.

TWO BROTHERS: TWO OPPOSING POLITICAL VIEWS

I was fascinated to discover that two of my good friends who are also brothers were on two ends of the political spectrum. This made me curious how two brothers that I respect see things so differently. I am grateful they were willing to come on and discuss it in a way that was civil and respectful. We based this discussion on the Moral Foundations Theory as proposed by Jonathan Haight.

Are Latter Day Saints Colonizers? w/Zander Sturgill

For almost 200 years, Latter-day Saints were taught that the Book of Mormon tells the story of the Native peoples of North and South America. One Church pamphlet distributed to Native Americans of all tribes stated, and I quote: “The best source of true information that tells you who you are, where you came from, and what you can achieve is found in an important book—the Book of Mormon.” Today we’re joined by Zander Sturgill, an active Latter-day Saint and Navajo who is thoughtfully challenging the predominant historical narrative. His approach honors both Native peoples and the Book of Mormon by allowing their stories to stand strong—separate yet respected. Zander works full-time at the Ancient America Foundation and runs the YouTube channel America Explored, where he examines little-known aspects of Native American history in Utah while honoring both pioneer and Indigenous perspectives. Some recent scholars have described our past insistence on telling Native Americans their own story as a form of Mormon colonization. As usual on this podcast, it’s a paradox. We approach this topic with humility—exploring how Latter-day Saints can honor their sacred text while fully respecting the rich diversity of Native cultures and identities. We don’t presume to label anyone; instead, we create space for people to define themselves. This podcast does not receive any outside funding. We’re able to keep it going thanks to periodic mentions of our international tours. If you’d like to help support the show, please visit www.reliqtravel.com We have some truly amazing tours to Italy with Mcarthur Krishna and Amy Jensen of Women on the Stand and Greece with the That's Church interfaith community, .coming in 2027. Thank you so much for listening. Follow Zander: @ancientamericafoundation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zandersturgill

Author Meagan Skidmore: How Parenting a Transgender Child Changed My Perspective

Meagan Skidmore is the author author of TransparentSEE: How I Learned to SEE through My Journey as a Parent of a Transgender Kiddo It's a memoir that chronicles her journey as the parent of a transgender child. Through personal stories, reflection, and spiritual exploration, Skidmore examines how her understanding of identity, faith, family, and love evolved over time. The book invites readers to move beyond fear and assumptions, embracing greater compassion, connection, and acceptance while exploring what it means to truly “see” others—and ourselves. Meagan also has a podcast titled Living Beyond the Shadow of Doubt and is a life coach who is currently taking clients.