Wannabe Balanced | Mormon Enlightenment | Post LDS
Summary: This podcast started out as a self help podcast for moms trying to find balance in motherhood and business but morphed into a documentation of Crystal and Sean Escobar's journey out of the Mormon church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). The Podcast has been therapeutic on so many levels for its hosts. They vulnerably share their pitfalls and triumphs as they work to deconstruct a lifetime of indoctrination from the LDS church which they exited in the Spring of 2018. Sexual shame, marriage, parenting, science, spirituality, personal development, healing, sex abuse, are some of the topics they focus on. Together, the Escobars founded the Mormon Enlightenment community on Facebook which they started in August of 2018. One year later there was 3500 members. Participating in the community has proven to be the silver lining to an otherwise traumatic experience. Mormon Enlightement is also comprised of an Instagram page, and YouTube channel. They feel passionate about doing their part among many amazing pioneers like John Dehlin, who featured them on Mormon Stories Podcast. Their goal around all of this is to normalize leaving the church, and to make it safe and acceptable for their children to be non-Mormon in a predominantly Mormon world. Crystal and Sean Escobar are down to earth people who grew up in the heart of Mormonism in the Salt Lake Valley. They were married in 2004 and have 4 children. In 2007, they became the youngest millionaires in Isagenix, an international health and wellness company. Having achieved unparalleled success in their industry, they were able to retire at the age of 35. Since 2011 they have divided their time between living half the year in Salt Lake and the other half in Saint George. Crystal’s family is pioneer stock. She served a mission to Germany in 2002. What is curious is that as of 2019, the majority of her side of the family, which is quite large, is out of the Church. Crystal is the founder of the Wannabe Balanced brand, which has presence on all social media platforms, as well as an ongoing podcast, a Blog and periodic Live Events. She is also a published author of the book “My Life as a WannaBeBalanced Mom” and has been featured on many local news media stations. Sean’s parents were both first generation converts. Sean’s family, much smaller in comparison, are all still very active and believing. In February of 2018 Sean published a recording between him and the man who had sexually abused him as a child in 1993. That same year the abuse took place, Sean’s perpetrator was offered employment at BYU and stayed on as a Professor of Film for 6 years immediately thereafter. That man enjoyed a prestigious professional career as an LDS Film maker and was also the Director of the most recent Temple Endowment Videos. Those videos were hastily abandoned by the Church one month prior to the story breaking. The 25 year old abuser story went viral and was featured on the cover of the New York Times. Another victim, a child, came forward and the perpetrator was sentenced to 6 years to life in prison in the summer of 2019. Sean has become a powerful advocate for stoping child sexual abuse by giving victims the courage to come forward.
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In an effort to abandon all judgement, we may also unintentionally rule out all reason. There was a time when Sean and I were both trying to allow each other to be FREE, but soon realized this mentality can backfire if we try to suppress our true feelings about certain things. It's okay to speak up. It's okay to set boundaries in your relationship. It's okay to have requests of one another as long as you feel you are both equally compromising.
Margi Dehlin is a co-host on The Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis podcast and a Certified Life Coach. In her work she explores life transitions (involving religion, death or loss, divorce, illness, or empty nest syndrome) as they impact marriage, parenting, identity, family relationships--and one's ability to find a renewed sense of purpose amidst daily living.
Sean and I discuss some pitfalls when it comes to our ever changing beliefs and opinions. *Trying to create harmony as we navigate our different interests and understandings around the meaning of life. *How we are growing together EVEN when we disagree on so many things. *Is it okay to ONLY consume information that makes you feel good, and to what extent is that just ignorance?
What is TRUTH? "Does it light you up? Or does it put you into fear? It is an impossibility to know THE TRUTH. Meaning there are so many perspectives . This multidimensional universe is far more complex than the human is allowed to experience, there is only so much that you are supposed to or designed to access. Yes, you can have cosmic multidimensional experiences. But if you are looking for "the truth" you are going to run yourself into trouble. " ~Lee Harris
What story do you choose to believe? In this episode I share my persepective on this world wide crisis we are faced with and the story I'm choosing to believe.
Leah Young and I discuss some of the ways our parenting has changed since leaving Mormonism. *How to allow our children to make their own choices while still maintaining rules and boundaries. *Ways to have better communication with our teens. *Overcoming the Mormon mentality around comparisons and feeling we're never measuring up as parents.
Talking with Tru Eastman about overcoming the fear and panic that is overtaking many of us during this time of uncertainty. Tru Eastman teaches classes, hosts spiritual empowerment retreats, and is an intuitive mentor, and mystical teacher. Check out her upcoming event, Soul Spark 7 Witchy Goddess Retreat, at www.soulspark7.com/events
Rachel and I discuss some of her thoughts and new beliefs since leaving the church about 4 years ago.
When you feel you have been lied to it can be very difficult to trust again. You start to believe that everyone is using manipulation tactics in order to get what THEY want. In this episode I'm talking about how I'm learning to trust again.
My conversation with Andrea Riggs, sharing some teachable moments with her teens since leaving the church 4 years ago.
Sometimes I fear I’m missing out on something but I'm realizing that the belief that others are experiencing something more enriching than me is all just an illusion. That's when the focus is on LACK and not abundance. If we choose not to look at the beauty in our own lives, then THAT is what we are really missing out on.
My friend Dusty Jacobson and I discuss the topic of the divine feminine, gender equality, and empowering women as we raise our voices together in love and unity. We reflect on our former mentality, some of the things that got us fired up in the past as we began to recognize the ways in which we felt suppressed as women.
"You promised the world and I fell for it I put you first and you adored it You set fires to my forest And you let it burn Sang off key in my chorus Cause it wasn’t yours I saw the signs and I ignored it Rose colored glasses all distorted You set fire to my purpose And I let it burn You got off on the hurtin’ When it wasn’t yours We’d always go into it blindly I needed to lose you to find me This dancing was killing me softly I needed to hate you to love me..." ~ Selena Gom
Giving you an update on WHY I disappeared from podcast land for a bit, and what my plan is moving forward. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay up to date on the latest happenings in the post Mormon community. Freedom day posts, podcasts, youtube videos, events, parties, and positive vibes sent directly to your inbox. Sign up here http://www.wannabebalanced.com/menewsletter
OBEDIENCE... what does that mean? Is it better to choose obedience over knowledge? Doing what you are told regardless of what feels right to your soul? Obedience is a principle I’ve had to really question since stepping away from the Mormon church. What I’ve concluded is that obedience no longer fits into my moral code. Is teaching our children obedience to an authority figure really in their best interest?
