What Every Leader Needs to Know About Faith Crisis | An Interview with Scott Braithwaite

Summary: Scott Braithwaite has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and specializes in marriage counseling. He is an associate professor at Brigham Young University and a popular presenter at BYU Education Week, where he most recently taught about supporting loved ones through a faith crisis. He is currently serving as bishop of his ward.<br> <br> Highlights<br> 10:10 The difference between sadness and depression<br> 13:40 Leaders should ask for recommendations for good qualified counselors<br> 14:15 You choose who to marry. God gives you agency.<br> 17:40 Scott shares his experience going through a faith crisis<br> 22:40 James Fowler’s Stages of Faith can be helpful in understanding what someone may be going through. Stage three faith identifies as a group, has rules, and is concrete. Most fall under this level of faith. Things also appear black and white.<br> 29:00 During a faith crisis the bottom falls out, they can leave the faith and find community elsewhere.<br> 30:35 Going through the stages of faith are not linear<br> 33:00 Perfectionism shows up in our minds as rules, as all or nothing.<br> 33:40 Doctrinal Latter-day Saints vs. Cultural Latter-day Saints<br> 34:50 Sometimes struggling with faith comes from cultural issues<br> 36:50 The idea of organic evolution showcases the different thought processes of doctrinal vs. cultural Latter-day Saints<br> 38:10 You can’t go back to stage 3<br> 40:30 Stage 5 is accepting the complexity of faith<br> 40:50 Faith allows room for doubt<br> 42:00 All faith allows room for wrestling<br> 43:00 Stage 6 examples, such as Mother Teresa. Most people fall between stages 3, 4, and 5.<br> 46:40 We can act as a midwife and help while people are in a faith crisis<br> 48:30 Help others going through a faith crisis by listening to them. Listen more than talk.<br> 50:50 Elder Ballard: Leaders ought to know and be able to address the difficult questions<br> 56:00 There is a progression from stage 3 to stage 4<br> 57:00 We should be able to talk about doubt at church<br> 59:45 Help create a culture of faith<br> 1:02:00 Elder Hafen's stages of faith<br> Links<br> <br> * <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Like a Broken Vessel"</a>, by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland<br> * <a href="https://amzn.to/2yz2Pzs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith</a>, by Linda King Newell<br> * <a href="https://amzn.to/2A6DKhe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stages of Faith</a>, by James Fowler<br> * <a href="https://amzn.to/2A6bWte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Planted</a>, by Patrick Mason<br> * <a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/1979/08/on-dealing-with-uncertainty?lang=eng" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Dealing with Uncertainty</a>, by Bruce C. Hafen<br> <a href="https://fhssfaculty.byu.edu/FacultyPage?id=srb37" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Braithwaite BYU Bio</a><br>