Why She Left the Mormon Church: Audra Phelps on Faith Deconstruction and Coaching Women to Trust Themselves Again

From SACRED FREEDOM · 1:08:09

Show by Elizabeth Marth

This week on the Sacred Freedom Podcast, host Elizabeth Marth is joined by Audra Phelps, M.Sc, MNLP, a self-described "identity archeologist" who helps women rebuild their lives after leaving high-demand religions. Together they have a raw, and eye-opening conversation about faith deconstruction, religious conditioning, and what it really takes to trust your own voice again.Audra was raised in a strict Mormon household, where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shaped everything from what she ate and wore to who she married. She shares how being told that every question was "letting Satan into her heart" taught her to distrust herself and hand her power to an outside authority. She talks about marrying at 20 after a six-week engagement, getting kicked out of BYU and motherhood years that felt stolen by perfectionism and a never-ending checklist. Through a ten-year "slow erosion," marked by anxiety, depression, a move to Kazakhstan, and finally a church policy her body physically rejected, she reached the moment she took off her temple garments, looked in the mirror, and said, "I am not Mormon."This episode is for every woman who has ever pushed down her questions to keep the peace, who followed "the plan" without stopping to ask if it was hers, and who is ready to find out who she really is underneath what she was taught.If you've ever felt torn between what you were taught and what you know deep down, this episode is your invitation to listen to your own voice.Episode Highlights00:19 Meet Audra Phelps, the identity archeologist 02:20 Mormon vs. LDS: same church, different name 03:01 Growing up in a strict Mormon household 05:28 Questioning as a child and being told it was letting Satan in 06:57 How religious conditioning teaches you to distrust yourself 09:11 BYU, temple worthiness, and the checklist for choosing a husband 14:06 "You can figure out love later": engaged in six weeks 20:28 Getting kicked out of BYU 23:21 Perfectionism and the checklist of a "good Mormon mom" 29:52 Body shame, modesty culture, and sexuality 38:13 Moving to Kazakhstan and finding space to question 41:35 Learning what truth feels like in your body 44:11 The last straw and the moment she said, "I am not Mormon" 50:31 Telling her husband and her kids 54:09 A family mission statement: "Choose what you believe and allow others to do the same" 57:28 The conversation she wishes she'd had with her children 1:01:00 "I'm so glad you got our family out": changing her kids' trajectory 1:04:36 Reclaimed, Audra's 8-week coaching programGet to know Audra:Audra Phelps is an identity archeologist and coach who helps women who have left high-demand religions, especially the Mormon (LDS) Church, uncover the beliefs they were given, process the grief, guilt, and loss that come with leaving, and learn to trust themselves again. A former high school biology teacher who spent years teaching internationally with her family, Audra now guides women through her 8-week program, Reclaimed, and offers one-on-one coaching. She is currently writing her first book.Website: Mama Audra - https://mamaaudra.com/Connect with Eiizabeth:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacredfreedomforherFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sacredfreedomforherEmail: [email protected] you so much for listening. Please subscribe to my podcast and leave a five-star review.Elizabeth

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