028 Smiling All the While: Happiness as a Post-Mormon
“Those with the capacity to feel great pain are also those with the capacity to feel deep joy. Those who fall hard rise gloriously.”
Being human means that we will experience a wide range of emotions in response to our life circumstances; we all have our own mad, glad, sad, and scared, and should embrace this as a part of our humanity. This can be tricky for believing Mormons, however, when Mormon doctrine teaches that obedience to gospel principles is the only path to true happiness; it follows that unrighteousness leads to sadness and pain, and can lead to an unwillingness to share anything except positive emotions. This can have a particularly pernicious effect on those who have chosen to leave Mormonism, as any negativity or hurt can be seen as a consequence of our decisions rather than a normal part of our experience as humans.
In this episode, Micaela, Donna, and Chloe discuss the idea of happiness, what it meant to them as believing Mormons, and how they view happiness now. They share their personal experiences and insights into how they have reframed the narrative of “righteousness equals happiness.”
Thanks for listening!
Do you have a comment, a question you’d like us to answer on the podcast, or a unique perspective to add about this topic? We’d love to hear from you! Please send us an email or comment below.
And if you’ve found this episode helpful, please consider leaving us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. Ratings and reviews boost our visibility and help people find us.
But the most helpful thing you can do is share this episode with someone you know! So please share the love and pass on our links.
And don’t forget to subscribe in Soundcloud or your favorite podcast app!