Faith Crisis or Just Healthy Gospel Questions? Avery, Grace and Olivia Do The Work To Get Answers

This episode features Shawn speaking with three preparing missionaries: Avery (Philippines Cavite, Tagalog speaking), Grace (Boston, Massachusetts, Spanish speaking), and Olivia (Texas Houston East, Spanish speaking; Grace and Olivia are twin sisters). A

Shawn emphasizes that this episode is valuable because the guests' journey—moving from passive participation to active faith—is a common experience. The conversation centers on the crucial transition from passively making decisions (like attending Sacrament meeting because it is expected, or doing things like a "blind faith sheep") to actively owning one's choices. The guests acknowledged that, as children, their approach to faith was often described as "lukewarm".

The missionaries detail their individual paths to serving: Avery's choice was active despite initial conflict; Grace's initial decision was passive (due to her patriarchal blessing), though her preparation became active; and Olivia's decision was passive, influenced by the peer activity surrounding mission calls at BYU.

The "Freakout" and Seeking Answers A critical segment focuses on the collective "freakout" moment they experienced as they confronted the reality of their missions:

• Avery panicked when non-LDS friends and coworkers asked difficult questions about the gospel, anti-Church misconceptions, and history that she could not answer, highlighting a lack of necessary knowledge despite her faith.

• Grace questioned the purpose of the Church after seeing external claims of happiness without the gospel and struggled specifically with questions about women and the priesthood.

• Olivia became anxious during her endowment interview, finding aspects of the temple ceremony "not normal" and "weird," leading her to worry about teaching doctrines she didn't fully believe.

Shawn encourages responding to these doubts by actively seeking answers through "feasting upon the words of Christ" and prayer. Grace shared a powerful experience where, after accepting the challenge to read scriptures for two hours daily and praying for a desire to serve, she immediately felt an "overwhelming, crazy feeling of joy and peace". Olivia's personal concerns were alleviated when she had a chance to teach the gospel and discuss these hard topics (like polygamy, Freemasonry, and the priesthood) with a struggling friend, realizing that serving others helped her understand her own struggles.

Tackling Hard Topics The conversation dives into several challenging topics:

• Ceremony and the "Cult" Comment: Olivia's perception that the temple felt "cult-like" is addressed by comparing temple ceremony and ritual to common societal rituals, such as high school graduation (which involves "square hats," "robes," and symbolic actions like moving a tassel). Avery insightfully argues that ritual and symbolism are universal methods of storytelling and teaching that ensure the message is received universally across all times and cultures.

• Freemasonry and Temple Ordinances: They discuss concerns that Joseph Smith may have "stolen" from Freemasonry. Shawn explains that, similar to Moses using contemporary symbols (the serpent and the staff) to teach faith in Christ, Joseph Smith used familiar organizational elements (like signs and handshakes) to establish revealed covenants, highlighting human participation in the divine process (similar to the Brother of Jared bringing stones to be touched by the Lord).