Raised in a deeply devout Mormon family in Idaho, Kyson Dana was taught from chiIdhood that serving a mission was not a choice but a sacred duty and a defining milestone of a faithful life. When he was called to serve in southwest Russia, he believed he had been specially chosen by God to bring people the only path to salvation. Mission training reinforced the idea that success or failure depended entirely on a missionary’s faith and worthiness, leaving little room to question the church’s decisions or the dangers of the assignment. Once in Russia, the reality was far different from what he had been prepared for. Watch Kyson’s film: “The dark side of my Mormon Mission” https://youtu.be/Im4p0jjYGxw?si=JWeHmm2mKuczEk1a Support Kyson! Yt: https://www.youtube.com/@kysondana IG: https://www.instagram.com/kysondana/ Website: secondnatureclub.com Chapter Marks 00:04:02 - Mormon missions 00:07:03 – Why Mormon Missions Can Be Deeply Traumat*c 00:13:04 – Growing Up Mormon: A Mission Was Never a Choice 00:17:21 – Opening His Mission Call to Russia Alone 00:19:48 — The Missionary Training Center 00:21:15 – The Mission Training That Set Him Up to Blame Himself 00:24:29 – His First Night in Russia Changed Everything 00:27:23 – Witnessing Death Just Days Into His Mission 00:32:39 – Why He Kept Knocking Doors Despite the Danger 00:37:40 — Russia and the Mormon church 00:39:04 – The Church Told Them Not to Tell Their Families About the V*olence 00:44:31 — V*olence Experienced in Russia 00:46:12 – The Moment Kyson Started Questioning Everything 00:53:18 – Living in Constant Fear and Hyper-vigilance 1:00:42 – The Lowest Point of the Mission / How Trauma Followed Kyson Home From His Mission 1:07:35 – The Long Road to Deconstructing Mormonism 1:14:28 – Why Thousands of Former Missionaries Related to His Story 1:21:40 – Linda, listen (What I Wish Every Young Mormon Knew Before Serving) 1:28:55 – Finding Healing, Sovereignty, and Life After the Church Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! https://www.youtube.com/@CultstoConsciousnessClips Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! https://cults-to-consciousness-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness https://www.instagram.com/cultstoconsciousness Host Instagram @sheliseann https://www.instagram.com/sheliseann/ Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.rosales_ TikTok @cults.to.consciousness https://www.tiktok.com/@cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon https://twitter.com/cultstocon **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**