Today we sit down with Coy Johnston, a longtime active member of the LDS Church, to explore what it looks like to question Mormonism without completely walking away. Coy grew up in Mesa, Arizona, served a mission in England, became a doctor, and spent his life deeply involved in the church. His faith began to shift as he studied scripture and biblical scholarship, and issues with early Mormon church history. He shares how learning more about church history changed his understanding of Mormonism and led him into a faith crisis that affected his family, callings, and relationship with church leaders. Rather than leaving, Coy began looking for ways to support other members who were going through similar struggles. He created a group called “Journeys,” where people could openly discuss their questions and doubts. When church leaders learned about the meetings, they asked him to stop holding them and eventually threatened to withhold his temple recommend if he did not dissolve the group. Other topics include: -Perfectionism and worthiness -Mormon history and biblical scholarship -Mixed-faith marriage -Bishop roulette -Supporting members with faith questions His story raises an important question: Can you remain Mormon while admitting you don't have all the answers? Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/bishop-and-stake-president-conflict-after-a-mormon-faith-crisis/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:55 - Intentions 00:06:56 - Mormon story begins 00:08:37 - Lost a two year old brother 00:12:50 - Seminary president 00:21:59 - Mission to England 00:28:14 - Sick as a missionary 00:43:39 - Cracks in faith 00:46:55 - Dating and marriage 00:56:41 - Residency in Wisconsin 01:03:58 - Temple endowment 01:10:21 - Non-denominational Easter concert 01:15:20 - Copies of the Book of Mormon in exam rooms 01:24:53 - Consecrate all 01:33:39 - Finding Mormon Stories 01:52:05 - Church is not what it claims 02:04:16 - Asked to be released 02:12:05 - Meeting with the bishop 02:21:59 - Bishop apologizes 02:23:01 - Meeting with Stake President 02:28:07 - Being released 02:33:19 - LGBTQ+ Policy 02:37:51 - Core truths vs secondary truths 02:52:59 - Covid 03:01:20 - Listening to podcasts 03:17:36 - “Journeys” 03:26:37 - Being told to stop the meetings 03:35:19 - Told he wasn’t paying enough tithing 03:40:13 - Advice to those who stay 03:52:58 - Final thoughts ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117