Tyler Glenn & Paul Cardall: "I Know it Hurts" Premiere - Mormon Stories Ep. 1394

When Faith Shatters: Tyler Glenn and Paul Cardall's "I Know It Hurts" Confronts Religious Trauma

The experience of leaving a faith tradition that has shaped one's entire worldview represents one of the most psychologically disorienting transitions a person can undergo. For members of high-control religious groups, particularly those with deeply personal investment in doctrine and community, the process often involves not just theological questions but existential grief. In February 2021, musician Tyler Glenn and composer Paul Cardall premiered their collaborative album "I Know It Hurts" on the Mormon Stories podcast, directly addressing the documented psychological and spiritual fallout that many individuals experience when departing Mormonism. Their artistic and candid discussion raises critical questions about how religious institutions communicate belonging, and what happens when members discover inconsistencies between taught doctrine and historical evidence.

Understanding the Religious Trauma Framework in "I Know It Hurts"

Tyler Glenn, best known as frontman of the indie rock band Neon Trees, has become a prominent public voice for post-Mormon experience since his 2014 coming-out as a gay man, an identity incompatible with LDS doctrine at that time. Paul Cardall, a classically trained composer born with congenital heart disease, brings a complementary perspective: his spiritual crisis emerged not from sexual orientation conflicts, but from observing how rigid institutional frameworks fail to accommodate human complexity and suffering.

According to the Mormon Stories podcast episode documenting their album premiere, both artists describe their faith transitions as traumatic rather than liberating. This distinction matters. While some individuals experience faith deconstruction as intellectual awakening, Glenn and Cardall articulate a specific harm: the gap between what the LDS Church teaches about happiness and meaning versus what members actually experience when they depart.

Key Themes: From Institutional Messaging to Personal Recovery