Margi talks about how the Mormon church played a role in her disconnect from herself.

A Personal Disconnect: The LDS Church's Role in Self-Identity Loss

When Margi Dehlin first began to explore her feelings of disconnection from her own identity, what emerged was not just an introspective journey but a critique of the LDS Church's impact on the lives of its female members. In accounts shared through the Mormon Stories Podcast, Margi recounted how the Church's teachings and cultural paradigms had effectively guided her away from herself. The implications are profound, forcing us to question how religious structures can prioritize institutional goals over individual agency.

The Ecclesiastical Framework that Shapes Identity

Margi's story is hardly isolated. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long emphasized specific roles for women, advocating that their primary purpose in life is to become wives and mothers. Historically, these roles were woven into the fabric of the faith itself. In the early 20th century, prominent leaders equated a woman's divine role with family responsibilities. This institutional decree was not merely doctrinal; it was a cultural mandate that infiltrated policies, teachings, and community norms.

Despite evolving societal norms, the Church has maintained traditional stances on gender roles. For many years, Church curricula and literature emphasized early marriage and large families as the ultimate fulfillment of a woman's life mission. In this paradigm, individuality often fell by the wayside, replaced by collective expectations of gendered propriety and duty.

Narratives of Experience and Disconnection