In this conversation, Brooke shares her journey of growing up Mormon, navigating the structures that shaped her world, and finding the courage to leave when she realized she could no longer be Mormon and also live in alignment with her understanding of love, belonging, and human worth.
Together, Brooke and Nadia explore questions of belonging, identity, love, and what happens when our understanding of compassion grows beyond the boundaries we once knew. This is not a conversation about judgment or blame, but an invitation to listen more deeply—to consider how we hold our beliefs, how we treat one another, and how we continue searching for a love without limits.
Whether you have experienced a shift in faith, questioned parts of your own identity, or simply want to better understand another person’s journey, this episode offers a thoughtful reflection on courage, connection, and our shared humanity.
In this episode:
* Brooke’s experience growing up in the Mormon church
* The questions that led her to reconsider her beliefs
* The grief and courage involved in leaving a community
* The search for belonging beyond certainty
* How compassion can help us bridge differences
* Imagining a world with more curiosity, kindness, and understanding
00:00 Opening banter: summer, routines, and family vacations
01:47 Brooke begins sharing her Mormon upbringing
02:26 Faith, sensitivity, and wanting to be “good”
07:20 Community, belonging, and the limits Brooke experienced
10:37 Studying abroad and beginning to question missionary work
12:10 A friend’s rejection for his sexuality and Brooke’s decision to leave the church
13:54 Perfectionism, anxiety, and finding a personal spirituality
16:35 Growing beyond fear and judgment
18:54 Sacredness, ritual, and creating inclusive community
21:42 Friendship, conflict, and making room for difference
25:50 Why leaving was the hardest decision Brooke made
29:50 A dream that reshaped Brooke’s understanding of compassion
31:55 A softer, more curious world for the next generation
33:43 Closing thoughts
