#29 The Book of Mormon Girl

Joanna Brooks was raised by conservative orthodox Mormons in Southern California. Her upbringing, though in many ways ideal and stabilizing, also found her learning how to squirrel away food for Armageddon and stressing at twelve years old about the righteous Mormon boy she was going to marry someday.

Joanna's entrée into adulthood began at BYU where she discovered a broader base to her faith than she imagined as a child.  But her relationship to the LDS church was shattered by some disturbing events at BYU near the end of her education.  A decade later, she returns to church only to be faced with another large hurdle but this time she fights to stay and claim her place in Mormonism.

Joanna's story is not formulaic, but it is her story, it's honest and hopeful and real. We could use more stories like this at church.