NAVIGATING MORMON
FAITH CRISIS
ABOUT THE BOOK
What if we understood faith crisis as part of a natural cycle of spiritual growth, a breaking open to make room for new life and new faith?
Who is this for? (01:11)
Why talk about faith crisis in terms of development? (01:04)
What is the essence of the message? (01:13)
ENDORSEMENTS
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“This book on Mormonism is beautifully written, easy to read, and comes from a deeply held love for a community experiencing growing pains. What I rejoice in above all is that it offers a path through and beyond tests of faith for not just Latter-day Saints, but for all religious communities facing similar struggles. May McConkie’s seeds for ongoing dialogue and mutual tolerance fall on fertile ground.”
DR. SUSANNE COOK-GREUTER
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ed.D
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“This book is sure to be a game-changer for all those experiencing a painful faith transition, particularly (but not solely) within the LDS tradition. McConkie charts the upside of moving through various stages of adulthood on our path to spiritual maturity and soundness. This book will be hailed as a ‘godsend’ by many.”
FIONA GIVENS
Coauthor of The God Who Weeps and
The Crucible of Doubt
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“Thomas McConkie is a significant new pioneer author on the LDS scene. His experience and expertise in developmental psychology allow him to guide us with insight and compassion through our faith troubles and to reassure us that all can be well as we gain deeper understanding of the developmental process. An important book for our time.”
M. CATHERINE THOMAS
Author of The God Seed and A Light In the Wilderness
INTRO TO THE STAGES
A quick look at the different stages of adult development based on extensive research. Each stage reveals different truths and offers unique gifts.
ESSENCE: OBEY
“Our central preoccupation and primary motivation at this stage is to harmonize with the collective we belong to and to fit in.”
STRENGTHS
• Higher Purpose
• Fulfillment
• Belonging
• Fulfillment
• Belonging
ESSENCE: DEFEND
“The Expert stage represents a whole new kind of identity in human life. It is a move from the concrete world of appearances to the subtler world of interiors: ideas, feelings, visions, promptings.”
STRENGTHS
• Personal Authority
• Open-minded
• Curiosity
• Open-minded
• Curiosity
ESSENCE: CHOOSE
“Goal-setting and achievement become the dominant practices at this stage…Delayed gratification becomes rocket fuel for these diligent performers.”
STRENGTHS
• Personal Goal-setting
• Agency
• Character Development
• Patience
• Agency
• Character Development
• Patience
ESSENCE: INCLUDE
“We begin to realize now that our perspectives dictate what kinds of facts we’re able to discover. This is what the stage’s name, Individualist, implies: each person is a totally unique complex of perspectives.”
STRENGTHS
• Process -oriented
• Innovative
• Richness in Diversity
• Robust Faith
• Innovative
• Richness in Diversity
• Robust Faith
ESSENCE: INTEGRATE
“At Strategist we’ve reached the first stage of adult development dedicated to forming those new eyes, realizing that there is no end to the landscapes we can see, no final pair of eyes from which to gaze.”
STRENGTHS
• Development Itself
• Lifelong learning
• Principled
• Truth as One Whole
• Lifelong learning
• Principled
• Truth as One Whole
CAUSAL TIER:
There are multiple stages in the causal tier according to different researchers. The trajectory of development at this tier is a deepening realization that all spirit is matter and all matter spirit.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
EMAILS WILL INCLUDE INFO ON:
upcoming talks
workshops and retreats
how to learn more about your own development
community events
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas Wirthlin McConkie
Thomas is the founder of Lower Lights School of Wisdom. He has been practicing mindfulness and other meditative techniques for 20 years and studying their effects on human potential. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his partner Gloria and their dog Luna.
CONTACT