Bigfoot and Dragon Dads: Ex-Mormon Reveals Church Secrets

Jake Abhau is a former Mormon missionary who left the church when his son came out as gay. He was kind enough to open up about his own journey as well as the complexities of Mormonism, exploring its history, beliefs, and cultural dynamics. In addition to revealing a few juicy secrets from the inside, we discuss the controversial figure of Joseph Smith, the legacy of Brigham Young, racism within church doctrine, and some cult-like aspects of Mormonism.Find the Dragon Dads support group for fathers with gay children on this Facebook page.More information available here:'Dragon Dads' Support Gay Kids In Mormon CommunitiesPlease send your thoughts to [email protected]:00 Introduction to 'New Name Moses'01:58 The Secret Name and Temple Rituals04:43 Growing Up as a Non-Utah Mormon07:52 Cultural Differences in Mormonism09:35 Joseph Smith and the Origins of Mormonism16:08 Community and the Role of Religion20:51 Leaving the Church and Its Impacts26:33 Polygamy and Historical Figures in Mormonism30:20 The Helen Mar Kimball Controversy34:45 The Assassination of Joseph Smith35:47 Polygamy's Decline and Its Modern Implications38:28 The Brigham Young Era43:13 Racism and the Book of Mormon45:01 Temple Garments and Their Significance46:50 Brigham Young's Outlandish Beliefs51:28 The Whale Egg Incident56:07 Secrets of the Mormon Temple58:40 Understanding Mormon Temple Practices01:05:10 Secrecy and Scandals in Mormonism01:10:10 Coming Out: A Personal Journey01:22:50 Family Dynamics and Community Support01:32:25 Leaving the Church and Finding Community01:32:56 Meeting with a Mormon Apostle01:35:37 The Impact of Proposition 801:37:26 Confronting Church Leaders01:39:02 Experiencing Pride for the First Time01:45:08 A Life-Saving Encounter at Pride01:45:58 The Tragic Loss of Stockton Powers01:49:03 The Birth of Mama Dragons and Dragon Dads01:52:46 Media Attention and Growing Community01:57:36 Navigating Life After Religion02:00:33 Finding Spirituality Beyond ReligionKeywordsMormonism, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, polygamy, community, cult dynamics, racism, temple garments, religion, faith, Mormonism, LGBTQ+, Temple Recommend, Cult, Scandals, Coming Out, Community, Spirituality, Activism, Gender Identity