Unleashing Sister Saints
by Dr. Susan R. Madsen, Global Expert in Women's Leadership
Unleashing Sister Saints was created to strengthen the testimonies of sisters in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while helping them wrestle through the cultural and gender dynamics that can limit or challenge women's influence and impact. Join host Dr. Susan R. Madsen, a global expert in women and leadership, mom of four, and a devoted member of the Church as she shares research, personal experiences, and weekly challenges to help women feel freed to bring their whole selves to the Lord’s work.
Episodes
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166. Returning to the Roots of Our Divine Calling
Over the past year, I have immersed myself in some of the most difficult research of my career, listening to the stories of women who have experienced abuse, violence, betrayal, faith crises, and other profound hardships. While that work has been deeply meaningful, it has also prompted me to step...
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165. Trusting the Future God Is Shaping in You
In this episode, I return to some foundational truths we often recite but struggle to truly believe—our divine identity, our worth, and the future God is shaping in each of us. I talk about the gap between hearing doctrine and internalizing it, especially amid today’s cultural pressures and mixed...
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164. The Choice to Leave Abuse (Part II)
In the last episode, I shared some quotes from the book “The Choice to Leave Abuse,” by Dr. Ryan Anderson. I am still not finished with the book, but as I’m in the middle of the massive research study where I'm still coding interviews with 111 Utah women who have experienced trauma, 108 of which...
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163. The Choice to Leave Abuse (Part 1)
As listeners know, I'm doing a lot of reading, research, and reflection around the issues of violence against women and children in the Church. With this in mind, several mental health professionals who work with members of the Church recommended that I read the book “The Choice to Leave Abuse,”…
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162. Utah’s Status Quo Problem: Why We Resist Change Even When It Hurts Us
I know I’ve been sharing many editorials that I’ve written on this podcast, and I want to get to some other things, but I do have one more to share because I do think it applies to us as women (and others) in the Church. So, this editorial published in the Utah News Dispatch is titled, “Utah’s...
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161. Bullying Is More Common—and More Damaging—Than We Admit
This is the third episode in my new season, and I’m going to read another editorial. I’m writing on topics that are important to me, so I want them to be part of this podcast too. This one was in the Salt Lake Tribune and titled: Workplace Bullying Is More Common—and More Damaging—Than We Admit.…
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160. Why Utah’s Passive‑Aggressive Culture Hurts Us More Than We Think
This one absolutely applies to religious context, and I hope you'll appreciate it. I think women are socialized to do this more than men. I recently published an editorial in the Deseret News titled: Why Utah’s Passive‑Aggressive Culture Hurts Us More Than We Think. I’m going to read it to you…
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Why 159. Ethical Grounding Still Matters in a World That Feels Upside Down
In this episode, I turn to an editorial I published in June in the Utah News Dispatch—a piece that speaks directly to the lived experience of Latter‑day Saint women. We are disciples of Jesus Christ, and our discipleship requires ethical steadiness, moral courage, and the willingness to speak…
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158. Why Moral Clarity Still Matters
After a refreshing summer break, I’m back and ready to launch Season Four of Unleashing Sister Saints. And I’m starting this season with an episode centered around an editorial I published in June in the Deseret News titled “Why Moral Clarity Still Matters.” I’ve felt strongly—especially in…
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157. Building Faith Communities Where Women Can Find Safety, Support, & Belonging
As I wrap up for the summer, I talk about a research study I'm conducting (with the help of a qualitative research team) titled "Building Faith Communities Where Women in Crisis Find Safety, Support, and Belonging. I thought you would be interested in this. The purpose of this in-depth…
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156. What We Stand to Lose When Women’s Progress is Treated as Optional
I’m going to take a break for the summer, but felt like I didn’t have an episode that closes the loop on the year, so I’ll do that in this episode, but now I’m thinking I’ll do one more as I’ve been mentioning the Church related research I’ll be doing this summer (and have about 8 qualitative...
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155. Stewardship vs Ownership
In this episode, I explore a principle that has the power to soften your heart, reshape your relationships, and dramatically shift how you experience both the miraclesand the messes of mortality. It’s the principle of stewardship versus ownership, beautifully taught by Ganel‑Lyn Condie in her...
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154. The Hidden Ways Language Undermines Women
Decades of research shows that language doesn’t simply describe reality—it actively shapes it. The words we choose influence perception, identity, and behavior, particularly around gender. Everyday phrases, often spoken without awareness, can reinforce stereotypes or subtly erode girls’ and…
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153. Mother in Heaven: A Study Guide
In this episode of Unleashing Sister Saints, we’re diving into one of the most soul‑shifting themes in Latter‑day Saint theology: our relationship with our Heavenly Mother. I recently read the 2025 book titled Mother in Heaven: AGospel Topics Essay Study Guide by Carnicelli, Caudle, and Krishna...
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152. Using Friction to Grow
I recently finished a powerful new book titled Using Friction to Grow: Stories of Strength & Resilience—LDS Women 1968–1976, written by my friend Robin Ritch. A year or so ago, Robin told me she felt inspired to interview a group of women whose lives didn’t fit the traditional mold of “Mormon...
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151. Jesus’ Path to Conflict Transformation: Part 2
I recently finished reading the book “70x7: Jesus’s Path to Conflict Transformation” by Chad Ford. I shared some of my favorite passages, along with some insights, in the last episode, and will continue in this episode as well. As I continued reading, Ford raised a question that feels especially...
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150. Jesus’ Path to Conflict Transformation – Part 1
During the last several months, I've read the book "70x7: Jesus’s Path to Conflict Transformation" by Chad Ford. He is an expert on peacebuilding and conflict transformation and is a member of the Church as well. In this episode, I share some of the passages that connected deeply with me. These...
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149. A Woman’s Power – Spiritual Gifts & Priesthood Power
In this podcast episode of Unleashing Sister Saints, I share a few personal experiences when the prayers of sisters have been incredibly powerful and meaningful to me. I mention that in many ways I have tried to stay in my "lane" as a woman in the Church, but I'm challenging myself and listeners…
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148. Understanding Gendered Communication: What Science Reveals
This episode is the fifth in a series designed to help parents, family members, educators, and community members better understand gender differences so we can more effectively support the children, youth, and families in our lives. The first editorial examined how boys and girls see the world…
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147. How Boys and Girls Play Differently
Gender differences continue to fascinate scientists across disciplines, and for good reason. Some researchers argue that sex differences in childhood may have an even greater impactthan those that emerge later in life. As children grow, many distinctions between boys and girls begin to blend. Yet...
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146. How Boys and Girls Sense the World Through Smell
I’m doing a series of short episodes on understanding gender – particularly some of the differences between boys, girls, men, and women. I find it so interesting to learn more about how our Heavenly Parents have created our bodies – I think there are specific reasons for these differences, but we...
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145. How Boys and Girls Hear the World Differently—and Why It Matters
In the last episode—titled “Are There Differences in the Ways that Girls and Boys See the World?” – so difference in “sight.” I started a 5-part series around differences between girls and boys - or between men and women. This is the second in the series, and this one focuses on sound or hearing.…
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144. Are There Differences in the Ways that Girls and Boys See the World?
Conversations about the differences between girls and boys—and between women and men—often make people uneasy. Some fear that acknowledging differences will reinforce stereotypes or limit opportunities. Yet ignoring those differences may do exactly the same thing. The current cultural trend…
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143. When Religion and Sexism Collide, Women's Health Suffers
Although I never set out early in my career to research orwrite about sexism, the work found me. As I spent years studying how to develop girls and women into leaders, it became impossible to ignore how persistently sexism undermines that process—both from the outside and within. I’ve learned…
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142. Why We Still Can’t Confront Violence Against Women
In this episode I share an editorial I wrote for a statewide Utah that has applications to other states, countries, communities, and congregations. It is research-based and focused on why it is so hard to confront and change things around the issues of confronting violence against women. Listen in.
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141. Choosing the Abundance Mindset
Each January offers more than a fresh calendar—it gives us a quiet invitation to rethink how we move through the world. Not through grand resolutions that fade by February, but through something far more powerful: examining the patterns of thought that shape who we are and how we show up for...
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140. In Honor of President Jeffrey R. Holland - My Favorite Quotes
President Jeffrey R. Holland passed away earlier this week, and he and his family have been in my thoughts are prayers. Of course, like so many of you, I loved his words – both the content and the way he delivered his sermons. He had a style that was sincere, powerful, thoughtful, insightful, and...
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139: Arise & Shine - The Power of Sisterhood in Christ
I'm smiling as I release this episode as it is a little difference. I’ve been using AI for ideas, definitions, and other things the last few months, and I’m so intrigued with how it just knows things – it remembers and it does research so fast. Anyway – the last few weeks I’ve not gotten any...
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138. Are There 'Masculine Defaults' in the Church?
I recently had a commentary published in The Salt Lake Tribune that I thought you might find interesting. Through the years, I’ve had many people new to Utah mention how different our state is from others. Although it is invisible to most people who live here, certain things stand out to new…
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137. The Sister Missionary Age Change
This episode focuses on the recent sister missionary age change from 19 to 18. I actually really love this for a number of reasons. I talk about those, and I also highlight results from a study I led several years ago about the leadership development gained by women serving full-time missions for...
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136. Some Surprising Research on Utah Families
In September of 2025, the Utah Foundation – a partnerorganization that I have respected for years – published a report titled, “Households and Heritages: How Family Health Hooks into Social Capital.” The report begins with a statement that aligns with Latter-day Saint beliefs: “Family is the…
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135. Hidden Pearl: Embracing and Understanding Your Sexuality with Dr. Chelom Leavitt
Dr. Chelom Leavitt is an amazing person with a fascinating background, from attending law school at BYU to later earning a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State. She now works as an associate professor at BYU where she studies healthy sexuality in committed relationships,...
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134. Moral Credits: Will Accruing More Positive Than Negative Credits Get Us to Heaven?
A month ago, the Salt Lake Tribune published apiece I wrote that they titled “Voices: In a place like Utah, ‘moral credits’ can’t make up for how we treat women.” The subtitle was “Maybe some of the conditions that create women’s conditions are unconscious — but they could beheightened in…
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133. Keeping a Soft Heart Takes Work
In this episode, I wrestle with the topic of people leaving the church for a variety of reasons and how I've evolved in my thinking about it. I also talk about why I choose to stay, and the "wrestle" many of us have with our minds and hearts in this space. This includes a conscious decision to…
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132. Why People Often Support Perpetrators More Than Victims (Even in the Church)
Last week on this podcast I talked about what Elder Renlund said about the Church needing to do better for women, and I argued for a policy change and for all of us to believe women, particularly when bad things have or are happening. I also mentioned some research, so I want to focus this…
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131. “We Can Do Better” So Let’s Do It!
In March of 2025, an article in the Salt Lake Tribunesaid this: Speaking at a women’s conference this month in Arcadia, California, apostle Dale Renlund tackled head-on a question about the church’s lack of gender equality and representation. He observed that church leaders "haven't done as good…
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130. New Research on Women's Wellness & Marriage
In this special episode, I'm joined by Dr. Jenet Jacob Erickson who is a fellow of the Wheatley Institute and a professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University. She is also a faculty member in the Department of Church History and Doctrine too. She and I discuss some new…
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129. Becoming a Leader (Part 2)
In the last episode, I shared a chunk of what I taught to YSAs in my breakout session recently at the 2025 Regional YSA Conference. I was so inspired by these young people and optimist for the future. In this episode I want to finish sharing some of the concepts I taught in my workshop titled...
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128. Becoming a Leader
Recently, I did breakout session for the Regional YSA Conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. I enjoyed teaching them about "Becoming a Leader: Developing and Unleashing Your Potential". This this episode, I share my thoughts about our rising generation as I felt their positive…
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127. Reflections on Unleash Sisters in the Church
This 10-minute episode welcomes you to the 4th season of Unleashing Sister Saints by highlighting its' purpose, audience, and why I chose the title I did for this podcast. Also, I reflect on keeping our hearts soft and the impact of a hymn we sang in Church titled "I Stand All Amazed." It is a...
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126. Healing After Sexual Abuse: A Latter-Day Saint Perspective
Welcome back to my next season of Unleashing Sister Saints. I'm starting out this season with a special episode titled "Healing After Sexual Abuse: A Latter-Day Saint Perspective," which is the title of a new book released by Deseret Book. I interviewed the two authors of this book for this...
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125. Unconscious Bias Training - Part 5: Strategies & Conclusion
This is the last in a 5-part series I've been doing on unconscious bias. These are made up of episodes 121, 122, 123, 124, and 125. I wanted to share some of the content of my in-person/Zoom three-hour unconscious bias workshop. In Episode 121, I provided an introduction, and in 122, I did most…
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124. Unconscious Bias Training - Part 4: Lenses & Types
If you are just joining and haven’t listened to Episodes 121, 122, and 123, I’d recommend listening to those first, as I’m in the middle of sharing the content of my unconscious bias workshop. The face to face or Zoom versions are very interactive and are 3 hours, but I’m condensing it, but still...
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123. Unconscious Bias Training - Part 3: Background, Purpose, & Description
If you are just joining and haven’t listened to Episodes 121 and 122, I’d recommend listening to those first, as I’m in the middle of sharing the content of my unconscious bias workshop. It is 3 hours when I do it in person or on Zoom, but I’m condensing it for this podcast. In Episode 121, I...
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122. Unconscious Bias Training - Part 2: Background
This is the second in a series I'm doing that is part of a training I do on understanding unconscious biases. Episode 121 was the first in a series and this is Episode 122. This is information on understanding ourselves and our own biases and is 100% aligned with becoming a human being and…
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121. Unconscious Bias Training - Part 1: Introduction
For a long while, I’ve been thinking that I should provide you as listeners some of my unconscious bias workshop in chunks because I think it is more important than ever before. I’ve taught this for years, and before that I worked on my deeper understanding of myself and actually how to teach it…
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120. We Are Made for Connections
I just finished reading a report that came out a few months ago titled “The Connection Opportunity: Insights forBringing Americans Together Across Difference” by a group called “More in Common.” I had such interesting insights come to me from reading it, and I wanted to read sections of the...
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119. We are Whole Enough
In this 119th episode of Unleashing Sister Saints, I want to share some of my thoughts as I listened to President Camille Johnson’s talk during one of the sessions of the April 2025 General Conference. Her talk was titled “Spiritually Whole in Him.” She said, “Wholeness does not necessarily mean...
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118. A Bolder Way Forward: Update & Inspiration
As most of you who have been listening to this podcast for a while already know, in 2023, my team and I launched A Bolder Way Forward as an initiative within the Utah Women & Leadership Project. The mission of a BWF is to ensure that more girls, women, and their families thrive. In this episode I...
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117. I Love the New Book - Changemakers!
As you know if you have glanced at with the title, I love the new book titled “Changemakers: Women Who Boldly Built Zion.” This is new from Signature Books and was written by my friends McArthur Krishna and Anne Pimentel – Illustrated by Jessica Sarah Beach. I’ve had McArthur as a guest a few…
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About this show
Unleashing Sister Saints was created to strengthen the testimonies of sisters in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while helping them wrestle through the cultural and gender dynamics that can limit or challenge women's influence and impact. Join host Dr. Susan R. Madsen, a global expert in women and leadership, mom of four, and a devoted member of the Church as she shares research, personal experiences, and weekly challenges to help women feel freed to bring their whole selves to the Lord’s work.
Hosted by
Dr. Susan R. Madsen, Global Expert in Women's Leadership
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