What Every Leader Needs to Know About Faith Crisis | An Interview with Scott Braithwaite

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in October 2018.
Scott Braithwaite has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and specializes
in marriage counseling. He is a professor of Psychology at Brigham
Young University, has a busy private practice, and also enjoys
working with the BYU men's basketball team. Scott is a popular
presenter at BYU Education Week, where he has taught about
supporting loved ones through a faith crisis. He previously served
as bishop of his ward and is currently serving on his stake high
council. Highlights 10:10 The difference between sadness and
depression 13:40 Leaders should ask for recommendations for good
qualified counselors 14:15 You choose who to marry. God gives you
agency. 17:40 Scott shares his experience going through a faith
crisis 22:40 James Fowler’s Stages of Faith can be helpful in
understanding what someone may be going through. Stage three faith
identifies as a group, has rules, and is concrete. Most fall under
this level of faith. Things also appear black and white. 29:00
During a faith crisis the bottom falls out, they can leave the
faith and find community elsewhere. 30:35 Going through the stages
of faith are not linear 33:00 Perfectionism shows up in our minds
as rules, as all or nothing. 33:40 Doctrinal Latter-day Saints vs.
Cultural Latter-day Saints 34:50 Sometimes struggling with faith
comes from cultural issues 36:50 The idea of organic evolution
showcases the different thought processes of doctrinal vs. cultural
Latter-day Saints 38:10 You can’t go back to stage 3 40:30 Stage 5
is accepting the complexity of faith 40:50 Faith allows room for
doubt 42:00 All faith allows room for wrestling 43:00 Stage 6
examples, such as Mother Teresa. Most people fall between stages 3,
4, and 5. 46:40 We can act as a midwife and help while people are
in a faith crisis 48:30 Help others going through a faith crisis by
listening to them. Listen more than talk. 50:50 Elder Ballard:
Leaders ought to know and be able to address the difficult
questions 56:00 There is a progression from stage 3 to stage 4
57:00 We should be able to talk about doubt at church 59:45 Help
create a culture of faith 1:02:00 Elder Hafen's stages of faith
Links "Like a Broken Vessel", by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Mormon
Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, by Linda King Newell Stages of Faith, by
James Fowler Planted, by Patrick Mason "On Dealing with
Uncertainty", by Bruce C. Hafen "Help Build 'Unwavering Faith' in
Students’ Lives, Elder Ballard Tells CES Teachers" Scott
Braithwaite BYU Bio Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Listen on
YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading
Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints
podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help
Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen
to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past
guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John
Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey,
Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg,
Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish,
Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John
Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson,
Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman,
Richard Ostler, and many more in over 600 episodes. Discover
podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to
callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum,
Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward
council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.