Racist History Mormon Church Never Taught Me - Mariama Nadworna Pt. 2 | Ep. 2202

What does it mean to grow up Black and Mormon in a predominantly white church? In Part Two of our conversation with Mariama Nadworna, she continues her Mormon story with her decision to serve a mission in Leeds, England. She describes her first experience in the London Temple, the loss of her African identity she felt when receiving her temple name, and the racism she encountered during her mission. After returning home, Mariama moved to Utah to attend BYU, where she experienced both the appeal of being at the center of Mormonism and the challenges of being Black in a predominantly white community. She discusses segregation in Utah wards, interracial dating, and eventually meeting her husband and marrying in the temple. Her faith began to change after discovering Mormon Stories and reading the CES Letter. Mariama describes feeling betrayed as she learned more about Joseph Smith’s polygamy, conflicting accounts of the First Vision, and the history of racism in the LDS Church. She began sharing her experiences on social media and eventually wrote an open letter calling on the church to take greater responsibility for educating its members about its racial history. Mariama and John also discuss the “Curse of Cain,” missionary work in Africa, the church’s relationship with African communities, and the broader questions of cultural colonialism and religious conversion. For Mariama, speaking openly about these issues has become part of her own healing—and a way to help others who may be asking similar questions about their faith and identity. Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/racist-... Timecodes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:05:26 - Turning in mission papers 00:07:38 - Temple experience 00:18:01 - Leeds mission 00:25:00 - Finishing her mission 00:32:02 - LDS Business College 00:45:43 - Marriage 00:55:04 - Reading the CES Letter 01:01:55 - “Indoctrinated with fear” 01:07:44 - Joseph Smith’s polygamy 01:10:42 - The depths of racism 01:14:19 - Social media for connection 01:24:33 - Open letter to the church 01:29:34 - Process of writing the letter 01:35:44 - The Curse of Cain 01:40:05 - Missionary work in Africa 01:47:41 - Cultural colonialism 01:54:19 - Support Mariama 01:57:56 - Conclusion ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?d... Patreon: Patreon: mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonsto... Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: @mormonstories Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: Patreon: mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7d... 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🖼️Instagram: Instagram: mormstories 📱TikTok: TikTok: mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: Discord: discord Contact us: 📧 [email protected] 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117