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Laura Roper Andreasen is the granddaughter of LDS Apostle M. Russell Ballard. \\xa0Recently Laura\\xa0resigned her membership in the LDS Church after\\xa0struggling unsuccessfully for decades to find happiness and health as an active, believing Latter-day Saint (e.g., serving an LDS mission, marrying in the temple, having children). \\xa0In this vulnerable, thoughtful, respectful, and heartfelt two-part interview, Laura discusses the following:

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• The deep love and respect she has for her parents, grandparents, and Mormon\\xa0heritage.
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• Her struggles\\xa0as a child, teenager, and adult with:\\n
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  • What she experienced to be a\\xa0culture\\xa0of perfectionism and shame in the LDS church.
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  • A family and church culture of avoiding emotional vulnerability and the open\\xa0discussion of difficult topics.
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  • The added difficulty/burden/pressure of being a direct descendant of Hyrum Smith and the grandchild of an LDS Apostle (within LDS culture).
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• Her\\xa0struggle\\xa0with low self worth, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation for multiple decades.
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• Her complex relationship with Grandpa Ballard, who (from her perspective) struggled to balance his role as an apostle with his role as grandfather.
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• Her perspective on what it is like to be an LDS Apostle, answering many questions for Mormon Stories listeners.
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• Her reasons for leaving the LDS Church after being unable to find joy within it.
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To read from Laura\'s blog, click here.

Part 1 (Laura\'s Story):

Part 2 (Q&A):

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