The Mormon Church Called Me Chosen... and Cursed

Ember Hudson shares the deeply personal story of growing up as a Native American woman in the LDS Church, where Mormon teachings about Indigenous people left her struggling with identity, worth, and belonging. Raised between her tribal heritage and a predominantly white Mormon community, she recounts how doctrines surrounding the Lamanites, rac*st interpretations of skin color, and repeated messages that she needed to "repent more" caused years of emotional and spiritual conflict. The conversation also explores the LDS Church's historical treatment of Native Americans, including the Indian Placement Program, cultural assimilation, tokenization, and the lasting impact of portraying Indigenous peoples through the lens of the Book of Mormon. Her story is a powerful examination of reclaiming identity, healing from religious trauma, and rediscovering a cultural heritage that she believes was never meant to be erased.

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TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@wayward_lamanite
@wayward_lamanite also on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
website is: https://www.waywardlamanite.com

Ember’s book “Wayward Lamanite” https://a.co/d/07WMI5OT

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Chapter Marks

00:00:00 – Intro - The Bishop Who Said My Skin Was Becoming "Righteous"
00:02:02 – Growing Up Native American in a White Mormon Ward
00:04:12 – Ember's ChiIdhood and Background
00:07:05 – The Book of Mormon's Claims About Native Americans Begin to Unravel
00:10:33 – When Church Leaders Tied My Worth to Her Skin Color
00:13:13 – The Dark Legacy of the LDS Indian Placement Program
00:17:29 – Living Between Native Culture and Mormon Expectations
00:24:00 – Why She Believed She Was Born Spiritually Behind Everyone Else
00:23:53 – Patriarchal blessing
00:30:32 – Native Spirituality Gave Her More Peace Than Mormonism Ever Did
00:31:34 – Two belief systems clashing
00:34:24 – Ember’s Mother's Conversion and her Family's Mormon History
00:39:14 – How Ember's Mother Becoming Mormon Affected Her Family
00:41:05 – Tokenism, Pageants, and Performing Native Identity for the Church
00:47:36 – The Moment Mormonism Started Falling Apart for Ember
00:48:41 – Deconstruction
00:51:20 – Her Terrifying First Temple Experience
00:53:20 – Leaving the Church to Protect Her Daughter's Identity
00:55:19 – How Ember Has Been Able to Reconnect With Her Culture
00:58:10 – Finding Healing After Mormonism and Reclaiming Her Heritage
01:05:35 — Why She's Finally Speaking Out About Mormonism's Native History
01:10:05 — The Massacres, Cover-Ups, and History Most Members Never Learn
01:20:01 — Linda, listen

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