Podcaster Meggan Hayes (Generally Unquotable) Joins the Show!
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Meggan Hayes, the voice behind the daily podcast Generally Unquotable, reveals that the moment she truly began deconstructing her Mormon faith wasn’t marked by a dramatic revelation, but by a quiet, gut-wrenching contradiction: a church talk declaring God makes no mistakes, delivered the same week she learned church leaders were arrested for abuse. That dissonance shattered her lifelong belief in divine perfection and ignited a 150-day journey of six-mile runs—each lap fueled by Radio Free Mormon’s podcast, which gave her the first real sense of being seen in her doubt. Her transformation wasn’t about rebellion, but about reclaiming agency: she walked away from her Relief Society presidency in Alaska not out of defiance, but because she refused to be dictated to by someone claiming divine authority. What followed wasn’t a collapse, but a reassembly—she built a daily podcast not as content, but as a lifeline, pre-recording episodes in advance to maintain a 2 p.m. release window that became a ritual of discipline and care. Her show now serves as a sanctuary where the real work happens not in critique, but in shared vulnerability—where listeners don’t just hear opinions, but feel the echo of their own unspoken pain.
A church talk claiming God makes no mistakes, delivered the same week leaders were arrested for abuse, shattered a lifetime of faith and triggered deconstruction.
Pre-record your podcast a full day in advance to maintain a consistent 2 p.m. release schedule and reduce daily stress.
Use asynchronous platforms like Marco Polo and Voxer to maintain connection without pressure to respond in real time.
Join or create small, consistent in-person gatherings (e.g., weekly dinners) with other ex-Mormons to combat isolation in low-density areas.
Offer free access to content on YouTube, Spotify, and Instagram to ensure accessibility for those unable to pay for Patreon.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Cold Sweater and the Podcast That Changed Everything
Bill Reel opens the show in a sweater, setting the tone for a night of vulnerability. He introduces Meggan Hayes, the creator of Generally Unquotable, praising her daily podcast as a source of profound insight. The stage is set for a deep dive into her life, faith, and the moment she realized she wasn’t alone in her doubts.
The 14-Child Mormon Family: A Childhood of Perfection
Hayes shares her upbringing as the seventh of 14 children in a devout Mormon family. She describes the pressure to be perfect, the lack of privacy, and the cultural isolation in Colorado. Her baby book was LDS-themed, and even her first birthday photo included a temple. The family’s denim photo won a prize for 'most denim,' a detail that becomes a symbol of their hyper-visibility within the faith.
Baptism, the Temple, and the First Sin
Hayes recounts her baptism day with vivid detail: the deep font, the white jumpsuit, and the moment she called her sister 'stupid' on the way to McDonald’s. She describes the crushing weight of that moment—her perfection ruined in under an hour. She also shares how she tried to 'redo' perfection daily using a string on her finger, inspired by a Primary lesson.
The Faith That Didn’t Pay Off: Money, Marriage, and the Book of Mormon
Despite 100% obedience—playing piano for Relief Society despite no training, having six kids, and reading the Book of Mormon eight times—Hayes’ life remained hard. She believed faith would bring financial miracles, but money never fell from the sky. She clung to scripture, memorizing the 'charity' passage, and made lists of rules to stay on the 'straight and narrow path.'
The Parenting Book That Broke the Mold
Hayes reveals that *Parenting with Love and Logic* was the first book that began to shift her worldview. It taught her that she could be kind without punishment, and that if she could parent without fear, maybe God could too. This was the first crack in the theology of fear and control.
“I am, I believe you that you had that conversation with the Lord. And I need you to know after today, I'm not going to be doing my calling anymore.”
“I felt like I was five. That's honestly what I felt like. I felt like I was sitting in a room alone with my dad and he was mad at me because I'd eaten some chocolate chips I shouldn't have eaten or whatever it was because I was terrified of my dad.”
“All my videos go on Patreon at 8am in the morning. So that's two hours before anywhere else.”
Hosts
Guest
Meggan Hayes
person
Mormonism
other
Bill Reel
person
Generally Unquotable
media
Radio Free Mormon
media
Book of Mormon
other
Donnie
person
Fairbanks
place
Bishop
other
Henry Eyring
person
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