
Pastor Katie Langston joins Spirited Book Club to discuss her remarkable debut memoir, ‘sealed’
Born and raised a devout Mormon in Utah, Rev. Katie Langston chronicles her unexpected conversion to orthodox Christianity with candor and theological depth. Her remarkable debut memoir explores themes of religious fundamentalism, mental illness, and family belonging—culminating in her surprising and liberating encounters with the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Book Overview
Katie Langston never expected to leave Mormonism.
She grew up in a devout, conservative Mormon family in Utah, served a proselytizing mission to Bulgaria when she was 21, married for “time and all eternity” in the Mormon temple when she was 23.
From the outside, she had a typical Mormon life. Inside, she was coming apart at the seams.
From childhood, she battled “The Questions”—obsessive-compulsive disorder, though she didn’t have a diagnosis for it until much later—and lived inside a complex maze of anxiety and fear. This was compounded by Mormonism’s emphasis on “worthiness,” a designation of acceptability in Mormon practice, that brought her to the edge of despair as a young mother.
Then, almost by accident, she had an encounter with the grace of Jesus Christ—and her world changed.
In candid but not sensationalized ways, Langston explores little-understood Mormon practices and teachings while grappling with universal human questions such as the nature of faith, the complexity of family, the process of healing, and what it means to truly belong.
Reviews for SEALED
“Katie Langston uses exquisite, edge-of-the-sword honesty and elevated prose in Sealed, a lovely memoir that chronicles her difficult struggle to find peace with God.”—Phyllis Barber, author of How I Got Cultured
“Langston’s powerful and deeply theological memoir speaks to the steep costs of religious perfectionism. It will resonate with anyone who has never quite belonged and longs for what she has found on the other side: the grace of a loving God for whom she was already, always, more than enough.”—Jana Riess, author of The Next Mormons and Flunking Sainthood
“Langston’s book is an instant classic that plumbs the depths of the Mormon experience, while offering a moving vision of God’s grace.”—Stephen Carter, editor, Sunstone Magazine
Club Discussion Dates
FIRST BOOK CLUB MEETING for July 14: First half
SECOND BOOK CLUB MEETING for July 28: Second half
++Book discussion facilitated by author Katie Langston and Sheri Brown
@spiritindesert #spiritinthedesert

About the author
Katie Langston is a doubter by nature and a believer by grace. She grew up Mormon in Cache Valley, Utah, and still isn’t sure she fits in anywhere sophisticated enough to have a Target.
Katie converted to orthodox (little “o”) Christianity after a profound experience with God’s grace over a decade ago. She spent several years trying to make Mormon teaching fit a grace-based worldview, only to discover they weren’t particularly compatible. After a long period of discernment, she was baptized on October 7, 2017.
Katie is a writer, preacher, evangelist, and digital communications specialist. She’s the Director of Digital Strategy for Luther Seminary’s innovation department, where she oversees digital projects aimed a cultivating vibrant Christian spirituality in a post-modern, post-Christian cultural context. She writes and speaks to Christian audiences about Mormonism and to Mormon audiences about Christianity, and is a popular blogger, podcaster, and presenter. She is ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and serves as Pastor of Mission and Outreach at New Promise Lutheran Church in St. George, Utah.
In her spare time, Katie enjoys spending time with her friends and family, taking day trips, cheering on the Minnesota Lynx and the Utah Jazz, and watching the handful of television programs she can’t live without.
Follow her work at katielangston.com and thornbushpress.com.
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