Episode 228 (Transcript): Embracing Your Journey | A Conversation With Abby Maxwell Hansen

Episode Transcript

Many thanks to listener Erica Larsen for her work in transcribing this episode!

This episode can be found on any podcast app or can be listened to here on our website as well. All the notes and resources we cited in the episode are found at this link as well:

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AH: I had three callings at the time that I put up my Ordain Women profile and everyone decided I was deceived by Satan. I was in the primary presidency, I was the compassionate service leader, and I was a ward missionary. And I was an awesome visiting teacher with a really great track record of getting my visiting teaching done every month.

I was doing everything, and that's why it's so frustrating then for people to turn around and say, “Oh, you just didn't have a testimony. You probably didn't even go to church.” 

And you're like, “I am giving my life for this organization.” 

SH: Right? 

AH: I'm trying so hard.

**Intro Music**

SH: Hello, I'm Susan Hinkley. 

CW: And I am Cynthia Winward. 

SH: And this is At Last She Said It. We are women of faith discussing complicated things, and the title of today's episode is Embracing Your Journey, A Conversation with Abby Maxwell Hansen. 

Hello Abby. Welcome to the podcast. 

AH: Hi Cynthia. Hi Susan. It's nice to be here with both of you.

CW: Hey, thank you for being here. 

SH: We’re thrilled to have you. 

Could we start maybe by just having you introduce yourself? What would you like our listeners to know about you and maybe give a little context to this conversation. 

AH: Well, sure! I have long admired you guys doing a podcast. I thought you guys are fantastic voices for Mormon women, so I love that.

On my end, I was part of Ordain Women years ago and I led the first group into the Marriott Center. You know, into a priesthood session. I was part of, well, I was featured on a documentary, like a short documentary, that got nominated for a BAFTA. That was pretty cool. That's like a British Oscar if you don't know that.

SH: Right, right.

AH: And then I have been part of the Exponent II. I've been blogging –that (Exponent II) is a blog, a magazine, a retreat. It's a 50-year-old Mormon feminist organization, and I've been really involved with that for the last number of years. I blog at least monthly and write about Mormon feminism and my experiences there. And I run our blog Instagram page. And so that's kind of where a lot of people know me. If they know me, they either knew me from Ordain Women or they know me from Exponent II. 

SH: Yeah. I'm imagining that a lot of our listeners will see your name in the title and think, where do I know her from? And it's probably Exponent, is my guess.

AH: Probably.

CW: You're quite the prolific writer at Exponent, so I bet that's where most of our audience at least, has gone, “Hmmm… I’ve heard that name somewhere.”

AH: That's right. Abby has complained about something but it resonated with me. Sometimes people will compliment me or come up and say, “Hey I follow you.I read what you write, like on the internet and stuff.”

And I'll say, “oh, thank you. It's whatever I'm most mad about that month– I write about. I'm glad it resonates with you too.”