Looks like you've all found evidence of priestcraft--telling people what they want to hear for the benefit of personal advancement
RussFebruary 4, 2023
So, so true! Thank you!
Hockey MomFebruary 2, 2023
Hanks is a mental lightweight and dime store therapist. When affirmation is the basis of your therapy, you’re doing it wrong. The profession has gone off the rails taking this approach. And her inconsistent positions are the fruits of it.
EmJanuary 29, 2023
I can understand that therapists like Dr. Hanks, when walking with someone one-on-one, may need to find ways to meet them where they are. I've experienced this in some of my ministering experiences. Each person's journey is unique, and since I believe God meets us where we are, I think we can model that in one-on-one situations.
But as the saying goes, God never leaves us where we are. And when it comes to public positions, I think the risk of doing harm by undermining doctrine and commandments is very real.
"Christlike love is the greatest need we have on this planet in part because righteousness was always supposed to accompany it. So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified, we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy for it in others. Jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget: that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin (which He had an infinite capacity to do) and the warning against condoning it (which He never ever did even once)." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Don LJanuary 29, 2023
It's not news to learn we are living in the final days of the last days. If I were the adversary, I'd be blurring the lines between light and darkness, good and evil, truth and lies, and how we can safely navigate these perilous waters. Elder Boyd K. Packer once warned the youth that they are being raised in enemy territory, and it is no less true for each of us than it is for our youth.
My concern about Julie's podcasts and social media posts is that in her attempt to position herself as a helpful social counselor, she is part of the blurring that is taking place. The gray area in the middle of questions becomes enlarged and more murky. There are no moral absolutes.
I am not her judge and I do not know what is in her heart. I understand she is a popular speaker and social media presence. I'm sure she helps a lot of people with complex problems. But she cannot be both a mainstream secular counselor and a faithful spiritual one at the same time. And although I hope I'm wrong, it seems to me that she's trying to do exactly that.
MeaganJanuary 28, 2023
Very well done. Thank you! A few years ago I started following her Instagram account, but it ended shortly after because I quickly realized it was not a place for me to grow as a disciple of Christ. Her posts just left me with very negative feelings. I officially unfollowed her when she said the Family Proclamation wasn't doctrine, when it clearly is.
CassidyJanuary 28, 2023
As a convert of just over 5 years, coming from a non-religious family, Dr Hanks has made me feel truly seen in dealing with more complicated issues of faith, culture and family that I have not been able to get from a typical religious-background family that is most often found in bishops and church leadership. I have wondered often if I truly do fit in with the church, but when I see a community such as Dr Hanks, I realize that humans are beautifully and deeply complex, and feeling less alone on the edges of the church has helped me to stay. If you cannot relate, you simply CANNOT RELATE and that is the whole point. There are different people with different backgrounds and they all should have a place in the lords church.
My question to these authors is, if you have never had experience or wrestling with many of these issues presented, do you realize that criticizing and disregarding or discouraging these things will actually nudge more people AWAY from the church? Do you realize that marginalized members are being saved by this more open minded, nuanced thinking? When I see this article, it again makes me wonder if I’m truly not as welcome as I’d hoped. And perhaps I do need to find a place that my whole self, nuance and complicated background and all, can feel I have a space.
Dr Hanks is creating a safety net for people who need one. If you are asking her to cut the net, you will lose cherished brothers and sisters in this church. I hope you can ponder and pray and find the softness in your heart for these kinds of members, members like myself.
CherieJanuary 28, 2023
It’s really so bizarre to ask questions to Julie and then answer all of them yourselves. It’s pretty revealing that you never meant to listen to her responses if she had agreed to be interviewed. So many of her critics want her to be a church leader instead of a therapist. The whole mid section of your article was disparaging psychologists as having ulterior motives. But it’s actually very dangerous to tell people that therapists are all suspicious and that you can only trust your bishop. Some people genuinely need mental health services and if your bishop is a farmer or an accountant, he’s not going to be of much help with mental health issues no matter how much priesthood he holds.
I’ve actually seen pretty neutral responses from Julie when people try to get “permission” from her to do something contrary to church commandments. (Not something she claims any authority to grant to people) One time a person asked her about whether or not drinking coffee is a big deal. She simply answered that the word of wisdom is on the temple recommend interview and you won’t be able to get a recommend if you drink coffee. The person had to choose for themselves what to do next. That’s classic therapist.
If you want her to dictate to people exactly what to do in every situation, a bishop might do that, but it is not how a therapist would work.
The questions you’ve asked her are all ones she has answered repeatedly in several different settings. Again, it seems pretty odd, and misleading to publish this as a conversation with her when it is clearly just a chance for you to use her name and photo(!) to pontificate your own views. For example, if you believe women should only aspire to be mothers and not seek out any other work outside the home unless it’s an emergency, just say it instead of shuffling around some strange pseudo question to Julie that she isn’t even here to answer. I was surprised to see such a weird hit piece like this on Meridian.
HuguetteJanuary 28, 2023
I love Julie Hanks and the work she is doing on internet ! She helped me feel less alone in my views and understanding of church related issues and has played an important role in the fact that I feel there is a place for me in this church. It seems to me that the people who wrote this article are also very biased even though they write that their questions are just " sincere questions", you can easily see their own opinions and despite the efforts they are making to look "nuanced" they really seem annoyed by what Julie Hanks is doing and saying. It doesn't seem that they have understood the messages Julie Hanks is trying to convey, which are deep and based on psychological knowledge of the human mind. To me her work shows great respect, understanding and trust for people. She helps people connect with God and value this aspect more than the relationship we Can have with an imperfect institution and with imperfect leaders. What a blessing it is, it helped me reinforce my personal relationship with God and pushed me to connect more with the divine. Overall I feel a better disciple of Christ, a more loving and compassionate person. Isn't it what it's all about ?
KristynnJanuary 28, 2023
Such a well written article and one that is informative.
EricaJanuary 28, 2023
These points are very needed. Thank you for putting this together.
RebeccaJanuary 28, 2023
Thank you, thank you, thank you for addressing this. It's just a bonus that you did so in a very thoughtful and sensitive manner. Now I have something to share with friends and family that fully explains the concerns I have had over her ideology.
JulieJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you!!
AnneJanuary 27, 2023
Excellent article. Thank you for doing your homework and asking questions that require answers and discussion. Julie has a huge following and it’s too bad she wouldn’t weigh in on these questions herself.
EveJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Marie RJanuary 27, 2023
I'm not sure you are adequately addressing the membership of the church as a whole. There are members on a wide spectrum. The idea seems to be posed that following one's personal internal thoughts and feelings about what is best for them and their life is wrong, and I see that causing more harm on member's mental health than good. Just a different perspective. There's a place for everyone in the world and we're all children of God with unique needs and life maps.
BobJanuary 27, 2023
My, my, my said the spider to the fly. . .
Thanks for the needed, probing, considerate, spot-on discussion.
DianeJanuary 27, 2023
I'd love for Julie Hanks to explain her pro-abortion stance
S. HillJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you to Meridian Magazine for publishing such an important and needful article and for whomever took time to transcribe all of these Instagram or Podcast videos. It's extremely useful to see exact quotes. Every bishop, stake president and stake and ward RS/YW/Primary presiency needs to read this article.
Shelley RhoadsJanuary 27, 2023
Loved the article and how it balances views on many important aspects of Julie’s social topics. I’ve often felt there are more nuances to the issues being discussed than Julie powerfully asserts.
When people are struggling with these important values & decisions, it’s human nature (natural man) to want someone who is credentialed and socially supported to advocate for the inclined path of the individual(s) facing that challenge.
As a Church member, I know I came to earth to be tested in many ways, to choose the sometimes less inclined path, at times to be offended, to be judged & scorned as I am offered the opportunity to choose repeatedly to validate my faith and develop my divine greater self.
I value that Julie brings hard topics about faith, sociality and the church for open discussion. I’ve often wondered about her testimony and commitment to gather Israel as we covenant to contribute to. At times I feel her over validation (as you put it) of one viewpoint thoroughly & drastically omits the various other viewpoints - especially for individuals who are not only developing their faith, but also their intellect and emotional maturity. The boundaries topic is an excellent example of this. I’ve seen & heard individuals leverage this as a way to avoid important discussions that should remain open within family or other valued relationships (sans abuse or coercion). There are ways to set boundaries around how we talk about topics versus if we talk about them at all. I’ve often thought Julie (perhaps inadvertently) usurps parental and other roles to eliminate the various influence options individuals can have at their disposal to exercise their agency in making personal decisions and choices.
Thanks for asking some hard questions.
Kerry FarrJanuary 27, 2023
GREAT article. Thank you!
Nina EJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you for this. As a former YW President, I had followed Dr. Hanks, but started feeling uncomfortable with the things she was posting. Your questions to her and explanations are valid and worth asking.
Ann-Marie JensenJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you for this thought-provoking article. I especially appreciate your kind approach to asking excellent and vital questions and for sharing your own thoughts in a positive way.
Comments | Return to Story
J SmithMarch 3, 2025
Looks like you've all found evidence of priestcraft--telling people what they want to hear for the benefit of personal advancement
RussFebruary 4, 2023
So, so true! Thank you!
Hockey MomFebruary 2, 2023
Hanks is a mental lightweight and dime store therapist. When affirmation is the basis of your therapy, you’re doing it wrong. The profession has gone off the rails taking this approach. And her inconsistent positions are the fruits of it.
EmJanuary 29, 2023
I can understand that therapists like Dr. Hanks, when walking with someone one-on-one, may need to find ways to meet them where they are. I've experienced this in some of my ministering experiences. Each person's journey is unique, and since I believe God meets us where we are, I think we can model that in one-on-one situations. But as the saying goes, God never leaves us where we are. And when it comes to public positions, I think the risk of doing harm by undermining doctrine and commandments is very real. "Christlike love is the greatest need we have on this planet in part because righteousness was always supposed to accompany it. So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified, we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy for it in others. Jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget: that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin (which He had an infinite capacity to do) and the warning against condoning it (which He never ever did even once)." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Don LJanuary 29, 2023
It's not news to learn we are living in the final days of the last days. If I were the adversary, I'd be blurring the lines between light and darkness, good and evil, truth and lies, and how we can safely navigate these perilous waters. Elder Boyd K. Packer once warned the youth that they are being raised in enemy territory, and it is no less true for each of us than it is for our youth. My concern about Julie's podcasts and social media posts is that in her attempt to position herself as a helpful social counselor, she is part of the blurring that is taking place. The gray area in the middle of questions becomes enlarged and more murky. There are no moral absolutes. I am not her judge and I do not know what is in her heart. I understand she is a popular speaker and social media presence. I'm sure she helps a lot of people with complex problems. But she cannot be both a mainstream secular counselor and a faithful spiritual one at the same time. And although I hope I'm wrong, it seems to me that she's trying to do exactly that.
MeaganJanuary 28, 2023
Very well done. Thank you! A few years ago I started following her Instagram account, but it ended shortly after because I quickly realized it was not a place for me to grow as a disciple of Christ. Her posts just left me with very negative feelings. I officially unfollowed her when she said the Family Proclamation wasn't doctrine, when it clearly is.
CassidyJanuary 28, 2023
As a convert of just over 5 years, coming from a non-religious family, Dr Hanks has made me feel truly seen in dealing with more complicated issues of faith, culture and family that I have not been able to get from a typical religious-background family that is most often found in bishops and church leadership. I have wondered often if I truly do fit in with the church, but when I see a community such as Dr Hanks, I realize that humans are beautifully and deeply complex, and feeling less alone on the edges of the church has helped me to stay. If you cannot relate, you simply CANNOT RELATE and that is the whole point. There are different people with different backgrounds and they all should have a place in the lords church. My question to these authors is, if you have never had experience or wrestling with many of these issues presented, do you realize that criticizing and disregarding or discouraging these things will actually nudge more people AWAY from the church? Do you realize that marginalized members are being saved by this more open minded, nuanced thinking? When I see this article, it again makes me wonder if I’m truly not as welcome as I’d hoped. And perhaps I do need to find a place that my whole self, nuance and complicated background and all, can feel I have a space. Dr Hanks is creating a safety net for people who need one. If you are asking her to cut the net, you will lose cherished brothers and sisters in this church. I hope you can ponder and pray and find the softness in your heart for these kinds of members, members like myself.
CherieJanuary 28, 2023
It’s really so bizarre to ask questions to Julie and then answer all of them yourselves. It’s pretty revealing that you never meant to listen to her responses if she had agreed to be interviewed. So many of her critics want her to be a church leader instead of a therapist. The whole mid section of your article was disparaging psychologists as having ulterior motives. But it’s actually very dangerous to tell people that therapists are all suspicious and that you can only trust your bishop. Some people genuinely need mental health services and if your bishop is a farmer or an accountant, he’s not going to be of much help with mental health issues no matter how much priesthood he holds. I’ve actually seen pretty neutral responses from Julie when people try to get “permission” from her to do something contrary to church commandments. (Not something she claims any authority to grant to people) One time a person asked her about whether or not drinking coffee is a big deal. She simply answered that the word of wisdom is on the temple recommend interview and you won’t be able to get a recommend if you drink coffee. The person had to choose for themselves what to do next. That’s classic therapist. If you want her to dictate to people exactly what to do in every situation, a bishop might do that, but it is not how a therapist would work. The questions you’ve asked her are all ones she has answered repeatedly in several different settings. Again, it seems pretty odd, and misleading to publish this as a conversation with her when it is clearly just a chance for you to use her name and photo(!) to pontificate your own views. For example, if you believe women should only aspire to be mothers and not seek out any other work outside the home unless it’s an emergency, just say it instead of shuffling around some strange pseudo question to Julie that she isn’t even here to answer. I was surprised to see such a weird hit piece like this on Meridian.
HuguetteJanuary 28, 2023
I love Julie Hanks and the work she is doing on internet ! She helped me feel less alone in my views and understanding of church related issues and has played an important role in the fact that I feel there is a place for me in this church. It seems to me that the people who wrote this article are also very biased even though they write that their questions are just " sincere questions", you can easily see their own opinions and despite the efforts they are making to look "nuanced" they really seem annoyed by what Julie Hanks is doing and saying. It doesn't seem that they have understood the messages Julie Hanks is trying to convey, which are deep and based on psychological knowledge of the human mind. To me her work shows great respect, understanding and trust for people. She helps people connect with God and value this aspect more than the relationship we Can have with an imperfect institution and with imperfect leaders. What a blessing it is, it helped me reinforce my personal relationship with God and pushed me to connect more with the divine. Overall I feel a better disciple of Christ, a more loving and compassionate person. Isn't it what it's all about ?
KristynnJanuary 28, 2023
Such a well written article and one that is informative.
EricaJanuary 28, 2023
These points are very needed. Thank you for putting this together.
RebeccaJanuary 28, 2023
Thank you, thank you, thank you for addressing this. It's just a bonus that you did so in a very thoughtful and sensitive manner. Now I have something to share with friends and family that fully explains the concerns I have had over her ideology.
JulieJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you!!
AnneJanuary 27, 2023
Excellent article. Thank you for doing your homework and asking questions that require answers and discussion. Julie has a huge following and it’s too bad she wouldn’t weigh in on these questions herself.
EveJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Marie RJanuary 27, 2023
I'm not sure you are adequately addressing the membership of the church as a whole. There are members on a wide spectrum. The idea seems to be posed that following one's personal internal thoughts and feelings about what is best for them and their life is wrong, and I see that causing more harm on member's mental health than good. Just a different perspective. There's a place for everyone in the world and we're all children of God with unique needs and life maps.
BobJanuary 27, 2023
My, my, my said the spider to the fly. . . Thanks for the needed, probing, considerate, spot-on discussion.
DianeJanuary 27, 2023
I'd love for Julie Hanks to explain her pro-abortion stance
S. HillJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you to Meridian Magazine for publishing such an important and needful article and for whomever took time to transcribe all of these Instagram or Podcast videos. It's extremely useful to see exact quotes. Every bishop, stake president and stake and ward RS/YW/Primary presiency needs to read this article.
Shelley RhoadsJanuary 27, 2023
Loved the article and how it balances views on many important aspects of Julie’s social topics. I’ve often felt there are more nuances to the issues being discussed than Julie powerfully asserts. When people are struggling with these important values & decisions, it’s human nature (natural man) to want someone who is credentialed and socially supported to advocate for the inclined path of the individual(s) facing that challenge. As a Church member, I know I came to earth to be tested in many ways, to choose the sometimes less inclined path, at times to be offended, to be judged & scorned as I am offered the opportunity to choose repeatedly to validate my faith and develop my divine greater self. I value that Julie brings hard topics about faith, sociality and the church for open discussion. I’ve often wondered about her testimony and commitment to gather Israel as we covenant to contribute to. At times I feel her over validation (as you put it) of one viewpoint thoroughly & drastically omits the various other viewpoints - especially for individuals who are not only developing their faith, but also their intellect and emotional maturity. The boundaries topic is an excellent example of this. I’ve seen & heard individuals leverage this as a way to avoid important discussions that should remain open within family or other valued relationships (sans abuse or coercion). There are ways to set boundaries around how we talk about topics versus if we talk about them at all. I’ve often thought Julie (perhaps inadvertently) usurps parental and other roles to eliminate the various influence options individuals can have at their disposal to exercise their agency in making personal decisions and choices. Thanks for asking some hard questions.
Kerry FarrJanuary 27, 2023
GREAT article. Thank you!
Nina EJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you for this. As a former YW President, I had followed Dr. Hanks, but started feeling uncomfortable with the things she was posting. Your questions to her and explanations are valid and worth asking.
Ann-Marie JensenJanuary 27, 2023
Thank you for this thought-provoking article. I especially appreciate your kind approach to asking excellent and vital questions and for sharing your own thoughts in a positive way.
ADD A COMMENT