Married Too Young: The Mormon Wedding Pipeline

For generations, young Mormon women have been taught that marriage and motherhood should come first—and fast. But what happens when girls are encouraged to move directly from prom dress shopping to pregnancy without ever developing an identity of their own?

In this conversation, I sit down with Mormon feminist icon Abby Maxwell Hanson to discuss her powerful article, *From Prom to Prenatals: The LDS Marriage Conveyor Belt*. We explore the pressure many young women feel within Mormon culture to marry young, start families immediately, and build their lives around a husband rather than themselves.

As someone who married young and lived this reality, I share why I believe "a man is not a plan" and why women deserve the opportunity to develop independence, education, careers, and a strong sense of self before being told their highest purpose is wifehood and motherhood.

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Topics include:

• Mormon marriage culture

• Dallin H. Oaks and teachings on family and motherhood

• Young marriage in the LDS Church

• Mormon feminism

• Women's identity and independence

• Motherhood, faith, and personal growth

• The pressure to marry young in religious communities

• Life after Mormonism

Do you think encouraging young women to marry and have children immediately is empowering—or limiting? Let me know in the comments.

#Mormon #ExMormon #MormonStories #MormonFeminism #LDSChurch #DallinHOaks #WomenEmpowerment #FaithTransition #WomenOver40 #WomenOver50 #Marriage #Motherhood

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