Episode 62 - What if General Conference is Difficult? (with thegeneralconferenceproject)

**content warning - brief mentions of loss of a child, military-related PTSD, and general statements about faith transitions, anxiety/depression and the hurt that people may feel because of the messages they hear from church leaders**

Episode hosts Allison Dayton and Darice Auston are joined by Lynell and Kendall Rogers, the mother-daughter duo behind the @thegeneralconferenceproject Instagram account, which has been providing inclusive real-time updates about General Conference on social media during all sessions since 2021.

Lynell Rogers is the social media manager for Lift+Love. She and her daughter Kendall (now a master’s student at George Washington University) created @thegeneralconferenceproject on Instagram. Even though they only post 2 weekends a year, @thegeneralconferenceproject has grown a significant following of 8000 subscribers, with an incredible 1 million post views in October 2025.

While Lynell was seeking out resources that could be recommended in a Lift+Love post about preparing for General Conference, Kendall recommended social media accounts that do updates about the Confernece, but they were unable to find any. What started as an effort to fill that need for Christ-centered content and quotes from the Conference in a safe and inclusive place, @thegeneralconferenceproject has evolved into brief summaries of each talk and announcement, with careful notes about potentially sensitive topics, which many followers (who often don’t listen to the conference sessions live) use to help them determine if a talk will be helpful for them.

Why would anyone be anxious about listen to General Conference? Why would someone need a heads-up about the content of a talk? They discuss how uncertainty and past hurt can contribute to a stressful conference experience and how the project helps reduce anxiety, support lesson planning, and allow participation in accessible ways. They emphasize compassion, curiosity, and keeping people connected to each other and Christ.

Meet Lynell and Kendall

How They Connected

Why Start the General Conference Project

How It Has Evolved

Understanding Conference Anxiety

Representation and Inclusion

How to Use the Resource

Christlike Curiosity and Empathy

Gratitude

Join Lynell and Kendall every General Conference weekend (during all sessions) on Instagram @thegeneralconference.com

Learn more about Lynell on the Lift+Love website here

or contact her at lynell@liftandlove.org

The Faith Matters podcast episode that Allison references (re: central nervous system crisis) is When Your Faith Breaks (with Tucker Boyle)

Find the transcript of this episode here: www.liftandlove.org/podcast

Find the video version of this episode on our Youtube channel here

Find resources, support meetings, events, and community on the Lift+Love website here: www.liftandlove.org

Find the transcript of this episode here: www.liftandlove.org/podcast

Find resources, support meetings, events, and community on the Lift+Love website here: www.liftandlove.org

Lift+Love episode #60 "Dania - A Mother Reflects on Parenting an LGBTQ+ Child"

Episode hosts Allison Dayton and Jenie Hunter welcome guest Dania Alvarez for the first in a new podcast episode series featuring mothers with LGBTQ+ children sharing the lessons they have learned in their personal journeys.

Dania Alvarez is a real estate agent and mother of three (including an adult daughter who came out as LGBTQ+ as a teen). Dania describes how her home’s religious practice has shifted as she is now the only one attending church weekly. She talks about her daughter's healthy and loving relationship with her girlfriend Bella and how they love Bella as part of the family. She shares how she has been successful in creating a safe, respectful space where she can still express testimony, maintain simple rituals like family dinner and prayer, and separate "worth" from church activity. Dania advises moms to give themselves grace, get support elsewhere so children don’t carry parents’ emotions, protect a child’s identity, and focus on healthy relationships, love, and growth in Christlike capacity.

Find the transcript of this episode here: www.liftandlove.org/podcast

Find resources, support meetings, events, and community on the Lift+Love website here: www.liftandlove.org