It’s been said of Pearson that her impact on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was so great that you can divide the faith between pre- and post-Pearson eras. That’s partly because of a book she wrote, called “Goodbye, I Love You.” It’s the story of her marriage and, later, separation from her husband, Gerald, who was gay. When he contracted AIDS, Pearson welcomed him back home and took care of him until the end. Pearson was also a fierce advocate of the Equal Rights Amendment, as well as a poet and a playwright. She wrote the screenplay for “Cipher in the Snow” and composed the lyrics of the children’s song “I’ll Walk with You.” Pearson was, ultimately, an activist who never lost faith in her religion, even as she clashed with its leaders. We’re joined by a panel of experts to talk about the life of Carol Lynn Pearson.
GUESTS –
Joanna Brooks | Associate Vice President, Office of Advancement and Student Success – San Diego State University. She’s the author of the book “Mormonism and White Supremacy: American Religion and the Problem of Racial Innocence.”
Barbara Jones Brown | Director of Signature Books and co-author of “Vengeance is Mine: The Mountain Meadows Massacre and its Aftermath.”
Lindsay Hansen Park | Executive Director of the Sunstone Education Foundation and host of the podcast “The Year of Polygamy.”
Airdate: Sept. 10, 2026