Register for All That Remains, a support group for deconstructors and doubters, at katielangston.com/all-that-remains

For many people leaving high-demand traditions, the sexual shame left by purity culture is one of the most lingering effects. In this conversation, Katie and Nancy Ross use Mormon garments as a lens through which to explore purity culture more broadly.

Nancy Ross is an associate professor of interdisciplinary arts and sciences at Utah Tech University and co-author of Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret, a book built on a survey of more than 4,500 people who wear or used to wear them. She is a former Mormon, now ordained in Community of Christ, and one of Katie's dear friends.

The conversation covers what happens in the temple the first time you receive your garments, a survey that went Mormon Facebook viral in 2014, sexual shame, licked cupcakes and chewed gum, a chance encounter with a woman on a plane, and the night Nancy's husband ripped his garments off and jumped into bed.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Nancy Ross and the episode's focus

02:04 What are Mormon garments and their significance

04:07 The ceremony of receiving garments and their symbolism

05:47 The history of garments and their connection to purity culture

09:01 The survey on garments and its viral spread in Mormon communities

11:58 Personal stories and emotional experiences with garments

15:02 The role of garments in regulating sexual behavior

18:00 Overlap between Mormon and evangelical purity teachings

21:00 Gendered experiences and perceptions of garments

23:59 The impact of purity culture on body image and sexuality

26:57 Healing, reclaiming pleasure, and body positivity

29:58 Leaving garments and the emotional process of detachment

45:01 Nancy’s personal story of taking off her garments

51:59 Reflections on faith after leaving Mormonism

55:03 Final thoughts and resources for healing and growth

Resources

• Nancy Ross, Jessica Finnigan, and Larissa Kanno Kindred, Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret (University of Illinois Press, 2026)
• Katie Langston, All That Remains
• Faith After Faith, Letting Go of Shame