Show Notes
Have you ever felt restless, bored, or even frustrated in the temple—and then wondered if that meant something was wrong with your faith? If so, you’re not alone. In this episode, I get real about what it’s like to attend the temple with ADHD. After nearly 20 years of temple attendance, I’ve experienced both profound revelation and the honest ADHD realities of boredom, understimulation, and executive function struggles. We’ll talk about:
Why the temple can feel hard with ADHD (long stillness, repetition, sensory overwhelm, scheduling barriers, and the pressure to “feel spiritual” every time).
Why the temple is actually really good for ADHD brains (structure, symbolism, repetition as a learning tool, opportunities for hyperfocus, and the spiritual “reset” it provides).
Practical ADHD-friendly hacks like keeping your temple bag in the laundry room, using sour candies or fidget rings, bringing a one-word theme to anchor your focus, letting yourself show up grumpy, and even outsourcing your reservation.
Spiritual reframes that help: allowing boredom, bringing your doubts and frustrations to God in the temple, and remembering that the Restoration is ongoing—God wants us to understand what is happening there.
The temple is both a challenge and a gift for ADHDers. It stretches our brains in uncomfortable ways, but it also gives us clarity, resilience, and connection with God that we can’t get anywhere else. If you’ve ever felt like your ADHD makes temple worship “less than,” this episode will remind you that your worship—boredom, fidgets, doubts, grumpiness and all—counts. God isn’t asking for your perfection. He’s asking for you. 💛 Resources: The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation by President Russell M. Nelson Holiness to the Lord: A Conversation with Jonathan Stapley
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