Jesse Munns is a husband, father, commercial helicopter pilot, and founder of Awakened Iron & Soul. After years of struggling with pornography, secrecy, broken relationships, and the painful experience of excommunication from the LDS Church, Jesse began confronting the false truths he told himself and the coping patterns that shaped his life. Through his own journey of accountability, self-discovery, and rebuilding, he developed a passion for helping other men understand what drives their behaviors. Today, he creates space for honest conversations about shame, identity, self-worth, and the courage it takes to stop hiding from yourself and start living authentically.
Jesse is 41 years old and grew up on a dairy farm in Northern Utah as the third of six children. He earned his Eagle Scout award at age 14, an achievement he credits entirely to his mother’s efforts. He was originally called to serve a mission in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 2004 to 2006. After he spent eight weeks learning Haitian Creole, the mission was closed due to civil unrest, and he was reassigned to serve in Tucson and Safford, Arizona. Despite experiencing five baptisms early on, he struggled with feeling merely tolerated rather than chosen. He ultimately accepted an honorable discharge to return home six weeks before his two-year mark because he felt disenchanted by the mission’s focus on statistical milestones instead of human souls. After returning home, he initially worked dual jobs as a butcher and stocking shelves to save money for school before shifting gears to begin his career flying helicopters in 2007.
Jesse first discovered pornography out of curiosity while going to school in Virginia. It eventually developed into an escape mechanism to cope with life’s heavy pressures and a lack of emotional communication in his marriage. He faced church discipline and was initially disfellowshipped around 2011. Later, he was excommunicated from the church during a disciplinary council while he was living with his in-laws and facing unemployment at age 24. His struggles also led to a career crisis while working an EMS helicopter job. He surrendered his FAA medical clearance and walked away from his flying career because he lacked internal self-worth and realized he was living a double life on the road. A turning point came when a therapist in Montana challenged him by asking if he loved himself, which prompted Jesse to begin the hard work of rebuilding his self-trust, self-confidence, and self-love from the ground up.
Jesse recently completed his FAA medical exam and hopes to regain his clearance before Christmas. His primary goal is to return to his career in flying next year. Additionally, he is writing a book to share his story and demonstrate to other men that they are not alone in their struggles, with hopes to have it published next year. He also works as a virtual coach for men, helping them navigate their vulnerabilities, have difficult conversations, and build accountability
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