Mormon Matters

179: Tolerance, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:36:52 -0600

Tolerance is a tricky virtue. In a list of ways one might interact with others, it’s certainly better than active persecution but falls far short as a ideal way to engage people or ideas we don’t fully understand or (yet) trust. How do we draw the line between the need to protect ourselves from potentially harmful influence while still being open to the possible richness that might be added to our lives, and to theirs as they interact with us, should we come to truly engage them? In two recent addresses, Elder Dallin H. Oaks and President Boyd K. Packer, take on the question of tolerance. Each affirms that we are indeed called to be tolerant and loving toward others, but each warns in a different way about being "too" tolerant, with President Packer even calling an excess of tolerance a potential "trap." Both leaders's attempts demonstrate just how difficult it is to suggest proper boundaries for interacting with others while still striving to live gospel ideals. In this episode, panelists Charles Randall Paul, James McLachlan, and Michael Fife join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a focused look at these two talks and their approaches to the virtue of tolerance while also moving into wider explorations that draw on many different disciplines. What do we find in LDS or wider Christian scripture, history, or teachings that can serve as good guides for how to engage others while still protecting ourselves? What are the most effective ways for teaching or modeling tolerance (or its opposite, such as when Christ overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple)? How should we approach the difficult competing ideals of loving all people, including those we consider sinners, even as we are taught from the scriptures that God "cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance" (Alma 45:16; D&C 1:31)? Are there better terms than "tolerance" that suggest the best ways to interact with others with who we are not in full agreement? If the panelists were to take the general conference pulpit, how might they approach teaching the proper balance between being watchpersons on the tower and at the same time embracing the sisterhood and brotherhood of all persons and welcoming their influence on us?

178: Tolerance, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:25:55 -0600

177: The Adam-God Doctrine, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 6 Jun 2013 14:52:36 -0600

When Brigham Young first taught in initial outlines of what is now known as the "Adam-God Doctrine" (or the "Adam-God Theory"--the preferred term by those who want to downplay its status within LDS doctrinal development) some commented that with this theological position the cat was truly "out of the bag!" It came as a huge surprise to almost all who heard him preach it, but soon most leaders and members came to accept it and even like it very much. Indeed, although never voted on or made official through insertion in scripture (unless one wants to think of the lecture given before the veil in the temple as "scripture"?) it is hard to deny that for several decades of the Nineteenth Century the doctrine spelled out the dominant understanding among Latter-day Saints of God(s) and roles for humans who would some day become exalted beings. Later distancing from the teaching led leaders to downplay its status or even outright deny that it was ever taught (using the rhetoric that Brigham Young was mis-understood and/or his statements were deliberately taken out of context by Church enemies), but this simply isn’t the case. It was taught; it was influential; most prominent leaders believed it with many claiming that its truth had been confirmed to them by the Spirit. So what is this doctrine? What is its history--not only its rise but also its falling out of favor and even later being outright preached against? Are there any remnants of this doctrine alive in today’s Mormonism, even if they are no longer associated with the full teaching? The rise and fall of the Adam-God Doctrine also presents a classic case of doctrinal evolution (as well as fuzziness!) that contradicts the image many Latter-day Saints have of prophetic revelation coming through in perfectly clear ways. So how might Latter-day Saints frame this messier view of revelation that does not deny an important role for prophetic leadership? In this episode, panelists Danielle Mooney, Brian Stuy, and Geoff Nelson join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a discussion of all these things.

176: The Adam-God Doctrine, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 6 Jun 2013 14:44:56 -0600

175: The Chaplains on . . . Suffering, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:32:16 -0600

When we meet someone who is suffering, whether physically or emotionally, we naturally want to be of service to them. Sometimes our fears overcome us, and we avoid opportunities we’re presented with to "bear one another’s burdens" or "mourn with those who mourn" (Mosiah 18:8-9) Other times we step in but viscerally feel our inadequacies. Sometimes we realize our good intentions have gone wrong, and we have said something or done something that has caused even greater pain. Sometimes this happens without our even realizing it. Even with its many challenges, we are all called to learn compassion, to be with each other even in extremity. How can we do this better? In this episode, we talk about all of these things and much more with three persons who are extremely experienced with providing care for those (and the families and friends of those) in great pain, mental or physical duress, as well as those dying: LDS military/hospice chaplains Phil McLemore, Nathan Kline, and Jason Unsworth.

174: The Chaplains on . . . Suffering, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:26:21 -0600

173: Pro-active LDS Parenting, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 3 May 2013 19:22:47 -0600

Many Latter-day Saints who are negotiating a faith transition, including developing a new relationship with God and the church in which they were nurtured, naturally hope to create a smoother road for their children than they have had themselves. For those who find themselves in this new faith terrain and who still have a strong desire to stay active and raise their children within the Mormon fold, key tasks emerge. How do we parent in such a way that our children will come to feel a rich connection with their faith tradition? How do we help them develop a true sense of belonging while still encouraging them to take responsibility for their own faith, to have a genuine sense of self? How do we convey and help them see and experience Mormonism’s many wonderful offerings while at the same time work to mitigate the effects of some of the misguided and dangerous messaging that strike us as unhealthy. In short, how do we pro-actively parent within a tradition and community in which there is both so much good and so many well-intentioned but potentially harmful messages and practices? In this episode, panelists Brent Beal, Paul Barker, and Aimee Heffernan, join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in a discussion of the Mormonism they all love, what it is that they worry most about their children encountering through their engagement with church and culture, and what messages above all they hope to convey to their children and what are the "best practices" they have tried or plan to try as they raise them within the Church.

172: Pro-active LDS Parenting, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 3 May 2013 19:16:31 -0600

171: Toward Expanding and Improving LDS Discourse about Sexuality, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:05:18 -0600

So often in Mormonism, the term "virtue" is treated almost exclusively as relating to sexual purity, chastity, and virginity, completely missing its much broader and wonderfully expansive meanings. Similarly, most talk about "morality," "passion," "modesty," and "sensuality" are spoken about almost solely in terms of sexuality. We receive, without careful parsing, statements about how molestation and rape victims are deprived of "that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue." Messaging and publications for youth still put forth the idea that sexual sins are "next to murder" in seriousness, never mind that this idea is based upon highly questionable scriptural exegesis and a failure to recognize horrendous evils that can't even come close to approaching soul dangers associated with sexual experimentation and slip up. And rarely do we encounter public teaching that considers all those within the listening audience for whom extreme rhetoric about sexual sin will be harmful and discouraging, and who will more likely be driven away from feeling deserving of God’s love and gospel fellowship because of such messaging. Why is it so difficult for us to talk forthrightly and in healthy ways about sexuality, especially in teaching our youth? Why do we imagine willful ignorance about our bodies and sexual response and pleasures as admirable? How can we bring into LDS families and communal teaching the best thinking and practices about teaching healthy sexuality to our youth and young adults, and also aid those who are married and sexually active yet may still hold negative views about themselves as sexual beings? (And none of this research and best thinking requires the encouragement of sex outside of marriage.) Mormonism has great theological teachings about the body and about sex. Why are we failing to communicate the big picture when it comes to the messaging we give? How might we do better? With Natasha Helfer Parker, Margaret Blair Young, Micah Nickolaisen, Lisa Butterworth, and Dan Wotherspoon

170: Toward Expanding and Improving LDS Discourse about Sexuality, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:36:55 -0600

169: The Couplet (and Teachings about Theosis) in Today’s Mormonism, Part 4

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:52:35 -0600

The 2013 LDS Priesthood and Relief Society manual, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, features a lesson, "The Grand Destiny of the Faithful" (Chapter 5), in which one of President Snow’s most famous teachings makes a fresh appearance. Often referred to as "the Couplet," it states: "As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be." Encountering this teaching in an official Church publication has been surprising to many Church watchers, who have noticed in the past couple of decades a dramatic drop off in LDS comfort levels with the teaching that we human beings are on a progression path that God once traveled, and that with continued growth and development of divine qualities we can one day become Gods ourselves. So what’s going on? Why was this teaching de-emphasized? Does its appearance in the manual signal a shift from recent public outreach to show similarities between Mormon thought and that of mainline Christianity to a willingness to embrace the differences? And, for that matter, are teachings about theosis or divinization actually all that unusual when one considers the entire arc of Christian teaching? In this episode, panelists Danielle Mooney, Charley Harrell, and Tom Roberts, join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a thorough look at this teaching within Mormonism, as well as the wider Christian world, especially in Eastern and Greek Orthodox Christianity and writings of early thinkers who provided the impetus for the directions they took separate from what became Roman Catholicism. Fascinating, rich stuff! The panel explores the history of "couplet" theology, including one of the early forms it took in Brigham Young’s teaching about Adam as God, and discusses possible reasons for its fall from the public sphere and recent reappearance. It also takes a strong look at black Latter-day Saints and women, for whom the ideas expressed in couplet (or, at least the contexts in which it rose have been commented on by Church leaders) have been particularly problematic. Can the doctrine of theosis be separated from the difficult assumptions that have been linked to it?

168: The Couplet (and Teachings about Theosis) in Today’s Mormonism, Part 3

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:50:53 -0600

167: The Couplet (and Teachings about Theosis) in Today’s Mormonism, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:49:25 -0600

166: The Couplet (and Teachings about Theosis) in Today’s Mormonism, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:42:22 -0600

165: Mormon Women Share Their Lives

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:46:10 -0600

This past week saw the publication of a book, Mormon Women Have Their Say (Greg Kofford Books), which is comprised of essays drawn from research into Mormon women’s histories that have been prompted by or collected as part of Claremont Graduate University’s Oral History Program. In this episode, the book’s editors, Claudia L. Bushman and Caroline Kline, speak about the project and book, and they share some of their favorite passages and what they reveal about LDS women's lives and the ways they negotiate tensions between faith and culture, as well as their desires to be supportive and part of a community while maintaining authenticity in an organization that often does not often encourage them to share their voice and complex experience. They also share how Mormon women can become part of the project themselves, either as interviewers, interviewees, or writers of their own histories.

164: New Version of the LDS Scriptures

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:05:25 -0600

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has just announced the online release of a new edition of the LDS scriptures, with physical copies to be made available in August. Although the new version includes some spelling and punctuation changes along with minor tweaks to fonts and layout, the vast majority of the changes are to study materials, including to chapter headings and introductions to the various texts--some of them quite substantive, especially when seen as signals to an increased openness to admitting historical and doctrinal development. In this episode, panelists Gina Colvin, Charley Harrell, and Ben Park join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in an early evaluation of the changes. Attuned to history and the way texts shape cultures, including Mormonism’s, they go over the Church’s announced reasons for doing what they’ve done with headings and section introductions, focusing on interesting specifics such as elimination of Jesus Christ from any Old Testament chapter headings. The examine the major changes to the descriptions of the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price, along with those for Official Declarations 1 and 2. The panel members are also excellent observers of the meta messages embedded in the changes, and they offer takes about what the Church seems to be growing more comfortable in responding to, and where it is still hesitant.

163: An Easter Primer, Part 5

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:45:34 -0600

With a forty-day Lenten season that flows to a conclusion in Holy Week and its beautiful rituals, for many Christians, Easter (even more than Christmas) marks the spiritual high point of the year. At no other time do sacred time and space collapse quite so easily, with events and liturgies and encouragements that lead people in sustained reflection about not only their gratitude for Christ and their beliefs and hopes about salvation, but even more generally, the renewal of aspirations, plans, and energies. While Mormons join with the rest of the Christian world in basic beliefs about Christ’s resurrection and central role in salvation, and they, too, celebrate Easter, they don’t do it in quite as sustained a manner as many other Christian traditions who carry into their worship centuries-long traditions and fully developed music and liturgies and portals into the mysteries of the resurrection miracle. In this five-part series, Jared Anderson, Zina Petersen, and Kristine Haglund join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in a journey through scripture, history, worship, and celebration related to Easter. Designed to be informative about elements with which Mormons in general are not all that familiar, it also explores different presentations of Christ’s final acts on earth in the various Gospels and scriptural tradition, the range of views about what "resurrection" means, how Christian and Pagan traditions interacted to create the mix of elements we find during Easter season, and how these elements combined to create some of the world’s greatest music, poetry, and pageantry. But it also explores personal realms. How do each of the panelists integrate a love for Easter themes, claims, symbols, and rituals with their own empirically oriented and critical brains? What is happening in their hearts and minds as they celebrate Easter?

162: An Easter Primer, Part 4

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:43:56 -0600

161: An Easter Primer, Part 3

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:31:40 -0600

160: An Easter Primer, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:23:41 -0600

159: An Easter Primer, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:13:54 -0600

158: C.S. Lewis and Mormonism, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 3 Mar 2013 13:40:22 -0700

C.S. Lewis is a towering twentieth-century figure, known especially as an author of fiction and meditations on Christianity and the work of God in human lives. His own life journey--he was born and raised within a Christian home and was a highly imaginative child who loved literature and mythology but later rejected both Christianity and theism only to, in his twenties and thirties, begin to feel "stalked" by Spirit and eventually convert back to a belief in God and, later, Christianity--makes him especially compelling for those with intellectual proclivities. How could this towering intellect begin to believe again? What is it he saw in the Christian mythos that led him to see it differently than other myths in which divine beings overcome death? As such a startling and influential figure, Lewis naturally caught, and still catches, the attention of many Mormons who find in his wonderful writing and fresh angles on familiar teachings much that bolsters their own Christian faith. But, for some (in a move that is repeated in many other Christian traditions) Lewis has taken on a glow almost as an honorary Latter-day Saint. They see in various phrases things that seem to really tap into unique ideas found in Mormonism. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Mahonri Young, Blair Hodges, and Katie Langson examine this connection to Mormon thinking, but even more generally Lewis’s life and writings and impact both in religious conversation at large as well as in their own lives. Especially within their own lives and spiritual journey.

157: C.S. Lewis and Mormonism, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 3 Mar 2013 13:33:14 -0700

156: LDS Military Chaplains, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:47:00 -0700

This two-part episode offers a wonderful peek into military chaplaincy, a career unlike any other, and, in particular, experiences of LDS chaplains. Two active duty LDS Army chaplains--Nathan Kline and Jason Unsworth--and one retired LDS Air Force chaplain--Phil McLemore--share the history of chaplaincy and how it has evolved since even before the beginning of the American Revolution, what it takes to become a chaplain today, the many roles chaplains play, the particular pressures they face, as well as the incredible opportunities it provides for unique service and spiritual vistas. This conversation describes first hand what is sometimes called a "ministry of presence," taking us from combat theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan, to counseling offices and base ministries, to sitting by hospital bedsides as mentally and physically wounded soldiers try to sort through the tragedies that have befallen them and find scraps of hope from which to build up new lives. It’s an amazing discussion that both educates (inner workings of the military, support services for LDS military personnel) and heartens through insights that were birthed in intense circumstances but which wildly transcend those origins and are applicable and uplifting to us all.

155: LDS Military Chaplains, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:43:24 -0700

154: Integrity with Self and Family: Parents on Sharing Their Faith Transitions with Their Children, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:44:06 -0700

This episode continues a series of conversations about parents and children communicating about changes in faith perspectives. Episode 146 featured faithful, committed Latter-day Saint parents whose children shared with them their movement away from their earlier firm beliefs in Mormon truth claims. This current episode also features LDS parents, this time, however, the parents are the ones undergoing a faith transition and are wrestling with (or have already) how much of that change to share with their faithful, committed Mormon children. The three parents featured here--Carey, Jeff, and Gail--have each approached these questions differently. We learn about their own faith journeys, their stories of sharing or not sharing with their believing children, how they approach(ed) these conversations, if their fears were realized or if they received wonderful, affirming surprises, as well as if and how would they go back and change things, if they would want to.

153: Integrity with Self and Family: Parents on Sharing Their Faith Transitions with Their Children, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:41:48 -0700

152: Short Takes--Adventures in Spirit, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:36:36 -0700

We are experimenting with a different type of show this time. Instead of diving into a single huge topic, this show features short takes: thoughts, stories, and combination of ideas that have been important to each participant, that have stuck with them, that have caused them to feel more oriented in the cosmos. As it turned out in this first episode of this sort, we, not with any real planning for it to go this way, asked four folks to be on who, it turns out, truly are what one might call "spiritual adventurers." Each has explored religion and the spiritual life through world travel, exposure to far-ranging ideas beyond typical LDS borders, and deep immersion in thought systems or ritual practices. Given this, it’s no surprise that the ideas that were shared ended up connecting in many ways, with each panelist sharing about experiences that have led them to leave the safety of surety for the risk and richness of Spirit. This two-part episode features Phyllis Barber, Bill Hansen, Dallas Robbins, and Chelsea Shields-Strayer.

151: Short Takes--Adventures in Spirit, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:34:09 -0700

150: Near-Death Experiences, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:29:01 -0700

Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) fascinate. Most share similar features that suggest the existence of a spirit or consciousness separate from the body that can continue to exist after the body and brain have ceased functioning in ways generally thought to be necessary for "life." Those who have experienced a NDE also often undergo changes in worldview and personality traits, including a greater sense of compassion, less desire to judge others harshly, a sense of one’s own importance (even divinity), and peace amid life’s chaos that stems from a feeling that no matter what, everything has purpose and all will work out in the end. Some even claim that afterward they are more intuitive and/or have a different energy about them that affects electronic devices, etc. Others claim and exhibit a lack of interest in the mundane world anymore, with many of them failing to ever successfully re-integrate into the purely mortal realm--as it seems to be far less "real" as the other, a mere shadow of true Reality. But are NDEs truly a glimpse at the afterlife, a real hint about the nature of spirit, human personality, structures of the universe, the existence of God or Divine purpose? Can purely physiological explanations account for the different types of experiences that people report following an NDE? What might NDEs suggest about the role and status of "religion versus deeper "spiritual" modes of experiencing? In this two-part episode, panelists Jeff Olsen, a person who has had a profound Near-Death Experience, Tom Haws, a long-time student of NDEs, and Lisa Hansen, a psychologist with a strong interest in the subject, join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in an exploration of all of these, plus many more, aspects of Near-Death Experiences. All Latter-day Saints, at various points in the discussion the panel notes connections and discusses aspects of Mormonism (and religion in general) that line up with or are challenged by NDEs.

149: Near-Death Experiences, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:26:22 -0700

148: LDS and Pacific Islander Layers of the Manti Te'o Saga, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:22:21 -0700

Very little coverage of the story of the cruel hoax perpetrated on Notre Dame football player Manti Te’o has focused on aspects of the Mormon and Pacific Islander cultures that helped shape him and how these might help illuminate and give context to what seems so baffling to so many: how Te’o could be as trusting and naïve as he would have to be in order to be victimized to the degree he was, as well as why he might be extra hesitant to share the story earlier than he did. In this podcast, panelists Anapesi Ka’ili, Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, and Stephen Carter, along with Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon look at the Te’o saga with eyes trained on the places and cultures in which he was raised and how they likely helped create a perfect storm for him to be so extraordinarily trusting and captivated by the qualities embodied by the woman he fell so deeply for without having ever met her. Both Mormon and Pacific Islander identities (especially in combination with each other and also their mix in the specific town in Hawaii in which Te’o was raised) help us better understand this story, but in return the story provides a fruitful jumping off point for an extensive examination of things Mormon and Islander, such as many largely un-examined LDS (and wider religious) sensibilities and narratives, the prevalence of affinity fraud in Mormon and other close-knit religious and kinship groups, and pressures to present oneself to others in ways that fit inspirational molds but which are not fully authentic.

147: LDS and Pacific Islander Layers of the Manti Te'o Saga, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:18:38 -0700

146: Mormon Parents Face a Child's Faith Transition

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:17:39 -0700

In this important episode that affirms love and clear vision, three LDS parents--Jeralee, Jim, and Teri--share their experiences in meeting the challenging situation of an adult child’s faith transition that leaves uncertain whether or not their future will include Mormonism in a significant way. In addition to sharing the outlines of their conversations and experiences with their sons, they discuss ideas and shifts of perspective that have helped them find peace about what is happening.

150: Near-Death Experiences, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:50:32 -0700

148: LDS and Pacific Islander Layers of the Manti Te’o Saga, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:13:45 -0700

145: The Kingdom of God is Within You, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:22:20 -0700

As we mature spiritually and are ready for deeper and more expansive experience, so much that religion focuses on--propositional statements of belief and messaging that leads us to believe "If we do this practice or that amount of good, we will be ‘saved’"--can begin to hinder our progress. Using the phrase attributed to Jesus that "the kingdom of God is within [us]" (Luke 17:21) as an entry point into a discussion of deeper forms of spirituality taught in and urged by the scriptures, as well as the inner call of our own spirits, this two-part episode focuses on the vitality of direct experience with the Spirit--our true, divine selves in the presence of God. What ideas and mis-identifications keep us from these experiences? What are the effects that follow in our lives from having them? How do we put ourselves in a position (techniques and attitudes) to have them? If you’re feeling unsatisfied, that something in your spiritual life is "missing," join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Phil McLemore and Nathan Kline on an exploration of ideas about our natures and the spiritual heart of religion and the kinds of practices that might nudge us toward something more fulfilling, that can move us from an identification with and desire to perfect the "natural man" to a realization of our true spiritual essence, from a life dominated by fear and a craving to be "in control" to one of centered in love and leading to a desire for oneness. Part 1 focuses on theory, Part 2 on practice (especially "centering prayer" and meditative disciplines).

144: The Kingdom of God is Within You, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:16:37 -0700

143: Process Theology and Mormonism, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:08:37 -0700

The term "process theology" refers to a system of thought (a metaphysical philosophy that is also a theology because it includes the reality of God or a godlike entity that influences the unfolding developments of the world) that emerged in the early twentieth century and is based primarily upon the reflections of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne. Both its name and its scope, however, engage questions that date to the beginning of formal philosophical thought about the nature of reality and whether it is best thought of in terms of "Being" or "Becoming," as primarily static and unchanging or dynamic and constantly in process. As a theological system, process thought is characterized for its strong divergence from many elements of classical theism, especially Christianity, rejecting such ideas of perfection necessarily needing to involve eternal unchangingness, or a God who created ex nihilo and to whom all the "omnis" would apply (omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent). In these and other sensibilities, process theology has long been recognized as having many similarities to Mormon views of God and the nature of reality, leading to a fair amount of philosophical exploration about touchstones and divergences. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and philosophers Jim McLachlan and David Grandy discuss process and LDS connections and differences, focusing mostly, however, on ways that engaging process thought has pushed them into new views of or deeper dives into Mormonism and its intuitions and sensibilities about God, humans, and the natural world. The discussion includes some "teaching" of process theology and its metaphysics (and panelists give plenty of "nerdy" or "jargony" alerts in these parts), but for the most part stays rooted in broad territory, connecting with the history of thought, problems with classical science and philosophy and mechanistic views of matter that have difficulty engaging pre-cognitive or pre-conceptual elements of both human and natural experience, and exploring the kind of openings into which process and LDS thought both wade. In short, although some of the material discussed is technical, we have made a real effort to stay connected with ideas that play out in all human lives, making this, we hope, still very accessible and interesting to all listeners, regardless of their training in philosophy or theology.

142: Process Theology and Mormonism, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:59:59 -0700

141: A Christmas Primer, Part 2 (Encore presentation)

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:04:53 -0700

This is an encore presentation of a December 2011 podcast episode examining the Christmas story as it traditionally gets told--but what do the scriptures actually say and not say about the birth of Christ and all the pieces of this familiar story? How do the Matthew and Luke accounts differ--even irreconcilably? What motives are behind the Gospel writers’ decisions to shape the stories the way they do? What about the Jesus’s place of birth and the reason the family was in Bethlehem (if they were)? Was there a great tax and registration? What about "no room at the inn," the manger, the star, the magi, the story of Herod killing all male infants under two years old? How did Christmas come to be held on December 25th? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund, Jared Anderson, and Zina Petersen explore all these questions plus lead a fascinating tour into other parts of the Christmas story. Why are only five women mentioned in the Gospels’ presentations of Jesus’s lineage--and why are the ones listed all women with "questionable" sexual pasts? What are the Twelve Days of Christmas? What is the "Immaculate Conception" and how does it affect theology about Mary and ideas about the Eucharist and other religious devotions? How has pagan history and ideas folded into the history of "Christmas" (not Jesus’s birth but the celebration of it)? The panel discusses solstices and equinoxes, meshings of calendaring systems, the link between carnivals and holy days, shepherds’ presents to the Christ child, and even a longstanding tradition of "ghost story" tie-ins with Christmas that Charles Dickens resurrected. Why was there a period of time in which Christmas was illegal? And much more! Perhaps most important, however, is the discussion of how and why the panelists and many other Christians throughout history, knowing all that they know about what likely is and is not factual about traditional accounts, still celebrate Christmas, joyfully sing carols alongside those for whom the stories are less complicated, and experience this season as spiritually enriching.

140: A Christmas Primer, Part 1 (Encore presentation)

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:55:03 -0700

139: A Beautiful Vision of Mormonism

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:31:53 -0700

This episode was planned to be an exploration of the joys and perils of being a public face of Mormonism, especially as a woman, and in particular as women who write and speak about Mormon theology. What it ended up being is a rich, wise, affectionate, celebratory, pragmatic exploration of LDS theology, community life, and connections with ideas and people that truly are among the lovely and of good report in wider religious discourse. Using the jumping off point of Fiona and Terryl Givens’ new book, _The Good Who Weeps: How Mormons Make Sense of Life_, Fiona Givens, Joanna Brooks, Jana Riess, and Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon go deep, laugh, commiserate, but mostly celebrate the depth and richness of the Mormon vision of God, life, purposes, and possibilities.

138: Science and Religion, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 5 Nov 2012 09:12:09 -0700

What is science? What is religion? What are the methods/disciplines and underlying assumptions that animate each? What does each investigate? What practices and institutions does each have in place that lead to self-correction and ensuring that they truly are working for truer, deeper understandings of the universe? Should science and religion remain separate from each other? How much can each say fruitfully about the other’s "realm"? Can science teach us how to live more richly? Can religion be trusted as a guide in any way to how the universe "works"? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Matthew Nokleby and Steve Peck dive into these questions and more. Why do each orient toward science and religion the way they do--Matt as an atheist who honors spiritual life while rejecting religion’s explicit claims, Steve and Dan as remaining more open to engaging and valuing the resources within religion? The also briefly discuss the matches and mismatches between the theology and the rhetoric of Mormonism toward the value of science.

137: Science and Religion, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 5 Nov 2012 09:03:26 -0700

136: Racism and the Book of Mormon, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 22:58:51 -0600

This episode examines the status of the claim that the Book of Mormon teaches that dark skin is a curse from God, that because of their wickedness God cursed a group of people and actually brought about a miraculous change in their skin color so as to make them seem "loathsome" and not enticing to a more righteous group with whom they were in conflict. This claim relies upon a literal reading of various passages in the Book of Mormon that seem to draw this conclusion, as well as an extremely strong view about prophetic and scriptural inerrancy. But is this the best way to read the text, and the only real plausible conclusion to draw concerning God’s use of skin color as a marker of either disfavor or favor? Brian Dalton, the creator and star of the videocast series Mr. Deity, thinks so, and it has led him recently to create a new episode of one of his side projects, The Way of the Mister, that he titled "Mormonism is Racism." In that episode, Dalton spells out the ways in which he believes Latter-day Saints are forced to hold to such contemptible racist beliefs because they can neither jettison the Book of Mormon nor the idea in it about skin color being connected to righteousness. Through this episode and the logic he employs in it--that this conclusion about God and skin color is "so essential to the Book of Mormon story that to get rid of it would be to undermine the entire Book of Mormon and thus the entire Mormon faith," that Joseph Smith suggested the Book of Mormon could only be read literally, that because of the LDS teaching that its leaders speak directly with and for God, "you’re either all in you’re all out"--Dalton urges people everywhere to confront this vile message by exposing its centrality in Mormonism. He claims that because it’s a religious belief, "Mormons have gotten a pass," and he is adamant that this kind of religious cover for blatant racism should not be allowed to stand any longer. "Mormons have to be held accountable--even those running for high public office." In this two-part Mormon Matters episode, Brian Dalton joins Charley Harrell and host Dan Wotherspoon in a lively discussion of the Way of the Mister episode and its claims, whether there are fair readings of the Book of Mormon passages and sensibilities in question that might complicate the straight lines that Dalton draws about the message or its centrality to (or consistency within) the Book of Mormon’s story, and quite a bit about the value or harm that religion as a whole adds to this world. Parts of the discussion get a bit feisty, yet even amid some chaos (you’ll discover some "on-air" producing going on in an effort to re-orient and make new plans when the discussion takes unexpected turns) it presents important and clear contrasts in worldviews, especially related to definitions of God, scripture, what "revelation" or something being "inspired" might mean, the promise of science and if secularism is leading to a better world and more fulfilled lives than religion does (or can), and much more. Part Two presents a continued conversation between Harrell and Wotherspoon that presents looks at two perspectives that the conversation with Dalton left by the wayside: (1) alternate possible readings of the Book of Mormon if it were to be examined it on its own terms, and from the perspective that it is a thousand-year abridged history of actual, ancient people and what this might yield in terms of a different framing about racism present in the passages in dispute, and also what the implications would be for Mormons today in terms of their being forced by logic to believe in the skin color claim; and (2) how these passages and their centrality to the Mormon faith might look from a perspective that admits nineteenth-century origins for the Book of Mormon, either as the sole creation of Joseph Smith’s imagination or through some kind of "revelation" that involves both divine and human influence on the text that resulted. And, if any of this is admitted, how might this new perspective on prophetic production affect statements such as Joseph Smith’s declaration that the Book of Mormon was translated by "the gift and power of God," and that it is "the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book"?

135: Racism and the Book of Mormon, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 22:44:47 -0600

134: Spiritual Supplementing, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 22:17:59 -0600

Studies are showing a huge increase in the number of people who claim hybrid spiritual identities, in which their religious lives include a combination of practices and emphases from different traditions. Mormons are no exception, with many, and for many reasons, supplementing their LDS lived religion with meditation, energy work, channeling, nature spirituality, participation in Freemasonry, and with many more things. In this two-part episode, we discuss the research of Doe Daughtrey into LDS women who, to use a term coined by Janet Bennion, "double dip"--that is, they draw on resources in both Mormonism and another tradition in their quest for spiritual fulfillment. We also hear from two Mormons--Patrick McCleary and Katie Langston--who are very active and happy as Latter-day Saints but who practice Freemasonry and mindfulness mediation, respectively. What led them and the women Daughtrey studied to attempt these ideological and ritual syntheses? How does some of Mormonism’s rhetoric lead them to explore additional paths? What resources within Mormonism do they draw on for strength and affirmation as they choose to add other things to their LDS practices? How do they talk about their practices and spirituality with family, friends, and ward members? What types of reactions do they receive?

133: Spiritual Supplementing, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 22:11:35 -0600

132: The Word of Wisdom, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:14:13 -0600

The Word of Wisdom has been in the news again, triggered by a claim about caffeine made on a network news show, which led to an official LDS Newsroom statement clarifying the church’s position, which led to fascinating discussions and events, including hilarity at BYU over its policy of serving only de-caffeinated drinks, as well as some church members exulting that now they have an official statement that they can use to tell others to back off when they try to force their "spirit of the law" Word of Wisdom interpretations on them. What is it about the Word of Wisdom that makes it both so central to Mormons as an identity marker as well as such a divider? Is it primarily a "commandment" or the "Lord’s Law of Health"? Is it a "sin" for a Mormon to break the Word of Wisdom (requiring "forgiveness" through Christ's suffering), or more a rejection of teachings that lead to blessings? Clearly the Word of Wisdom is ripe for fresh discussion, which is what Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Kenton Karrash, and Les Gripkey attempt in this two-part episode that covers (and cuts through some of the mythmaking concerning) the historical background of the revelation and how it was (and was not) practiced during the church’s first eighty-plus years, social and identity issues and inconsistencies in how it is viewed by church members (Part 1), some of the theology and doctrine surrounding Section 89, and, finally, how science and health experts evaluate today the effects of the various food and drink items mentioned in the revelation (Part 2). Among the most interesting features of the discussion is a look at the differences between how the Word of Wisdom would have been understood at the time it was given (based, for instance, upon an entirely different model in the early nineteenth century for what caused disease) versus today, and the consequences, both positive and negative, for our tendency to reflect on it through contemporary lenses. The panelists also each share parts of their own journey with and views about the Word of Wisdom.

131: The Word of Wisdom, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:05:22 -0600

130: New Missionary Age, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 9 Oct 2012 14:19:59 -0600

The LDS Church recently announced changes in the ages that young men and women can now serve missions. Will this announcement usher in a new age in missionary work? A new age for Mormonism itself? In this Mormon Matters episode, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Adam Jacobsen, Hannah Wheelwright, and Maxine Hanks speculate on just that. What are the far-reaching implications for missions and mission culture, for women’s leadership both there and post mission, for LDS dating and marriages, and, most importantly, for the way women view themselves as valued for their own spiritual gifts and strength and abilities far beyond motherhood? In Part 1, the panel looks primarily at the nature of the announcement itself--the lack of downplaying it as a "revelation" and instead as more pragmatic and practical: leaders aren’t exactly sure how it will unfold, how they will handle the sudden influx of new missionaries (especially sisters), etc. On the other hand, in the messaging that followed the announcement, leaders did not hesitate to emphasize that this change can be read as a "hastening" of the Lord’s work, that the changes are not for the missionaries but rather the work of bringing souls to Christ itself. This first part also discusses some of the likely reasoning that led to some of the decisions made, especially an effort to prevent some of the loss of young people during that one-year (for men) and three-year (for women) gap before mission eligibility. The panel also seeks to find a middle position between skepticism that the church desires stronger indoctrination and deeper commitment to it and its goals versus the desire to offer more of its young people the wonderful "rite of passage" that missions provide, including intense opportunities to really learn to really rely on God and serve others--so often so different from any one the young person might ever encounter--and grow in spiritual strength. In Part 2, the focus is on the what the change in women’s service age from twenty-one to nineteen might mean and bring. How will this affect how women growing up in the church will see themselves and gifts in relation to men, in terms of greater independence in spiritual matters, etc? Will this be heard as a message of (more) equal valuing and partnering in the work of growing the kingdom? What might the cumulative effect of more women serving be on more returned missionaries marrying other returned missionaries (and the ways of relating within marriages themselves), on dating practices, on the kinds of partners they seek? Will there ever be a stigma attached to sisters choosing "not" to serve a mission similar to what one finds for young men who don’t serve? The panelists also get a bit more speculative in trying to predict how this change in service ages (and very likely gender balance of missions) will affect greater sharing of leadership roles and duties in local wards, possibly leading to more explicit gaining of priesthood or, as panelist Maxine Hanks suggests, understanding (more fully "excavating") the parallel paths (and even convergences) of men’s and women’s priesthood orders already embedded in LDS doctrine and practice.

129: New Missionary Age, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 9 Oct 2012 14:05:57 -0600

Matters of the Heart 3: A New Story for Mormon Women

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 8 Oct 2012 22:43:06 -0600

In this episode of Matters of the Heart, Joanna Brooks reads an excerpted version of her Ask Mormon Girl blog essay about the October 2012 announcement that the LDS Church has changed the age at which women can serve missions. As Joanna shares her joy over this announcement, it's clear that this marks more than just a change in age limits: Mormon girls will now live in an entirely new narrative. Imagine possibilities with her!

128: The One True Church

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 20:09:57 -0600

One of the most difficult things for many who have begun to think deeply about religion--their own as well as others and the relationship between them--and want to maintain a positive relationship with the idea of religion is the specter of exclusivism: claims that one’s views or one’s church is "the" Truth, or the "best," while others are not or are lesser. Many religions make this claim either explicitly or tacitly, with Mormonism belonging to the first category, boldly declaring its special place as the possessor of priesthood keys and being the only church authorized by God to perform certain saving ordinances. One hears it quite often in LDS services and classes, and frequently in conjunction with language found in a particular scriptural passage, D&C 1:30: "And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually…" But do LDS scriptures really support a position of exclusivity? Does this passage really refer to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as "the only true and living church" with which God is pleased and through which Deity works to save people, or does LDS scripture actually point to something much more broad? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund and Charles Randall Paul complicate the idea of LDS exclusivity as even being scriptural (for so much else in Mormon holy writ suggests God has a much broader project in the works than what can be accomplished through just one organization) and challenge such a straightforward reading of the "only true and living . . . well pleased" passage. It’s an episode full of wonderful alternatives that reveal Mormon scripture to be much broader and LDS doctrines to be much more expansive and beautiful than we sometimes think they are. It’s definitely worth a close listen.

127: Grace

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 16:58:28 -0600

Grace is one of the central concepts in all of Christianity, yet also one of its most contested. What is it? How does it work? Do we as human beings have to do something first for it to perform its healing work? Can we even turn from sin without Grace first being extended to us? What, exactly happened in the Garden of Eden (literally or metaphorically) that caused separation from God (a Fall), and what are its effects on (or the state of) our souls that requires the transformative action of Grace? Certainly, the concept of Grace is no less debated in Mormonism--or at least, as is suggested in this podcast, it is beginning to now enjoy more focused attention. Is Grace a substance/thing that fills in the "gap" between a standard of perfection that God sets forth and everything we can do on our own in showing our desires and faith? Is it the suffering in the Garden and on the Cross that satisfies the demands of an eternal law of Justice? Is it more like an event--our "getting it" regarding God’s love and our worth that leads us to transformation and a new life in Christ, one in which we yield ever and ever more fully to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, becoming godlike in our compassion for all? And what about all the Grace vs. Works passages we find in both in the Bible and Mormon scriptures? Is Paul’s meditations in Romans about his own sinful nature and the need for Grace the key text for viewing Grace and our own human abilities to respond to God? What are alternative readings of those passages or others within wider Christianity? And, for Mormons, how might one read what seems to be the key passage in the Book of Mormon that declares we are saved by grace "after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23) in different ways? Is it really a temporal "after" (feeding into the God filling the "gaps" model)? Is this really what Nephi is saying? And does this interpretation even jive with other Book of Mormon passages on Grace? All these views and many more are discussed in this terrific discussion among Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists John Morehead, Katie Langston, and Joe Spencer.

126: Mormonism and Politics--Historical Perspectives, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:46:08 -0600

Too often today’s political discourse reduces politics to partisanship, whether one affiliates with this or that political party. It’s a much broader topic, however, encompassing big notions about citizenship in a society, how we as a group of people make decisions, how we navigate our responsibilities to each other, to our government, and to our consciences and deepest religious convictions. When we weave in a particular group of people, such as Mormonism, it becomes even more clear that the political sphere is ever evolving--that even as certain themes maintain some influence in how each period of history unfolded, change concerning what Mormons wanted both for and from government was and is always the norm. Mormonism has a wonderful history of thinking fresh about government, about economic forms such as cooperative economies versus free-market capitalism, in wondering about how heaven is governed and if the way it is governed here on earth is truly the ideal. For any who think today’s super-conservatism or uber-Republicanism is built deep in the fabric of Mormon theology or thought is deeply mistaken--yet even as our history tells tales of great latitude, Mormonism really hasn’t yet articulated a clear sense of what it means to approach the political sphere as a Mormon, to live in community, to live in peace. It’s a much needed project! This two-part episode features three wonderful Mormon historians and social thinkers telling the kind of broad stories about Mormonism’s political past that are very needed if we are to ever find our way out of thinking primarily in partisan boxes. Ben Park, Matthew Bowman, and Patrick Mason join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon on a tour through four major periods in LDS history--Joseph Smith’s political thinking as manifested during his life, the exodus and early Utah period with its continued experimentation with theo-democracy, the period of political assimilation leading up to Utah statehood and on through the middle of the twentieth century, the rise of and shift toward conservatism and on to the present day--noting major themes and shifts, as well as what from each period and ways of thinking about the political sphere still find voice in today’s Mormonism. When came the rise of Latter-day Saint views about the U.S. Constitution as an inspired document--and were early attitudes toward it the same as we find now? When did it shift primarily from political expediency to align with American forms of government and values to actual embrace of them? How does Mormonism’s past steeped in radical millennialism still influence it today? Does it? How have views of "Zion" shifted through the tradition's 180-plus years? How and why have Mormon views of what constitutes moral goods shifted to concentrate mostly on the individual and domestic sphere versus the wider social one? Are there any signs of possible shifts on the horizon?

125: Mormonism and Politics--Historical Perspectives, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:26:16 -0600

Matters of Perspective 2: The Sacred Secret Open to All: Ye Are Gods

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 5 Sep 2012 18:35:33 -0600

In this second episode of the "Matters of Perspective" series, Charles Randall Paul reads his May 2009 Sunstone article, "The Sacred Secret Open to All: Ye Are Gods," a wonderful exploration about the concerns many people have with the secrecy related to Mormon temples and how Latter-day Saints might do a better job communicating about what goes on there. Drawing on historical sources, Paul demonstrates a reversal in public perspectives about secret/sacred rites that has taken place in the past two centuries--a shift from seeing those who participate in rites such as the Eleusinian mysteries or Freemasonry as highly trustworthy (until this shift one could hardly hold high political office were one not initiated into the rites) to highly suspect. Why has this taken place? And in the case of Mormon temple rituals, can this distrust be reversed with different messaging that better shares what goes on in the LDS temple, especially through contextualizing them as fitting the genre of "ascent literature," myths and rites that tell the secret sacred story of humankind? Are there ways to better communicate why Latter-day Saints consider temple work as wonderful and affirming for "all" people? Can Mormons re-structure aspects of its temples as sacred centers to make them more welcoming to everyone? Several aspects of this article were discussed in Mormon Matters episodes 75-76, "Communicating about the Temple." We encourage you to listen/re-listen to that exceptional episode.

124: Emergence Christianity and Mormonism, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:39:11 -0600

It goes without saying that religion is intricately tied to culture. And since this is so, when we find that the various ways of thinking and institutions that create culture are shifting, so will we find religion in all its forms asking new questions, sorting through "the way things have always been done" and asking if these ideas and forms are meeting today’s needs, lamenting the decline in previously transformative energies and searching for revitalization. Many claim that such shifts are happening today, and within western Christianity, the upheaval and reconfiguration that is taking place has been labeled "Emergence Christianity." In its most dynamic places, individuals and congregations are looking in fresh ways at scripture, at mission, at liturgy and all the ways they "do" church, at the stories and narratives they tell and inhabit, at what it means to be a Christian--if the most important focus should be about afterlife salvation or this-life transformation and truly working as the Lord’s Prayer states to have God’s kingdom come here to earth just as it is in heaven. This is a moment that defies easy description, but it is very exciting to give ourselves permission to really think of new possibilities seek new forms for renewal. Is something analogous happening in Mormonism? What are similarities and differences between the questions and sensibilities that are animating Emergence Christianity and those at play in Mormonism, especially among online discussion groups and grassroots associations that are putting new ideas and ways of relating into practice? What can Latter-day Saints learn from the discussions and new forms of church taking wing in Emergence Christianity? What would be easy sensibilities and practices to fold into Mormon Christianity? Which ones might be harder to connect with? For this two-part Mormon Matters episode, we are extremely blessed to have been able to spend an hour with two of Emergence Christianity’s most eloquent thought leaders, cultural historian and publishing icon Phyllis Tickle and dynamic author, speaker, and former pastor Brian McLaren, learning from their descriptions (through their telling stories from their own lives, as well as in all they see going on around them) of these shifts. Incredible friend and Mormon Matters podcast favorite Jana Riess arranged for their appearance on the show, and she leads this discussion. Following this initial focus on Emergence Christianity as a whole, we say goodbye to Phyllis and Brian, and we welcome Katie Langston and Parker Blount, two Latter-day Saints with a deep interest in Emergence Christianity, to discuss connections, hesitations, and their hopes and dreams for new discussions and renewal within Mormonism.

123: Emergence Christianity and Mormonism, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:32:46 -0600

122: Challenges in Making Church Work for Everyone

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:24:00 -0600

In this episode, sociologist Jim Smithson talks of the LDS church and all of its programs and organizational systems as a vehicle for delivering the gospel message, and uses the metaphor of a minivan to describe the type of vehicle the church is. Minivans are great cars, but they fit best in middle-class and suburban areas where people can afford them and the fuel they consume, where there are mechanics and the infrastructure that helps keep them up, etc. But how efficient are minivans in locales where there are no paved roads, few trained drivers and technicians, in international or domestic areas where bicycles would be a better fit, where public transportation is the only realistic way for citizens to get around? How well does Mormonism "work" in non-suburban, non-middle class, less technologically sophisticated areas? Are the Church’s size and organizational structures obstacles for really delivering a saving gospel message of hope and transformation, and for creating communities where Zion might grow and flourish? This episode features Smithson, Sylvia Cabus, Ken Driggs, and Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in a far-ranging discussion of how best to "do" church among those who do not fit the educational, income, or other profiles of the middle class. Cabus draws on her wide experience as an international aid worker and with the LDS Church abroad, as well as her own very urban and diverse ward in Washington, D.C., and Driggs from his fifteen years of experience in an inner city Atlanta, Georgia, ward to share experiences and reflect on Smithson’s theses about the current church and its challenges. How can the Church adapt more readily to serve those who are not in the demographic groups and areas where Mormonism currently works best? What are the biggest obstacles preventing these kinds of adaptations? What might be the best way ahead?

121: The Problem of Evil and Suffering, Part 3

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 22:25:32 -0600

One of the most prominent and difficult issues in philosophy of religion addresses the dilemma that arises when one asserts the existence of an all-powerful God who is also perfectly loving, while also asserting the presence of genuine evil in the world. As David Hume puts the case: "Either God would remove evil out of this world, and cannot; or He can, and will not; or, He has not the power nor will; or, lastly He has both the power and will. If He has the will, and not the power, this shows weakness, which is contrary to the nature of God. If He has the power, and not the will it is malignity, and this is no less contrary to His nature. If He is neither able nor willing, He is both impotent and malignant, and consequently cannot be God. If he is both willing and able (which alone is consonant to the nature of God), whence comes evil, or why does he not prevent it?" There have been many attempts to address this dilemma, ranging from denial of the logical problem that seems apparent when trying to hold to all three assertions, to giving reasons for God allowing evil for some larger goods: because love requires free will, which opens the door to the possibility of us choosing evil, or because the presence of evil creates ideal conditions for "soul making," our proving ourselves through how we respond to it. Outside of classical theism and the three assertions, one finds other approaches to evil, including its denial--the claim that it only appears to be evil because we have a limited perspective (e.g., St. Augustine, Buddhism)--a denial of God’s goodness (e.g., protest theology, theistic dualism), or the denial of God’s omnipotence (e.g., process theology, LDS metaphysical positions suggested in some of Joseph Smith’s writings). Evil is far more than a philosophical problem, however. Most people care more about the suffering associated with evils, and their concern is to find meaning in what they or others are experiencing. A nice, clean "defense" (theodicy) of the God of classical theism is of little interest to them, as such answers are of no help to a torture victim or a teenager sold into sexual slavery. The matter then becomes finding the best response to evil and its attendant suffering. How do I best serve others who are in pain? How do I act powerfully in the face of my own afflictions? What role, if any, has God played in bringing this trial to me, or is God a fellow sufferer with me, ready to offer comfort and guide me to important lessons and eventual peace? And many more. In this three-part episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, Jim McLachlan, and Loyd Ericson address these and many other issues related to the problem of evil and suffering. Part 1 focuses on the classical philosophical problem and defenses. Part 2 move more directly into LDS approaches to the subject, including a distinction between LDS "discourse" about evil (which follows closely what one finds in most other theistic traditions) and LDS "theology" about evil and suffering derived from Joseph Smith’s rejection of classical theism, as well as fascinating scriptural passages. Part 2 and Part 3 also directly address suffering, including powerful tire-meets-the-road stories of people in intense pain and which ideas and approaches to thinking about evil often exacerbate their suffering versus the ones that are more helpful.

120: The Problem of Evil and Suffering, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 22:23:24 -0600

119: The Problem of Evil and Suffering, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 22:15:40 -0600

118: Truth in Revelation and Scripture, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 8 Aug 2012 20:30:07 -0600

What does it mean to still claim that scripture is "true" or "inspired" when we fully recognize that much of it is fictional (parable, allegory, poetic, mythic, or clearly "shaped" to achieve certain effects) or when some scriptural claims clash with other scriptural claims or with historical and scientific facts? Once revelation or scripture has begun to shed for us some of their "authoritative" status and become more obviously a product of human hearts and minds or a divine/human admixture, why does or should it remain compelling? What are other ways to read and gain from prophetic utterance or scripture that don’t view them as the exact words of God? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Charles Harrell, Wade Greenwood, and Eric Samuelsen explore various kinds of "truth" and the different rules that govern them. They begin with recently raised issues raised about the standards of truth required by journalism versus more artistic endeavors such as storytelling, drama, and other art forms before turning to the connections the insights gained from these areas have with scripture and prophetic inspiration. They explore insights from theologians from other traditions who have wrestled with similar questions, including various types of inspiration--verbal, conceptual, and motivational--and pre-critical, critical, and post-critical lenses through which one might assess its importance and power. Other questions: Should scripture and the type of inspiration claimed by prophets be seen as wholly "other" from the kind of inspiration we feel from time to time in our own lives? What are the drawbacks and gains from viewing it as radically different or quite similar? Given each of their own study and reflection on scripture that highlights the human fingerprints that permeate it, why do the participants still love and claim to gain much from their continued encounters with it?

117: Truth in Revelation and Scripture, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 8 Aug 2012 20:24:01 -0600

116: Brazilian Mormonism, Part 3

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 1 Aug 2012 22:38:40 -0600

This three-part episode features a wonderful discussion about some of the peculiarities about the LDS Mormon experience in Brazil, as well as the many ways that LDS experience seems universal. In doing so, it introduces Antonio Trevisan and Marcello Jun de Oliveira, two Brazilians who are leading the ABEM--Associação Brasileira de Estudos Mórmons (Brazilian Mormon Studies Association)--a fledgling group modeled somewhat after Sunstone as a similar effort to explore Brazilian Mormonism through historical inquiry, scholarship, and other mediums, including an annual conference. It also features a terrific young scholar moderator, Rolf Straubhaar, who served his mission to Brazil and has returned several times as a graduate student doing ethnographic work in comparative education. In many ways, the first two parts of this episode will feel much like Mormon Stories episodes as we explore the lives and faith journeys of our two panelists. The final part features an exploration of the Brazilian Mormon experience, paying close attention to those intersections between the wider, largely North American, church and the particularities of Brazilian culture. It touches on everything from congregational dynamics to doctrinal issues, and attitudes about sex and bodies to certain aspects of the Word of Wisdom. One other major focus is the reasons Brazilian Mormons drop out of the church, in which one factor is the lack of resources for these saints to discuss the issues that trouble them. For that reason, it’s with great admiration that we celebrate and advertise the ABEM and its blog, VozesMormons.

115: Brazilian Mormonism, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 1 Aug 2012 22:36:46 -0600

114: Brazilian Mormonism, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 1 Aug 2012 22:24:35 -0600

113: Mormonism and Environmentalism

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:52:02 -0600

How "green" is Mormonism? What is holding the tradition and culture back from becoming more environmentally sensitive--or even overtly activist? What theological and practical resources are there in Mormon thought and practice for fostering an ethic of greater care for the earth and its systems, including all the other forms of life with which we share the planet? How can Latter-day Saints who are environmentally active be effective in moving Mormon culture toward greener awareness and action? Prompted by the release of a brand new Sunstone magazine with a terrific collection of articles and essays under the heading of "Earth Stewardship," this episode features Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists George Handley, Rachel Whipple, and Craig Galli in a far-ranging conversation about their shared sense of Mormonism as a religion rich with scriptural and prophetic support, theological sensibilities, and practical wisdom and vehicles for teaching and acting with greater sensitivity toward the environment--and, in so doing, finding our way to a much more connected and fulfilling life. Topics range from sensibilities about Mormonism’s teachings about the intimate connection between spirit and matter, to resources for taking seriously the "intrinsic value" of all forms of life and the systems that sustain them, to the call to be "stewards" of the earth, to consumer/disposable culture, to fighting the sense of hopelessness (often leading in many to apathy) in the face of the difficulty of these issues, to more consciously choosing where to live and various sustainable practices we might adopt in an effort to align our lifestyles more closely with our spiritual values. It also features some great ideas for Primary and other ward leaders about how to more deeply unite their communities in life-enriching ways.

112: Imagining New Ways to Think and Teach about Mormon Pioneers

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:23:06 -0600

On the verge of another Pioneer Day (July 24th and the 165th anniversary of the first Mormon pioneer wagon train reaching the Salt Lake Valley), Mormon Matters takes this opportunity to the current state of discourse and cultural practices (in the U.S. and abroad) surrounding those who sacrificed so much to cross plains, mountains, and seas in the quest to find a place where they could establish Zion. In this episode, panelists Joanna Brooks, Gina Colvin, and Joseph and Shalisse Johnstun join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in discussing the ways they draw strength and part of their identity from U.S. pioneer or other ancestors, examine the mixed blessing contained in the mythologizing of the pioneers--faithful, never wavering, can do it all, bear all burdens with gladness--that so often dominates discourse about them, riff a bit on the practice in many stakes of every few years organizing handcart "trek" experiences for their youth, and discuss other possible (or better!) ways Latter-day Saints might still teach coming generations to value and honor the pioneers and their many gifts still alive in the church today without relying so heavily on idealized portrayals or forced, extreme measures.

111: Healthy Approaches to Supporting GLBT Latter-day Saints and Family Members

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:39:50 -0600

This podcast episode is timed to coincide with recent activism among many faithful straight, gay, and allied Latter-day Saints who marched and will march in recent and upcoming PRIDE parades and who are becoming increasingly visible in raising awareness of the hurts and suffering among the GLBT population and the importance for Mormons--leaders as well as all of us in our own wards and stakes--to engage in even more earnest efforts to educate about GLBT issues and to support families and communities in ways that will allow every person to know of God’s (and our) love for them and to feel supported in coming closer to Christ. It is also timed just a few weeks after the release of an important new resource for LDS families with GLBT children, a booklet titled Supportive Families, Healthy Children by Drs. Caitlyn Ryan and Robert A. Rees. In this episode, Mitch Mayne, an openly gay Latter-day Saint man who is serving as executive secretary in his San Francisco area ward, and Dr. Caitlyn Ryan, co-director of the Family Acceptance Project (affiliated with San Francisco State University) and co-author of the above-mentioned booklet, share key insights from their work with the Latter-day Saint community and the Family Acceptance Project's research into the ways that family support or rejection affects the health and flourishing of GLBT persons. They discuss Mormonism's good foundations for family support and talk about ways LDS families can always show their love for their GLBT family members even as they may still be hesitant to embrace the idea that homosexuality is part of that person’s true identity. As Dr. Ryan discusses several times in the podcast, even just eliminating "rejecting" behaviors (as opposed to also exhibiting "accepting" ones) can go a long way toward helping avoid the devastating consequences that befall so many homosexual persons (suicide and suicide attempts, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, increased risk of HIV infection, etc.). This is an important discussion that not only educates (there is SO much more to sexual orientation than who it is you are attracted to) but also inspires. It is deliberately designed to be a resource to be shared with others as even an early introduction to these issues as they play out in LDS contexts, as well as to direct people to good resources for Mormon families and friends and allies of GLBT persons, as well as alerting all to the broad work and stunning findings made available through the Family Acceptance Project.

110: Abuse and the Forgiveness Dilemma

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 4 Jul 2012 22:15:11 -0600

The April 2012 General Conference featured a terrific talk by President Uchtdorf that reinforces the importance of being forgiving and non-judgmental. He "bottom lines" his message with the following statement: "This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!" Earlier in the talk, he cited D&C 64:9, "Forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not . . . [stands] condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin." For the vast majority of Latter-day Saints, such messages are wonderfully received. When it comes to judging and hating and resenting and holding grudges, yes, we should "stop it." Most listeners would also hear in an earnest spirit of striving to do better the scriptural statement that those who fail to forgive others are sinful--perhaps condemned even more than the one who did the offending. But what about abuse victims? What about those who have been physically, sexually, emotionally abused--sometimes relentlessly and violently? How would they hear such messages? Is a warning that they must forgive their abusers, rapists, torturers or else they are even worse sinners than them a good one to hear? Can certain messages that are wonderful in most cases (and no one is imagining that abuse victims were on President Uchtdorf’s mind when he gave his remarks) be heard in spiritually and emotionally damaging ways by those whose self image distorted by internalized shame over the abuse they received as a child or whose lives are in danger or souls are being warped by abuse even in the present? Are there circumstances in which even the beautiful message of "Families Are Forever" be heard as a threat--heard in such a way that a person might express a deliberate choice to live in hell rather than be forced to associate with their abuser(s) in heaven? The answer is yes. In this episode, LDS therapist Natasha Helfer Parker and blogger and abuse survivor Tresa Brown Edmunds share deep insights about how important it is for all of us, whether it is through official church capacities or friendships or other relationships, to understand and keep in mind the realities of abuse and all the ways it can affect its victims. They discuss the mindset of victims that often includes deeply internalized shame and warped thinking about their own role in the abuse, the effects of trauma and helplessness on physiology and normal bodily responses that manifest in many and varied ways beyond the victim’s control yet somehow still get carelessly talked about (often in wrong-minded gospel frameworks) as if these "problems" are actually the victim’s fault, that if they were only stronger or a better person they would just suck it up and move on. This discussion is a difficult one but powerful and very important. We encourage you to share it widely.

109: Mormon Salvation Theology and Practices--Part 3

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:08:48 -0600

"Am I saved?" "Is this idea or that practice ‘pertinent to my salvation’?" Many Mormons and other Christians focus quite a lot of energy on concerns about possible rewards or punishments in the afterlife. And many, as seems natural for humans living in an unpredictable and confusing world, long for and (even very consciously) seek assurances here and now that their life is acceptable to God, their "salvation" is secure. Concepts such as having one’s "calling and election (a New Testament phrase and idea) made sure" reveal this longing and concern. Christians seek to know they are "saved" in many different ways, as do Latter-day Saints, but Mormonism also has a formalized ritual in which these concerns are directly addressed and assurances that one’s life is fully accepted by God are given. "Salvation"--it’s a huge idea. But it often comes as a bit of an eye-opener to those who are raised fully within some form of the Christian story to learn that the idea of "sin" as the major problem we need to overcome in this world and that we as humans would need a "savior" (especially a god of some form to intervene on our behalf) to overcome it are not simply the obvious primary problem to those in other traditions. In fact, many religions do not focus much at all on "salvation" in terms of eternal rewards or punishments, instead viewing religion much more practically, such as helping one seek meaning or mediate social conflicts that affect us in "this" world. In this three-part episode of the Mormon Matters podcast (our biggest one to date), host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Chelsea Shields Strayer, and Danielle Mooney dive deep into "salvation." What are the various ways other world traditions view the human predicament and how to overcome it? How does Christianity differ from these, and then Mormon views from those of other Christians? What, exactly, is Mormon salvation theology? How is the LDS "plan of salvation" typically presented, and what are some ways of looking at it that might lead to more profound insights and understandings? Finally, how does the idea of "calling and election" fit into this story? Is it still part of Mormon thought or focus today? What about the ritual of the "second anointing" that was practiced intensely at times in LDS history but has had declines and resurgences since early in the twentieth century? What are its major features? How does it make sense within the overall salvation narrative? What clues does it offer about deeper views about women and priesthood than one typically sees explored in LDS discourse? What information is available about this ritual being practiced today? Finally, what is the currency in today’s Mormonism about other seemingly exotic teachings related to a soul’s journey toward salvation and exaltation? In all of the above discussions, the panel tries to pay close attention to insights from myth and ritual studies, scripture, and concepts about blessings and acts serving as tokens of promises to come rather than automatic sealings of those promises. Within such contexts, are LDS notions and practices really all that "weird"?

108: Mormon Salvation Theology and Practices--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:06:03 -0600

107: Mormon Salvation Theology and Practices--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:51:03 -0600

106: Mormon "Doctrine" and Other Fuzzy Things--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 23:06:50 -0600

Are there statements about God, humans, the universe, and any other thing that a Latter-day Saint "must" believe to be considered a "Mormon"? And, if so, how literally does one have to take these so-called "doctrines"? Are they close-to-perfect encapsulations of eternal truths that are consistently taught in scripture and that have hardly changed or evolved throughout time, with modern LDS pronouncements simply further clarifications? Or are doctrines far "fuzzier," more fluid statements suggesting where Mormons are encouraged to focus now but always with the anticipation that, as the Ninth Article of Faith states, there are "many great and important things" still to be revealed? Furthermore, are "ideas" or "truths we can state" really what we should focus on? Does "knowing" some truth actually translate directly to becoming more godlike in nature? Would God really prefer that someone is able to list beliefs or name attributes of godliness over someone who has come to embody compassion and other spiritual qualities? Are we giving "doctrine" too much power? Are we letting "statements that we are supposed to believe" distract us from what’s vital? Are we allowing the discomfort of conspicuousness when we imagine that we are being pressured to say we assent to various teachings (that fall apart, horribly, when held up to scientific or intellectual scrutiny) drive us from fellowship with other Latter-day Saints? In this two-part podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Gina Colvin, Charles Harrell, and Chris Cobb take on all of these issues, and much more. Are there different, healthier ways to view the question of Mormon teachings and doctrinal discourse? Is doctrinal presentation, especially in Church curriculum, a straightforward process of teaching truth, or is there much more at play--assumptions (cultural, Western, cognitive, gendered, etc.) motivating what is selected as more or less important? The panel explore what it means when leaders might say that this or that doctrine is "binding" upon members and whether or not it is actual "doctrines" that are canonized or simply sources (scripture) that are granted authoritative power--and, as is evident about any scripture, whatever doctrines might be offered therein call always to a wonderfully wide spectrum of interpretation? The panel also explores whether we might be in a moment within Mormon development when doctrines are being scaled back, when less emphasis is being placed upon teachings and more on community, doing good in the world, "becoming" better Christians/human beings.

105: Mormon "Doctrine" and Other Fuzzy Things--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:59:39 -0600

104: Growing Up Mormon--and Fearless

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:28:21 -0600

The three guests in this Mormon Matters episode grew up in faithful, committed Mormon homes. In important ways, however, these panelists’ homes were different than what many listeners of the Open Stories family of podcasts experienced growing up in the way that these homes welcomed any and all questions about the faith and encouraged reading and exploration and working through difficult issues. Each home was highly orthoprax--there was no question of commitment to LDS standards, attending church, accepting and serving faithfully in callings--but what a family member had to believe was wide open. For them, Mormonism featured a wide array of ways to orient to the tradition and/or to God, and the set of claims one had to accept to truly be a Mormon was small. What was it like to grow up in these homes? What messages about gospel "roominess" or what it means to be "Mormon" did these panelists absorb? How much of the way the parents in these homes taught and lived the gospel have found their way into these panelists’ lives as they raise their own families now or think ahead to when they will have children? I am extremely grateful for the generosity of heart and spirit of panelists Kristine Haglund, Jordan Kimball, and Katie Davis Henderson in sharing so much of their lives in this episode, and I am thrilled to present our conversation to listeners. These are issues that truly hit home for so many of us who are raising children while we are, at the same time, wrestling with our own faith and relationship with God and life’s biggest questions. We hope to teach them "fearlessness" in their spiritual lives but wonder exactly how open we should be with our children about our own struggle toward this type of faith. We want our children to have their own faith journeys, but at the same time we are not sure we want them to experience the sort of "crisis" that accompanied what many of us have or are going through. These are "tire meets the road" issues, indeed. May this episode be a great conversation starter!

103: Pragmatism, William James, and Mormon Sensibilities--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 7 Jun 2012 18:38:30 -0600

Pragmatism is the name of a philosophical approach for judging between truth claims. It essentially says that if you are presented with two competing ideas and there is no overwhelming way to determine through empirical methods which is superior to the other, you should consider the difference it would make to you if you decided to accept one or the other as the true one. For instance, one of philosophy’s long-standing discussions is about whether or not human beings have free will or if they are fully determined. Since there are good arguments and evidences on both sides, the pragmatic method suggests we should turn to the practical effects it would have in our lives if we were to live as if one position or the other were true. William James, one of pragmatism’s key champions, broadens this "difference" to include which idea would "work" better in moving us to positive action, increased zest--what he calls living the "strenuous mood." Ideas have a "cash value" of sorts, with the value being how much they contribute to greater vitality and richer experience. If an idea "works" in this way, it can be considered "true"--but then pragmatism says that truth still needs to continue to prove itself in struggle with other ideas; these things we hold as "true" should always remain open to further refinement as they interact with other truths. It’s a philosophical method of experimentation and engaged action in the face of possible paralysis and stagnated action caused by the fear of perhaps being wrong. The pragmatic processes of continued engagement will help sort out the truth of any claim or system of thought. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Charles Randall Paul, and Chris Naegle introduce key aspects of pragmatism, especially focusing on the flavors given to it by William James. They then engage several of its shared sensibilities with Mormon theology and its optimistic temperament, as well as directions it points regarding why religion is such a powerful force--for good or ill--and reasons for not closing ourselves off to the areas of inquiry and subconscious realms religion focuses on. The discussion also includes a look at a fun section in William James’s book, Pragmatism, that proposes a thought experiment that matches in striking ways the LDS notion of a "council in heaven" and competing choices about whether to take part in earth life. Finally, the panelists tackle how pragmatism intersects with ethical decision making and the best ways to influence others who are engaging in what you consider to be harmful practices, and they also discuss some of the motivations and forces at play in the 9/11 tragedy and in the practice of circumcision--both male and female.

102: Pragmatism, William James, and Mormon Sensibilities--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 7 Jun 2012 18:21:30 -0600

101: Mormon Missions. Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:12:52 -0600

This two-part episode focuses on the unique experience of Mormon missions--their wonderful, powerful, light aspects, as well as those element where things can go wrong and be potentially unhealthy. Panelists Derrick Clements, T.K., and Rory Swensen join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in sharing about their mission experiences (two of them quite recent, the other two more than twenty years ago), how they interpreted what they were going through then versus now with post-mission lenses that are influenced to some degree by their faith journeys since the time of their service. Knowing what they know now, or viewing the LDS Church and gospel as they currently do, how would they serve differently? Would they still choose to go? Should their children want to serve, would they support that decision? And, if so, how would they frame for their child some of the potential negative aspects of mission life--the pressures to reach goals, to teach things in a certain way, to testify to things they may not fully be converted to themselves, to live rules to the letter (sometimes pushing themselves in ways that are detrimental to physical and spiritual health), etc.--in ways that might mitigate potential damage? What would they encourage their children to focus on instead?

100: Mormon Missions. Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:06:34 -0600

99: "Middle Way" Mormonism and Women--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:45:54 -0600

Mormon Matters episodes 85 and 86 featured a panel consisting of four men discussed "Middle Way Mormonism," a term that has been gaining traction as a way to describe a path that some Latter-day Saints are taking in which they attempt to negotiate the tensions that arise when they find themselves believing ideas or valuing certain things differently than what they perceive is a typical LDS position yet still working to remain within and fully engaged with Mormon community life. We now turn to a similar discussion of the "Middle Way" journey, but with women’s voices. What are the common experiences women and men share in a Middle Way journey? What are some of the differences? How can women find their authentic voice and have it be effectively heard in the church’s patriarchal culture? Is their approach to raising children in the LDS community different for their daughters than their sons?
In this two-part episode, Mormon Matters favorite Chelsea Robarge Fife moderates a wonderful, practical, and insightful panel discussion featuring Claudia Bushman, Jana Riess, and Jennifer Finlayson-Fife. How do they negotiate the tensions that come when one is walking a path somewhat out of the norm? Why do they do it? What is it about Mormonism that they see or focus on that compels them to stay fully involved with Mormon issues and ward life when so many other women and men choose to disengage? This discussion is full of stories, laughs, sighs--and deep wisdom. This is an episode both women and men will enjoy and gain much from!

98: "Middle Way" Mormonism and Women--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:37:51 -0600

97: Mormonism and Its History--Past, Present, and Future. Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:31:22 -0600

Every religion has many dilemmas when it comes to its history. How does a group incorporate the idea of a God or Universal force or will that acts in the development of that group and/or the unfolding of world events when such things are not acceptable claims in academic disciplines? How does a tradition balance the doing of history for the purposes of community and faith building through the creation and maintenance of a shared story with other ideals, such as telling the truth about missteps and all the humanness and frailties that are also present in each event? Should a religion’s history be told primarily in terms of what its founders and leaders do, or should the focus be on how it is received and lived among adherents in different social situations? What is a group’s responsibility toward making records and documents public that were originally intended only for private purposes? In this two-part Mormon Matters episode, historians Ben Park, Matthew Bowman, and Ron Barney join host Dan Wotherspoon in a discussion of the way Mormonism has negotiated these dilemmas in the past, as well as how it seems to be facing them now and into the near future. What kinds of progress have been made in the relationship between the Church and the academic community? How has the Church professionalized its history division while still honoring the role of history and sacred narrative for vital community cohesion and faith? What are some of the debates and who have been the major players in shaping the place Mormonism finds itself now in relationship to its own history and the presentation of its history? Mixed into all of these inquiries are also explorations of the relationship between history and faith crisis, including the ways that that panelists themselves negotiation the tensions between human frailty and divine workings? The discussion also goes a bit broader into the immediate horizon of Mormon studies in general. What is happening now and how might the increased interest in Mormonism from all sorts of academic disciplines affect our understanding of the Mormon story going forth? The panel also reflects briefly on the leadership tenure of Elder Marlin K. Jensen as Church Historian, who will be stepping down from this role in the next few months.

96: Mormonism and Its History--Past, Present, and Future. Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:25:50 -0600

95: Suicide--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 1 May 2012 20:46:54 -0600

Suicide affects all of us, and involves so many devastating emotions. Grief (as one of the panelists refers to it, a very "complicated" form of grief), guilt ("What did I do wrong?" "I should have seen signs and intervened"), and, often, an element of concern for the deceased’s soul state ("Can they ever be forgiven?" "Were they accountable when they did this?"). In this two-part episode, panelists Natasha Helfer Parker, Charn Burton, and Nicholas Maughn join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in an thorough discussion of suicide--offering education about its primary causes (what to look for if the person has given subtle clues about her or his intentions, how to best serve and be present for loved ones of the person who has died, its many ripple effects pertaining to marriages and other relationships, survivors' own mental health, etc.), confronting bad information, cultural attitudes, and harmful theology, and suggesting helpful and healing notions about God and the type of universe in which we live. The discussion concerns all aspects of suicide and is conscious of the phenomena as a whole, but in the second part especially speaks directly to particular Mormon teachings--the hopeful ones as well as the ones that deserve being confronted and sent into oblivion. This is a very personal episode with powerful things in it for every listener.

94: Suicide--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 1 May 2012 20:41:10 -0600

93: Can Mormon Theology Affirm Homosexual Relationships Now and in the Eternities?--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:29:41 -0600

Like many other religious traditions today, Mormonism is wrestling with questions raised by homosexuality. And while both LDS rhetoric and many members’ affirmation of homosexuals as beloved children of God to embrace as fellow citizens in the household of faith are moving forward in many ways, these developments have been fed primarily by the inroads being made through political and pastoral discourse. Very little attention has been paid, however, to theological questions. Can Mormon theology accommodate homosexual relationships into its larger views of the cosmos, God, and divine sociality? In a groundbreaking article in the Winter 2011 issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Taylor Petrey outlines several key areas in which Mormon thought might be able to be understood as affirming homosexual relationships in the eternities in the same way it does heterosexual couples. Petrey finds possible room for important discussion in three main areas: (1) LDS views of how we each are said to be literal spirit "children" of Heavenly Parents, re-examining the assumption that spirit conception and birth processes are analogous to that of humans; (2) the various ways Mormons now or in the past have practiced "sealing" as a way of building families, including creating many types of kinship relationships that do not involve bloodlines or the possibility of the relationships involving biological reproduction; and (3) the claims, ingrained most recently by "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," that gender is eternal. In laying out many important questions in these areas, Petrey provides a great service to the Mormon tradition. It is now up to us to have these vital discussions--which is what this podcast attempts to do. In this episode, Petrey and Dialogue editor Kristine Haglund join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in introducing the article’s key questions and then engaging them and LDS theological possibilities in vigorous ways. It’s a high level discussion very much worth listening in on and then having with those in one’s circle of acquaintances.

92: Can Mormon Theology Affirm Homosexual Relationships Now and in the Eternities?--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:17:03 -0600

91: Cleanflix and What Its Story Reveals about Mormon Culture

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:10:41 -0600

The documentary film Cleanflix tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of businesses (based primarily in Utah) that rented and sold versions of Hollywood movies in which they had edited out bad language, nudity, sex scenes, gore, graphic violence, and anything else that they considered not a match for community standards. In telling the story from its origins to the court case that declared the practices as in violation of copyright agreements to the continuing saga of stores that refused to shut down even after the businesses were declared illegal, the film highlights deeply embedded attitudes in Mormon culture. What are the peculiar aspects of Mormonism that helped give rise to an industry that seemed fully intent on exploiting moral gray areas: letter versus spirit of gospel teachings, trying to eliminate guilt for wanting to be "part of" the world rather than fully "apart from" it, judging ones views of the value of certain art forms and messages as superior to that of the persons who created the art in the first place? In this episode, Cleanflix filmmakers Joshua Ligairi and Andrew James, join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Richard Dutcher and Brent Beal for a lively discussion of these and many other aspects of this story. Could this industry have arisen and grown to be as huge as it became anywhere other than in Utah? Why do so many Latter-day Saints seem incapable of contextualizing artistic choices, failing to see that sometimes a swear word does not simply reveal a lack of linguistic imagination or that nudity is not always presented in order to excite libido? What doctrinal or cultural messages make it hard for many Mormons to want to really explore the human condition--including its dark and difficult aspects--in ways that film is ideally suited to?

90: Latter-day Saint Mid-Singles Experience--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:31:40 -0600

The LDS Church recently restructured its "singles" wards, effectively shutting them off to unmarried people who are 31 years old or above. In many ways, this move formalized even more than previously the "limbo" of sorts that unmarried but still quite young Mormons find themselves in with regard to their church. Do they best fit or will they be most edified in "family" wards or huge "mid-singles" wards that weekly draw as large a crowd as a typical stake conference? Are they to be seen and celebrated as the highly accomplished, dynamic, active creators of meaningful lives that most of them are, or are they best understood as delayed developers, people to be pitied for the spouse and family that they lack? They don’t "fit" the LDS-idealized mold, that’s for sure (even as being single in one’s thirties is becoming more and more typical in society in general). What is it like to be a "mid-single" in today’s Mormonism? How does their liminal status affect their relationships with themselves, with those they date and associate with at church and in their day-to-day lives, and with God? How do they negotiate the challenges of celibacy and sexual desires when most persons in their age group are having sex? How do the issues of divorce and the prospects of marrying someone who already has children come into play in their thinking? All the panelists in this podcast discuss how Mormon mid-singles are forced to confront faith and church issues that perhaps never come up for married Latter-day Saints who live more typically normative Mormon lives. Are the some advantages to facing up to faith questions when one is single versus married? Are there advantages to delaying marriage until much later than what is typical in LDS culture? In this podcast, three dynamic LDS mid-singles--Lauren Johnson, Garred Lentz, and Jenny Morrow--join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in discussing these and other issues facing them and others in this type of LDS limbo. They offer open-hearted, insightful perspectives that will connect with others in their cohort, with those who love and associate with them, and in their humanness and connections with life journeying in general, with all of us. Another group of amazing hearts to learn from and be inspired by!

89: Latter-day Saint Mid-Singles Experience--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:23:54 -0600

88: Pacific Island Mormon Identities--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 5 Apr 2012 11:46:28 -0600

This two-part episode features a fascinating, dynamic, and soaring discussion that takes us into the experiences, cultures, and elements of the worldviews of Latter-day Saints from Pacific Island nations. We learn pieces of the history of two of these nations as it relates to the LDS Church taking hold there, what elements resonate with those who are from the "islands of the sea" (D&C 1:1; 2 Nephi 29:11), and the ways that Mormonism integrates into the daily lives of, especially, Maori and Tongan Saints--including places where Polynesian culture does not allow white Mormon practices and ways of seeing to penetrate, such as with the ceremonial use of kava, notions of family and various power dynamics within families, and funeral practices. In letting us into their lives and perspectives, the panelists also take us deep into the experience of forming identities shaped by both Polynesian and white cultures, which also allows us to see very clearly how there truly are no "neutral" spaces--how "whiteness" carries values and perspectives that are often invisible if not explored through the comparative process. In this Mormon Matters episode, we are privileged to have powerful and open yet charitable guides into these (often wonderfully evocative) tensions.
Some of the specific topics discussed in this episode: Polynesian views of passages in the Book of Mormon that seem to tie darker skin with unrighteousness; the Church-run Polynesian Cultural Center, "performing indigenity," and both the difficult tensions some experience related to different modesty standards as well as the positive ways that performing culture for entertainment purposes can lead to increased opportunities for people from these island nations; mixed views among Tongan Mormons about the film The Other Side of Heaven; the hyper-sexualization and sometimes infantilizing of Polynesian peoples; how gender roles often play out in much more balanced ways in Maori and Tongan cultures than they do in typical U.S. Mormonism; grieving styles; and some of the consequences for Polynesian youth in Utah and the U.S. of identity diminishment from language loss and separation from one’s family’s roots and cultural history. Then in the podcast’s transcendent final twenty-five minutes, we are privileged to hear firsthand from our panelists telling about their lives and work exactly what it means to claim an identity and embrace the responsibilities that come with that choice.
This episode features panelists Gina Colvin, a Maori living and teaching in New Zealand, and Anapesi Ka’ili and Luana Uluave, two Tongans with strong roots in both Tongan families and Utah Mormonism who share a great love for the gospel and each part of their identity but also have wonderful independent perspectives. Mormon Matters favorite Joanna Brooks and host Dan Wotherspoon facilitate the discussion, but they are mostly simply thrilled to play a small part in bringing this discusion to listeners. One of the best Mormon Matters episodes of all time--informative, humbling, inspiring!

87: Pacific Island Mormon Identities--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 5 Apr 2012 11:37:49 -0600

86: "Middle Way" Mormonism--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 1 Apr 2012 18:17:47 -0600

For many Mormons, their faith and relationship to the LDS Church has forever changed from what they were growing up. And this is how it should be. We’re all called to growth and to assuming responsibility for our own life choices, including the most compelling vision of what existence is all about, how we want to live, with whom do we want to associate, what it is that brings us (or promises us, we sense if we keep going) the greatest joy. In the faith and spirituality arena, religions all contain visions of what it means to be a fully flourishing human being (including, for some, divine potentialities), and they outline practices and create communities designed to help foster growth toward their particular vision. The rub comes when communities and leaders, out of utility (trying to meet the needs of the most people or its especially fragile members), or from fear, ideals of protective love, or simply being engaged in day-to-day operations fail to encourage the kind of maturation that life (and even their community’s highest teachings) points people toward. What is someone in the community to do when the greatest focus is on the spiritual needs of children and youth and others who seem to want continuing dependence upon the institution when they find themselves ready to venture into new views and enter into that new, more mature relationship with the institution and its founding scriptures, sacred narratives, and communal forms? How does this person live into greater richness when all the messaging seems to call for "safety" within the fold or continued reliance on others’ wisdom and authority? This seems to be one of the main crossroads faced by listeners to and conversations within this and other Open Stories Foundation podcasts and online forums, as well as other places in the LDS "bloggernacle." In these discussions, the term "Middle Way Mormonism" has arisen (though not without its limitations as a term) as a way to describe the path that some are attempting, which is to negotiate the tensions between no longer accepting all the foundational claims and narratives in their simplest formulations, feeling the need to develop one’s own authentic faith and mature relationship with the LDS church and family members who may not yet feel the same call to explore the rich thickets of ideas and stories and sensibilities that don’t fully align with institutional forms, yet still hoping to remain within and fully engage the Mormon community. It is a path in between the extremes of pure conforming and giving primary responsibility for our religious ideals and the direction we walk to others, and formally leaving Mormonism. In this episode, Scott Holley hosts a panel discussion on the possibilities, promises, and perils involved in the attempt to live and flourish within these tensions. On the panel are Jared Anderson, Andrew Ainsworth, and Mormon Matters’ usual host Dan Wotherspoon, who, along with Scott, have each spent a great deal of time and concentrated effort in seeking the ideal balance for them. Following a framing that takes them into Middle Way tensions regarding beliefs, behaviors, and ones sense of belonging, what are the prices they see someone is called to pay when they walk a path outside that well-worn center groove? What are the rewards of staying engaged with a community? What better way might be out there waiting for someone who chooses to disengage from Mormonism? Where are the signs of hope for greater peace and comfort, and where are places of support found for those who choose a Middle Way Mormon walk?

85: "Middle Way" Mormonism--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 1 Apr 2012 18:08:37 -0600

Matters of the Heart 2: On "Masturbatory Rage": A Theatrical Call to Repentance

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:35:43 -0600

In this episode of Matters of the Heart, Allan Davis shares a short meditation about a call to repentance related to his transitioning relationship to Mormonism that he received last fall while attending the theatrical performance of a play called "Church." A great listen for all who are undergoing the process of re-evaluating their own stance related to their childhood faith and religious community. And everyone must, of course, listen to find out what the author means by "masturbatory rage"!

84: Creating Spaces for Non-Traditional Latter-day Saints--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:48:58 -0600

This episode explores both the difficulties of creating more comfortable spaces for unorthodox Mormons in wards, stakes, and families, as well as the benefits. What are some of the tensions that arise in LDS communities when engaging those who hold less-literal beliefs or embody idiosyncratic approaches to spirituality, religion, and community norms? What are some positive ways the community or family can welcome and honor those persons? How might these Latter-day Saints assist in their own positive and joyful integration? What are the benefits of having persons from many points on the spectrum be fully integrated in a community? In this two-part episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Meredith Lesueur, Ronda Callister, and Kevin Elkington share experiences and perspectives gained as non-normative Mormons who choose to remain engaged in their LDS wards even as they are recognized by many ward members as being somewhat non-traditional in their approaches? What reasons do they have for choosing to continue to serve, teach, and worship alongside others with whom they might strongly disagree?

83: Creating Spaces for Non-Traditional Latter-day Saints--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:42:47 -0600

82: Mormonism and Transhumanism--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:33:15 -0600

Technological advancements in recent decades have drastically altered human experience, with computing power and many other technologies growing at exponential rates. Our lives will continue to change, and most likely in ways that are presently incomprehensible. "Transhumanism" is a relatively new movement that is carefully considering this immanent future, paying particular concern for how humanity will be changed--for already, and certainly in a more thoroughgoing way than ever before, it is poised to be a primary actor in its own evolution. How can we increase the likelihood of this future being better than the present, that we as transforming, evolving humans ("transhumans"--people on the way to being something more) become more benevolent, more concerned with alleviating suffering and having concern for all? And given that many scientists and technological innovators have primarily secular orientations, is there a role for religion and spiritual traditions to inform Transhumanist discussions and help shape this future? What can religious mythologies, terminologies, concepts and social forms bring to the table that secular-based ethics and perspectives cannot? Into this fray comes the Mormon Transhumanist Association (MTA), which in 2006 was admitted to the World Transhumanist Association as its first religious special-interest affiliate. MTA leaders, two of them panelists in this podcast, see in Mormonism many sensibilities and views of humanity and God that match well with Transhumanist perspectives. The LDS ideas of eternal progression, including the description of Gods as once being like us and our call to become just like them and emphasis on "worlds without end," along with its strong naturalism, optimism, universalism, and sense of the importance of community/society building, all make Mormonism a great conversation partner for and bridge-builder between the religious and scientific/technological worlds. Can Mormonism and other religions that have long been discussing human transformation, deification, concern for others, and ways to mitigate human tendencies toward selfishness and evil serve the emerging future well by contributing their energies and ability to move and inspire us to active faith and action in creating a future in which we flourish rather than destroy ourselves? in this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Tyson Jacobsen, Lincoln Cannon, and Christopher Bradford discuss the future, especially as it is, and promises to be even more, impacted by technological advancements, along with other major themes in Transhumanist debates. They discuss the relevance of religion in a world increasingly dominated by science and secularism, and they pay particular attention to how Mormon and other religious concepts and terms can be given new life when informed by Transhumanist themes. They also examine the type of actors the world needs as it hurdles toward completely unprecedented forms of life and sociality.

81: Mormonism and Transhumanism--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:22:28 -0600

80: How Can We Truly Confront Racism within Mormon Thought and Culture?--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 9 Mar 2012 11:20:39 -0700

A recent Washington Post article that discussed the origins and history of Mormonism’s racialized teachings and policies has caused quite a stir, launching important conversations. The article’s most controversial element was the inclusion of comments from BYU religion professor Randy Bott in which he denied that the former LDS ban on black persons holding the priesthood or participating in temple ordinances was racist, as God’s actions were for their benefit. They weren’t ready. Through these restrictions, God was acting as a loving parent, keeping them from having to live at a higher level than they were capable of doing. Church reaction was swift--a news release the next day completely distancing the Church’s position from the justification attempts of Professor Bott, and stating unequivocally that no one knows the reasons for the ban and the church does not sanction any attempts at explaining or justifying it. Many see the Church’s reaction as a step in the right direction. But is it enough, as it still falls short of disavowing the ban? It does not admit it was a mistake all along. Many claim that to repudiate the ban would come at too high a cost, undermining prophetic authority and calling into question how seriously Latter-day Saints should hold other teachings or policies. Others claim that it’s essential if we are ever going to truly root out racism and racialized thinking in the Church and truly develop mature attitudes toward God and how God works in the world and through prophets. Their sense is that the Church could indeed shift its rhetoric about the nature of the prophetic call to emphasize it as a calling to exhort us to believe in Christ and place our trust in God and eternal principles. They believe that church leaders could still be honored as prophets and apostles even were they to be more open about the difficulties involved in hearing God’s call through the din of culture and inherited, unexamined ideas, allowing that mistakes have and can always be made in these more temporal areas. Mormon Mattes host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Marguerite Driessen, Gina Colvin, and Brad Kramer discuss all of these ideas and more. None find the present moment of controversy as pleasant (no one really "likes" having less attractive parts of one’s tradition held up for scrutiny, even ridicule), but all still welcome the chance these developments have given for renewed discussion--and hopefully deep soul-searching and self-examination. Are they seeing this go on? What are the stumblingblocks to this process? What do they see as important elements in paving a way ahead for true repentance and change?

79: How Can We Truly Confront Racism within Mormon Thought and Culture?--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 9 Mar 2012 11:13:26 -0700

78: Recognizing "the Spirit"--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 7 Mar 2012 16:07:38 -0700

Most of us were raised with the idea that even amidst all of life’s confusion, if we live in a certain way and follow clear steps to put ourselves in the right frame of mind and heart, we have the right and ability to know for certain God’s will and wisdom for us through communication via the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit. For many of us, however, as we grow older and encounter various findings in science and psychology about biological and sociological biases, or as we experience disappointments and other types of complexities, our confidence in this simple formula for recognizing and hearing the Spirit, and sometimes even the very existence of this promised Comforter and Guide, begins to wane. Can we ever truly "know" what is true, or what is best for us? If so, how? If not, how can we still live richly and with confidence in the choices we make, as well as our decisions about what life means? In this two-part episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund, Scott Holley, and Michael Ferguson explore these questions and much more. In Part 2 (Episode 78), the panel adds in an overview of LDS teachings regarding the processes of receiving "personal revelation" and about whether or not we can truly have certainty when we are experiencing a prompting or message from the Holy Spirit versus something more mixed up with our emotions, hopes, dreams, and various cognitive biases. In the final section, the panelists also all share some about how they personally work through this challenging issue of knowing when/if they are experiencing "Spirit," why even in awareness of all the complicating factors they still don’t move into full-on skepticism, remaining alive to the possibilities for rich and deeper living that are there for exploring in what might be considered the "realm of Spirit."

77: Recognizing "the Spirit"--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 6 Mar 2012 23:32:57 -0700

Most of us were raised with the idea that even amidst all of life’s confusion, if we live in a certain way and follow clear steps to put ourselves in the right frame of mind and heart, we have the right and ability to know for certain God’s will and wisdom for us through communication via the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit. For many of us, however, as we grow older and encounter various findings in science and psychology about biological and sociological biases, or as we experience disappointments and other types of complexities, our confidence in this simple formula for recognizing and hearing the Spirit, and sometimes even the very existence of this promised Comforter and Guide, begins to wane. Can we ever truly "know" what is true, or what is best for us? If so, how? If not, how can we still live richly and with confidence in the choices we make, as well as our decisions about what life means? In this two-part episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund, Scott Holley, and Michael Ferguson explore these questions and much more. In Part 1 (Episode 76), they introduce and discuss findings from brain science and other academic disciplines about how "experience the world." It might be considered the more "educational" half of the podcast--lots of fascinating information to take in and consider, but until near the end not a lot of direct consideration of the Holy Ghost dilemma.

Matters of Perspective 1: Godwrestling--Physicality, Conflict,and Redemption in Mormon Doctrine

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 2 Mar 2012 10:55:40 -0700

In this inaugural episode of "Matters of Perspective," Rick Jepson reads his November 2005 Sunstone article, "Godwrestling: Physicality, Conflict, and Redemption in Mormon Doctrine," which explores through many different angles the transformative power of struggle, both physical and spiritual. It contains one of the most complete discussions in all of Mormon writing of the Genesis story of Jacob’s wrestle with the angel, and links Jacob’s transformation from this intense battle with physical ordeals in the lives of other prophets, especially Joseph Smith, as well as Jesus’s struggle to complete the Atonement. It also examines in wonderful ways Jacob’s and Esau’s difficult relationship, Jacob's struggle to win the esteem of his father, Isaac, and even some of the reasons it was important for him to break free from the influence of his mother, Rebekah. It also teaches us a ton of fascinating things about wrestling! This article is a master example of the power of both the personal voice--Jepson reveals a great deal about himself and formative experiences in his life and that of his family--as well as first-rate scholarship. We are so pleased to offer it as the first in the Matters of Perspective series!

Matters of the Heart 1: The Elder Daughter

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 1 Mar 2012 13:01:51 -0700

In this inaugural episode of Matters of the Heart, Kelly Quinn shares her essay, "The Elder Daughter," which she wrote following Mormon Matters episode 51 ("The Dynamics of Guilt and Shame") that contained a different angle on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. As many biblical scholars suggest, this parable might better be referred to as the Parable of the Two Lost Sons. In this essay, Quinn discusses her own embodiment of many of the same qualities of that parable’s elder brother and the role that the Atonement has played in helping her journey toward greater peace and wholeness.

76: Communicating About the Temple, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:51:49 -0700

Mormon temple practices have come under renewed scrutiny recently as it has come to public attention that Mitt Romney’s father-in-law, a known non-religious person, had recently had temple ordinances performed on his behalf, and, in an even more emotionally charged case, that the names of the parents of well-known concentration camp survivor and Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal had been submitted for having baptism and other temple ordinances performed for them vicariously. (After recording this episode, we have learned that famous concentration camp victim, Anne Frank, has also just had temple work performed on her behalf in the LDS temple in the Dominican Republic.) These events have ignited a new round of controversy over the Mormon practice of proxy ordinances for the dead, especially as the LDS Church and Jewish leaders have several times come to strong agreement that no temple work would be done for Holocaust victims unless they were direct ancestors of contemporary Latter-day Saints. Given these pledges, how did this happen again? What is the nature of the submission processes that allow violations like this to occasionally still take place? Are there ways to stop it from happening again? In addition to the uproar over these breaches of agreements, these recent incidents have once more stirred strong feelings, as well as revealed a great deal of confusion, about just what it "means" for someone to have had their temple work performed for them after they are dead. It also has highlighted confusion on the part of both Jews and Mormons about why the other group can’t really understand their position on the impropriety or propriety of performing these ordinances. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jana Riess, Jared Anderson, Charles Randall Paul, and Jennifer Rooney White tackle these topics and share some great insights. But more important than discussing these recent events and confusions, the panelists explore many ways that Mormons might use this current moment to learn to better communicate about LDS temple work to those both outside and inside the faith--and arrive at several provocative ideas. Much to chew on in this episode!

75: Communicating About the Temple, Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:40:04 -0700

74: Writing Mormon Lives

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:11:51 -0700

Phyllis Barber and Joanna Brooks are two of Mormonism’s bravest voices, writers of memoirs in which they offer us privileged glimpses of their inner lives, their comings of age in all the kinds of awkwardness that entails, including learning how to inhabit their bodies and sexuality in healthy ways, tensions between the path indicated by LDS narratives and the various other possibilities suggested by other stories that surround them, struggles with theological ideas and legacies that are especially difficult for women, their searches for place in and peace with the tradition and people into which they were born and "cultured." Their memoirs serve their own Mormon people through telling Mormon stories that offer companionship to other Latter-day Saints who have been shaped by the same or similar ideas, rituals, and messages--both the ennobling ones and those that miss the mark, even sometimes harm. These books and these writers' willingness to be exposed personally as well as to share an insider’s view of Mormon teachings and rituals also serve as powerful bridges to those outside the LDS community. Through their intimate depictions of the particularity of their Mormon upbringings and lives, these books provide connection to what is universal in human experience.

73: "And the Survey Says… . . !" Reflections on Mormon Disaffection, Marlin Jensen’s Remarks at Utah State, and Recent Articles on Mormonism’s Challenge in Better Facing Its History

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 22:38:02 -0700

This episode is an attempt to aid in processing the current moment in which various Mormon-watching communities are beginning to digest the preliminary results that have recently been released from the Open Stories Foundation survey about why Mormons leave the church, which comes on the heels of remarks made in December at Utah State University by LDS Church Historian Elder Marlin Jensen and reported on in numerous recent news stories in which he reflects on the current disaffection crisis and the Church’s plans to help address it. What does the survey suggest? How might the LDS Church move ahead more effectively--and how might we as members of these online communities assist in claiming a greater space within Mormonism for a more accurate telling of its history and an acceptance of a wider variety of ways of orienting toward Mormonism’s scriptures and shaping narratives? What are some tools or framings that might be helpful to those who through these news stories (and others yet to come as more results are released) might be hearing about are deciding to truly examine many of the complexities of church history and doctrine for the first time? Joining Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in reflecting on this current moment are podcast veterans, professor, blogger, and LDS commentator Joanna Brooks, professor and holder of the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University Philip Barlow, and first-time podcast guest and financial strategist Scott Holley, who served as a key analyst for the survey.

71b: Making Love AND War--Part 2 (slideshow & audio)

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 3 Feb 2012 21:38:40 -0700

This is an expanded version of the talk Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon gave at the Houston Region Mormon Stories Support Community conference held 20-21 January 2012. Using the biblical accounts of Jacob and the angel, and Jacob and Esau, as key texts, and organized around the central image of a "wrestling match" being simultaneously a fight but also an embrace, along with the idea of the close ties between making love and making war, the talk is geared toward providing ways of thinking about faith crises in positive ways--as integral parts of the larger human developmental journey--and then allowing those kinds of encouragements to work on our hearts and minds in a manner that will allow us to make peace with God (even if we totally end up thinking about or experiencing God or Truth and/or the spiritual path in new ways), church, friends and family who may be struggling with our pulling away from them in terms of having a shared worldview, as well as, even most importantly, ourselves. From this place of greater centeredness, achieved only as we go through the life and death match and agonizing processes of coming to fully center authority in ourselves and our own deep and genuine experiences rather than by giving that authority over to others--persons, institutions, and texts--we will be able to joyfully interact once more with loved ones. They may still not "understand" what we have (and are still) going through, but most of them will not be able to resist us in our greater, more peaceful and happier incarnation forever. And even if they continue to do so, we will be fed by a deep sense of peace and connection and groundedness in spirit that we will be able to be patient and still lovingly interact with them. We are called to the arena. God/Spirit/Our highest self is ready and encouraging us to fight--and through that fight to love more deeply. Will we answer the bugle’s call?

71a: Making Love AND War--Part 1 (slideshow & audio)

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 3 Feb 2012 17:20:31 -0700

72: Effecting Change in the Church

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:26:22 -0700

This episode features panelists who all are deeply involved with the LDS Church, yet from their position of involvement in, and love and affection for, the church and those they worship and serve with, each of them acts as an agent for change. As one of the panelists, Carol Lynn Pearson, suggests in the podcast, don’t we all want to be a blessing to those we love? But while the idea of bringing about "change" being a way of "blessing" others flows easily from Carol Lynn and the other panelists, these two don’t equate this way for many Latter-day Saints who, like most people, don’t naturally embrace change, and when it comes to change in the church view any and all course corrections as solely for general leaders to instigate. In this podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Chelsea Fife, Chelsea Shields Strayer, and Carol Lynn Pearson reflect on ways to help mitigate this idea of waiting to be directed and to instead act in ways that model love, build trust, and effectively bring about positive shifts in LDS culture, emphases, and beyond. In this far-ranging discussion, they discuss tips and share stories, successes, and failures in their lives as change agents. What are the secrets to the kind of confidence they have that it is their right, and even duty, to work for greater tolerance and awareness, and less harm?

71: Making Love AND War: Maintaining Positive Relationships During Faith Transitions--A Spiritual Framing

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:20:11 -0700

70: Is the World Getting Worse?

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:32:34 -0700

We hear them all the time, statements about the world "going to hell in a hand basket," sighs and longings for "the good old days," warnings of rampant moral decay and declarations to all who want to follow God that they are in "enemy territory." For those prone to depression and anxiety, such framings of the world and today’s moral and spiritual state exacerbate their struggles. For children, these notions feed fears and cause some to wonder if this world is really worth engaging. There are also dozens of other subtle ways that these kinds of assessments can act against our emotional, spiritual, and physical health and well-being. The most tragic aspect of these sorts of pessimistic framings is that according to studies from many fields, the data does not prove this tale of hopeless, inevitable continual decay to be justified. Violence is down, freedom is up, and scores of other social health and happiness indexes largely show things trending in positive directions. If this is true, how, then, should we think about the apocalypticism that affects so much discussion in both the world and in Mormonism? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists--therapists Natasha Helfer Parker and Marybeth Raynes, and philosopher and intellectual historian Jim McLachlan--discuss these messages and their persistence, the strength of the evidence for their accuracy, and their effects on people in general and those prone to depression and anxiety in particular. As all the panelists recognize, it is important to strike a healthy balance between optimism and pessimism, and there is a strong need for everyone to be alert to dangers and take reasonable steps for their protection. But for those who haven’t found this balance (or for those who love someone like this), they offer suggestions for how people might learn to concentrate on different, more positive messages. They also discuss possible ways we might talk with and offer fresh framings about the world situation to our children and loved ones who are overly wrought with doomsday fears.

69: Patriarchal Blessings

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:34:00 -0700

One of Mormonism’s unique features is the patriarchal blessing in which LDS church members--generally mid-teens or older, though there is no official age limit--are given the chance to have hands laid upon their heads by an experienced and humble priesthood leader who has been set apart as a "patriarch" and to receive from him words of wisdom, inspiration, encouragement, guidance, and in many cases, prophetic-type pronouncements about possibilities for their lives, with some of these statements quite specific or unique. Most Latter-day Saints consider their patriarchal blessings wonderful treasures in their lives, and as containing words (as panelist Richard Bushman says in this episode) that are "set apart from other words" and seen as God’s words just for us. They are, as he says, words that can galvanize our powers, direct us, humble us, and make us better people. There is, however, quite an air of mystery around patriarchal blessings, and because of their unique character and the felt sense of sacredness surrounding them, many Latter-day Saints add expectations about what these blessings are that are perhaps not warranted. Some see them as absolute predictors of future events or straight-from-God declarations about their past lives as spirits before mortality. As a result, some who have previously taken statements in their blessings (or the blessings of others) to be literal, "this and this is going to happen" kinds of pronouncements, become quite troubled when events do not unfold exactly as the blessing suggested--or at least they felt it suggested according to the reading they brought to it or the expectations they had about the nature of these blessings. In this Mormon Matters episode, we have the privilege of having a wonderfully fresh and engaging discussion with Richard Bushman, a well-known and distinguished historian who from 1989 until a few years ago also served as a stake patriarch. He, in interaction with podcast host Dan Wotherspoon and panelist Jared Anderson, generously offers his own perspectives on just what patriarchal blessings are--and what they are not. In what way are they "prophecy"--and he does not back down from that term!--but also what are our responsibilities in working with all words of God, even prophecy (which, he is very adamant about, are all mediated by human minds)? How might someone re-frame what they see as a patriarchal blessing’s promise--such as being alive at the time of Christ’s return--that has "failed"? He also shares much about his own calling to be a patriarch and what the experience of giving patriarchal blessings is like for him. He explores his sense of what it means to declare someone’s "lineage" through one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jared Anderson, in this section as well as an earlier framing of biblical precedents for patriarchal blessings and prophecies offers a wonderful reminder of the history of Israel and the "lost tribes," along with fascinating insights into certain lines of argument in today’s biblical scholarship that both complicate and possibly free up for some people expectations about literal descent or what is going on when the Bible seems to contain passages that predict the future. Finally, the panelists discuss the idea of pre-existence in Mormon thought that often finds its way into patriarchal blessings through the words of some patriarchs who declare things about recipients’ "valiancy" during the War in Heaven or refer to some other aspect of pre-earth existence. If some people are declared to have been especially valiant, is the flip-side true that many others were not? Evil has often been done with such ideas, so this notion offers a good opportunity for an important wrestle--one that this discussion delivers, and one that we hope (along with many other themes in this episode) will continue to play out in the blog comments.

68: The Happiness Puzzle (Part 2)

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 3 Jan 2012 18:39:32 -0700

What seems like something very simple to answer--"What is happiness?" or even, "What makes me happy?"--turns out to be anything but easy. How much do our expectations or pre-conceived ideas about what will make us happy come into play? How does the number of choices we have affect satisfaction with our lives? How much of our happiness level reflects what we experience in the moments of our lives versus how we reflect upon our experiences--the stories we tell about them? How much do our relationships with family, loved ones, and people we enjoy being around contribute to our feelings of well-being? What about a sense of purpose, whether it be on a small and personal scale or something more cosmic in scope? And more specific to Mormon Stories audience members, how tied to our happiness is our relationship to institutions such as the LDS Church? Do people with different temperaments generally find more or less satisfaction within the church--and how natural or important is it to continually renegotiate boundaries between ourselves and institutional forces that might work against the deepening of our self-understanding or our relationship with the divine and other factors that contribute to our contentment and how fully we flourish emotionally and spiritually? In this two-episode discussion--the questions, ideas, and opinions were too big for just one!--Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Greg Rockwell, and KC Kern engage in a far-ranging and sometimes quite intense discussion about happiness in its theoretical and scientific glory, as well as in the more personal push and pull of the panelists’ interactions with Mormonism. These episodes present a lot to chew on, and the panelists each represent four distinct personalities and ways of engaging the church and LDS community in their own pursuits of happiness. But in the end, the only thing that is clear is that happiness is a huge puzzle that all of us must put together for ourselves. Episode 68 features the panelists personal stories and takes on Mormon-specific questions and how they pursue their happiness outside or inside the LDS church through their different ways of relating to it in their own journeys toward joy.

67: The Happiness Puzzle (Part 1)

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 3 Jan 2012 18:31:17 -0700

What seems like something very simple to answer--"What is happiness?" or even, "What makes me happy?"--turns out to be anything but easy. How much do our expectations or pre-conceived ideas about what will make us happy come into play? How does the number of choices we have affect satisfaction with our lives? How much of our happiness level reflects what we experience in the moments of our lives versus how we reflect upon our experiences--the stories we tell about them? How much do our relationships with family, loved ones, and people we enjoy being around contribute to our feelings of well-being? What about a sense of purpose, whether it be on a small and personal scale or something more cosmic in scope? And more specific to Mormon Stories audience members, how tied to our happiness is our relationship to institutions such as the LDS Church? Do people with different temperaments generally find more or less satisfaction within the church--and how natural or important is it to continually renegotiate boundaries between ourselves and institutional forces that might work against the deepening of our self-understanding or our relationship with the divine and other factors that contribute to our contentment and how fully we flourish emotionally and spiritually? In this two-episode discussion--the questions, ideas, and opinions were too big for just one!--Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Greg Rockwell, and KC Kern engage in a far-ranging and sometimes quite intense discussion about happiness in its theoretical and scientific glory, as well as in the more personal push and pull of the panelists’ interactions with Mormonism. These episodes present a lot to chew on, and the panelists each represent four distinct personalities and ways of engaging the church and LDS community in their own pursuits of happiness. But in the end, the only thing that is clear is that happiness is a huge puzzle that all of us must put together for ourselves. Episode 67 contains the more theoretical portion of the discussions of happiness, what is being shown by scientific and sociological studies, as well as the key role of temperament in someone’s perception of their happiness (and especially as it might relate to spirituality and comfort within institutions that have the capacity to be all-encompassing if one lets them).

66: The Spiritual Secrets of Addiction Recovery

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:16:43 -0700

As the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous discovered, something profound can happen when addicts invite God or a power higher than themselves into their lives and attempts at recovery. Through understanding addiction as a symptom of spiritual dis-ease and addressing recovery as an attempt to restore a healthy balance between one’s own ego and desires to run things versus the will and wisdom of God or the universe, AA and its Big Book and Twelve-Step offspring programs have saved countless lives. What are the spiritual principles at work in addiction recovery? Do addicts at their wits’ and wills’ ends discover secrets that are also at work in others' vital spiritual lives? Can non-addicts increase their own spirituality from interacting with recovering addicts and applying Big Book insights in their own spiritual journeys? However one ends up viewing the answers to these question, it's undeniable that powerful things happen in addiction recovery work that are worth close examination (along, of course, with proper celebration of the returns to joy in recovering addicts’ lives). In this podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and recovering addicts Keith, John, and Bill discuss addiction and recovery, AA’s Twelve Steps, and the spiritual powers that seem to be unleashed in the interaction of addicts sharing and teaching another. They also introduce and discuss the LDS Church’s Addition and Recovery Program (ARP) that is modeled after AA’s Twelve-Steps but which has also adapted--in some ways successfully but still needing additional development--its approach to better match Mormon gospel teachings and to handle special concerns that arise when recovery programs become affiliated with institutions. The panel also discusses the special challenges Latter-day Saints often face in recovery, but also how the unprecedented levels of honesty and disclosure that operate in recovery work can help build even stronger LDS communities. Minute for minute, and right up to the very end, this is one of the most insight-packed episodes in Mormon Matters’ history. We hope you will enjoy it, learn from and feel blessed by it, and share it.

65: LDS Views on Christ’s Second Coming and the End Times

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:47:46 -0700

Elder Boyd K. Packer’s October 2011 General Conference encouragement to youth to not fear that because of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ they will not have a chance to have a full life, including having children and grandchildren, is the latest in what seems to be a trend among LDS leaders to de-emphasize the kind of apocalyptic thinking that was prevalent among Mormons even just a few decades ago. Yet class discussions during recent lessons in the priesthood and Relief Society manuals on the signs of the Second Coming, what will happen upon Christ’s return, the Millennium, and the Final Judgment all reveal that "we are living in the end times" thinking is still very much alive and well within Mormonism, with those doing most of the talking in classes still seeming to believe Christ’s coming and world’s end is immanent--perhaps even within their own lifetimes. Clearly it’s time for major discussions on this subject! What are the scriptural roots of the Christian expectation of Christ’s second coming? How do these match up with apocalyptic visions from other traditions? What unique ideas do Mormons bring to end-times thinking? Is the violent vision of the world’s end set in stone, or are there chances for human beings to change the outcome? If someone feels like she or he cannot believe scripture and teachings about the Second Coming literally, are there still positive framings about preparing for the end of the world or the idea of Christ coming that they might be able to adopt? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Charles Randall Paul, and Kenton Karrasch dive deep into all of these issues and many others!

64: Mormonism and Prayer

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:40:14 -0700

Mormons pray . . . a lot! Latter-day Saints are encouraged to have daily (twice or more) personal prayer, family prayer including children (in addition to parents praying together), prayers before meals, prayers for safety, and even other injunctions to "pray without ceasing." Mormon meetings and classes all open and close with prayer, and Mormons offer scripted prayers when blessing the emblems of the sacrament, when baptizing, and performing certain temple ordinances, and they offer blessings and other types of prayers in language that isn’t scripted but that must include certain elements. LDS rhetoric also often prescribes certain language forms or prayer while in particular physical postures as most appropriate for prayer. Clearly, Mormons are a prayerful people. But how much do Mormons really practice prayer? Are they encouraged to see prayer as a deep spiritual praxis? Certainly the scriptures and occasional messages from Church leaders point in this direction, but how many Latter-day Saints truly move much beyond a type of prayer practice that typified what they learned in their childhood and teenage years and into much more mature relationship with God that might even include protest, lament, confessions of disbelief, as well as the joyousness of deeper exposure and vulnerability, and coming into friendship with God and truly seeing themselves the way God sees them? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Tresa Edmunds, and Jacob Baker examine Mormon prayer as it functions in LDS communal life and typical praxis, as well as discuss perspectives and practices they have incorporated or have been made aware of in their own journeys or wider reading and experiences. At several points in the podcast, they also pay particular attention to prayer as a possible praxis even for those undergoing faith crisis or transition, and who may have lost confidence in previous views of what God is like--or even if there is a God.

63: Oh Say, What is Truth?

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 6 Dec 2011 22:53:22 -0700

We Mormons have heard it countless times: "I know the Church is true?" But what does this mean? Heck, even more basic, what does "true" mean? In this podcast, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Dennis Potter, and Rhett Tenney take a deep dive into these questions. Explorations include overviews of major philosophical approaches, especially those most relevant to thinking about religious beliefs and practices, the shifts in thinking that have revolutionized thought about the nature of truth in the past century, including strong recognition of the way we all inhabit discourses that shape our views of truth and the world, and theories from sociology about how social rewards and group cohesion rituals work to make our choices about what we believe and hold to be true anything but purely rational, or involving our simply "following the evidence." The participants also all reflect on the way they view Mormonism and their own spiritual journeys (for one of them, out of the church) understanding what they do about the many factors that feed into this what-used-to-seem-so-simple matter of "truth."

62: A Christmas Primer: Exploring the Nativity in Scripture, Legend, History, and Hearts

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:59:05 -0700

This podcast episode examines the Christmas story as it traditionally gets told--but what do the scriptures actually say and not say about the birth of Christ and all the pieces of this familiar story? How do the Matthew and Luke accounts differ--even irreconcilably? What motives are behind the Gospel writers’ decisions to shape the stories the way they do? What about the Jesus’s place of birth and the reason the family was in Bethlehem (if they were)? Was there a great tax and registration? What about "no room at the inn," the manger, the star, the magi, the story of Herod killing all male infants under two years old? How did Christmas come to be held on December 25th? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund, Jared Anderson, and Zina Petersen explore all these questions plus lead a fascinating tour into other parts of the Christmas story. Why are only five women mentioned in the Gospels’ presentations of Jesus’s lineage--and why are the ones listed all women with "questionable" sexual pasts? What are the Twelve Days of Christmas? What is the "Immaculate Conception" and how does it affect theology about Mary and ideas about the Eucharist and other religious devotions? How has pagan history and ideas folded into the history of "Christmas" (not Jesus’s birth but the celebration of it)? The panel discusses solstices and equinoxes, meshing of calendaring systems, the link between carnivals and holy days, shepherds’ presents to the Christ child, a longstanding tradition of "ghost story" tie-ins with Christmas that Charles Dickens resurrected. Why was there a period of time in which Christmas was illegal? And much more! Perhaps most important, however, is how and why the panelists and others, knowing all that they know about what likely is and is not factual about traditional accounts, still celebrate Christmas, joyfully sing carols alongside those for whom the stories are less complicated, and experience this season as spiritually enriching?

61: Mormon Views on Satan and the Origins of Evil

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:54:27 -0700

Most religions, cultures, and philosophies contain stories or theories about human evil and its origins. Some, including Mormonism, place a major portion of the blame for moral evil on a fallen angel, Lucifer, and his followers, who after being ousted from heaven become devils whose only desire is to thwart God’s plans and make loathsome humans as miserable as possible. What many Latter-day Saints don’t realize is how much their version of the war in heaven and the role of Lucifer, who becomes known as Satan, differs from that of wider Christianity, Islam, and the hints of the story found in the Bible. What are these other stories? What are the major differences between the narratives? How much has the story or emphases changed within Mormonism since its earlier periods? Does Mormon theology contain starting points and theological angles for viewing the Satan story powerfully as mythos rather than literal history? Has a shift already begun in how most Latter-day Saints view the sources of temptation they face in their own lives? What principles within Mormon theology might an LDS person draw on to create room for also honoring insights about the nature of evil and human propensities toward sin from eastern religions or certain psychological schools? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon, along with panelists Boyd Petersen, Charles Randall Paul, and Chelsea Shields Strayer explore all these questions, plus engage in a fascinating peek at how evil is seen in some non-Western cultures, including West Africa (where Chelsea has been doing anthropological fieldwork for the past decade) and its ideas of that very real powers that work in witchcraft, spirit possession, cursing, and other "occult" practices? Does Mormonism have theological explanations for these forces and the various ways they are manifest? Do West African Mormons still hold on to some of these ideas even after their conversion?

60: Matters of Integrity

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:31:06 -0700

Latter-day Saints who experience a faith crisis are thrust into unfamiliar and difficult territory, and are forced to face many issues, including the decision to remain actively engaged with Mormonism, to step away for a while in an effort to regain one’s bearings and perhaps live into new perspectives or find fresh ways to engage it, or to sever ties altogether. At the heart of many of these difficult decisions is a strong desire on the part of the person in crisis to live a life of integrity, to act in harmony with their ideals, highest values, and understandings of what is and isn’t true. In this Mormon Matters episode, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Brian Johnston, and Jeff Green dive deep into queries along the lines of "How do I live with integrity when I no longer believe the truth claims the way I used to, or when my experiences at church no longer uplift me or even cause me great pain, or when the majority of church members hold such radically different views from me?" In the discussion, the panelists all take great care to honor the many differences in experiences, temperaments, life circumstances, and understandings about the nature of truth (and especially Mormon truth claims) that can lead different people, all with equal integrity, to choose different paths. If there is a bias, it is toward the importance of really taking one’s time before making these decisions or enacting one’s decisions in ways that might burn bridges or cause irrevocable harm to relationships.

59: Mormon Messages about Priesthood, Fatherhood, Patriarchy, and More

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 8 Nov 2011 21:32:50 -0700

In August, Mormon Matters hosted an important and fascinating discussion about messages Mormon women hear about their divine roles as mothers. What messages to Mormon men hear? Are they equally challenged to consider fatherhood their most important role, or do priesthood duties and responsibilities take first priority? Have messages about men's roles evolved over the past several decades? In what ways does Mormonism support the institutions of power and attitudes about gender difference and roles of patriarchal societies? Why isn’t there as robust a discussion within Mormonism geared toward teasing apart cultural constructs from gospel truths as we see in many other Christian traditions that are opening clergy roles for women? Are Mormon men still urged to be "patriarchs" in their homes, and to "preside" over their families? Is there any way to be a patriarch and still have a marriage based on true equality? Can patriarchy ever be "benevolent"? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Scott Heffernan, Stephen Carter, and Adam Jacobsen discuss these and many other questions. What it’s like to be Mormon men in this day and times of major transitions? You’ll have to listen in. We also hope you’ll then chime in below!

58: Obedience and Agency

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 1 Nov 2011 17:26:30 -0600

Mormonism teaches the importance of being obedient to God and God’s will while at the same time emphasizing the bedrock fact of our individual agency. The gospel ideal is that we fully and knowingly submit our will to that of God, and in this way be obedient while still acting entirely out of our own agency. Of course, life is much messier than this, and the ideal hides from us a bit. How can we truly know God’s will and when we’re hearing God’s voice and not our own? Because of difficulties like this, one of the most common ways that messages about obedience and agency become complicated comes in the form of exhortations to listen to LDS prophets, apostles, and other leaders who are more practiced in discerning the will of God, and to then "obey" their counsel. Before long, the ideal of our growing into our own trust in our own relationship with God fades into the background, and obeying leaders, following gospel programs, performing particular actions move to the forefront. The ideal is always there, but sometimes the message that we are to be growing in confidence in our own relationship with God becomes harder to pick out amid the noise. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, Chelsea Fife, and Michael Fife discuss these tensions, their possible origins, and the reasons for the ascendance of "obedience to leaders" rhetoric and a focus on performing activities that yield more easily measurable results. They also explore the call to deeper discipleship and the understandings and pathways that help keep the ideal of free agents freely submitting to the divine will based upon their own relationship with God. The primary questions underlying the discussion are: What is spiritual maturity? How can we work toward it and come to live joyfully in a church culture that doesn’t always encourage us to grow too far beyond "I Am a Child of God"? How do we become "adults" of God? How do we remember always that the true call is not to remain children but to mature to the point where we are ready to become brides of Christ, full partners with God, partakers of the eternal life?

57: LDS Young Single Adult Experiences Revisited

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:54:22 -0600

Mormon Matters episode 31 featured a panel discussion about the LDS Church’s struggle to meet the needs of many of its young single adults and some of the possible reasons why. Episode 33 then highlighted in a more personal way through first-hand accounts from two people in this group some of the tensions they faced as singles in Mormon culture as well as in their own spiritual journeys. This episode revisits the LDS young single adult experience with new panelists--Kayela Seegmiller, Derrick Clements, and Megan Sanborn Jones--who each experience the gospel and both the blessings and the tensions of being active, committed, single, and young Latter-day Saints in ways not explored in depth in the earlier episodes. Fresh and mature insights (as well as great laughs) abound in this terrific episode!

56: Mormonism and Wealth

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:44:06 -0600

The recent Occupy Wall Street movement and its ongoing spread, along with the cover essay in the October 2011 issue of Harper’s that draws what the author of that piece sees as a direct link between Mormonism’s economic ideals and its rise in influence in society at large, and certain factions of the Republican Party in particular, provide excellent springboards for a great discussion about LDS views about wealth, dangers that arise in times of prosperity, business principles, economic systems, cultural attitudes that sometimes suggest a connection between righteousness and financial successes, and much more. And that’s what this podcast episode contains. In dialogue with each other and Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon, panelists Joanna Brooks, Todd Decker, and Jason Brown provide a far-ranging discussion that draws important distinctions between an LDS culture that seems to writers, pundits, and many outsiders to be quite like the picture painted by the Harper’s article (which is, of course, accurate in certain ways) and the long history of Mormon theological teachings about the dangers that are inherent in wealth and prosperity and divorcing oneself from the labor of one’s own hands, the sacredness of community, and economic systems that forefront care for one another. These are difficult issues, and this podcast is full of terrific observations, both light and serious, and wonderful invitations for deep self-examination. Can and will those who find themselves recognizing that they a sympathy with the Occupy movement or have other hesitations about capitalism as it operates today do more than just talk?

55: Cult Claims and the Media

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:00:47 -0600

This week’s Mormon Matters episode discusses two stories from the past week: (1) The dust-up over and media slam-down of remarks made by Texas mega-church pastor and Governor Rick Perry supporter Robert Jeffress that Mormonism is a cult--does this episode represent a real shift in the tenor of the "Mormon Moment"?; and (2) the news that the LDS Church has recently sent out a survey that aims to understand how its members interact with today’s social media and view particular blogs, bloggers, and reporters--including two of this episode’s panel members, Joanna Brooks and McKay Coppins. The episode’s third panelist, Morris Thurston, is one of those who was surveyed. The result of this coming together is a dynamic conversation full of passion (don’t let Joanna Brooks hear you think you’re in any way playing fair when you speak of Mormonism as a cult!) and terrific insights into current national discussion of Mormonism as well as some of the things the LDS Church might be hoping to learn from their surveys.

54: The Atonement in Mormon Thought and Experience

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:19:09 -0600

The central claim of Christianity is that all human beings are "fallen," held captive by sin, or are in some other way in a dire circumstance that can only be overcome through God’s aid, which comes through faith in the infinite love and sacrifice of God’s own son, Jesus Christ. According to the Christian tradition, this is the central truth of the human condition, and it is only through what has been labeled the Atonement of Jesus Christ that there is a way out. Throughout history, many Christians have celebrated their feelings of being rescued from the grasp of sin, selfishness, and aimless searching for purpose via the Atonement, and they claim their transformed lives are living testaments to this saving act of God’s grace. Still, many--both outsiders and Christians themselves--have paused to ask questions such as: Why is this the only way someone can turn from sin or be made worthy of heaven? What kind of God requires the suffering of an innocent being in order to be willing to forgive humans of their shortcomings? If every sin must be punished, is there even such a thing as genuine "forgiveness"? Many people seem to be able to forgive others for their faults and evil acts who don’t believe in or have never even heard of Jesus Christ, so why can’t God? Many Christians have not only asked such questions, but from the very earliest days following Jesus’s death, they have formulated various theories to answer them and also explain the reasons the Atonement "works." In this podcast episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Brian Johnston, and Tresa Edmunds explore these questions and the historical attempts to answer them and explain the experience of transformation or renewed life through Christ that so many claim, including the panelists themselves. In general, the discussion explores the Atonement from the ideas that first show up in biblical sources and then onto the main Atonement theory categories: ransom, satisfaction, penal substitution, and moral influence. It also gives attention to various angles on the Atonement and Christ’s redeeming work that are emphasized the most in Mormonism, as well as a couple of Atonement models that are unique to it. The panelists then close the discussion with their own views regarding or experiences with the Atonement in their own lives.

53: Mormonism and Capital Punishment

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:15:21 -0600

The recent execution of Troy Davis brought to the front once more the issue of capital punishment, especially arguments about the very real possibility of executing the wrong person, the unreliability of eye witness accounts, law enforcement pressures for conviction, and the possible brokenness of many of the safeguards that are in place to assure that miscarriages of justice at this ultimate level do not happen. This podcast uses this moment of reflection to discuss Mormon attitudes about the death penalty, and especially what social and theological aspects of Mormonism play into these attitudes. It discusses things such as agency and whether all persons are equally able to freely choose, the dubious doctrine of "blood atonement" that still lingers as a factor in some Mormons’ minds, as well as other LDS concepts and angles. It also discusses the deep spiritual resources some victims’ families are able to access to offer forgiveness to perpetrators. We hope you will join Mormon Matters host, Dan Wotherspoon, and panelists Ken Driggs (an LDS death penalty lawyer who has worked on some 75 capital punishment cases), Heather Olsen Beal, and Tom Grover for personal stories and important insights pertaining to this very sobering subject that deserves everyone’s careful attention.

52: Rebirth of the Student Review

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:35:16 -0600

From 1986 to 1997, the Student Review enjoyed a wonderful run as BYU’s independent student newspaper, which at its peak published weekly and achieved a circulation of 10,000. During its run, SR featured a wonderful cross section of news reporting, essays, and wildly popular humor and satire, with some of its stories resulting in changes to campus policy, as well as impacting life in the wider community and state. As a result of some of its coverage of difficult issues, the publication occasionally rankled school administrators, sometimes even triggering official efforts to shut it down. A team of current BYU students has now resurrected the Student Review, printing and distributing its first issue on September 19th. In this episode, we meet SR’s new editor, Craig Mangum, and also learn about the newspaper’s founding and history from additional panelists, Bill Kelly, SR’s first publisher, and former editors Joanna Brooks and Matt Workman. And through it all we get a chance to hear tales of a delightful slice of BYU life as experienced by some of the school’s best and brightest of the past and present. Warning: This discussion contains stories of a credit card with mythological status, rampant sexual tension, and adventures with security guards and steam tunnels. You don’t want to miss out on any of the fun!

51: The Dynamics of Guilt and Shame

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:31:43 -0600

Many people, Latter-day Saints included, struggle with feelings of "not being enough," worthlessness, or that they are unlovable by others, God, and themselves. Those who feel this way are caught up in the throes of toxic shame--a distortion and perversion of natural and healthy feelings of "guilt" over wrong choices or healthy types of shame that help moderate the ways we act in public and in interactions with others. The gospel teaches us of our infinite worth and our Heavenly Parents’ unconditional love for each of us, no matter what mistakes we make. So why do we so easily forget these things or stop believing them? How do our aspirations to be better persons so often end up weighing us down and distorting our view of ourselves, and instead of helping, end up hurting our growth? In this podcast episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jennifer Rooney White, Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, and John Dehlin, discuss feelings of guilt (healthy shame) and toxic shame and attempt to lay bare what causes their confusion in general, and within Mormonism, in particular. They also discuss some of the very positive messages and examples within Mormon scriptures and history for coming to a healthy relationship with ourselves--one that fully recognizes our own inherent divinity and worth while also still fully acknowledging our great capacities for sin and error in ways that will not cause us to pull away from God and our ideals or to fall into destructive patterns. Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife will be in Salt Lake City to lead two seminars. The topic for Friday, September 23rd , is “LDS Women and Sexual Desire.” The topic for Saturday, September 24th, is “Enhancing Sexual Intimacy for LDS Couples.” Click here for more information http://drjenniferfife.blogspot.com/2011/06/presenting-in-slc-september-23rd-and.html

50: The Call to Be Peacemakers

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 6 Sep 2011 20:38:38 -0600

The tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks provide an important moment for all of us to reflect on life’s most precious things and what we hold in our hearts about family, friends, neighbors, our wider communities, strangers, and those with whom we disagree about what’s most important for the world and how to bring it about. This sacred occasion also provides a good incentive for thinking about what it means to be called by Christ as peacemakers. In this podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Charles Randall Paul, Liz Shropshire, and James Faulconer reflect upon today’s world a decade past September 2001, as well as the nature of peace itself and what it means to be "at peace." The discussion then turns to the history of Mormon prophetic discourse as it calls, with varying vigor, church members to be peacemakers, as well as to some of the key scriptural stories and theological notions that inspire the panelists’ own peacebuilding work.

49: Mormonism's Messages about Motherhood

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:24:43 -0600

This panel discussion examines the wonderful gifts of Mormonism’s strong emphases and teachings about the divine role of motherhood as well as the external and internal pressures that come with these messages and how they sometimes work against the more basic gospel goal of helping women fully flourish and grow in godlike qualities. In this far-ranging and insight-packed conversation, panelists Chelsea Fife, Chelsea Strayer, and Jennifer Finlayson-Fife all maintain the utmost gratitude for their own role as mothers and for church emphases on its many joys while also examining ways we as Latter-day Saints might change some of our messaging about motherhood, especially taking it from its "institutional" status as a static ideal and making it more real for today’s women. They discuss ways to place motherhood more squarely in the context of women’s intrinsic worth and recognize how this value cannot be so fully tied up in motherhood. The period of intense mothering of children through early adulthood occupies a relatively small portion of a woman’s lifespan, so her sense of worth must be centered in something more. Furthermore, many, many couples struggle with infertility, and many women never marry nor have the opportunity to be a mother. We therefore cannot make "motherhood" the end-all, be-all of a woman’s existence nor the primary way she measures her success, value, or femininity. While honoring all the good and loving messages about motherhood, how might we bring about important changes to the current conversation? You don’t want to miss this episode!

48: Mormonism and Evolution

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:54:17 -0600

This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the controversies over the study and teaching of evolution at Brigham Young University that resulted in the resignations or firing of three of Brigham Young University’s prominent faculty members and a significant blow to the university career of another. This Mormon Matters episode tells key elements in the story of those 1911 events, but primarily uses them as a launching pad for a tour or the history of LDS views and approaches to evolution from then to now, as well as more specific reflections on the various tensions between Mormon scriptural and doctrinal commitments and the main thrusts of evolutionary theory. Joining Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for this episode are philosophy and intellectual history professor James McLachlan, and BYU emeritus and current science professors Duane Jeffery and Steven Peck, all of whom argue that these tensions between Mormonism and evolution are quite minimal, and that Mormonism actually contains many teachings and theological thrusts, including a rich history of viewing scriptural accounts of creation as primarily figurative, that are extremely accommodating to evolution--far more so than those of many other traditions that begin with God creating everything ex nihilo (out of nothing) and being in full control of everything.

47: When Worldviews Go Haywire: Breivik, Jeffs, and the Religion/Mental Health Matrix

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:19:17 -0600

The recent tragedy in Oslo as well as the Warren Jeffs trial provide two recent examples of the way various personality traits and/or mental issues coupled with isolation and the refusal to allow ones own ideas to be challenged can lead to horrific acts of violence and depravity that the perpetrators claim to view as righteous. In this podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks and Natasha Helfer Parker examine various angles into how distorted worldviews like these take hold, the influence of nature and nurture (including religious factors), as well as some of the things we might learn from such extreme visions about how to achieve balance in our own ways of seeing the world and our place within it.

46: In Memoriam--Sister Chieko Okazaki and Elder Marion D. Hanks

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:11:38 -0600

The first week of August 2011 saw the passing of two giants in the Mormon universe: Sister Chieko Okazaki, a former counselor in the Relief Society general presidency and beloved author and speaker, and Elder Marion D. Hanks, a long-time general authority who many looked up to as one of Mormonism’s greatest champions for love, equality, and Christian service. This episode is a celebration and appreciation of their lives through conversation with intimate friends.

Mormon Matters host, Dan Wotherspoon, first interviews Sister Aileen Clyde, who served from 1990 to 1997 as a fellow counselor with Sister Okazaki in the Relief Society general presidency under the leadership of President Elaine Jack. He then speaks with Margaret Young and Darius Gray, two of Elder Hanks’ close associates. We very much hope you will enjoy getting to know more about each of these incredible souls--Sister Okazaki and Elder Hanks, as well as the great spirits of those interviewed here.

45: The Mormon Practice of Bearing Testimony

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 2 Aug 2011 18:57:39 -0600

In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Brent Beal, Brian Johnston, and Jana Riess explore various aspects of one of Mormonism’s most regular (and sometimes it seems "regulated") rituals: the monthly opportunity for church members to bear testimony. The discussion ranges from the nature of the expectation that those bearing testimony, including children, will focus on particular truth claims, to the peculiar way Mormonism encourages members to extrapolate from experiences of feeling "the spirit" within a gospel context to conclude that all other LDS claims are therefore true (and even that this is the "one and only" true church), to broader considerations about the expectation that spiritual journeying will end in an expected outcome. Panel members also share their own experiences of learning to appreciate fast and testimony meeting as empathetic listeners for others as well to authentically share their own testimonies.

44: A Vital Legacy of Independent Mormon Thought: Dialogue and Sunstone

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:08:41 -0600

The Sunstone Symposium that begins next week (3 - 6 August) provides a good springboard into a discussion of the history and focuses of two of the longest-running and most important entities in independent Mormon thought--Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought and Sunstone (magazine and host of multiple conferences each year). In today’s Internet world with ever-increasing numbers of Mormon-themed websites, blogs, and podcasts, it is sometimes easy to forget that many of the most frequent topics under discussion in today’s forums have been debated and discussed in uncorrelated publications and gatherings for more than four decades, and that we who enjoy (or crave) these conversations today have an amazing treasure trove of wonderfully written, meticulously researched, and pioneering articles and essays that are definitely worth discovering, as well as thousands of thoughtful, dynamic, and many times funny or quirky discussions available in audio for free (or close-to-free) downloading. Please join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon, along with Joanna Brooks, Dialogue editor Kristine Haglund, and Sunstone editor Stephen Carter, for a fun and informative tour of the history and contributions of these stalwart organizations and their offerings, along with some very thoughtful (not kidding here: listen!) comments about the ways the blogging/podcasting and print worlds each have important and separate functions and roles to play, but also how they can (and already do) benefit greatly from each other. In the first half hour, Joanna Brooks also pushes Kristine Haglund to share some of her own experiences growing up in a faithful but very "thinky" home in which Dialogue was always around and difficult questions in Mormonism were regularly discussed, with no topics off limits.

43: Healthy Approaches to Teaching Modesty

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:59:48 -0600

In today’s LDS youth programs, especially those for young women, modesty has become even more of an emphasis than in years and decades past. Of course modesty is important, but are some of the ways modesty is being taught today more harmful than helpful for youth who are undergoing important transitions in their lives? Is modesty being taught too often as an end in itself rather than as a fruit that flows from a life and self-image rooted in healthy spiritual, emotional, and physical confidence? Furthermore, is modesty being taught too early, becoming an emphasis far ahead of when it is healthy and appropriate to discuss, causing an unconscious sexualizing of even pre-pubescent girls and boys? Finally, are subtle and not-so-subtle messages being conveyed to our youth that modesty is just about sexuality, skin, and arousal, that their bodies are something to be ashamed of and covered? And especially for young women, are they being taught that it is primarily their responsibility to control whether or not boys or men have sexual thoughts? Please join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Heather Olsen Beal, Chelsea Fife, and Erin Hill for a far-ranging discussion of this important issue. Can we as a church and a culture do a better job of teaching principles that will naturally lead toward a strong desire to be modest while still building healthy views about bodies, sexuality, and what it means to be--as our whole selves--daughters and sons of God? This panel answers this question with an emphatic "yes" and shares many thoughts that might contribute to these important goals.

42: Pros and Cons of Keeping Mormonism "Weird"

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:23:07 -0600

Recent decades have seen a decrease in emphases of and public and internal discussions of many of Mormonism’s most distinctive doctrines and practices--including many that are often thought of as "weird." Has this trend of downplaying Mormon differences from mainline Christian views, as well as many of Mormonism's interesting and unique blend of views about human progression, the nature of God and humans, God’s power and goals for the world, the idea of a Heavenly Mother, and so forth, been a net positive or negative for the tradition? Clearly Mormonism is more publicly accepted today (with obvious exceptions), but would this have happened even without this shift toward emphasizing agreements with other faiths rather than because of it? Have the costs associated with being better accepted been too high? Is the current trend of downplaying differences something that can be reversed? Should it be? How do doctrines and practices come in and out of prominence within Mormonism? In this podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Todd Decker, and Scott Heffernan engage in a far-ranging discussion of these issues and basically have a great time discussing (mostly with great affection) some of these unique Mormon emphases along with their current status within the tradition and whether or not those currently enjoying less of a role will/should stay that in the background. In the end, there was just too much to be discussed, so this particular episode mostly lands as a good beginning point for listeners to jump in: What are your favorite deemphasized LDS teachings or practices? How do you feel about where the LDS Church is today in terms of what is emphasized publicly or in internal discussions?

41: Ritual within Mormonism--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 5 Jul 2011 23:06:42 -0600

In this two-part discussion, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Julia Hunter, Chelsea Strayer, and Chelsea Fife explore insights from myth and ritual studies and the ways these ideas help illuminate aspects of Mormon devotional and cultural experience. Can having a better understanding of ritual structure, how ritual functions in social life, and ritual’s intent to lead us out of everyday rhythms and ways of relating to each other and into new head and heart spaces in which we learn and feel significance in different ways help us gain deeper appreciation for Mormonism’s many rituals? In Episode 40, the panelists discuss these broader features of ritual and begin to explore their own experiences with LDS ritual. Then in Episode 41, they turn their attention primarily to the Mormonism’s most significant rituals--those performed within its temples. What is each panelist’s experience? How do these experiences differ from some their friends, especially women? This second episode also explores ideas for making ritual an even more powerful part of one’s personal and communal devotional life. In exploring ritual within Mormonism, and especially whenever attention was turned to temple rituals, each participant in these podcasts maintained a strong respect for the significance of and sacred role the temple plays within the Mormon tradition and in the lives of its members. As you listen to these recordings and then perhaps choose to participate in the blog conversation, we encourage you to also maintain a high level of circumspection.

40: Ritual within Mormonism--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 5 Jul 2011 22:57:27 -0600

39: Intellectuals and the Mormon Tradition

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:01:58 -0600

In early June, the Deseret News published a list compiled by Leonard J. Arrington in 1969 of the "most eminent intellectuals in Mormon history." As you can imagine, the feature generated a lot of discussion both on the newspaper’s website, as well as in many corners of the Mormon bloggernacle. Who among those listed still belong in the Top Ten? Who should be on there now? Why aren’t any women listed, and which women should have made that list then or if a new list were compiled today?
In this Mormon Matters episode, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Kristine Haglund, and Boyd Peterson discuss this list and various issues it raises, but then launch into a both serious and fun examination of the oftentimes uncomfortable relationship that Mormonism has had with its intellectuals. Among the topics they hash out are what makes someone an intellectual, why being "learned" is often seen with suspicion and denounced by certain church leaders and members, what positive roles do intellectuals play within the LDS tradition, and what advice might the panelists give to those with an intellectual temperament who find themselves struggling for a comfortable home within Mormonism? It’s a great discussion that raises issues faced by many of this podcast’s listeners.

38: Illegal Immigration and Religion

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:07:52 -0600

On 10 June 2011, the LDS Church released an official statement on immigration that calls for Latter-day Saints and others to honor families and treat each other, foremost, as children of God while at the same time calling for the federal government to provide strong border security and discouraging its own members from entering any country illegally. The statement also expresses strong concern for the nearly twelve million people who are already in the United States illegally, urging lawmakers and citizens to strive to keep families together and work toward these people being able to "square themselves with the law and continue to work without this necessarily leading to citizenship." Official statements call for robust discussion, and this episode tries to provide just that through engaging not only the statement but also the human face of this issue and marriage of religion and politics that is often so prevalent in policy debates related to this issue. And it even ends with the episode’s panelists--Brent Beal, a business professor in Texas who for many years has served in LDS branches containing many undocumented church members, Ben Daniel, a Presbyterian minister in northern California who likewise ministers to many people here illegally and who recently wrote a book, Neighbor: Christian Encounters with "Illegal" Immigration, and Mark Alvarez, a Salt Lake City attorney, radio host, and advocate for smart immigration reform--sharing their ideas for better discussions and improved policies.

37: Why Are Mormons Seen as "Dangerous" by Some Evangelical Christians?

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:39:31 -0600

A recent article at the Patheos website by evangelical Christian writer and publisher Warren Cole Smith made a big splash both on that website and in Mormon circles because of Smith’s argument that a Mitt Romney presidency would be "dangerous" for many souls who could lose their salvation if they were led astray by Mormonism’s false teachings about God and Christ. Smith hangs his case for a president’s religious beliefs being a strong enough influence for something like this to happen on several claims that many, including other evangelicals writing at Patheos, find dubious. Yet, according to Smith (and the number of "likes" his article received on the Patheos site), many people are sympathetic to his warnings. Why do such claims arise? Why are there many who see Mormonism as so different from Christianity’s primary streams (Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism) that someone’s salvation might be threatened if they believed as Mormons do? Where does Smith and his "danger to souls" line of thinking fit along the Evangelical Christian spectrum of belief? How have Mormon attitudes and actions contributed to their being excluded by many as "Christians?" Are new forms of dialogue and seeing each other emerging that can lead the groups to learn important things from one other? In this episode, host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by Joanna Brooks, Jana Riess, and evangelical writer and host of dialogues between evangelical Christians and Latter-day Saints John Morehead. Even if discussions about the differences between evangelical/mainline Christian and Mormon teachings and attitudes seem like well-worn territory for many listeners, this podcast episode contains satisfying, frank talk about difficult issues as well as fresh insights and reasons for hopefulness that greater respect and understanding between the groups is on the horizon.

36: Moving beyond the "Negro Doctrine"--Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 7 Jun 2011 20:09:20 -0600

This year marks the thirty-third anniversary of the 1978 revelation extending the priesthood to "all worthy males" in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since that day, little has been said by Church leaders on any topic related to the ban, including the reasons for the ban, the doctrinal justifications for the ban, and the process by which the ban came into existence in the first place. Even without such clarifications, the Church has nevertheless successfully grown in Africa and in U.S. inner cities with large African-American. Mormon Matters is very pleased this week to for the chance to mark this anniversary by hosting a dynamic discussion of this ban and the revelation that ended it between four black Latter-day Saints. Guest host, Dustin Jones (who will be familiar to many listeners who have heard his Mormon Stories podcast telling of his own experiences growing up black in the Church) recently convened a panel consisting of himself and three fellow seasoned and opinionated black Mormons--Keith N. Hamilton, Darron Smith, and Marguerite Driessen--who, like him, have spent the last three decades learning about and attempting to understand the LDS Church’s "negro doctrine." Collectively the group is made up of three outspoken lawyers, one unabashed sociology Ph.D., three high priests, two former bishopric counselors, three former stake high councilors, two current BYU adjunct law professors, one former BYU professor, and a Relief Society president. We at Mormon Matters are honored by this opportunity to "listen in" on their spirited (both in its "faith" connotation as well as hinting at their lively differences of opinion!) discussion of their individual interpretations of Official Declaration 2; statements made by Brigham Young and Bruce R. McConkie, Gordon B. Hinckley’s 2006 statement on “racial slurs,” the process by which the Brethren received the revelation and what they see as the best way to move beyond the Church’s history. For each panelist, dealing with this history is ultimately a matter of faith, however, as this discussion shows very well, the swing of the pendulum between faith and fact is an interesting dynamic that all black Mormon must balance for themselves.

35: Moving beyond the "Negro Doctrine"--Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 7 Jun 2011 18:28:51 -0600

34: Self-Identifying as "Mormon"

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:18:07 -0600

Mormonism has always been a home to members with many different religious temperaments, levels of belief, attitudes toward authority, and commitment to and comfort within the community. Still, even with this diversity, Mormonism has often felt to many members (and certainly to most outsiders) as monolithic--if the diversity is there, it hasn’t always been easy to find those "like you."

Indeed, much of this sense and appearance of unity came as a result of the efforts of the institutional church to deliberately set and convey fairly rigid boundaries about what constituted orthodoxy and orthopraxis, and who was and was not a Mormon "in good standing." Thanks in large part to the Internet revolution and the powerful networking it allows, this situation seem to be changing. Latter-day Saints are no longer looking quite as much to the institution for such definitions. Church members along many different spectrums of belief and practice are finding each other and declaring their identities as Mormons, even if they fail to align very closely with the mainstream.
In this week’s episode, Mormon Matters host, Dan Wotherspoon, and panelists Joanna Brooks, Jared Anderson, and Blair Hodges explore various aspects of this new moment, this explosion among Latter-day Saints who don’t feel they fit the standard, institutional identity to begin to categorize themselves within the tradition’s larger tent. What challenges and issues have led to this eruption of felt need for broader ways to identify oneself? What positive purposes do the labels people are using to describe themselves and their place within the larger tradition serve? Are there drawbacks to these labels, especially ones that seem to work to distance those persons from particular aspects of Mormonism or religious "styles" that don’t match with theirs? Can the needs of all these different types of Mormons be met within one community, or does literal belief and a comfort with exploration of complexities (even doubt) need to be quarantined from each other? What are some of the ways the panelists are finding homes for themselves--even on Sundays--within this broad and wonderfully diverse LDS community?

33: The LDS Church and Its Single Young Adults, Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 25 May 2011 09:31:07 -0600

Episode 31 provided a solid initial framing of many of the issues faced by Mormon young single adults--of which group, some 80 percent are becoming inactive at least for a period of time, and many are deciding to leave the church altogether. This episode follows up on that discussion, but focuses on hearing the voices of those in this age group themselves, hearing in their own words about their spiritual journeys, their experiences in singles wards, the messages that are being taught from the pulpit, in classes, and through interactions with church leaders, and the ways these messages are being received. It also brings into clearer focus young single Mormon adults' sexuality and the messages about sex they are hearing and wish they would hear.
In this podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and LDS family therapist and regular Mormon Stories contributor Natasha Helfer Parker engage in a far-ranging discussion with two Mormon young adults, Kayla Woodring and Cam Davis, as they share their experiences and thoughts about the church, its emphases, and how they’d like to see leaders, members, and gospel messages become more affirming as they negotiate the challenges that come during this pivotal time of life.

32: Heavenly Mother in Today's Mormonism

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:35:50 -0600

The most recent issue of BYU Studies features the article, "‘A Mother There’: A Survey of Historical Teachings about Mother in Heaven," co-written by David L. Paulsen and Martin Pulido. The article presents an overview of research that attempted to find every printed or recorded mention of Mother in Heaven or Heavenly Parents by LDS leaders. It is a great piece of scholarship and much needed. In this podcast discussion, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Martin Pulido (article co-author), Tresa Edmunds, and Joanna Brooks present an overview of the BYU Studies article's key findings, as well as significant statements and moments in the history of this doctrine, but then ventures beyond historical reporting and into broader territories. What is the nature of the discourse about Heaven Mother in today’s LDS Church? What ideas about God the Mother hinder vigorous discussion or advancement of this important doctrine, and how can these challenges be met gracefully? What might the future hold for this teaching? How does Mother in Heaven affect the panelists’ own faith? This podcast is a bit longer than most other Mormon Matters episodes. We think you'll find the extra listening time to be worth it, though! The podcast also contains what might possibly be the first one-liner joke in the history of this discussion topic. (It’s in good taste, of course, courtesy of the quick mind of Joanna Brooks.)

31: The LDS Church and Its Single Young Adults

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:28:54 -0600

Official statistics are hard to come by, but it has become clear over the past several years that Mormonism is seeing many of its 18- to 30-year-olds reduce their participation in the church or leave the faith altogether. Two recent actions confirm this trend and reveal the church’s initial responses in trying to stem the tide. First, in an effort to better track singles and help them feel connected to a local unit by providing new opportunities for callings and meeting other singles without "ward hopping," the church has disbanded Utah student wards and reorganized them into singles wards in all-single adult stakes. And second, because it seems to recognize that it meets the needs of families better than it does singles, it has begun to strongly reemphasize the counsel for young adults to not delay marriage, to not be afraid of finding a worthy partner and starting a family right away even if this means possibly experiencing financial and other struggles not faced by those who marry later. In this podcast, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Tresa Edmunds, and Jared Anderson explore this issue of a church seemingly in danger of losing a generation of young people. Why are today’s youth failing to feel connected to the church in the way members of earlier generations were? What has shifted in society, and the experiences and mindsets of today’s "Millennial" generation? Can this exit trend be slowed or stopped--and if so, how? This podcast contains no final "answers," but it sure is a lively discussion!

30: Mormon Women and Equality

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 3 May 2011 18:30:38 -0600

Michael Otterson, head of the LDS Church's Public Affairs department, recently wrote a short piece for the Washington Post's "On Faith" blog titled, "What Mormon Equality Looks Like." In his post, he cites three anonymous LDS women who assert their equality with men in terms of access to pulpits to teach and pray, their chances to preside over Church organizations, their equality "in the eyes of God, as equal halves of a divine pair and equal partners in his work, which includes the raising of families," as well as equality in their rights to "direct access to God through prayer for inspiration, personal guidance and forgiveness of sins." Women, he asserts, are "incredible," and the church "would not be nearly the organization it is today without the women who comprise more than half of its adult membership."

Otterson's depiction of equality led to a great deal of discussion on various LDS blogs, including a wonderfully executed piece of satire by Kristine Haglund comparing women's equality with the type of equality her children enjoy as a member of her family. In this episode, Haglund is joined by two other panelists, Jana Riess and Joanna Brooks, and host Dan Wotherspoon in an animated, broad, and very insightful discussion of Mormon women today. How can we raise the level of discourse on women beyond the issues of priesthood ordination and claims by many LDS women to be completely fulfilled? Are there theological insights or practices that might lead the Church to employ women's gifts more fully? What strategies do the panelists find most helpful as they boldly speak out on difficult issues while still maintaining full activity in the church and good relationships with members and leaders? What renews their faith and encourages them to remain engaged?

29: David Brooks, The Book of Mormon Musical, and Rigorous Religion

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:13:55 -0600

NY Times columnist David Brooks very much enjoyed the Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon," but, as he articulates in his 21 April 2011 column "Creed or Chaos," he believes the play's authors end up celebrating a "vague, uplifting, nondoctrinal" type of religion that can't last and doesn't motivate people to perform "heroic acts of service," such as serving missions to third-world nations. As a result, he uses the musical as a springboard for celebrating the virtues of thriving religions, which he says have "communal theologies, doctrines and codes of conduct rooted in claims of absolute truth." In this episode, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, John Dehlin, and Brian Johnston use Brooks' column as a springboard of their own into many aspects of Mormonism, including both the light and shadow sides of its rigor, demands, and messages (and the ways these messages are communicated), and what contributions any of these have to those who are unsure about staying LDS or who are seeking ways to engage with the church and fellow members in healthy ways even though they may be a bit "out of the box" in some of their views.

28: Racism in Honor Code Enforcement for BYU Athletes

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:57:04 -0600

This episode discusses the 13 April 2011 Deadspin.com article, “The Truth about Race, Religion, and the Honor Code at BYU,” which highlights possible racial factors at play in the way BYU enforces its Honor Code among its athletes. The story states: “Since 1993, at least 70 athletes have been suspended, dismissed, put on probation, or forced to withdraw from their teams or the school after running afoul of the honor code. Fifty-four of them, or nearly 80 percent, are minorities. Forty-one, or almost 60 percent, are black men.” One of the article’s co-authors, Darron Smith, joins Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and regular contributor Joanna Brooks in a far-ranging discussion of the article and its findings, as well as wider issues of racism with Mormonism and how they might be highlighted and addressed at both the general Church and local congregational levels.

27: Mormons and Their Leaders

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:50:05 -0600

This episode, which was recorded a couple of days after the close of the April 2011 General Conference, explores the interplay between Latter-day Saints and those who are called to lead them as prophets, seers, and revelators. Why do some church members want to elevate leaders' words from the conference center podium almost to the level of scripture? Why is there so much adoration of leaders even as they regularly acknowledge their own humanity and fallibility, and even speak of the adulation they receive as one of their biggest challenges? To whom do church leaders aim their messages, and why? How much do audience expectations shape what leaders say and do? Are there ways to view leaders respectfully while also respectfully disagreeing with their positions?

Please join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Heather Beal, and Randall Paul for a free-flowing and insightful discussion about these and other aspects of the relationship between church members and those who lead them.

26: Theologies of Nature - Mormon Resources for Thinking about Natural Disasters Pt. 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sat, 2 Apr 2011 09:25:27 -0600

This two-part episode uses the recent Japanese earthquakes and tsunamis as a springboard for a robust discussion of nature, and especially natural disasters. Often we hear claims that the upheaval and suffering caused by earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, tornados, famine, and the like are “God’s will,” that God is sending a message through these events. And certainly there is certainly scriptural precedent for that view, and even modern prophetic utterance. But are there other, more nuanced and perhaps more ennobling ways to frame natural disasters within a theistic worldview? And if there are ways of seeing these upheavals that can lead to increased faith or broadened and deepened spirituality or love for God and the world, are any of these healthy approaches hinted at or embedded in particular Mormon views and practices? We know you’ll enjoy this dynamic discussion (so good we had to double our normal podcast length!) between Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists George Handley, Duane Jeffery, and Joanna Brooks. We encourage you to also visit and contribute to this episode’s blog discussion.

25: Theologies of Nature - Mormon Resources for Thinking about Natural Disasters Pt. 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sat, 2 Apr 2011 09:22:54 -0600

24: Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, Glenn Beck and the 2012 Election

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:05:14 -0600

This episode features a panel discussion of the potential candidacies of Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman as they consider a run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. Have American attitudes towards Mormonism shifted significantly since Romney’s first campaign was often sidetracked by the “Mormon Question”? Has the Church’s involvement with Prop 8 helped or hurt the Mormon image for Republican voters? Does Glenn Beck being a high-profile Mormon have any effect on the potential electability of LDS candidates? Please enjoy host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Jenny Nettesheim, and Jennifer Liddell as they discuss these and other issues related to Mormonism and today’s politics. The podcast also contains an update on current protests and debates in Wisconsin regarding collective bargaining for public employees.

23: The King James Version and Changes to Race-Related Book of Mormon Chapter Headings

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:41:06 -0600

In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund, Dallas Robbins, and Philip Barlow discuss two topics: 1) The LDS Church’s recent reaffirmation of the King James Version as is its official Bible translation, and 2) the changes it has made to chapter headings in the online version of the Book of Mormon (changes that will be carried forward in future printings) that de-emphasize the idea of darker skin as a curse from God. What is the significance of this renewed commitment to the KJV instead of switching to newer, more scholarly Bible versions based on older manuscripts, translated into more modern English, and increasingly the Bibles of choice for other Christians? What are the possible positive and negative impacts of the Church’s continued use of this translation on missionary efforts, scriptural literacy among the rising generation, and so forth? What do the new Book of Mormon chapter headings say about the continued fading of Mormonism’s history of equating skin color with God’s blessing or cursing? What steps might be next? What steps should be next?

22: The Brandon Davies Suspension, BYU and the Honor Code

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 8 Mar 2011 19:56:42 -0700

A discussion of BYU's suspension of BYU basketball player Brandon Davies for his honor code violation. Joining us today are Joanna Brooks, Tom Grover, Ashley Sanders and host Dan Wotherspoon.

21: Sex and Immigration

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sat, 5 Mar 2011 19:59:50 -0700

A discussion of: 1) sexuality as a single LDS church member, 2) the 5 Browns sexual abuse news, and 3) immigration and the LDS church.

20: An Analysis of Mitt Romney’s Faith in America Speech Pt. 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sat, 8 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700

An Analysis of Mitt Romney’s Faith in America Speech Pt. 2

19: An Analysis of Mitt Romney’s Faith in America Speech Pt. 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 7 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700

An Analysis of Mitt Romney’s Faith in America Speech Pt. 1

18: Same-Sex Marriage and Mormonism

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Same-Sex Marriage and Mormonism

17: Book of Mormon Introduction, Lamanites and Native Americans

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Book of Mormon Introduction, Lamanites and Native Americans

16: The International Church

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The International Church

15: Inoculating the Saints Listener Feedback

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 9 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Inoculating the Saints Listener Feedback

14: Our Discussion on Inoculating the Saints Pt. 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Our Discussion on Inoculating the Saints Pt. 2

13: Our Discussion on Inoculating the Saints Pt. 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Our Discussion on Inoculating the Saints Pt. 1

12: Inoculating the Saints (with Kevin Barney, Blake Ostler and Mike Ash)

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Inoculating the Saints (with Kevin Barney, Blake Ostler and Mike Ash)

11: Our Favorite Books on Mormonism

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Our Favorite Books on Mormonism

10: Mormon Fundamentalist Polygamy Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 7 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Mormon Fundamentalist Polygamy Part 2

09: Big Love and Mormon Fundamentalist Polygamy Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 7 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Big Love and Mormon Fundamentalist Polygamy Part 1

08: A Review of States of Grace and Orthodox Paradox

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

A Review of States of Grace and Orthodox Paradox

07b: The Other One True Church and the Obama/Mitt Romney Scuttle over Sex Education

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The Other “One True Church and the Obama/Mitt Romney Scuttle over Sex Education

07a: The Other One True Church and the Obama/Mitt Romney Scuttle over Sex Education

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The Other “One True Church and the Obama/Mitt Romney Scuttle over Sex Education

06: LDS Church Finances and the Approaching Mormon History Press Release

mormonstories@gmail.com — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

LDS Church Finances and the Approaching Mormon History Press Release

05: Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 2

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 2 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 2

04: Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 1

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 2 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 1

03: The Mountain Meadows Massacre

mormonstories@gmail.com — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The Mountain Meadows Massacre.

02: Mitt Romney, Mormonism and Recent Coverage in the New York Times and on Good Morning America

mormonstories@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Mitt Romney, Mormonism and Recent Coverage in the New York Times and on Good Morning America

01: An Introduction, PBS’s The Mormons, and an Ensign Article

mormonstories@gmail.com — Thu, 7 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

An Introduction, PBS’s The Mormons, and an Ensign Article