The classic theological puzzle known as the “problem of evil” arises when we assert the existence of an all-powerful God who is also perfectly loving, …
516–517: Becoming Powerful: Dr. LaShawn Williams on Her Faith Journey and Path to Spiritual Confidence
516: Becoming Powerful: Dr. LaShawn Williams on Her Faith Journey and Path to Spiritual Confidence, Part 1 [ 55:15 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 517: Becoming Powerful: Dr. LaShawn Williams on Her Faith Journey and Path to Spiritual Confidence, Part 2 [ 54:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadTW: Brief mentions of sexual assault in this conversation Dr. LaShawn Williams (EdD., LCSW, MPA) is on the faculty at Utah Valley University, where she …
503–504: Reflecting on Major Themes in 500-plus Mormon Matters Episodes
503: Reflecting on Major Themes in 500-plus Mormon Matters Episodes, Part 1 [ 51:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 504: Reflecting on Major Themes in 500-plus Mormon Matters Episodes, Part 2 [ 57:40 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadEarlier this month, Mormon Matters released its 500th episode. In this two-part podcast, host Dan Wotherspoon speaks about the show’s evolution, but mostly he re-introduces …
488–490: Resurrecting Atonement
The concept of “atonement” is powerful: being “at one” with God, others, and ourselves. But the panelists on this episode, Mark Crego and George Andrew …
487: Exclusivism
This episode wrestles with exclusivist claims in religion, including Mormonism, as well as in our psyches. How does the idea of chosenness, specialness, uniqueness, and …
483: The Prayer Wheel: “An Early Christian Handheld Device”
483: The Prayer Wheel: "An Early Christian Handheld Device" [ 1:26:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadAt Mormon Matters we will occasionally focus on the importance of sticking with (though often with changed forms) spiritual practices even while in the midst …
481–482: Mental and Spiritual Gymnastics: Might Something Deeper Be Going On?
481: Mental and Spiritual Gymnastics: Might Something Deeper Be Going On?, Part 1 [ 58:17 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 482: Mental and Spiritual Gymnastics: Might Something Deeper Be Going On?, Part 2 [ 1:12:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadWe all have different temperaments, and there are many combinations of elements that affect our spiritual journeys—including how recently we’ve entered into a time of …
476: A Healer’s Healing Journey: An Interview with Dr. Julie de Azevedo Hanks
476: A Healer's Healing Journey: An Interview with Dr. Julie de Azevedo Hanks [ 1:23:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadDr. Julie de Azevedo Hanks has over the past decade-plus become a leading voice in mental health, marriage and family, women’s issues, and faith journey …
470: Mormon Matters Events and Holy Week Resources
This very short episode features several announcements about an upcoming Mormon Matters one-day workshop that Dan Wotherspoon and Jana Spangler will be leading, as well …
467–468: The Work of Peace in Mormonism and the Religious World: An Interview with Charles Randall Paul
467: The Work of Peace in Mormonism and the Religious World: An Interview with Charles Randall Paul, Part 1 [ 1:24:02 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 468: The Work of Peace in Mormonism and the Religious World: An Interview with Charles Randall Paul, Part 2 [ 1:00:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadMany long-time Mormon Matters listeners will recognize the name Charles Randall Paul, (or, as host Dan Wotherspoon calls him 90 percent of the time, “Randy” Paul). He …
465 –466: Deeper Readings of Misunderstood and Under-Appreciated Scriptures
465: Deeper Readings of Misunderstood and Under-Appreciated Scriptures, Part 1 [ 59:54 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 466: Deeper Readings of Misunderstood and Under-Appreciated Scriptures, Part 2 [ 50:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadVery few of us give deep consideration to the nature of scripture and how it should be read and understood. We grow up (or come …
462–463: Lessons From the Historical Jesus
James and Judith McConkie have taken a deep dive into something relatively few Mormon scholars and teachers have researched: the historical Jesus. Latter-day Saints have …
443: Seeking a Good Death: Spiritual Practice and Framings to Help Us Prepare Now for Our Eventual Deaths
443: Seeking a Good Death: Spiritual Practice and Framings to Help Us Prepare Now for Our Eventual Deaths [ 1:29:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadIn this follow-up episode to our early December shows titled “Mormons Encountering Death”(MM 430–432), former hospice chaplain and meditation and contemplation teacher Phil McLemore joins …
441–442: Living in (and Growing through) Tension: An Interview with Bill Reel
441: Living in (and Growing through) Tension: An Interview with Bill Reel, Part 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 442: Living in (and Growing through) Tension: An Interview with Bill Reel, Part 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadBill Reel is widely known within the Mormon podcast world as a fellow traveler on the road many of us have found ourselves on—often quite …
438–440: Prayers for the New Year
Happy New Year, Mormon Matters listeners! To start 2018, I asked many of my friends if they would consider writing prayers for the new year …
424-426: Celebrating the Different Spiritualities in the Two Halves of Life
424: Celebrating the Different Spiritualities of the Two Halves of Life, Part 1 [ 52:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 425: Celebrating the Different Spiritualities of the Two Halves of Life, Part 2 [ 50:21 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 426: Celebrating the Different Spiritualities of the Two Halves of Life, Part 3 [ 53:09 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadThe four people on this three-part podcast episode love Richard Rohr’s book, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life. If you find …
407-409: The Wilderness of Faith
This three-part episode features Kim Puzey and Lisa Scott, two brilliant and insightful people who are deeply familiar with both wilderness living and faith journeying. Drawing on their backgrounds as …
398–399: Staying Actively Engaged in Mormonism
This two-part episode is a co-release with the Mormon Stories Podcast. It is a discussion that took place on 29 June 2017 in front of …
396–397: Spiritual Journeys Outside of Mormonism
396: Spiritual Journeys Outside of Mormonism, Part 1 [ 1:00:14 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadThis episode features two wonderful teachers, pastors, scholars, and clergy from non-Mormon faith traditions sharing their own spiritual journeys and the ways that God has …
393–394: Does “Certainty” Hinder Living Faith?
Living faith is a growing faith. It is faith in a living God. It is trust in a trustworthy being (or beings). It is striving …
388–389: Our Brains and Faith
Our faith lives, including how we orient toward the world, God/Spirit (or whatever we consider the highest center(s) of value and power), and ourselves, are …
369–370: Helping Children Plant Lasting Seeds of Faith
369: Helping Children Plant Lasting Seeds of Faith, Part 1 [ 1:15:36 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 370: Helping Children Plant Lasting Seeds of Faith, Part 2 [ 1:05:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadEvery person is different, and this is completely true with children, as well. Often we as parents will assume our children are picking up ideas, …
367–368: Faith within a Mormonism that Points Beyond Itself
367: Faith within a Mormonism that Points Beyond Itself, Part 1 [ 1:01:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 368: Faith within a Mormonism that Points Beyond Itself, Part 2 [ 1:02:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadWe all sort of “know” but still very often forget that God and religious and spiritual truths are couched in symbols, language, propositions, metaphors, stories, …
360: Faith and Doubt: Balancing Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
360: Faith and Doubt: Balancing Truth, Goodness, and Beauty [ 1:38:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadDoubting our long-held views of the world, especially if firm faith positions are part of it, is a high stakes matter. Not only do enter …
335: Hope
In commenting about Hope, Patrick Mason writes: “The three great Christian virtues are faith, hope, and charity. The first and the third receive significant attention, …
319: Is There Good News for Faith in Today’s Mormon Crises?—Part 2
319: Is There Good News for Faith in Today’s Mormon Crises?—Part 2 [ 1:47:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadThis episode is the second part of a co-released (with Gina Colvin and A Thoughtful Faith podcast) podcast discussion with Patrick Mason and Boyd Petersen …
317: Is There Good News for Faith in Today’s Mormon Crises?—Part 1
317: Is There Good News for Faith in Today’s Mormon Crises?—Part 1 [ 1:54:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadIn his recent book, Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt, Patrick Q. Mason offers an optimistic vision for the future of Mormonism, …
303: Why Is This All So Hard?
Faith journeys are insanely difficult. Why? In this episode, Lindsay Hansen Park, Jon Grimes, Brian Whitney, and Emily Grover join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon …
279–280: Mutual Respect: Creating Healthy Relationships When Loved Ones Choose a Different Faith Path
279: Mutual Respect: Creating Healthy Relationships When Loved Ones Choose a Different Faith Path--Part 1 [ 1:11:54 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 280: Mutual Respect: Creating Healthy Relationships When Loved Ones Choose a Different Faith Path--Part 2 [ 1:16:54 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadFor more than a decade, Chelsea Shields Strayer and her parents, Eric and Heidi Shields, have held very difficult but ultimately fruitful conversations regarding her …
277: Does Powerful Faith Require Scriptural Literalism?
277: Does Powerful Faith Require Scriptural Literalism? [ 2:00:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadIn speaking at the April 2015 General Conference about the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland boldly stated that “the simple …
274–275: Beyond Belief and Unbelief
We bring our faith crises to word most often through expressions about our no longer “believing” this or that teaching. We’ve been confronted with evidence …
261: Faith and Repentance
Because they come up so often in gospel lessons and are indeed the “first principles” of the gospel (Article of Faith 4), we might think …
259: A Reason for the Hope That Is In Me
In 1 Peter, we are encouraged as Christians to always be ready to give voice to “a reason of the hope that is in you …
257: Negotiating Adult Faith within a Developing Institution
257: Negotiating Adult Faith within a Developing Institution [ 1:38:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadJust as many theorists understand individual human maturation through developmental stages, a great deal of literature suggests that institutions (churches, corporations, governments) as well as …
249–250: Being Authentic within Mormonism
Mormonism is a powerful tradition, presenting a worldview and truth claims that are extremely potent, but also creating a culture that can be, for many …
228–229: Mapping LDS Faith Transitions (with help from James Fowler)
228: Mapping LDS Faith Transitions (with Help from James Fowler), Part 1 [ 1:16:21 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 229: Mapping LDS Faith Transitions (with Help from James Fowler), Part 2 [ 1:15:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadMany Mormon Matters listeners find their way to the podcast and other online communities and discussion groups because they recognize that they are experiencing some …
216: Preserving and Strengthening Relationships During Faith Transitions
216: Preserving and Strengthening Relationships During Faith Transitions [ 1:27:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadMost listeners to Mormon Matters, like all seekers, are undergoing a faith transition—hopefully one of continuous deepening into greater richness of experience and peace. Often, …
199: Untangling Faith, Belief, and the Expectation to “Know”
199: Untangling Faith, Belief, and the Expectation to Know [ 1:28:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadWe think we know what it means to “believe” or to “have faith.” But do we? Has the current ways we use these terms remained …
165: Mormon Women Sharing Their Lives
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 …
153–154: Integrity with Self and Family: Parents on Sharing Their Faith Transitions with Their Children
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 …
151–152: Short Takes—Adventures in Spirit
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, …
146: Relationships First: Mormon Parents Face Their Child’s Faith Transition
146: Relationships First--Mormon Parents Face Their Child's Faith Transition [ 1:17:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadIn 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 …
104: Growing Up Mormon—and Fearless
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 …
96–97: Mormonism and Its History—Past, Present, and Future
96: Mormonism and Its History—Past, Present, and Future. Part 1 [ 59:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download 97: Mormonism and Its History—Past, Present, and Future. Part 2 [ 48:52 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadEvery religion has many dilemmas when it comes to its history. How does a group incorporate the idea of a God or Universal force or …