At Last She Said It

In the Season 2 finale, Susan and Cynthia share and discuss the ongoing love lessons they're learning as they try—more successfully some days than others—to keep following Jesus as the focus of their faith lives.

From the time we are young girls, women are socialized to keep a calm exterior. It's an unhealthy expectation, since we experience the full range of human emotion. In the Church and in the world, an angry man is perceived as being tough or powerful, but an angry woman earns a much less positive label. For Latter-day Saint women, meekness, niceness, and peace-keeping are valued traits. Being sad is...

You may feel sure about a lot of things, but what if one day you reach for your faith and find the certainty that has always given you comfort is not where you thought it was? When foundational ideas or beliefs suddenly go missing for you or a loved one, it can feel like the ground has been pulled out from under you. In Episode 42, Cynthia and Susan are joined by Jeralee Renshaw for a discussion a...

What if there were a remedy that might counteract the difficulties and disappointments of being human, but you weren't quite sure how it worked, or how to get it? Many Latter-day Saints feel certain about the importance of obedience in their lives, but are less settled in their thinking about grace. Cynthia and Susan discuss how and why, for each of them, the idea of grace has come to be foundatio...

If there's a way to make the word Obedience feel itchier for some of us, it's by combining it with the word Exact. But these words increasingly seem to appear together when we're holding up Latter-day Saint ideals. What does the phrase "exact obedience" mean? Are there different kinds of obedience, and do they all carry the same rewards? In this conversation, Cynthia and Susan explore the principl...

In recent years, it seems the phrases priesthood power and priesthood authority are being used more often in reference to women. But what do those words really mean? Has anything changed, or is this just a new way of describing old ideas? Cynthia and Susan talk about these phrases and the questions and feelings they evoke in a discussion of Pres. Jean B. Bingham's article, Women and Covenant Power...

When you're vocal in your criticism of an organization, people may wonder why you don't leave. But for some women, speaking up about the bad and the good are both important to the process of staying. In this episode, Cynthia and Susan discuss ways the Church leads them to Jesus Christ, and how engagement in their Latter-day Saint communities continues to impact and improve their lives.

Have you ever wished you heard Latter-day Saint women talk about modesty using words like context, intention, body acceptance, sexuality, empowerment, and authenticity? Well here's that conversation! Cynthia and Susan are joined by therapist C.A. Larson for a closer look at the ways we discuss, teach, and practice principles of modesty. How can we approach this topic with our youth in a way that w...

Mary was not only responsible for bearing Jesus, but for teaching him to be Jesus—merciful, kind, generous, just, nurturing. The traits that drew people to him were modeled by his mother. Moses became Moses because women acted in faith to save him so he could in turn become a deliverer. The stripling warriors were valiant because their mothers taught them to trust God. On close reading, our script...

As Latter-day Saint women, our callings sit at the center of our church experience. Where, when, and how we are asked to serve can impact everything from our family's daily schedule to our personal health, spiritual wellbeing or self esteem. It's no wonder our feelings about callings run deep. In this discussion, Cynthia and Susan share their own and listeners' experiences—exploring some of the wa...

What does it mean to be a creative person, and what might we learn by daring to pursue our own ideas? Following our curiosity and engaging in the creative process can introduce us to ourselves, and help us glimpse our divine potential. In this episode, Susan and Cynthia discuss the ways creativity enriches their lives, enhances their spiritual connectivity, and nudges them toward greater understan...

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we can gain helpful insights by listening to the mothers of LGBTQ+ children. In this episode, Cynthia and Susan are joined by Liz McDonald for a conversation about hard won lessons of this specific mother-love, and what we might learn from the women who share them.

Thanks and Help: it's a prayer in just 3 words. Can gratitude move us in the direction of our own healing? Even in a difficult year, we've found plenty to make us marvel. In this episode, Susan shares thoughts on the spiritual benefits of giving mindful thanks, and Cynthia joins to discuss finding connection, awe and wonder in the everyday.

Jesus asked 100x more questions than he answered, so questions must have an important role to play in spiritual growth. Why don't they always feel welcome at church? Andrea Forsythe joins us to discuss asking better ones—questions that can help us see ourselves more clearly, and point to ways we might grow in love and understanding as individuals, and as a church.

Kathryn Knight Sonntag is a poet and landscape designer whose deep connection to nature is rooted in the Feminine Divine. She shares her poetry and insights gleaned from her personal journey in this conversation about our search for divine identity as Latter-day Saint women.

From the time they are young girls, Latter-day Saint women hear a great deal of emphasis placed on motherhood being central to their divine role. Yet there are so many variables that often go unacknowledged in the conversation—desire, opportunity, aptitude, health, finances, to name a few—that truly complicate this general teaching for specific women. In this episode, Cynthia and Susan discuss the...

Cynthia and Susan are joined by their friend Holly to discuss the biggest elephant in the room. In what ways might polygamy—past, present, and/or future—affect the lives of Latter-day Saint women today?

Cynthia and Susan share their own experiences, as well as listeners' stories, in an introductory exploration of the current Latter-day Saint approach to modesty. What are the possible unintended consequences of the rules, rhetoric, and culture in which we're raising our young women?

Dr. Julie Hanks, owner and executive director of Wasatch Family Therapy in Salt Lake City, joins Cynthia and Susan for a discussion about authority. How do we navigate the tension we sometimes experience between the general counsel of Church leaders, and the personal revelation we receive as stewards of our own lives?

In the first episode of Season 2, Cynthia and Susan consider some of the burdens women carry—in their hearts, their minds, and their bodies—and discuss Mary, the mother of Jesus. She bore an unimaginable weight, but about her remarkable personal journey we have only a few precious clues.

Jeralee is joined by dear friend Carol Lynn Pearson for a poetry reading and exploration of her new collection, Finding Mother God.

In this bonus episode, Cynthia traces some of the growth she has experienced as a result of periods of sustained grieving. Looking back now, she can see how grief turned out to be a teacher she never wanted, and never knew she needed.

As a Latter-day Saint woman, it can be hard to separate the men from the labels that define their place in the Church. In this bonus episode, Susan attempts to untangle and explain her complex relationship with both.

In this bonus episode, Cynthia and Susan wrap up the first season with a top ten list, some listener feedback, and a season two teaser: a call for women to contribute their stories and experiences on upcoming topics.

Cynthia and Susan are joined by Jeralee for a discussion of agency. If we believe it's a foundational component of the plan, why is it sometimes so hard to honor? Can shifting our thinking about agency improve the way we make decisions for ourselves, and help us better love and support others in their choices?