Gospel Chats

Could something we see as a curse actually be a gift? Can we develop spiritual gifts that are not natural to us? Are spiritual gifts different than talents? These are some of the questions we wrestle with as we explore the topic of spiritual gifts. 

Believing in a Heavenly Mother is a “distinctive and cherished doctrine” in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to the gospel topic essay, but is it a doctrine we could cherish more? In this chat we explore what we know about our Mother in Heaven and why it matters. 

Is singing in the church a cultural thing or something more? In this episode we dive into the scriptures to uncover the purposes and power of music in our worship.  

So much of our culture is built on competition—but is competition a good thing? Is it something a disciple of Christ should embrace? In this episode we wrestle with competition, stories in the scriptures that always link competition with pride, and the possibility of replacing all competitive frameworks with a spirit of cooperation. 

What do we mean when we say “the Lord’s timing” and how do we patiently and faithfully embrace that principle? In this episode we wrestle with timing, agency, faith, and active waiting. 

We often pit “the letter of the law” against “the spirit of the law”. Doing this causes contention, judgment, rationalization, and a host of other problems. What if one is not better than the other, what if the key to discipleship is holding on to BOTH?! 

Some of our conversations about modesty become pretty narrow, and we argue about hemlines and bare midriffs, but modesty entails much more than our clothing. In this episode we wrestle with the deeper issue of modesty and how to applies to how we talk, think, act, and dress. 

President Nelson spoke to the young adults about understanding their divine identity and three key identifiers that should never be displaced or replaced. In this chat we lean into those three identifiers and the clarity they bring into our lives in this confusing world. 

Complaining about life, and situations, and people can come so naturally, but maybe that’s the problem. In this episode we wrestle with the roots and fruits of complaining, discuss the possibility of “righteous complaining,” and try to understand how to not give our precious agency away. 

Is self-confidence essential to a happy and successful life? In this episode we dive into the scriptures and words of church leaders to learn more about confidence, where we place it, and how to receive more of it. 

Sometimes we limit our spiritual understanding based off of our definition of a word. In this episode we wrestle with the word “prophet” and explore the gifts all covenant-keepers can access to prophecy. 

The terms “blind faith” and “blind obedience” are used as pejoratives by non-believers, and at times by other believers. In this episode we wrestle with the concept of faith and whether it springs out of blindness or actually seeing evidence that others dismiss. 

A lot of Word of Wisdom conversations center around what is and isn’t good for our bodies, but in this episode we wrestle with maybe more important spiritual principles connected to this commandment. 

Many are convinced that they, and most others, won’t ever be righteous enough to live in God’s presence. But our Heavenly Father’s plan is more hopeful and effective than most people realize. In this episode we chat about what we know about exaltation and God’s intent for each of His children. 

President Howard W. Hunter said that “the doctrine of the Resurrection is the single most fundamental and crucial doctrine in the Christian religion. It cannot be overemphasized.” Do we undervalue the Resurrection? In this episode we wrestle with that question, and what happens when we focus on the Resurrection now and in the future. 

We can run into some serious issues when we confuse our worth with our worthiness. In this chat we try to define both worth and worthiness, how they’re different, and how we can understand both in more hopeful ways.  *This is a repost because this episode got deleted by accident*

It’s one thing to believe that God can bless us, but what do we do when it doesn’t seem like those blessings are coming? In today’s chat we wrestle with topics of faith, trust, trials, and enduring well. 

In today’s conversation we chat about bodies. Too often we either view our bodies as negative things to despise or as an idols to worship. What does our doctrine teach us that should transform the way we view and engage with our bodies? 

Is there is difference between giving service and being a servant? Is there a way that being a slave could be a faith-strengthening thing? In today’s chat we wrestle with these questions. 

There is a common saying that “faith and fear cannot exist in the same person at the same time.” We wrestle with that statement in this chat, and discuss healthy fear, destructive fear, and how “perfect love casts out fear.” 

When God inspires prophets, it seems like He often gives them the vision of “what” needs to be accomplished, but allows them a lot of agency to figure out “how” to accomplish it. In today’s chat we wrestle with the beauty and messiness of ordained, inspired, mortal prophets. 

The title for this episode might sound like an oxymoron, but in the D&C, Jesus Christ connects fasting with joy and rejoicing. So how do we fast in a more joyful way—in the Lord’s way? And could true fasting be the key to overcoming any bad habit, addiction, or obstacle in our life? 

Satan is not our favorite thing to talk about, but it is important that we understand who he is, how he works, and what his true desires are. In today’s chat we wrestle with the differences between our Accuser (Satan) and our Advocate (Jesus Christ). 

We believe that the Godhead is comprised of three, distinct individuals, but sometimes it is hard to know how to connect with each of Them. Today we wrestle with ways we can experience blessings from each member of the Godhead. 

The Priesthood is bigger, better than either of us realize. In today’s chat, we share some things we are learning about the Priesthood, and things we are still trying to understand.