Latter-day Faith

This episode is a follow up to Latter-day Faith 137, "The Hero's Return," which was released this past August. That episode featured a discussion between Stephen Carter and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon about an aspect of the Hero's Return model that is one of its lesser studied elements: the decision by the hero/heroine to return to their society of origin, bringing with them the insights and power th...

We often hear the terms "holy" and "holiness," and we have a general sense of what they mean. But it is always good to look at familiar terms and concepts through different lenses, different eyes, and this is what we have done in this episode. In it, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by Mark Crego and Kajsa Berlin-Kaufusi , both of whom are scriptural scholars as well as partners with Dan in the...

Today's show focuses on the Prosocial movement, a network of people who are studying and testing and putting into action practices guided by principles that put people first. Our guest, Jordan Harmon , a therapist with strong Latter-day Saint roots who practices in Utah, is part of this movement and brings it into focus for those of us who may never have encountered it. In the process, we learn wh...

Many of us understand the basic structure of what Joseph Campbell has named "the hero's journey" and the wrestles and transformations it requires. But one element that is usually underemphasized is the final step in the journey, which is when the hero returns to community. In most cases, the journeyer comes back to the society and culture she or he had left, but even in the cases when it isn't bac...

Elder Bruce R. McConkie once proclaimed, "Obedience is the first law of heaven," which is an interesting statement when compared with Jesus's declaration that the first of all laws is love. Has the modern Church followed Elder McConkie's path, overemphasizing obedience over love? More recently, President Russell M. Nelson has proclaimed that "Obedience brings blessings, and exact obedience brings...

We all live our lives within mythic structures, and we always will. But early on, as James Fowler states, we take these overarching stories as literally true (he names his Stage 2 "Mythic-Literal"). Then life, in ways that we can comprehend, serves up alternate mythologies. We begin to see the stories of others as genuine options for us to adopt, or to at least appreciate deeply. In that dilemma o...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes many claims about the importance of priesthood. It also claims that conferral of the priesthood is only to be given to men, only needed by men, not women. Why is that? Yet when LDS leaders actually talk about priesthood's power in relation to men's spirituality and the special gifts it holds, their messaging seems to be describing things that a...

At the end of last week, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the long-standing right to bodily autonomy for women, including the right to medical abortion. With the end of the protections put forth in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, we are now entering a time in which each state has the right to determine when to allow abortion legally. The ruling was lauded by some, including many Latt...

Following up on last week's episode about different ways that ideas or things can be "true," in this show LDF host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by his Faith Journey Foundation partner and longtime friend Mark Crego to discuss other aspects of what "true" can mean. Here the focus moves primarily to "true" when it comes to people, families, members of our congregations, and others. Dan and Mark also sp...

Within the contexts of Latter-day Saint testimony meetings and the congressional hearings now starting regarding the events and planning leading up to and following the January 6th, 2021 demonstrations/insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, it is good to talk about the nature of "truth" and all the factors involved in believing or speaking of something as "true." In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspo...

In the wake of the shootings that are happening around the country, and in particular in Texas and Oklahoma most recently, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, depressed, and helpless in the face of all the conditions that have led the shooters to the point they reached in which mass slaughter feels like a way for them to express their pain and go out of this world. At times like these, we need reasons...

Latter-day Saints take scripture seriously, and often very literally: as if the events in scripture literally happened. Yet the word "Literal" as it applies to scripture takes on richer meaning when we embrace the "literature" aspect of scripture.  Scripture is literature--story, poetry, wisdom sayings, etc.--created by a community in the past, reflecting their experienced with God. It then is acc...

For many, Latter-day Saint teachings about God as consisting of embodied beings and being a literal Divine Couple have been very empowering as it carves out space for the divine feminine. But descriptions of God fall short—trying to use words for what is indescribable. But even more vital than how we "think" about God is how we "experience" God. Even if we are taught that God is gendered, do we ex...

For many, Latter-day Saint teachings about God as consisting of embodied beings and being a literal Divine Couple have been very empowering as it carves out space for the divine feminine. But descriptions of God fall short—trying to use words for what is indescribable. But even more vital than how we "think" about God is how we "experience" God. Even if we are taught that God is gendered, do we ex...

Whether we are a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, aunt or uncle, we'd all love the children in our lives to grow up healthy in every way. We likely have thought a lot about their physical and emotional health, but how often do we consider their spiritual health? Spiritual development definitely goes hand in hand with emotional development, encouraging children to recognize what they are feeli...

In this fascinating episode, Dr. Michael Ferguson joins LDF host Dan Wotherspoon for a journey into the field of neuroscience and how its insights relate to spirituality and spiritual journeys. Michael is pioneering the new field of "neurospirituality", and now teaches courses on it at Harvard Divinity School and Harvard College, along with an appointment in neurophysiology at Harvard Medical Scho...

124: Spirituality and Neuroscience, Part 1   In this fascinating episode, Dr. Michael Ferguson joins LDF host Dan Wotherspoon for a journey into the field of neuroscience and how its insights relate to spirituality and spiritual journeys. Michael is pioneering the new field of "neurospirituality", and now teaches courses on it at Harvard Divinity School and Harvard College, along with an appointme...

In this encore presentation of an episode recorded one year ago, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon  is joined by the wonderful  Kajsa Berlin-Kaufusi  for a discussion of Easter, especially how we might lean more deeply and intently into the cycle of dying and rebirthing that is at the spiritual center of this holiday. There are many wonderful teachings around Easter, and Kajsa and Dan honor those and the f...

This week's episode features Susan Hinckley and Cynthia Winward , the hosts of the incredible At Last She Said It podcast. In conversation with LDF host Dan Wotherspoon , they share many things about their experiences with it over the two years since its launch. How is it being received? Who is listening? What are the primary themes that come up again and again? In the course of the dialogue, they...

As we release this episode, we are in the midst of the senate confirmation hearings (battles?) over the potential elevation of the Hon. Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Many Latter-day Saints are also looking toward the upcoming April 2022 General Conference--most with excitement, but others with deep trepidation about possibly hearing messages that might lead them or loved ones to...

Reported percentages vary, but many Latter-day Saints who disaffiliate to some degree from Mormonism also lose their faith in God or even a spiritual path. There are quite a few reasons why many step away from a Latter-day Saint life, but why is it so hard for so many to even want to hold on to belief in some higher power, let alone continue to have a desire to connect with this Source? These are...

This episode is primarily an exploration of the concept of "intention," especially as it relates to our spiritual journeys. But in the end, it is best summed up by the question, "What Do We Really Want"? Of course, if each of us drills down to discover what we value the most, and explore the reasons for these values and how they have been present in our life paths so far, no two of us will end up...

In this episode, LDF host, Dan Wotherspoon , speaks about three approaches to life's questions that he has found to work well for him in his spiritual journey. He first introduces key elements of William James's Pragmatism and how following it ultimately yields a greater sense of empowerment. He then reflects on the superiority of "Questions" over "Answers." Finally, he moves into a discussion of...

In this episode, the wonderful Margaret Toscano joins Latter-day Faith podcast host Dan Wotherspoon for a conversation about scripture in general, and the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in particular. They discuss reasons why we should worry far, far less than Latter-day Saints normally do about whether the characters in the Bible and the events described therein actually happened. Margaret shares abo...

This wonderful and timely episode features James Jones , a black Latter-day Saint currently studying at Union Theological Seminary in New York, talking about his just-released video course: "LDS Anti-Racism 101: Abandoning Attitudes and Actions of Prejudice." This hour-long course features James sharing from scripture and prophetic calls of other forms to confront racism in its overt as well as su...