Latter-day Faith

This episode and the next one features the third and fourth discussions on the topic of Evil by a panel that features Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon and the wonderful and brilliant Kathryn Sonntag and Danny Kofoed. Part 3: The focus in this section is turning back to the scriptures, Jesus's time, the language he spoke, and the agrarian society he taught to open ourselves up to new definitions of good and evil. Rather than evil as sinister and fed by hurtful designs, Jesus' teaching considered it in agricultural terms of being ripe or unripe, fruitful or unfruitful--incapable or not of nourishing, expanding, reproducing, contributing. The panel also considers Paul's phrase that talks of the "wages of sin" as death. There is much more going on in that phrase than simply meaning, as Mormons generally go to first, a spiritual death that will keep us from God in the next life. Part 4: This section takes on two topics. First is a brief look at what has been termed "natural evils": hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, tornados and other things that are often termed "acts of God." Is God actually involved in such things that often bring great destruction and loss of life? Is weather that leads to these things, as well as droughts and famines, etc., as taught in scriptures, God's way of communicating God's dissatisfaction with the way we are living? What are ramifications for our spiritual lives when we live out of a worldview that treats such things this way? The bulk of Part 4 is a deep dive into structural evils: corporate, institutional, political, military, patriarchal, capital-driven, ecclesiastical, etc. How can we better become aware of these things and their effects, often leading us to compromise our values in order to "get ahead" or be held in great esteem by others? What are some of the common-denominator evils in every kind of system or institution? How might we work toward deeper truths and the values that can bless others as we become closer to the Divine and emulating the ways that God works?  Listen in! Both of these are really terrific, thoughtful discussions!

This episode features the second of a four-part discussion on the topic of Evil. In it, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by the wonderful Kathryn Sontag and Danny Kofoed to talk about several topic areas in regard to evil. The first two parts are being released the week of June 7th, with Parts 3 and 4 the following week. Part 1: The focus is the nature of evil itself. Is it something that exists eternally, outside of creation and independent of it, or is it a relational concept, relying on the existence of things in relation to each other to even have meaning? The panel also focuses on "the problem of evil" which comes into play (and has side-railed many a person's faith) for theists when we ask, "If God is perfectly good, and also all-powerful, why is there evil in the world?" It's a rich discussion area in philosophy of religion but also in our own lives, especially when tragedy strikes. Does Mormonism have an different take on the question than most Christian faiths? Is these even a problem that is solvable? Part 2: In this section, the discussion turns to the question of Satan/the Devil/Lucifer. Is this being and his minions responsible for temptations that lead us away from the true path? Or is there something else going on within us that gives us the impression of external forces at play when we find ourselves thinking and doing things that we know are not spiritually healthy? Are both things at play? Why is it important to at least consider evil as being fully personified in a being with will and destructive motive? Regardless of the factuality of the idea of a real Satan character, is it helpful or harmful psychologically to believe in one? What do we gain or lose should we just pick one or the other position?

This episode features the first of a four-part discussion on the topic of Evil. In it, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by the wonderful Kathryn Sontag and Danny Kofoed to talk about several topic areas in regard to evil. The first two parts are being released the week of June 7th, with Parts 3 and 4 the following week. Part 1: The focus is the nature of evil itself. Is it something that exists eternally, outside of creation and independent of it, or is it a relational concept, relying on the existence of things in relation to each other to even have meaning? The panel also focuses on "the problem of evil" which comes into play (and has side-railed many a person's faith) for theists when we ask, "If God is perfectly good, and also all-powerful, why is there evil in the world?" It's a rich discussion area in philosophy of religion but also in our own lives, especially when tragedy strikes. Does Mormonism have an different take on the question than most Christian faiths? Is these even a problem that is solvable? Part 2: In this section, the discussion turns to the question of Satan/the Devil/Lucifer. Is this being and his minions responsible for temptations that lead us away from the true path? Or is there something else going on within us that gives us the impression of external forces at play when we find ourselves thinking and doing things that we know are not spiritually healthy? Are both things at play? Why is it important to at least consider evil as being fully personified in a being with will and destructive motive? Regardless of the factuality of the idea of a real Satan character, is it helpful or harmful psychologically to believe in one? What do we gain or lose should we just pick one or the other position?

Last week’s killing of George Floyd has affected all of our lives. For those who have decided to tune in deeply, we understand that his slaying by the knee of a warped and indifferent police officer is just one of hundreds of similar incidents, such as the police slaying of Breonna Taylor while she laid in bed in her own apartment, and of the long-delayed justice (only know starting its wheels) for Ahmaud Arbery murdered by jogging in a certain kind of neighborhood. Add in the potential and very real danger the Central Park bird-watching Christopher Cooper who was put in because of a woman's racial panic that led her to make a demonstrably false report to police about being threatened by a black man, the police choke-hold death of Eric Garner several years ago, and we cannot help but realize we are being invited in a most intense way to examine the systematic and personal racism that has led to extremely unfair and, too often, violent actions against persons of color, especially black women and men. The fact that this awakening is taking place during a worldwide pandemic is good but also very scary. Good because many of us have fewer distractions that will take our attention away from these crimes and the demonstrations in our streets and around the world. Scary because of the additional health risks that come from people crowding together to protest these and all the thousands of deaths and enslavements of black persons going back more than 400 years. We are grateful that three black counselors, therapists, and educators agreed to come on Latter-day Faith to share their experiences and open a door to the world they have lived in their entire lives and the toll it has taken on them and other black people. This is an episode in which we are taught, taken into new heart and mind spaces, and challenged to examine the world in new ways. But it is also an episode that is full of hope alongside the pain and frustrations shared. Our great thanks to LaShawn Williams, Kimberly Applewhite, and Jameson Holman for being on the show and sharing with us so much of themselves, of their learning, and of their experiences, including those within their faith home, Mormonism. Included in this conversation are great sections about whether or not it is truly "safe" for black persons to share their experiences with white people, and especially to be vulnerable with regard to their own emotions. It is exhausting to constantly have to scan your environment and the settings in which you are being asked to share, judging whether this person or group is only wanting to hear from you in a way that won't lead them to become uncomfortable and defensive. The panelists also address what is harmful and hurtful and ignorant in statements such as, "Well, all lives matter" and "When I see you, I don't see color." These black Mormon therapists also reflect on the LDS Church’s recent statement about what is happening in the world right now, especially with regard to the sins of racisms, the need for repentance, and about demonstrations that in some cases have become destructive and even violent. As part of all this, you will hear the “vomit analogy” (unforgettable!) as it relates to white persons’ general and specific hesitations to talk directly about race and privilege. So often we will work to avoid at all cost such discussions (both external and internal). The conversation also talks about PTSD and how it applies to black experiences and how it in many cases leads to devastating health (physical as well as mental) effects. But, again, even in all of this you will also find reasons for hope as we and people all over the world find ourselves finally ready to really look at the devastating effects of societal, institutional, and personal racism. This is an unforgettable listen! You won’t always be comfortable as you engage with it, but you will, inevitably, be very glad you did.

This episode features a discussion between LDF host Dan Wotherspoon and the wise and engaging Lyndsay Pulsipher. In it, they talk about Lyndsay's upbringing and fascinating background that features life in different locales with experiences and insights gained from each, a blending of two sets of children into one family, along with Lyndsay's career and general sense of the world. They then focus most intently on her faith journey within Mormonism that she always felt welcomed to blend with spiritual practices discovered in her wide reading and in other traditions. Lyndsay speaks about her experiences with centering prayer (with a Tibetan twist), her interest in and practices regarding angels/family members from the post-mortal realm, and her development of Sabbath Day rituals that enhance her devotions during this special day of the week. Lyndsay's life and spirituality are simply beautiful. We know you'll enjoy this chance to get to know her! Listen in!

This episode features the magnificent poet, playwright, author and "wise woman elder" of Mormonism, Carol Lynn Pearson!  It's always a pleasure to be exposed to her writing and thinking and hard-won insights about life, God, core values, and so much more. Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon took the opportunity provided by the recent release of her new children's book (that has incredible messages for adults, too), I'll Walk with You. in the first half of the discussion, Carol Lynn takes us through various stages of her life as a writer and public voice on women's issues, LGBT+ educating and supporting, and several others. She then tells us the story of how this particular book came to be, followed by her reading it. It's an experience not to be missed! After that, she and Dan devote the remaining time to life in this time of coronavirus/covid-19 and what they both hope will continue to happen right now now as well as when we emerge from more stringent social distancing. What should we take to heart that this pandemic has taught us and, even more important, what should we re-think, re-imagine, or jettison going forward?  We hope you will listen in! An hour with Carol Lynn is always well spent! 

Four years ago, Danny Kofoed made discoveries in the Book of Mormon that have radically changed his views about it. As he re-read the book from cover to cover in preparation for lessons he would teach in Gospel Doctrine class, he found in there much greater richness, especially with regard to what it says about God and the type of relationship God is calling us to, than he had ever imagined. In the many years between the previous times he'd studied the book, really difficult circumstances that were far beyond Danny's control led to his being able to see more clearly than ever just how loving and accessible God really is, and it was this centering that had unfolded in his life that allowed him to see this God presented over and over again within that the Book of Mormon pages. It is so easy to think about the portions of the Book of Mormon that talk about performance of ordinances and other more mechanical ways that we too often feel we must do or follow in order to approach God, as well as the warnings we find of "if you don't do x, y, and z you're not going to make it," and similar rhetoric. Yet in every conversion story, and in much of the reflections by prophets and leaders found in various places, the key idea is God's absolute merciful and loving nature and that we are all invited to experience the Divine directly, for ourselves, without organizational or behavioral hoops. In this two-part episode, Danny joins Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon to talk about his journey and all that led him to a place to appreciate the wonderful theology present in the Book of Mormon. And, most specifically in this conversation, Danny takes us into one of the most powerful sections of the book: Alma and Amulek's encounter with Zoramite worship and their message to those who had been left out of it, not allowed to join in the worship that they had been taught to think was the only way they could approach or please God. Crestfallen and despondent, they were able to open up their hearts to the messages of God's character as merciful and desiring communion with them in every place, on any day, and in all moments of their lives.  By emphasizing the Zoramite context, Alma's "experiment" about planting a seed allows us to see what the seed actually is (and what it IS NOT) in a way we likely would miss otherwise, and how seeing this expands the power of these Book of Mormon passages far beyond what we taught as missionaries and/or encounter in Sunday School. The seed is not about truth claims that relate to a church or ordinance or anything as small as that. The seed spoken of is a seed that, if well attended to, can spring up into a full tree that will nurture and sustain us ever and always. It's the kernal and experiences held within its casing that can truly transform us from inside out. Listen in! Danny's passion is inspiring and infectious, and even if you might not always decide to listen to shows related to the Book of Mormon, the message in this episode far transcends the book's stories and settings. Give it a try. You won't be sorry.

Four years ago, Danny Kofoed made discoveries in the Book of Mormon that have radically changed his views about it. As he re-read the book from cover to cover in preparation for lessons he would teach in Gospel Doctrine class, he found in there much greater richness, especially with regard to what it says about God and the type of relationship God is calling us to, than he had ever imagined. In the many years between the previous times he'd studied the book, really difficult circumstances that were far beyond Danny's control led to his being able to see more clearly than ever just how loving and accessible God really is, and it was this centering that had unfolded in his life that allowed him to see this God presented over and over again within that the Book of Mormon pages. It is so easy to think about the portions of the Book of Mormon that talk about performance of ordinances and other more mechanical ways that we too often feel we must do or follow in order to approach God, as well as the warnings we find of "if you don't do x, y, and z you're not going to make it," and similar rhetoric. Yet in every conversion story, and in much of the reflections by prophets and leaders found in various places, the key idea is God's absolute merciful and loving nature and that we are all invited to experience the Divine directly, for ourselves, without organizational or behavioral hoops. In this two-part episode, Danny joins Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon to talk about his journey and all that led him to a place to appreciate the wonderful theology present in the Book of Mormon. And, most specifically in this conversation, Danny takes us into one of the most powerful sections of the book: Alma and Amulek's encounter with Zoramite worship and their message to those who had been left out of it, not allowed to join in the worship that they had been taught to think was the only way they could approach or please God. Crestfallen and despondent, they were able to open up their hearts to the messages of God's character as merciful and desiring communion with them in every place, on any day, and in all moments of their lives.  By emphasizing the Zoramite context, Alma's "experiment" about planting a seed allows us to see what the seed actually is (and what it IS NOT) in a way we likely would miss otherwise, and how seeing this expands the power of these Book of Mormon passages far beyond what we taught as missionaries and/or encounter in Sunday School. The seed is not about truth claims that relate to a church or ordinance or anything as small as that. The seed spoken of is a seed that, if well attended to, can spring up into a full tree that will nurture and sustain us ever and always. It's the kernal and experiences held within its casing that can truly transform us from inside out. Listen in! Danny's passion is inspiring and infectious, and even if you might not always decide to listen to shows related to the Book of Mormon, the message in this episode far transcends the book's stories and settings. Give it a try. You won't be sorry.

The title of this episode plays of the name of a new and wonderful podcast, At Last She Said It, co-hosted by Susan Hinckley and Cynthia Winward and produced with help from their wonderful friend Jeralee Renshaw. In it, Susan and Cynthia join LDF host Dan Wotherspoon to talk about women's experiences in the church and how they are often so very different from those of men. It is a terrific discussion, often fun and loaded with "aha's," but also moments that note great sadness and difficulties many Latter-day Saint women encounter as they seek to find and use their voice and, too often, even their place at all within Mormonism.  The conversation rotates through topics such as the types of situations in which women and men experience things quite differently, from dynamics in Relief Society and other classes to formal meetings and councils with men presiding and women having no genuine authority to make decisions. It moves into spirituality and thoughts on how men's and women's religious and spiritual lives are affected by their standing within the organization and its many extensions, including "Mormon culture." They discuss how might women lead congregations and pastor their individual ward members differently than do most men? Finally, the panel speaks of obligations that can fall on those who see and can articulate their particular situations within the church. Must they speak up, teach, and help raise awarenesses that might lead to lasting changes, especially ones that will assist the rising generations of women who seem to be voting with their feet that current structures, limits on influence, and gender dynamics must change?   This is a rich discussion! Please listen in!

By titling this episode, "Living Atonement," LDF host Dan Wotherspoon signals that the discussion herein focuses on the Atonement as a process rather than an event, and how "at-one-ment" is a life stance for transformation rather than a name for something Jesus performed/did/completed that we somehow "take advantage of" should we "qualify" for its benefits. The very thoughtful Bob Sonntag joins Dan for this conversation and frames atonement in really thought-provoking ways, with language and a heart that cannot help but inspire and draw us in. His views about what atonement means draws us into discussions of this time of pandemic, facing our fears and the yawning abyss we fear, and also a way to frame our weaknesses and distance from God in very matter-of-fact but also ennobling ways. His primary emphasis is on relationships, along with gathering and healing the separations and tragic woundedness inherent in all lives. His scriptural and historical study has led him to understand Jesus and his mission, as well as what Joseph Smith and what he was actually teaching, much differently from when he was younger and his lenses were very much church/organizational focused and and at age 28 feeling "dried up." What he centers in now feels true and whole and inspiring. You will be very glad you spent an hour with Bob!