Latter-day Faith

This episode focuses on one person's journey though Mormonism that formed for him a wonderful foundation from which he learned to explore more deeply not only into its teachings but also those of eastern spirituality, especially through Hinduism and Kriya Yoga. It is designed to invite listeners into it as a way to discover touchstones and spiritual shifts that likely resonate with their own journeys. Certainly, no two non-linear spiritual paths can be fully alike, but it is so helpful to know particulars of another's movement into deeper and more expansive experiences. The man willing to share his journey herein is Ben Heaton, a physician, spiritual seeker, and facilitator of important discussions. Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon joins in to witness Ben's story, as well as to add insights from his own journey and spiritual awakenings. Their conversation explores profound things that are, nevertheless, quite accessible because of Ben's sharing so openly and with very little, if any, jargon that we all know can often be off-putting. Listen in!

It is easy to say we “belong” to a group, even a church or a religious tradition, but what does that really mean? How many times have we said or thought to ourselves, “Sure, I belong,” but yet we’ve still kept one foot pointing toward the door in case this belonging thing starts getting really difficult? In this Latter-day Faith podcast episode, host Dan Wotherspoon welcomes his longtime friend Jana Riess whose wonderful writing and voice of reason has led her to become an insightful and impactful Mormon author, editor, and blogger, to talk with him about what it can mean to “belong” to a community of faith. And especially when we are disappointed in important aspects of it. Jana and Dan take as their jumping off point the reaction they and many others within LDS online conversation circles had to the most recent LDS General Conference, which was a sense of feeling let down. Though very little that happened at conference was acutely painful for sensitive listeners, the fact that it came and went without really addressing (with very few exceptions) what is happening in the world today vis a vis the novel coronavirus and Covid-19 led many to feel greatly disappointed. Many who watched and listened carefully experienced sadness over opportunities missed and frustration about organizational and correlation processes that, even if it wanted to, likely hindered the church’s ability to pivot from such a heavy emphasis on the First Vision anniversary so as to make room for announcements and at least several addresses focused more on the specific physical, mental, and spiritual needs of today. It is within this context of sadness, disappointment, and frustration that Jana and Dan jump into the importance of “belonging,” even when it’s not easy. They share their own experiences along the way that led them each to firmly decide to “belong” to this church—as a community, and even an organization whose leadership and fellow-member stances at times leaves them feeling alienated. How do they face situations that require them as “full belongers” to welcome the difficult along with the wonderful? What kind of spiritual gifts can flow from this kind of stance? In the final section of the conversation (that is actually more monologue--sorry!), Dan takes the conversation about belonging into more esoteric territory, at times confusing Jana (and, we’re sure, some listeners!). His reasons for doing this was driven by his reactions to conference, his meditations during Holy Week and Easter, as well as about Passover and how stories shape individuals into a “people.” His week had been dominated by insights and working with the difficult spiritual notion of accepting "accountability" for not only our personal, but also our community’s sins and failures. As a guide for his reflections, he took a Speaking of Faith podcast he’d long held in high esteem that features Krista Tippett’s interviewing Rabbi Sharon Brous about Judaism’s High Holy Days, and especially Yom Kippur, the “Day of Atonement,” which follows ten “Days of Awe” kicked off by Rosh Hashanah. In sharing about his experiences, he tries to describe a kind of ownership of all of Mormonism he experienced that deepened his sense of belonging to this tradition, its history, its journey full of high- and low-points, and the mix of such things playing out in full force today. Finally, he shares how in these experiences he gained a possible glimpse of something that helped begin to make sense for him what Jesus might have been experiencing as he took upon him the sins of all. There is much to chew on in this episode! If you can’t fully follow it’s move into spiritual and still-being-worked out sensibilities, you won’t be alone, and for that we also apologize! Perhaps even just a glimmer of what comes at the end will mean something for you.

In this second part of the discussion of prayer and additional types of prayer practices, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon along with JoDee Baird, Julie Keanaaina, and Marianne Pond. Featured in this episode is introducing the practice of "centering prayer" and discussing its various elements. The panel introduces other wonderful stances that are especially helpful in spiritual lives, especially in the area of what we can do with all those pesky thoughts that still press in on us while we are meditating or engaged in a wordless prayer practice. The final section introduces a possible place in a person's prayer life that includes praying or reading set prayers. And the panelists definitely share about their experiences of overcoming negative attitudes (mostly learned in Mormonism) toward this prayer practice. They also share some of their favorite prayers and readings of this kind. And in the final few moments, Dan, Julie, and Marianne talk about some advantages of creating a prayer routine, especially designating a room, chair, mat, and postures. It is certainly not a requirement for an enlarged and more meaningful prayer practice, but each of the panelists speak of their good experiences in returning again and again to a specific space and posture. Listen in! 

The practice of prayer is fundamental in most of the world's faith traditions. And yet within most of these faiths, one finds that there are many forms this practice can take. Mormonism, still less than 200 years old, hasn't yet developed names and clear ways of referencing types of prayers and stances before God that are contained in its scriptures and other texts that have emerged from it. We believe that is yet to come. What has happened instead is that many Latter-day Saints who are answering the call of their deepest longings to connect with the Divine--God but also within themselves--are doing so with the aid of prayer forms and descriptions that have emerged in other traditions. None of these forms conflict with Mormonism's sense of God and ourselves as, at the core, divine, uncreated, capable of enlargement, nor with the fundamental qualities of both God and our deep selves such as being fully loving, compassionate, patient, trusting, recognizing the divine in everything/everyone, and being ever in the process of expanding to include in relationship more. In this episode, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon invited three friends who have experienced wonderful things through prayer practices drawn from elsewhere. It features JoDee Baird, Julie Keanaaina, and Marianne Pond sharing, along with Dan, their journeys with prayer, the ways their practices have expanded, and the spiritual benefits and widened experiences that have resulted. Part 1 also approaches one form of prayer called "Centering Prayer" and begins to talk about it in broad terms and about its intentions but closes right before actually teaching it. Its teaching along with another type of praying that each has found powerful come in Part 2, which will be available the following day. Listen in! Be with people virtually who have explored and expanded their prayer lives and forms and who convey through words and tone and emotion something ultimately ineffable and only able to be truly understood through our own personal experiences. Welcome!

It's LDS General Conference week, and in this episode Ian Thomson and Stephanie Dix join Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon in discussing the ways each of them prepare for it. As God- and Church-wrestlers, these semi-annual gatherings (and this time virtually only!) sometimes are greeted with less-than-enthusiastic attitudes, perhaps fear of the possibility of hurtful or tone-deaf messages, perhaps confusion as we recognize internal shifts that cast conference and the speakers and messages differently than the way we held them before. Each and every member approaches conference weekends with anticipations unique to them. Ian, Stephanie, and Dan's conversation centers around the panelists own journeys with conference, how they thought of it at earlier times in their lives, what has shifted in them through the years as their journey took them into new perspectives, and more. Each of them also speaks of framings they hold today as they approach conference. Where do they, if they do, find optimism about possibly wonderfully delivered and inspired messages and announcements? How do they temper tendencies toward cynicism and dismissing entire talks or sessions as being ruined or tainted by poorly thought out or insular speech and/or declarative stances? They share experiences in which they felt their hearts and minds shift more toward gratitude and appreciation rather than critique. All in all, it is just a terrific exchange that works toward ways to "get the most out of" conference, whether it is through particular spiritual practices, not engaging with it live but only later in print, or whatever it may be.  Listen in as you ready yourself for this most unusual conference to come!

In this episode, Latter-day Saint historian Ron Barney joins LDF host Dan Wotherspoon to talk about the actual historical records related to Joseph Smith's "First Vision." And the documents show that how we generally talk about this event now is far from how it was seen and spoken and written about in the early days of the church, and by Smith himself. Today's assumptions about a clean history of magnificent visitation by God the Father and Jesus Christ are the result of a long line of decisions that chose to canonize in today's Pearl of Great Price the 1838 version.  This conversation differs from many that simply teach the various accounts and allow those who read or listen to puzzle for themselves how these various tellings agree or disagree with each other. In no way does this discussion tell anyone what to think in these areas, but instead concentrates on the history of the documents, the circumstances in which they were created, if they were written or overseen and corrected by Joseph Smith himself, who Smith's scribes were and what scribal choices ended up in the established version (things such as when the event took place, and more!) Throughout it all, Ron and Dan talk openly about the complexity of all things surrounding the First Vision while also sharing how they hold these documentable complications in a way that allows them to also incorporate elements of faith that are too often easily dismissed by the skeptical world. Even though no one can ever really know the nature of what Smith experienced in the grove or in any of his visions/visitations, both believe the record quite concretely shows that real spiritual and/or revelatory things occurred that affected him greatly and from which he drew great strength throughout his short but action-filled life. There are too many parallels with other theophanies that led to great movements to dismiss Smith's out of hand simply because he at tames shared different details. General Conference is coming up, and it is said it will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the First Vision. Immerse yourself in Smith's world as Ron shares fabulous details and offers a clear-eyed view of the documentary record itself as it relates to things church leaders likely will focus on this weekend. This episode is definitely worth your time and attention!

In this really insightful episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon turns loose his wonderful guest, Jordan Harmon, a Latter-day Saint therapist who brings a wide variety of insights to his work with clients and who has developed specialties in therapeutic practices based on behavioral science. What's especially interesting is Jordan's journey that began with a very low opinion of behavioral therapies for several reasons, but primarily because they have often been abused, such as in LGBT+ conversion therapies and in our criminal justice system. Over the course of his work with clients, he slowly began to gain respect for behavioral science, especially how it has evolved into something that takes in the whole of a person involving deep listening and empathy. In each segment, their conversation features tie-ins to Mormon scripture, themes, insights, and application, as well as certain deficiencies and how these can translate into harmful forms of spiritual counseling. Jordan and Dan discuss questions about agency: how much agency do we really have (we are in a situation of both being an actor but also very much being "acted upon") , and how might we increase it in relation to our deep values? Jordan openly shares about a difficult time as he and his wife tried to work with one of their children, and in the process of that section offers terrific insights into parenting approaches that can also assist us as we interact with our own parents and other loved ones. At the end, they also speak a bit about the LDS concept of Zion and how behavioral science might inform it. You will really want to listen to this episode! It is definitely one that leads to us into deep thinking about ours and others' difficulties, while also offering validation and framings that are very helpful.

Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by his two Faith Journey Foundation partners, Mark Crego and Susan Hinckley, for this episode reflecting on the times we are now facing vis a vis covid-19/coronavirus. We are all very likely undergoing big shifts in our daily routines, as well as being hindered in various plans for travel, certain kinds of recreation, and dealing with shut down schools and universities, and more. Dan, Mark, and Susan reflect on this moment in time, sharing about their current lives and what's being impacted, but ultimately they focus on the kind of spiritual shifts that are happening within them. Even though we are being forced to make changes and give up certain freedoms and opportunities, might this time be a Lenten-type season for us (and we actually are in that season of the Christian calendar)? What are other framings that might be helpful at this time and place? Listen in! This episode is being released just a few hours after being recorded, but even with a bit less post-production than usual, there is a great spirit and much good thought in what is offered. Share with us about your experiences in the comments section! Wishing all of you and your dear ones the very best during this difficult season! 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has recently released policies (and made policy reversals) regarding LGBTQ+ persons that have brought on protests, with activists staging events on the Brigham Young University campus, near the Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake City, as well as across from the LDS temple in New York City. And there are no signs that these gatherings and expressions of grief and disagreement will die down anytime soon. In the midst of these troubled times, we at Latter-day Faith have decided to add to the mix some thoughts on activism, its role and place within the ongoing Restoration, in spiritual journeying writ large, as well as about the spirituality that is inherent in and available to those who find themselves called to make their voice heard in the public arena. In this episode, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon discusses with his friend, a well-known and powerful activist on LGBTQ+ issues, Jody England Hansen, about her journey to arrive at a point in her life and spiritual development that she can sustain a life of active involvement in social issues that are in service of those who are being harmed by various societal and cultural practices being able to make themselves and their pain more visible in ways that might lead to positive changes. In all of this, Jody recognizes how her choosing to engage in these ways is sustained by her understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many teachings of the Restoration, and especially through her inner work with herself and the Divine. What perspectives assist her the most? How have they come to be part of the very fiber of her being and to be understood as vital spiritual practices? What cautions does she have for activists that might help keep them from demonizing those persons and situations against which they are fighting? How might we all draw from her many decades of practice and hard-fought wisdom keys to allowing ourselves to hear the Divine call to grow, expand, and be God’s hands and mouthpieces when we are prompted? Jody is powerful, articulate, and clearly grounded in Spirit when sharing about these things. Please listen in on this conversation. This is one of the most powerful LDF episodes to date!

In this terrific episode, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon brings on his good friend and a Jungian analyst, Christine Chao, to talk about the psychological insights of Carl Jung and, especially, how they relate to good mental, social, and spiritual health. In their conversation, Christine introduces us to Jungian terms and ideas, many of which we likely already heard of yet don't really understand all that well. If you've heard of concepts such as the collective unconscious, archetypes, complexes, dream analysis, individuation, Shadow, and others, Christine wonderfully elucidates these, illustrating them from her own life experiences as well as those of her colleagues and Jung himself. Following this tour through many of the basic insights, the discussion turns to difficulties she and others have with Jung the individual and also with some of his teachings. In this section we can find many similarities with Mormons who are forced to wrestle with bad ideas and hurtful teachings from Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other LDS leaders while still seeing and understanding the brilliance and power they also brought into the world. C.G. Jung understood human as well as spiritual development, and this episode closes with the way he responded near the end of his life to questions about whether or not he believed in God. Listen in! You'll love meeting Christine and will find much here to chew on.