Latter-day Faith

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 are good qualities and attributes for all people, for anyone who seeks to be a good disciple of Christ. So what is it about men that they need the priesthood boost whereas women don't? What do men lack that seems to be inherent in women? In the spirit of inquiry and clarity rather than in service of an agenda related to priesthood conferral upon and ordination for women, this episode features a discussion about such things between Ian Thomsen and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon. They discuss specific messages by leaders as well as the kinds of explanations one often hears in LDS circle that employ some form of "gender essentialism," which hinges on essential differences between men and women, as part of the reasoning. Yet no real explanation for a men-only priesthood emerges when pressed. Such things are usually asserted rather than examined or argued for. Ultimately, this sort of approach to justifying the exclusion of women from priesthood (essentially saying they already have the spiritual qualities and don't need ordination) leads to a need to really ask fresh what, exactly, is priesthood? Is priesthood "power" distinct from priesthood "authority"? Do our current teachings about priesthood rely on scriptural precedent? Do practices from early LDS history and within Mormonism's own scriptural record match with what we see today regarding a universal priesthood for all men? Is there a place for non-priesthood-ed men within the church? Is that even conceivable within today's church assumptions? What role do cultural notions, especially older ones, play in keeping us today from asking important questions in these and other areas? If we are here on earth to thrive and grow spiritually and ultimately develop as God has, it sure would be helpful to understand what priesthood is.  Listen in! These are important things to think about.

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 Latter-day Saints, and it was met with anger and devastation by many who champion reasonable access to abortion. How might we as Latter-day Saints improve our understanding of the issues and strong feelings held by proponents on both sides of the debate? What does our religion say about the reasons that we are here on earth and how God acts in the universe and with us individually? Most surveys of Latter-day Saints suggest that they are primarily pro-life, but what are some LDS principles that guide those who take a pro-choice stance? How does this position fit within their wider spirituality, as well? Does Mormonism's theology of God entail sensibilities that give more room to its adherents than what is typically entailed in the God described by wider Christianity? In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by the wonderful and powerful Jody England Hansen and Jana Spangler in the discussion outlined above. Listen in!

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 spend some time on the issue of "exclusivity" when it comes to propositional truth claims as well as individuals. What shall we do when some entity or person is described as the "only" way to salvation, one's one and only true love, and so forth. In that section, Mark introduces us to great ideas and phrasings from Marcus Borg and John Hick. Please enjoy! Tell others about this discussion!

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 Wotherspoon goes solo, sharing a few framings that can help us see claims of truth in greater context, as well as through more graceful eyes, when we are forced to confront the reality that not everyone sees "facts" or values various things differently than we do. The largest section of Dan's musings center around the phenomenon that is endemic to many Latter-day Saint meetings and other gatherings in which people say the "know the church is true." What are some of the possibilities that they might be thinking of when they proclaim that as "knowledge." What is "church" in these contexts? Can imagining in new ways what's going on internally with them help us enjoy and appreciate their testimonies even if this sort of statement doesn't come to mind within us as something to testify of? The other main section focuses on the way that social factors play into the construction of our world views, those things that we consider as "true" or "truer" or "more likely" than other views. In taking a look at that, can er more easily confront the challenges and hangups we have that are keeping us from fully flourishing spiritually? Listen in!

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 to hope--hope that things can and will change and that love and goodness will ultimately triumph. But even more needed than these "outcome" oriented sorts of hopes, is learning to uncover within us a much deeper source of hope within which we naturally swim but so often fail to notice and connect with. With this in mind, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon called upon his friend who has taken a wonderful faith journey for most of her life, Janaki LeFills, to talk about Hope at this profound level. In the conversation, both Janaki and Dan share their own experiences and insights regarding the nature of Hope, and Janaki also brings in some of the work of Cynthia Bourgeault as a third voice in the discussion. May everyone find hope during these trying times, and we encourage you to give this episode a listen.

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 accepted by a community in the present, as its symbolic, moral, and spiritual narrative. This week, while Dan Wotherspoon is on vacation, Mark Crego and Kajsa Berlin-Kaufusi explore together the literal and spiritual experience with scripture. 

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 experience God that way? As we seek God and feel we’ve connected with the Divine, is the element of gender part of it? Some say they do and it is while others report it that they don’t. Several weeks ago, Latter-day Faith hosted two “virtual firesides” on this very topic. In preparation for a larger discussion those evenings, we asked four thoughtful people to prepare a few thoughts about God and the question of gender, and then we had them lead off in these firesides. All provided powerful glimpses into their own thinking about God as well as wonderful framings for the discussions. And most shared personal details about how their thinking and experiencing of God changed in their lives. Because we do not record our virtual firesides (as we want all who participate to feel safe should they choose to share things so close to their hearts), we have decided to release two episodes featuring their presentations along with some discussion with LDF host Dan Wotherspoon. Part 1 (released a week ago) features conversations with Derek Knox and Kajsa Berlin-Kaufusi. Part 2 (this episode) features Susan Hinckley and Laurie Lee Hall. You will be so glad you experienced these conversations!

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 experience God that way? As we seek God and feel we've connected with the Divine, is the element of gender part of it? Some say they do and it is while others report it that they don’t. Several weeks ago, Latter-day Faith hosted two "virtual firesides" on this very topic. In preparation for a larger discussion those evenings, we asked four thoughtful people to prepare a few thoughts about God and the question of gender, and then we had them lead off in these firesides. All provided powerful glimpses into their own thinking about God as well as wonderful framings for the discussions. And most shared personal details about how their thinking and experiencing of God changed in their lives. Because we do not record our virtual firesides (as we want all who participate to feel safe should they choose to share things so close to their hearts), we have decided to release two episodes featuring their presentations along with some discussion with LDF host Dan Wotherspoon. Part 1 features these conversations with Derek Knox and Kajsa Berlin-Kaufusi. Part 2 features Laurie Lee Hall and Susan Hinckley. Tune in this week and next! You will discover great insight and wisdom, and you will be moved by the courage of the presenters in sharing elements of their very personal journeys.

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 feeling, be able to verbalize it, and to learn techniques for grounding themselves during the storms of life that surely come for us all, with children being no exception. But more than emotional maturity, wouldn't it be wonderful to also help them develop ways to become more whole-hearted, expansive, joyful, and life-embracing at each stage of their development? Whether we want to use terms associated with religious traditions or not, it is important to provide them with help recognizing and being able to name what it feels like to be completely loved and grounded in the more subtle aspects of life, such as being in communion with nature or whatever else that fosters a sense of deep connectedness with things beyond their immediate field of focus. There are many benefits of having children develop and come to trust their "inner compass" as an aid in making choices in their lives, even when they are complicated. This episode features two wonderful guests, Jon Ogden and Amanda Suarez, who are both grounded spirituality and also immersed in understanding child and human development. They are two of four founders for an organization called "Uplift," which provides resources for parents and others who want children to experience spirituality in healthy ways that open them to the world's widest contexts. Throughout their conversation with LDF host Dan Wotherspoon, they discuss approaches for developing these qualities and awarenesses for three age groups: teens, kids, and "littles." As children in each age range have different capacities, Uplift provides ideas, videos, art, and ideas for helping convey spiritually expansive things at a level that each child can understand.  The discussion has many touchstones to Jon and Amanda’s work with Uplift, but it is geared to be something interesting to all listeners rather than just a pitch for what their foundation provides. It's a great episode. Not one to be missed! So don't!   

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 School, where he is conducting several research projects. As you will learn from listening in on this conversation, he is eminently qualified to unpack for us what he is learning and hoping to continue to learn from this fascinating intersection. In addition to getting to know Michael personally through his sharing about his own journey toward making these studies his primary focus, he also shares openly about his experiences within Mormonism as a gay man, including the effects of conversion therapy treatments. We also get a great glimpse of his own deep spirituality. In their wide-ranging discussion, Michael and Dan discuss the nature of spirituality and what the brain is doing while someone is experiencing a peak spiritual experience. Michael differentiates between spiritual "states" and spiritual "traits," which is a theme that plays out in several sections and that holds great promise for not only understanding more about the reasons some people seem to experience more intense spiritual states, but also about subtleties between different states and his hopes to study various practices associated with these differences and how they map in the brain so he and his colleagues might be able to use the maps associated with depression and other neuro- and psychological symptoms in an effort to find ones that seem to affect the same areas in hopes of tailoring certain practices to affect these places in a positive way. Michael also shares his interest in a particular spiritual trait that he calls "spiritual acceptance," which describes the levels of openness individuals have to allowing that there is perhaps more going on in the wider universe than what our brains, logic, and language can describe. Along the way, Michael introduces what the brain is revealing about how deeply wired spiritual pathways are, which brings to light the question of how spiritual experiences may have influenced brain development and vice versa. He and Dan also discuss mysticism and spiritual writings that describe various subtleties along a deep spiritual path that seem to match well with what neuroscience is discovering. For instance, part of their discussion focuses on the poem, “The Dark Night of the Soul,” by St. John of the Cross, which has suggested a metaphor for one stage along a spiritual journey, as well as descriptions of the inner life as one moves toward God from Teresa of Avila, an influential sixteenth-century nun with a gift for describing the subtleties of various spiritual states. There are parallels in what she writes to what neuroscience is starting to understand. This is a very inadequate introduction to this two-part episode. May is still serve to whet your appetite for a great listening and spiritual adventure. Don't miss out!