Church History Matters

A lively look at how the 1833 Word of Wisdom shaped early Latter-day Saint life. They explore 19th-century drinking norms, temperance influences, and why revelation arose then. The hosts trace evidence of occasional wine, beer, tea, coffee, and tobacco use and examine uneven enforcement, local bans, and shifting practices in Nauvoo. The conversation highlights a spectrum of early observance and practical exceptions.

A historical deep dive into the origins and cultural context of the Word of Wisdom. Short investigations into Kirtland in 1833, temperance and health reform movements, and regional influences on early practice. Contrasting contemporary observance with how the revelation was first received and discussed among early Latter-day Saints.

Lisa Tait, church history researcher and author, brings documentary evidence and scholarly context on 19th–20th century Latter-day Saint women’s history. Conversations cover Joseph Smith’s vision of women in a kingdom of priests. They trace early temple roles, six historical definitions of priesthood, missionary service origins, and how interpretations shifted across generations.

In this episode, hosts Scott Woodward, Casey Griffiths, and Lisa Olsen Tait explore the rich and often overlooked history of women’s interaction with temple worship in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Beginning in the era of Joseph Smith, they examine how women participated in sacred ordinances, contributed to temple preparation, and understood their relationship to priesthood power within these holy spaces. Tracing developments from the early days of the Church through the 20th century, the discussion highlights how women’s roles in temple work expanded and adapted over time. From the Nauvoo Temple to later temple practices, the hosts uncover key moments, teachings, and experiences that shaped women’s spiritual authority and participation. This episode offers thoughtful insight into how temple worship has been a central place for women to engage with covenant-making, service, and the power of God throughout LDS history.

A look at how mid-20th-century organizational reform centralized authority and reshaped women's roles in church institutions. Stories about auxiliaries losing autonomy, magazines and budgets being pulled under centralized control, and youth programs being reorganized. Discussion of correlation's global scaling and the trade-offs between international unity and local female leadership.

A lively look at how women shaped ecclesiastical life and leadership roles alongside priesthood structures. The founding and evolution of the Relief Society and Young Women organization take center stage. Stories range from Nauvoo origins and Eliza R. Snow’s organizing mission to practical programs, medical initiatives, and early suffrage activism.

A lively dive into 19th-century women performing healing rituals, from Relief Society leaders to home prayer circles. They trace how definitions of authority and priesthood shifted practices and led to formal manuals. The conversation explores temple reforms, medical and cultural changes, and the lingering traces of female-led healing in family and faith life.

Lisa Olsen Tait, historian of Latter-day Saint women’s history, outlines how 19th-century women administered healing and bedside rituals. The conversation covers spiritual gifts, examples like Zina Huntington and Eliza R. Snow, temple and Relief Society practices, and shifting cultural and institutional responses to women’s healing roles.

Lisa Olsen Tait, historian of Latter-day Saint women’s history, traces 19th-century debates about women and priesthood using Relief Society minutes and archival sources. The conversation covers early meanings of ordain, Nauvoo temple roles for women, evolving language about women ‘holding’ priesthood, reforms that separated office from priesthood, and mid-20th-century shifts toward priesthood-motherhood ideas.

Lisa Olsen Tait, a Church History Department scholar specializing in women and priesthood, guides a historical tour of female spiritual authority. The conversation traces early Christian and 19th-century views, highlights Nauvoo temple innovations where men and women participated in sacred rites, and examines how rituals, sealing, and temple practice shaped evolving understandings of priesthood.