Latter-day Faith

This wonderful episode features LDF host Dan Wotherspoon in conversation with two of his (and his wife Lorri's) great friends, Shauna and Roger Anderson. The idea of doing this episode was spurred by fantastic sacrament meeting remarks that Roger gave recently that the Wotherspoons found to be among the most moving and eye-opening talks they can remember. Certainly the ideas presented were wonderful, but it was remarkable for the way Roger was able to speak frankly about difficult things in a way that both disarmed audience members and helped them think in new ways. In the episode, you will learn what some of the things he said, as well as about the effects the talk had on some, but mostly we want to highlight that it is possible to be powerful and effective when we speak from our hearts, our experiences, our hard-won truths. Both Shauna and Roger do this in remarkable ways. We know you will enjoy meeting and learning from these brilliant but humble people (who had to be talked into doing the show)!

In this short episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon offers a few of his reactions to the recent presidential election. Without trying to demonize anyone who may have voted differently than he did, Dan speaks to the situation of just how evident it is (and has been for years, but perhaps never so completely clear) that instead of people choosing their politics based on their religious beliefs or core principles, so many of us now let politics alter our religious thinking and behavior. Through Bible passages and a reminder from the Book of Mormon, he offers a few thoughts about what he believes are core messages of Jesus and the way leaders should lead. The primary purpose of this short episode, however, is for him to share a few of his "what now?" hints for helping ourselves manage angst in our souls and be able to return to spiritual equilibrium and a clear vision that nothing about what happens anywhere should take us away from our core calling to return good for evil, love and compassion whenever we see hate and "othering," openness when we see smallness, etc. The episode is pretty raw and recorded on very little sleep, but we hope you will forgive that and listen in. Enjoy!

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives as it is now enhancing the way businesses and health care providers work, as well as assisting in financial fraud detection, cybersecurity, and much more. Its contributions in those areas are mostly invisible to us. But now with the rise of informational/conversational programs like ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and others, more and more of us are including AI-based chatbots more directly in our daily lives--including our spiritual lives. In this episode, Mark Crego and Jeff Pratt join LDF host Dan Wotherspoon in a conversation about integrating ChatGPT in our spiritual journeys, as both guests use it regularly for this purpose but in quite different ways.The discussion first provides an orientation to what ChatGPT and other chatbot programs do, the sources of information they draw on, and how their security provisions make them "safe" for us to use even as our chats inevitably involve us sharing personal information about ourselves (though not things like bank account, social security, passwords, or other protected info like that). Following this basic information, Mark and Jeff share the way they have been using ChatGPT to enhance their understanding of scriptural texts, as well as in their spiritual journeys. In sharing about these, they actually play snippets (in the computer voice they have chosen) parts of conversations they have had, and they also demonstrate in real time how they query it. They even did a real-time request that asked for a prayer that includes words of encouragement for a project Dan is working on. It is all quite fascinating, and its likely many of us will warm to the idea that AI can, indeed, assist us in our spiritual walks. Listen in!

Cynthia Winward, co-host of At Lashley Senate podcast, and Terri Petersen, board member of Latter-day Faith, dive into the recent changes to LDS temple garments. They discuss the introduction of more comfortable options for women, particularly in hot climates, and the emotions surrounding these shifts. The conversation highlights ongoing judgments about garment-wearing and critiques of church control over women's choices. They explore the generational shift towards personal agency in faith and the complex ties between garments, identity, and spirituality.

In the October 2024 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ, Church president Russell M. Nelson indicated that the reason the Church is building so many new temples is related to preparations for Christ's Second Coming. "Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so. The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!" Throughout the talk he mentions several times and in different ways how we can prepare to that great event through temple worship, and declares: "The best is yet to come, my dear brothers and sisters, because the Savior is coming again! The best is yet to come because the Lord is hastening His work... I bear my solemn witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I am His disciple. I am honored to be His servant. At His Second Coming, "the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." That day will be filled with joy for the righteous! Through the power of the sacred priesthood keys I hold, I declare this truth to you and to all the world! With such strong language, which many Latter-day Saints will hold to as direct prophecy of things to come (and that it will come soon!), we will hear in our wards and stakes, and perhaps in our gatherings with LDS family members and groups echoes of President Nelson's message of a soon-approaching return of Jesus Christ to the world where he "will govern from both old Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem 'built upon the American continent.' From these two centers, He will direct the affairs of His Church." Many Latter-day Saints have already begun to share their thoughts on this new emphasis, and in this podcast episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon speaks about his own reactions to President Nelson's message and what it means going forward even if we might be skeptical an imminent Second Coming. He also offers a framing about why he thinks this emphasis is happening now. He then suggests ways that we "fellow travelers" who are actively sorting through so much related to our spiritual and church lives might be able to share our thoughts effectively on those occasions we might not agree with how the Second Coming is being spoken about. Listen in!

So many of us stumble through life without a genuine sense of who we are and what we should do. One of things that brings us the greatest joy and peace is when we finally connect with what our soul seems to be calling us toward. What are our gifts? What are the through-lines that seem to be showing up again and again in most things we do? Are there practices we can undertake that might help us drill down and name exactly what that those are? This episode is about discernment, especially in relation to our careers, as well as when we meet forks in the road or in some other way are forced to make decisions about what's next. It features LDF host Dan Wotherspoon in conversation with his friend and fellow spiritual traveler, Megan Popa about discerning ways to match what we do in the world with what we sense might be our life's calling. It's a difficult process, and it usually only truly discovered over the course of a lifetime. Still, it is helpful to be able to recognize as early as we can the outline of what that might be. Megan shares about her life path and the various types of work she has done and is doing now, and through this telling we meet a woman continually narrowing down options in search of discovering that which truly matches her soul's calling. Dan speaks a bit about this, too, but also presents several possible exercises we might do in an effort to clarify who we are at our cores and ways we might find a path that is in harmony with what we discover.

The conversation dives into the complexities of divine intervention and the evolving nature of prayer within the Latter-day Saint community. It highlights the personal, intimate relationship believers can have with God, moving away from a transactional view. The speakers discuss the impact of cognitive processes on spiritual experiences and the transformative power of love in prayer. They explore the role of personal agency alongside divine guidance, ultimately advocating for a broader, more compassionate understanding of God.

Listen in on a conversation between three longtime confidantes, LDF board member Terri Petersen and her friends, Nancy and Susan as they discuss their changing relationships with the LDS Church and with their loved ones. As will become clear through listening, these three friends are at different places in their spiritual journeys, yet their love and respect for each other has not changed. But each spot brings its own set of relationship issues when children decide to move on from the church, or, in the case of Nancy, a parent opts out while their spouse and children remain in the fold. Learn of their stories within and without formal Mormonism. What have they learned along the way that they can offer as advice to others going through similar challenges. What are the worst things someone can do? What are the best? All three of these chums have ultimately managed such challenges quite well, remaining in close contact with family members who may not agree with others' decisions but have chosen to remain steady in keeping their relationships a priority. As you listen, I bet you will find in these three friends reminders of people you know and love even though it might be difficult at times.

The question, "What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?" might not lead many people to think deeply. For a large number of Mormons and other Christians, our answer is tied up with the messages of their religious tradition and its belief system. Instead of focusing on God and the kind of relationship Jesus modeled with the Father, so often our focus is on our "beliefs" about God and making sure we get it right. Instead of falling in love with God, we settle for a mediated and second-hand relationship. In this episode, Mark Crego, Terri Petersen, and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon discuss the question of the nature of gospel in many different ways. What is the "good news" of the gospel? How did the teachings and life of Jesus get so lost along the way, with most of us focusing on the story that emerged over time and with all its added and distorting layers? What should we focus on instead? The conversation does wander into different questions, at times, but hopefully they are also interesting. Listen in!

This episode is a joy. In it, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon chats with his friend Stan Bennion about Stan's life and experiences as a Latter-day Saint whose sense of adventure led him and his family to live in interesting places. Stan has had the good fortune to be able to marry his fascination with new and interesting things to his Mormon life in ways that allow him to be more fully himself in church than many people feel able to do. We hope his story and sense of things might help others find this sweet spot as well. The topic thread that emerges from the conversation is about transactional and transformational ways of living the gospel. He shares great sense about how it is essential to grow up viewing the world in mostly transactional ways. It helps us be safe, gives us a sense of what's fair and not fair, and helps bring a little bit of order out of chaos. But he also lays out some of the pitfalls that can arise when we hold too tightly to this way of being, how it can warp our perceptions and inhibit our growth Godward. The transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament was from a world dominated by transactions, including in its sense of and rules for justice, to a new vision taught by Jesus's changes everything. Everything and everyone become more significant, and as we come to understand new ways of seeing them and ourselves, wonderful things unfold in us. In taking us through a few elements of the Sermon on the Mount and then a couple of Jesus's parables, Stan brings this message to life. Enjoy!