"Hope" is a term often associated with Christmas. "A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices..." "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." But what is "hope"? And how is it tied to Jesus's birth and life? Is hope an expectation of a particular outcome, or is it something deeper--perhaps a quality manifest in the character of God as displayed by Jesus. So often in Christian culture, hope is tied to the hope for salvation and life with God after we've died. But that makes hope mostly a "then" thing rather than a character trait for the "nows" of our lives. We want hope "now"! In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon and his friend and one of his partners in the Faith Journey Foundation, Mark Crego, discuss hope from multiple angles. What is disclosed about God in the nativity narratives? Would "liberation" be a better word than "salvation" when discussing the power of Jesus's example in our lives (here and now without worries about life after this one)? Their discussion might be a bit difficult for some Latter-day Saints who want Jesus to be "Christ" right from birth and someone who who rescues us from our pain and travail? But both Mark and Dan work from the perspectives inherent in LDS sensibilities about ourselves as already divine, as another introduction of God into the world. They find that emphasizing Jesus of "humble birth" and a very human life to be much more powerful than Jesus as categorically different than the rest of us humans. Ultimately, it feels more hopeful that understanding Jesus as totally "other" than us. We think you will enjoy this discussion and its connections to "hope" throughout! Listen in!

This episode is a far-ranging conversation between "Women Outside the Garden" host Terri Petersen and the co-hosts of the Meno-Moms podcast, Alyson Deussen and Susie Augenstein. In it, both Alyson and Susie share their LDS backgrounds and journeys toward wider views and deeper happiness. And how there are many things that they "just don't care about anymore." They talk about things that are extremely painful, but also what they've learned along the way. Overall, it's a fun, beautiful, and incredibly insightful episode. Listen in!

In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon follows up on Episode 223 that focused on obstacles that we face when we encounter surprising or disturbing things about scripture by focusing on its mythic elements. What is myth? What it its purpose? How can we appreciate it for its insights into life's biggest questions and themes, as well as the archetypal truths illustrated in such stories, along with their insights into human nature. Dan spends time talking about myth within scripture but then goes to mythic stories we all likely know, suggesting reasons we should value those as well. Listen in!

In the second episode of our special series, "Women Outside the Garden", host Terri Petersen interviewed an amazing Substack content provider Stephanie G., discussing women and priesthood power. In a church culture that emphasizes patriarchal authority embodied by "keys", Stephanie presents a parable of how a young princess is given a new car, but never really given the keys to operate it. It's a refreshing look at how our systems of authority and control can have a toxic effect on women in the church, and what we can do about it. Stephanie has discovered she can find access to Jesus without the need for "keys" at all. She, along with other women have the power to direct their lives, blessing all with whom they contact. Paradoxically, having her own keys has been able to enhance her family relationships, becoming a true equal partner with her husband in their journey. Stephanie's substack link is here: "More Questions Than Answers" Here is the link to her "Parable of Power and Priesthood"

During faith crises/shifts, one the most difficult things to renegotiate is our relationship with scripture. For most of our lives we have most likely thought that they portrayed an accurate history of things that happened in the past and that they were inspired by God in special ways, allowing them to portray the Divine will for our lives. As we discover scriptural contradictions, begin to question the possibility of miracles portrayed within them, or stumble on parallel stories from other ancient civilizations, their character begins to shift in our eyes.

How do we face up to such things and still maintain faith in their messages? Can we still learn from them? Value them? Do we want to, or might it be easier to simply abandon them and allow them no more sway in our lives?

In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon and primary partners in Latter-day Faith and the Faith Journey Foundation Terri Petersen and Mark Crego talk about these struggles and more! All three have gone through (and are still going through) these wrestles. What has been most helpful to each? Has their deep searching yielded perspectives that allow them to still value scripture? Perhaps even more than before? Listen in and find out!

In this short episode, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon reflects on this week's "No Kings" rallies and an idea that has begun to form in his mind that names something happening over the past decades (and specifically the last six years) that has led to the need for rallies of this type. Drawing very briefly on descriptions of James Fowler's second and third "stages of faith," he wonders if we are seeing an increasing number of people who had found purpose, optimism, and signposts for a healthy spiritual (hallmarks of a third-stage orientation to the world and others) move into despair and the kinds of preoccupations that are more characteristic of stage two: fairness, certainty, reciprocity and an ability to operate without a need for coherence in the stories they believe.

Are there ways that this naming might help us clarify a way forward as we encounter and interact with those who seem to have forgotten those things that led to their earlier optimism? He offers one. We hope you have others!

As we announced a couple of weeks ago, the Faith Journey Foundation and Latter-day Faith Podcast are launching a new series of episodes with the title, "Women Outside the Garden," hosted by our wonderful friend and collaborator, Terri Petersen. This episode contains a brief introduction to the series, with Terri outlining what she will (and won't) be doing with WOTG, and mentioning several of the key issues women face within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and why discussions like those that will be forthcoming in this new show are so important. This is a compelling episode in itself and is also a fascinating preview for what lies ahead in the series. You will love it!

Many people feel unsettled these days. There seems to be a general unease in the air, some of it caused by the rapid changes the current president is making, many mean-spirited and cruel. For Latter-day Saints, add in the recent loss of President Nelson and the terrible tragedy in a Michigan chapel, and a sense of uncertainty and impending doom fills many hearts. In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon and LDF board member Mark Crego speak to this general malaise felt by so many. What is it? How is it manifesting? Is anyone, anywherd feeling settled at all? Most of all, what self-care strategies might help us?

Their discussion doesn't contain a lot of answers, but they elucidate the issue, share personal stories, and offer their sense of how we can regain equilibrium. Listen in!

In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon shares a few thoughts on very important step in our spiritual maturation processes: shifting from a preoccupation with the question, "What is True?" to instead evaluating how various ideas "affect us." Does this or that story or presentation or truth claim expand our vision, make us want to be less judgmental, or transform us in some other good way?

Another big focus is on "What can we know anyway?" Is it even possible to "know" what we so often hear people testify that they know? Religious ideas do not translate into knowledge of objective, factual things. Religion and spirituality play in the realm of myth, symbols, archetypes, not hard and fast claims about "this is really how it is."

Using personal experiences, a powerful spiritual passage, and a bit of William James and Kathryn Schultz, he makes the case that we put too much emphasis on truth and not enough on growth.

In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon shares a few thoughts on very important step in our spiritual maturation processes: shifting from a preoccupation with the question, "What is True?" to instead evaluating how various ideas "affect us." Does this or that story or presentation or truth claim expand our vision, make us want to be less judgmental, or transform us in some other good way? 

Another big focus is on "What can we know anyway?" Is it even possible to "know" what we so often hear people testify that they know? Religious ideas do not translate into knowledge of objective, factual things. Religion and spirituality play in the realm of myth, symbols, archetypes, not hard and fast claims about "this is really how it is."

Using personal experiences, a powerful spiritual passage, and a bit of William James and Kathryn Schultz, he makes the case that we put too much emphasis on truth and not enough on growth.