Talk of Him & Friends - Terryl & Fiona Givens

Join this wide ranging discussion with acclaimed authors Terryl and Fiona Givens as they chat with Ganel-Lyn & John about the following topics: -        Reframing how we view the Restoration and Christ’s true gospel, the loss of the plain and precious things in Christianity

-        Disciples of the “Second Sort”: Joseph Smith laid the seeds of the Restoration, but we are responsible for expanding, developing, enriching, and reframing Christianity 

-        The various versions of the First Vision and the invitation for our own Sacred Grove experiences for revelation (individual faith journeys)

-        Understanding who God is and the common misconceptions about Him, and our relationship with Him

-        How the Atonement is more about HEALING us from our mortal woundedness rather than saving us from our wickedness 

-        How theology impacts mental, emotional, and spiritual health 

-        Healing from mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, and scrupulosity 

-        Viewing this mortal life as a test (pass/fail) vs. a classroom/educative process with God as a mentor with whom love NEVER ceases

-        How to respond when loved ones (or ourselves) wrestle with organized religion and/or when faith feels ambiguous, when it’s not based in love 

-        Ideas for continuing the conversion process on a daily basis   About Dr. Terryl Givens (https://www.terrylgivens.com/about):  Terryl L. Givens was born in upstate New York, raised in the American southwest, and did graduate work in Intellectual History (Cornell) and Comparative Literature (Ph.D. UNC Chapel Hill, 1988), working with Greek, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and English languages and literatures. As Professor of Literature and Religion and the Jabez A. Bostwick Professor of English at the University of Richmond he taught courses in Romanticism, nineteenth century cultural studies, and the Bible and Literature. Currently, he is a Neal L. Maxwell Senior Fellow at Brigham Young University. Dr. Givens has authored or edited 21 books, primarily through Oxford University Press and Deseret Book. During non-pandemic times, he travels extensively with his wife, Fiona, to give firesides and strengthen the faith of members worldwide.  About Fiona Givens (https://www.fionagivens.com/about):   Fiona Anne Givens (née Bulbeck) was born in Nairobi, Kenya as the oldest of three children. She grew up in Nairobi, Tanzania, and the Seychelles and was educated in British convent schools. She converted to the LDS church in Frankfurt am Main.  She graduated phi kappa beta from the University of Richmond with degrees in French and German, then earned an M.A. in European History while co-raising the last of her six children. She has published essays and articles in Exponent II, Sunstone, LDS Living, Journal of Mormon History, Dialogue, and Kofford Books. A longtime collaborator in the books of her husband, Terryl Givens, she is the co-author of The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life; Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest for Faith; The Christ Who Heals: How God Restored the Truth that Saves Us; and All Things New: Rethinking Sin, Salvation, and Everything in Between.  You can find Terryl and Fiona’s latest books here: https://www.terrylgivens.com/fiona-and-terryl