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Mormon Matters - (Dan Wotherspoon ARCHIVE)

Mormon Matters was a weekly podcast that explored Mormon current events, pop culture, politics and spirituality. Dan retired from Mormon Matters Podcast in 2019 and now hosts a podcast called "Latter-day Faith" that can be found here: http://podcast.latterdayfaith.org/
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Mormon Matters - (Dan Wotherspoon ARCHIVE)
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Now displaying: 2012
Dec 17, 2012
As we mature spiritually and are ready for deeper and more expansive experience, so much that religion focuses on--propositional statements of belief and messaging that leads us to believe "If we do this practice or that amount of good, we will be ‘saved’"--can begin to hinder our progress. Using the phrase attributed to Jesus that "the kingdom of God is within [us]" (Luke 17:21) as an entry point into a discussion of deeper forms of spirituality taught in and urged by the scriptures, as well as the inner call of our own spirits, this two-part episode focuses on the vitality of direct experience with the Spirit--our true, divine selves in the presence of God. What ideas and mis-identifications keep us from these experiences? What are the effects that follow in our lives from having them? How do we put ourselves in a position (techniques and attitudes) to have them? If you’re feeling unsatisfied, that something in your spiritual life is "missing," join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Phil McLemore and Nathan Kline on an exploration of ideas about our natures and the spiritual heart of religion and the kinds of practices that might nudge us toward something more fulfilling, that can move us from an identification with and desire to perfect the "natural man" to a realization of our true spiritual essence, from a life dominated by fear and a craving to be "in control" to one of centered in love and leading to a desire for oneness. Part 1 focuses on theory, Part 2 on practice (especially "centering prayer" and meditative disciplines).
Dec 17, 2012
As we mature spiritually and are ready for deeper and more expansive experience, so much that religion focuses on--propositional statements of belief and messaging that leads us to believe "If we do this practice or that amount of good, we will be ‘saved’"--can begin to hinder our progress. Using the phrase attributed to Jesus that "the kingdom of God is within [us]" (Luke 17:21) as an entry point into a discussion of deeper forms of spirituality taught in and urged by the scriptures, as well as the inner call of our own spirits, this two-part episode focuses on the vitality of direct experience with the Spirit--our true, divine selves in the presence of God. What ideas and mis-identifications keep us from these experiences? What are the effects that follow in our lives from having them? How do we put ourselves in a position (techniques and attitudes) to have them? If you’re feeling unsatisfied, that something in your spiritual life is "missing," join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Phil McLemore and Nathan Kline on an exploration of ideas about our natures and the spiritual heart of religion and the kinds of practices that might nudge us toward something more fulfilling, that can move us from an identification with and desire to perfect the "natural man" to a realization of our true spiritual essence, from a life dominated by fear and a craving to be "in control" to one of centered in love and leading to a desire for oneness. Part 1 focuses on theory, Part 2 on practice (especially "centering prayer" and meditative disciplines).
Dec 11, 2012
The term "process theology" refers to a system of thought (a metaphysical philosophy that is also a theology because it includes the reality of God or a godlike entity that influences the unfolding developments of the world) that emerged in the early twentieth century and is based primarily upon the reflections of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne. Both its name and its scope, however, engage questions that date to the beginning of formal philosophical thought about the nature of reality and whether it is best thought of in terms of "Being" or "Becoming," as primarily static and unchanging or dynamic and constantly in process. As a theological system, process thought is characterized for its strong divergence from many elements of classical theism, especially Christianity, rejecting such ideas of perfection necessarily needing to involve eternal unchangingness, or a God who created ex nihilo and to whom all the "omnis" would apply (omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent). In these and other sensibilities, process theology has long been recognized as having many similarities to Mormon views of God and the nature of reality, leading to a fair amount of philosophical exploration about touchstones and divergences. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and philosophers Jim McLachlan and David Grandy discuss process and LDS connections and differences, focusing mostly, however, on ways that engaging process thought has pushed them into new views of or deeper dives into Mormonism and its intuitions and sensibilities about God, humans, and the natural world. The discussion includes some "teaching" of process theology and its metaphysics (and panelists give plenty of "nerdy" or "jargony" alerts in these parts), but for the most part stays rooted in broad territory, connecting with the history of thought, problems with classical science and philosophy and mechanistic views of matter that have difficulty engaging pre-cognitive or pre-conceptual elements of both human and natural experience, and exploring the kind of openings into which process and LDS thought both wade. In short, although some of the material discussed is technical, we have made a real effort to stay connected with ideas that play out in all human lives, making this, we hope, still very accessible and interesting to all listeners, regardless of their training in philosophy or theology.
Dec 11, 2012
The term "process theology" refers to a system of thought (a metaphysical philosophy that is also a theology because it includes the reality of God or a godlike entity that influences the unfolding developments of the world) that emerged in the early twentieth century and is based primarily upon the reflections of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne. Both its name and its scope, however, engage questions that date to the beginning of formal philosophical thought about the nature of reality and whether it is best thought of in terms of "Being" or "Becoming," as primarily static and unchanging or dynamic and constantly in process. As a theological system, process thought is characterized for its strong divergence from many elements of classical theism, especially Christianity, rejecting such ideas of perfection necessarily needing to involve eternal unchangingness, or a God who created ex nihilo and to whom all the "omnis" would apply (omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent). In these and other sensibilities, process theology has long been recognized as having many similarities to Mormon views of God and the nature of reality, leading to a fair amount of philosophical exploration about touchstones and divergences. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and philosophers Jim McLachlan and David Grandy discuss process and LDS connections and differences, focusing mostly, however, on ways that engaging process thought has pushed them into new views of or deeper dives into Mormonism and its intuitions and sensibilities about God, humans, and the natural world. The discussion includes some "teaching" of process theology and its metaphysics (and panelists give plenty of "nerdy" or "jargony" alerts in these parts), but for the most part stays rooted in broad territory, connecting with the history of thought, problems with classical science and philosophy and mechanistic views of matter that have difficulty engaging pre-cognitive or pre-conceptual elements of both human and natural experience, and exploring the kind of openings into which process and LDS thought both wade. In short, although some of the material discussed is technical, we have made a real effort to stay connected with ideas that play out in all human lives, making this, we hope, still very accessible and interesting to all listeners, regardless of their training in philosophy or theology.
Nov 27, 2012
This is an encore presentation of a December 2011 podcast episode examining the Christmas story as it traditionally gets told--but what do the scriptures actually say and not say about the birth of Christ and all the pieces of this familiar story? How do the Matthew and Luke accounts differ--even irreconcilably? What motives are behind the Gospel writers’ decisions to shape the stories the way they do? What about the Jesus’s place of birth and the reason the family was in Bethlehem (if they were)? Was there a great tax and registration? What about "no room at the inn," the manger, the star, the magi, the story of Herod killing all male infants under two years old? How did Christmas come to be held on December 25th? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund, Jared Anderson, and Zina Petersen explore all these questions plus lead a fascinating tour into other parts of the Christmas story. Why are only five women mentioned in the Gospels’ presentations of Jesus’s lineage--and why are the ones listed all women with "questionable" sexual pasts? What are the Twelve Days of Christmas? What is the "Immaculate Conception" and how does it affect theology about Mary and ideas about the Eucharist and other religious devotions? How has pagan history and ideas folded into the history of "Christmas" (not Jesus’s birth but the celebration of it)? The panel discusses solstices and equinoxes, meshings of calendaring systems, the link between carnivals and holy days, shepherds’ presents to the Christ child, and even a longstanding tradition of "ghost story" tie-ins with Christmas that Charles Dickens resurrected. Why was there a period of time in which Christmas was illegal? And much more! Perhaps most important, however, is the discussion of how and why the panelists and many other Christians throughout history, knowing all that they know about what likely is and is not factual about traditional accounts, still celebrate Christmas, joyfully sing carols alongside those for whom the stories are less complicated, and experience this season as spiritually enriching.
Nov 27, 2012
This is an encore presentation of a December 2011 podcast episode examining the Christmas story as it traditionally gets told--but what do the scriptures actually say and not say about the birth of Christ and all the pieces of this familiar story? How do the Matthew and Luke accounts differ--even irreconcilably? What motives are behind the Gospel writers’ decisions to shape the stories the way they do? What about the Jesus’s place of birth and the reason the family was in Bethlehem (if they were)? Was there a great tax and registration? What about "no room at the inn," the manger, the star, the magi, the story of Herod killing all male infants under two years old? How did Christmas come to be held on December 25th? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund, Jared Anderson, and Zina Petersen explore all these questions plus lead a fascinating tour into other parts of the Christmas story. Why are only five women mentioned in the Gospels’ presentations of Jesus’s lineage--and why are the ones listed all women with "questionable" sexual pasts? What are the Twelve Days of Christmas? What is the "Immaculate Conception" and how does it affect theology about Mary and ideas about the Eucharist and other religious devotions? How has pagan history and ideas folded into the history of "Christmas" (not Jesus’s birth but the celebration of it)? The panel discusses solstices and equinoxes, meshings of calendaring systems, the link between carnivals and holy days, shepherds’ presents to the Christ child, and even a longstanding tradition of "ghost story" tie-ins with Christmas that Charles Dickens resurrected. Why was there a period of time in which Christmas was illegal? And much more! Perhaps most important, however, is the discussion of how and why the panelists and many other Christians throughout history, knowing all that they know about what likely is and is not factual about traditional accounts, still celebrate Christmas, joyfully sing carols alongside those for whom the stories are less complicated, and experience this season as spiritually enriching.
Nov 14, 2012
This episode was planned to be an exploration of the joys and perils of being a public face of Mormonism, especially as a woman, and in particular as women who write and speak about Mormon theology. What it ended up being is a rich, wise, affectionate, celebratory, pragmatic exploration of LDS theology, community life, and connections with ideas and people that truly are among the lovely and of good report in wider religious discourse. Using the jumping off point of Fiona and Terryl Givens’ new book, _The Good Who Weeps: How Mormons Make Sense of Life_, Fiona Givens, Joanna Brooks, Jana Riess, and Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon go deep, laugh, commiserate, but mostly celebrate the depth and richness of the Mormon vision of God, life, purposes, and possibilities.
Nov 5, 2012
What is science? What is religion? What are the methods/disciplines and underlying assumptions that animate each? What does each investigate? What practices and institutions does each have in place that lead to self-correction and ensuring that they truly are working for truer, deeper understandings of the universe? Should science and religion remain separate from each other? How much can each say fruitfully about the other’s "realm"? Can science teach us how to live more richly? Can religion be trusted as a guide in any way to how the universe "works"? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Matthew Nokleby and Steve Peck dive into these questions and more. Why do each orient toward science and religion the way they do--Matt as an atheist who honors spiritual life while rejecting religion’s explicit claims, Steve and Dan as remaining more open to engaging and valuing the resources within religion? The also briefly discuss the matches and mismatches between the theology and the rhetoric of Mormonism toward the value of science.
Nov 5, 2012
What is science? What is religion? What are the methods/disciplines and underlying assumptions that animate each? What does each investigate? What practices and institutions does each have in place that lead to self-correction and ensuring that they truly are working for truer, deeper understandings of the universe? Should science and religion remain separate from each other? How much can each say fruitfully about the other’s "realm"? Can science teach us how to live more richly? Can religion be trusted as a guide in any way to how the universe "works"? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Matthew Nokleby and Steve Peck dive into these questions and more. Why do each orient toward science and religion the way they do--Matt as an atheist who honors spiritual life while rejecting religion’s explicit claims, Steve and Dan as remaining more open to engaging and valuing the resources within religion? The also briefly discuss the matches and mismatches between the theology and the rhetoric of Mormonism toward the value of science.
Oct 29, 2012
This episode examines the status of the claim that the Book of Mormon teaches that dark skin is a curse from God, that because of their wickedness God cursed a group of people and actually brought about a miraculous change in their skin color so as to make them seem "loathsome" and not enticing to a more righteous group with whom they were in conflict. This claim relies upon a literal reading of various passages in the Book of Mormon that seem to draw this conclusion, as well as an extremely strong view about prophetic and scriptural inerrancy. But is this the best way to read the text, and the only real plausible conclusion to draw concerning God’s use of skin color as a marker of either disfavor or favor? Brian Dalton, the creator and star of the videocast series Mr. Deity, thinks so, and it has led him recently to create a new episode of one of his side projects, The Way of the Mister, that he titled "Mormonism is Racism." In that episode, Dalton spells out the ways in which he believes Latter-day Saints are forced to hold to such contemptible racist beliefs because they can neither jettison the Book of Mormon nor the idea in it about skin color being connected to righteousness. Through this episode and the logic he employs in it--that this conclusion about God and skin color is "so essential to the Book of Mormon story that to get rid of it would be to undermine the entire Book of Mormon and thus the entire Mormon faith," that Joseph Smith suggested the Book of Mormon could only be read literally, that because of the LDS teaching that its leaders speak directly with and for God, "you’re either all in you’re all out"--Dalton urges people everywhere to confront this vile message by exposing its centrality in Mormonism. He claims that because it’s a religious belief, "Mormons have gotten a pass," and he is adamant that this kind of religious cover for blatant racism should not be allowed to stand any longer. "Mormons have to be held accountable--even those running for high public office." In this two-part Mormon Matters episode, Brian Dalton joins Charley Harrell and host Dan Wotherspoon in a lively discussion of the Way of the Mister episode and its claims, whether there are fair readings of the Book of Mormon passages and sensibilities in question that might complicate the straight lines that Dalton draws about the message or its centrality to (or consistency within) the Book of Mormon’s story, and quite a bit about the value or harm that religion as a whole adds to this world. Parts of the discussion get a bit feisty, yet even amid some chaos (you’ll discover some "on-air" producing going on in an effort to re-orient and make new plans when the discussion takes unexpected turns) it presents important and clear contrasts in worldviews, especially related to definitions of God, scripture, what "revelation" or something being "inspired" might mean, the promise of science and if secularism is leading to a better world and more fulfilled lives than religion does (or can), and much more. Part Two presents a continued conversation between Harrell and Wotherspoon that presents looks at two perspectives that the conversation with Dalton left by the wayside: (1) alternate possible readings of the Book of Mormon if it were to be examined it on its own terms, and from the perspective that it is a thousand-year abridged history of actual, ancient people and what this might yield in terms of a different framing about racism present in the passages in dispute, and also what the implications would be for Mormons today in terms of their being forced by logic to believe in the skin color claim; and (2) how these passages and their centrality to the Mormon faith might look from a perspective that admits nineteenth-century origins for the Book of Mormon, either as the sole creation of Joseph Smith’s imagination or through some kind of "revelation" that involves both divine and human influence on the text that resulted. And, if any of this is admitted, how might this new perspective on prophetic production affect statements such as Joseph Smith’s declaration that the Book of Mormon was translated by "the gift and power of God," and that it is "the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book"?
Oct 29, 2012
This episode examines the status of the claim that the Book of Mormon teaches that dark skin is a curse from God, that because of their wickedness God cursed a group of people and actually brought about a miraculous change in their skin color so as to make them seem "loathsome" and not enticing to a more righteous group with whom they were in conflict. This claim relies upon a literal reading of various passages in the Book of Mormon that seem to draw this conclusion, as well as an extremely strong view about prophetic and scriptural inerrancy. But is this the best way to read the text, and the only real plausible conclusion to draw concerning God’s use of skin color as a marker of either disfavor or favor? Brian Dalton, the creator and star of the videocast series Mr. Deity, thinks so, and it has led him recently to create a new episode of one of his side projects, The Way of the Mister, that he titled "Mormonism is Racism." In that episode, Dalton spells out the ways in which he believes Latter-day Saints are forced to hold to such contemptible racist beliefs because they can neither jettison the Book of Mormon nor the idea in it about skin color being connected to righteousness. Through this episode and the logic he employs in it--that this conclusion about God and skin color is "so essential to the Book of Mormon story that to get rid of it would be to undermine the entire Book of Mormon and thus the entire Mormon faith," that Joseph Smith suggested the Book of Mormon could only be read literally, that because of the LDS teaching that its leaders speak directly with and for God, "you’re either all in you’re all out"--Dalton urges people everywhere to confront this vile message by exposing its centrality in Mormonism. He claims that because it’s a religious belief, "Mormons have gotten a pass," and he is adamant that this kind of religious cover for blatant racism should not be allowed to stand any longer. "Mormons have to be held accountable--even those running for high public office." In this two-part Mormon Matters episode, Brian Dalton joins Charley Harrell and host Dan Wotherspoon in a lively discussion of the Way of the Mister episode and its claims, whether there are fair readings of the Book of Mormon passages and sensibilities in question that might complicate the straight lines that Dalton draws about the message or its centrality to (or consistency within) the Book of Mormon’s story, and quite a bit about the value or harm that religion as a whole adds to this world. Parts of the discussion get a bit feisty, yet even amid some chaos (you’ll discover some "on-air" producing going on in an effort to re-orient and make new plans when the discussion takes unexpected turns) it presents important and clear contrasts in worldviews, especially related to definitions of God, scripture, what "revelation" or something being "inspired" might mean, the promise of science and if secularism is leading to a better world and more fulfilled lives than religion does (or can), and much more. Part Two presents a continued conversation between Harrell and Wotherspoon that presents looks at two perspectives that the conversation with Dalton left by the wayside: (1) alternate possible readings of the Book of Mormon if it were to be examined it on its own terms, and from the perspective that it is a thousand-year abridged history of actual, ancient people and what this might yield in terms of a different framing about racism present in the passages in dispute, and also what the implications would be for Mormons today in terms of their being forced by logic to believe in the skin color claim; and (2) how these passages and their centrality to the Mormon faith might look from a perspective that admits nineteenth-century origins for the Book of Mormon, either as the sole creation of Joseph Smith’s imagination or through some kind of "revelation" that involves both divine and human influence on the text that resulted. And, if any of this is admitted, how might this new perspective on prophetic production affect statements such as Joseph Smith’s declaration that the Book of Mormon was translated by "the gift and power of God," and that it is "the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book"?
Oct 22, 2012
Studies are showing a huge increase in the number of people who claim hybrid spiritual identities, in which their religious lives include a combination of practices and emphases from different traditions. Mormons are no exception, with many, and for many reasons, supplementing their LDS lived religion with meditation, energy work, channeling, nature spirituality, participation in Freemasonry, and with many more things. In this two-part episode, we discuss the research of Doe Daughtrey into LDS women who, to use a term coined by Janet Bennion, "double dip"--that is, they draw on resources in both Mormonism and another tradition in their quest for spiritual fulfillment. We also hear from two Mormons--Patrick McCleary and Katie Langston--who are very active and happy as Latter-day Saints but who practice Freemasonry and mindfulness mediation, respectively. What led them and the women Daughtrey studied to attempt these ideological and ritual syntheses? How does some of Mormonism’s rhetoric lead them to explore additional paths? What resources within Mormonism do they draw on for strength and affirmation as they choose to add other things to their LDS practices? How do they talk about their practices and spirituality with family, friends, and ward members? What types of reactions do they receive?
Oct 22, 2012
Studies are showing a huge increase in the number of people who claim hybrid spiritual identities, in which their religious lives include a combination of practices and emphases from different traditions. Mormons are no exception, with many, and for many reasons, supplementing their LDS lived religion with meditation, energy work, channeling, nature spirituality, participation in Freemasonry, and with many more things. In this two-part episode, we discuss the research of Doe Daughtrey into LDS women who, to use a term coined by Janet Bennion, "double dip"--that is, they draw on resources in both Mormonism and another tradition in their quest for spiritual fulfillment. We also hear from two Mormons--Patrick McCleary and Katie Langston--who are very active and happy as Latter-day Saints but who practice Freemasonry and mindfulness mediation, respectively. What led them and the women Daughtrey studied to attempt these ideological and ritual syntheses? How does some of Mormonism’s rhetoric lead them to explore additional paths? What resources within Mormonism do they draw on for strength and affirmation as they choose to add other things to their LDS practices? How do they talk about their practices and spirituality with family, friends, and ward members? What types of reactions do they receive?
Oct 15, 2012
The Word of Wisdom has been in the news again, triggered by a claim about caffeine made on a network news show, which led to an official LDS Newsroom statement clarifying the church’s position, which led to fascinating discussions and events, including hilarity at BYU over its policy of serving only de-caffeinated drinks, as well as some church members exulting that now they have an official statement that they can use to tell others to back off when they try to force their "spirit of the law" Word of Wisdom interpretations on them. What is it about the Word of Wisdom that makes it both so central to Mormons as an identity marker as well as such a divider? Is it primarily a "commandment" or the "Lord’s Law of Health"? Is it a "sin" for a Mormon to break the Word of Wisdom (requiring "forgiveness" through Christ's suffering), or more a rejection of teachings that lead to blessings? Clearly the Word of Wisdom is ripe for fresh discussion, which is what Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Kenton Karrash, and Les Gripkey attempt in this two-part episode that covers (and cuts through some of the mythmaking concerning) the historical background of the revelation and how it was (and was not) practiced during the church’s first eighty-plus years, social and identity issues and inconsistencies in how it is viewed by church members (Part 1), some of the theology and doctrine surrounding Section 89, and, finally, how science and health experts evaluate today the effects of the various food and drink items mentioned in the revelation (Part 2). Among the most interesting features of the discussion is a look at the differences between how the Word of Wisdom would have been understood at the time it was given (based, for instance, upon an entirely different model in the early nineteenth century for what caused disease) versus today, and the consequences, both positive and negative, for our tendency to reflect on it through contemporary lenses. The panelists also each share parts of their own journey with and views about the Word of Wisdom.
Oct 15, 2012
The Word of Wisdom has been in the news again, triggered by a claim about caffeine made on a network news show, which led to an official LDS Newsroom statement clarifying the church’s position, which led to fascinating discussions and events, including hilarity at BYU over its policy of serving only de-caffeinated drinks, as well as some church members exulting that now they have an official statement that they can use to tell others to back off when they try to force their "spirit of the law" Word of Wisdom interpretations on them. What is it about the Word of Wisdom that makes it both so central to Mormons as an identity marker as well as such a divider? Is it primarily a "commandment" or the "Lord’s Law of Health"? Is it a "sin" for a Mormon to break the Word of Wisdom (requiring "forgiveness" through Christ's suffering), or more a rejection of teachings that lead to blessings? Clearly the Word of Wisdom is ripe for fresh discussion, which is what Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Kenton Karrash, and Les Gripkey attempt in this two-part episode that covers (and cuts through some of the mythmaking concerning) the historical background of the revelation and how it was (and was not) practiced during the church’s first eighty-plus years, social and identity issues and inconsistencies in how it is viewed by church members (Part 1), some of the theology and doctrine surrounding Section 89, and, finally, how science and health experts evaluate today the effects of the various food and drink items mentioned in the revelation (Part 2). Among the most interesting features of the discussion is a look at the differences between how the Word of Wisdom would have been understood at the time it was given (based, for instance, upon an entirely different model in the early nineteenth century for what caused disease) versus today, and the consequences, both positive and negative, for our tendency to reflect on it through contemporary lenses. The panelists also each share parts of their own journey with and views about the Word of Wisdom.
Oct 9, 2012
The LDS Church recently announced changes in the ages that young men and women can now serve missions. Will this announcement usher in a new age in missionary work? A new age for Mormonism itself? In this Mormon Matters episode, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Adam Jacobsen, Hannah Wheelwright, and Maxine Hanks speculate on just that. What are the far-reaching implications for missions and mission culture, for women’s leadership both there and post mission, for LDS dating and marriages, and, most importantly, for the way women view themselves as valued for their own spiritual gifts and strength and abilities far beyond motherhood? In Part 1, the panel looks primarily at the nature of the announcement itself--the lack of downplaying it as a "revelation" and instead as more pragmatic and practical: leaders aren’t exactly sure how it will unfold, how they will handle the sudden influx of new missionaries (especially sisters), etc. On the other hand, in the messaging that followed the announcement, leaders did not hesitate to emphasize that this change can be read as a "hastening" of the Lord’s work, that the changes are not for the missionaries but rather the work of bringing souls to Christ itself. This first part also discusses some of the likely reasoning that led to some of the decisions made, especially an effort to prevent some of the loss of young people during that one-year (for men) and three-year (for women) gap before mission eligibility. The panel also seeks to find a middle position between skepticism that the church desires stronger indoctrination and deeper commitment to it and its goals versus the desire to offer more of its young people the wonderful "rite of passage" that missions provide, including intense opportunities to really learn to really rely on God and serve others--so often so different from any one the young person might ever encounter--and grow in spiritual strength. In Part 2, the focus is on the what the change in women’s service age from twenty-one to nineteen might mean and bring. How will this affect how women growing up in the church will see themselves and gifts in relation to men, in terms of greater independence in spiritual matters, etc? Will this be heard as a message of (more) equal valuing and partnering in the work of growing the kingdom? What might the cumulative effect of more women serving be on more returned missionaries marrying other returned missionaries (and the ways of relating within marriages themselves), on dating practices, on the kinds of partners they seek? Will there ever be a stigma attached to sisters choosing "not" to serve a mission similar to what one finds for young men who don’t serve? The panelists also get a bit more speculative in trying to predict how this change in service ages (and very likely gender balance of missions) will affect greater sharing of leadership roles and duties in local wards, possibly leading to more explicit gaining of priesthood or, as panelist Maxine Hanks suggests, understanding (more fully "excavating") the parallel paths (and even convergences) of men’s and women’s priesthood orders already embedded in LDS doctrine and practice.
Oct 9, 2012
The LDS Church recently announced changes in the ages that young men and women can now serve missions. Will this announcement usher in a new age in missionary work? A new age for Mormonism itself? In this Mormon Matters episode, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Adam Jacobsen, Hannah Wheelwright, and Maxine Hanks speculate on just that. What are the far-reaching implications for missions and mission culture, for women’s leadership both there and post mission, for LDS dating and marriages, and, most importantly, for the way women view themselves as valued for their own spiritual gifts and strength and abilities far beyond motherhood? In Part 1, the panel looks primarily at the nature of the announcement itself--the lack of downplaying it as a "revelation" and instead as more pragmatic and practical: leaders aren’t exactly sure how it will unfold, how they will handle the sudden influx of new missionaries (especially sisters), etc. On the other hand, in the messaging that followed the announcement, leaders did not hesitate to emphasize that this change can be read as a "hastening" of the Lord’s work, that the changes are not for the missionaries but rather the work of bringing souls to Christ itself. This first part also discusses some of the likely reasoning that led to some of the decisions made, especially an effort to prevent some of the loss of young people during that one-year (for men) and three-year (for women) gap before mission eligibility. The panel also seeks to find a middle position between skepticism that the church desires stronger indoctrination and deeper commitment to it and its goals versus the desire to offer more of its young people the wonderful "rite of passage" that missions provide, including intense opportunities to really learn to really rely on God and serve others--so often so different from any one the young person might ever encounter--and grow in spiritual strength. In Part 2, the focus is on the what the change in women’s service age from twenty-one to nineteen might mean and bring. How will this affect how women growing up in the church will see themselves and gifts in relation to men, in terms of greater independence in spiritual matters, etc? Will this be heard as a message of (more) equal valuing and partnering in the work of growing the kingdom? What might the cumulative effect of more women serving be on more returned missionaries marrying other returned missionaries (and the ways of relating within marriages themselves), on dating practices, on the kinds of partners they seek? Will there ever be a stigma attached to sisters choosing "not" to serve a mission similar to what one finds for young men who don’t serve? The panelists also get a bit more speculative in trying to predict how this change in service ages (and very likely gender balance of missions) will affect greater sharing of leadership roles and duties in local wards, possibly leading to more explicit gaining of priesthood or, as panelist Maxine Hanks suggests, understanding (more fully "excavating") the parallel paths (and even convergences) of men’s and women’s priesthood orders already embedded in LDS doctrine and practice.
Oct 9, 2012
In this episode of Matters of the Heart, Joanna Brooks reads an excerpted version of her Ask Mormon Girl blog essay about the October 2012 announcement that the LDS Church has changed the age at which women can serve missions. As Joanna shares her joy over this announcement, it's clear that this marks more than just a change in age limits: Mormon girls will now live in an entirely new narrative. Imagine possibilities with her!
Oct 1, 2012
One of the most difficult things for many who have begun to think deeply about religion--their own as well as others and the relationship between them--and want to maintain a positive relationship with the idea of religion is the specter of exclusivism: claims that one’s views or one’s church is "the" Truth, or the "best," while others are not or are lesser. Many religions make this claim either explicitly or tacitly, with Mormonism belonging to the first category, boldly declaring its special place as the possessor of priesthood keys and being the only church authorized by God to perform certain saving ordinances. One hears it quite often in LDS services and classes, and frequently in conjunction with language found in a particular scriptural passage, D&C 1:30: "And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually…" But do LDS scriptures really support a position of exclusivity? Does this passage really refer to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as "the only true and living church" with which God is pleased and through which Deity works to save people, or does LDS scripture actually point to something much more broad? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Kristine Haglund and Charles Randall Paul complicate the idea of LDS exclusivity as even being scriptural (for so much else in Mormon holy writ suggests God has a much broader project in the works than what can be accomplished through just one organization) and challenge such a straightforward reading of the "only true and living . . . well pleased" passage. It’s an episode full of wonderful alternatives that reveal Mormon scripture to be much broader and LDS doctrines to be much more expansive and beautiful than we sometimes think they are. It’s definitely worth a close listen.
Sep 23, 2012
Grace is one of the central concepts in all of Christianity, yet also one of its most contested. What is it? How does it work? Do we as human beings have to do something first for it to perform its healing work? Can we even turn from sin without Grace first being extended to us? What, exactly happened in the Garden of Eden (literally or metaphorically) that caused separation from God (a Fall), and what are its effects on (or the state of) our souls that requires the transformative action of Grace? Certainly, the concept of Grace is no less debated in Mormonism--or at least, as is suggested in this podcast, it is beginning to now enjoy more focused attention. Is Grace a substance/thing that fills in the "gap" between a standard of perfection that God sets forth and everything we can do on our own in showing our desires and faith? Is it the suffering in the Garden and on the Cross that satisfies the demands of an eternal law of Justice? Is it more like an event--our "getting it" regarding God’s love and our worth that leads us to transformation and a new life in Christ, one in which we yield ever and ever more fully to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, becoming godlike in our compassion for all? And what about all the Grace vs. Works passages we find in both in the Bible and Mormon scriptures? Is Paul’s meditations in Romans about his own sinful nature and the need for Grace the key text for viewing Grace and our own human abilities to respond to God? What are alternative readings of those passages or others within wider Christianity? And, for Mormons, how might one read what seems to be the key passage in the Book of Mormon that declares we are saved by grace "after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23) in different ways? Is it really a temporal "after" (feeding into the God filling the "gaps" model)? Is this really what Nephi is saying? And does this interpretation even jive with other Book of Mormon passages on Grace? All these views and many more are discussed in this terrific discussion among Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists John Morehead, Katie Langston, and Joe Spencer.
Sep 13, 2012
Too often today’s political discourse reduces politics to partisanship, whether one affiliates with this or that political party. It’s a much broader topic, however, encompassing big notions about citizenship in a society, how we as a group of people make decisions, how we navigate our responsibilities to each other, to our government, and to our consciences and deepest religious convictions. When we weave in a particular group of people, such as Mormonism, it becomes even more clear that the political sphere is ever evolving--that even as certain themes maintain some influence in how each period of history unfolded, change concerning what Mormons wanted both for and from government was and is always the norm. Mormonism has a wonderful history of thinking fresh about government, about economic forms such as cooperative economies versus free-market capitalism, in wondering about how heaven is governed and if the way it is governed here on earth is truly the ideal. For any who think today’s super-conservatism or uber-Republicanism is built deep in the fabric of Mormon theology or thought is deeply mistaken--yet even as our history tells tales of great latitude, Mormonism really hasn’t yet articulated a clear sense of what it means to approach the political sphere as a Mormon, to live in community, to live in peace. It’s a much needed project! This two-part episode features three wonderful Mormon historians and social thinkers telling the kind of broad stories about Mormonism’s political past that are very needed if we are to ever find our way out of thinking primarily in partisan boxes. Ben Park, Matthew Bowman, and Patrick Mason join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon on a tour through four major periods in LDS history--Joseph Smith’s political thinking as manifested during his life, the exodus and early Utah period with its continued experimentation with theo-democracy, the period of political assimilation leading up to Utah statehood and on through the middle of the twentieth century, the rise of and shift toward conservatism and on to the present day--noting major themes and shifts, as well as what from each period and ways of thinking about the political sphere still find voice in today’s Mormonism. When came the rise of Latter-day Saint views about the U.S. Constitution as an inspired document--and were early attitudes toward it the same as we find now? When did it shift primarily from political expediency to align with American forms of government and values to actual embrace of them? How does Mormonism’s past steeped in radical millennialism still influence it today? Does it? How have views of "Zion" shifted through the tradition's 180-plus years? How and why have Mormon views of what constitutes moral goods shifted to concentrate mostly on the individual and domestic sphere versus the wider social one? Are there any signs of possible shifts on the horizon?
Sep 13, 2012
Too often today’s political discourse reduces politics to partisanship, whether one affiliates with this or that political party. It’s a much broader topic, however, encompassing big notions about citizenship in a society, how we as a group of people make decisions, how we navigate our responsibilities to each other, to our government, and to our consciences and deepest religious convictions. When we weave in a particular group of people, such as Mormonism, it becomes even more clear that the political sphere is ever evolving--that even as certain themes maintain some influence in how each period of history unfolded, change concerning what Mormons wanted both for and from government was and is always the norm. Mormonism has a wonderful history of thinking fresh about government, about economic forms such as cooperative economies versus free-market capitalism, in wondering about how heaven is governed and if the way it is governed here on earth is truly the ideal. For any who think today’s super-conservatism or uber-Republicanism is built deep in the fabric of Mormon theology or thought is deeply mistaken--yet even as our history tells tales of great latitude, Mormonism really hasn’t yet articulated a clear sense of what it means to approach the political sphere as a Mormon, to live in community, to live in peace. It’s a much needed project! This two-part episode features three wonderful Mormon historians and social thinkers telling the kind of broad stories about Mormonism’s political past that are very needed if we are to ever find our way out of thinking primarily in partisan boxes. Ben Park, Matthew Bowman, and Patrick Mason join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon on a tour through four major periods in LDS history--Joseph Smith’s political thinking as manifested during his life, the exodus and early Utah period with its continued experimentation with theo-democracy, the period of political assimilation leading up to Utah statehood and on through the middle of the twentieth century, the rise of and shift toward conservatism and on to the present day--noting major themes and shifts, as well as what from each period and ways of thinking about the political sphere still find voice in today’s Mormonism. When came the rise of Latter-day Saint views about the U.S. Constitution as an inspired document--and were early attitudes toward it the same as we find now? When did it shift primarily from political expediency to align with American forms of government and values to actual embrace of them? How does Mormonism’s past steeped in radical millennialism still influence it today? Does it? How have views of "Zion" shifted through the tradition's 180-plus years? How and why have Mormon views of what constitutes moral goods shifted to concentrate mostly on the individual and domestic sphere versus the wider social one? Are there any signs of possible shifts on the horizon?
Sep 6, 2012
In this second episode of the "Matters of Perspective" series, Charles Randall Paul reads his May 2009 Sunstone article, "The Sacred Secret Open to All: Ye Are Gods," a wonderful exploration about the concerns many people have with the secrecy related to Mormon temples and how Latter-day Saints might do a better job communicating about what goes on there. Drawing on historical sources, Paul demonstrates a reversal in public perspectives about secret/sacred rites that has taken place in the past two centuries--a shift from seeing those who participate in rites such as the Eleusinian mysteries or Freemasonry as highly trustworthy (until this shift one could hardly hold high political office were one not initiated into the rites) to highly suspect. Why has this taken place? And in the case of Mormon temple rituals, can this distrust be reversed with different messaging that better shares what goes on in the LDS temple, especially through contextualizing them as fitting the genre of "ascent literature," myths and rites that tell the secret sacred story of humankind? Are there ways to better communicate why Latter-day Saints consider temple work as wonderful and affirming for "all" people? Can Mormons re-structure aspects of its temples as sacred centers to make them more welcoming to everyone? Several aspects of this article were discussed in Mormon Matters episodes 75-76, "Communicating about the Temple." We encourage you to listen/re-listen to that exceptional episode.
Aug 30, 2012
It goes without saying that religion is intricately tied to culture. And since this is so, when we find that the various ways of thinking and institutions that create culture are shifting, so will we find religion in all its forms asking new questions, sorting through "the way things have always been done" and asking if these ideas and forms are meeting today’s needs, lamenting the decline in previously transformative energies and searching for revitalization. Many claim that such shifts are happening today, and within western Christianity, the upheaval and reconfiguration that is taking place has been labeled "Emergence Christianity." In its most dynamic places, individuals and congregations are looking in fresh ways at scripture, at mission, at liturgy and all the ways they "do" church, at the stories and narratives they tell and inhabit, at what it means to be a Christian--if the most important focus should be about afterlife salvation or this-life transformation and truly working as the Lord’s Prayer states to have God’s kingdom come here to earth just as it is in heaven. This is a moment that defies easy description, but it is very exciting to give ourselves permission to really think of new possibilities seek new forms for renewal. Is something analogous happening in Mormonism? What are similarities and differences between the questions and sensibilities that are animating Emergence Christianity and those at play in Mormonism, especially among online discussion groups and grassroots associations that are putting new ideas and ways of relating into practice? What can Latter-day Saints learn from the discussions and new forms of church taking wing in Emergence Christianity? What would be easy sensibilities and practices to fold into Mormon Christianity? Which ones might be harder to connect with? For this two-part Mormon Matters episode, we are extremely blessed to have been able to spend an hour with two of Emergence Christianity’s most eloquent thought leaders, cultural historian and publishing icon Phyllis Tickle and dynamic author, speaker, and former pastor Brian McLaren, learning from their descriptions (through their telling stories from their own lives, as well as in all they see going on around them) of these shifts. Incredible friend and Mormon Matters podcast favorite Jana Riess arranged for their appearance on the show, and she leads this discussion. Following this initial focus on Emergence Christianity as a whole, we say goodbye to Phyllis and Brian, and we welcome Katie Langston and Parker Blount, two Latter-day Saints with a deep interest in Emergence Christianity, to discuss connections, hesitations, and their hopes and dreams for new discussions and renewal within Mormonism.
Aug 30, 2012
It goes without saying that religion is intricately tied to culture. And since this is so, when we find that the various ways of thinking and institutions that create culture are shifting, so will we find religion in all its forms asking new questions, sorting through "the way things have always been done" and asking if these ideas and forms are meeting today’s needs, lamenting the decline in previously transformative energies and searching for revitalization. Many claim that such shifts are happening today, and within western Christianity, the upheaval and reconfiguration that is taking place has been labeled "Emergence Christianity." In its most dynamic places, individuals and congregations are looking in fresh ways at scripture, at mission, at liturgy and all the ways they "do" church, at the stories and narratives they tell and inhabit, at what it means to be a Christian--if the most important focus should be about afterlife salvation or this-life transformation and truly working as the Lord’s Prayer states to have God’s kingdom come here to earth just as it is in heaven. This is a moment that defies easy description, but it is very exciting to give ourselves permission to really think of new possibilities seek new forms for renewal. Is something analogous happening in Mormonism? What are similarities and differences between the questions and sensibilities that are animating Emergence Christianity and those at play in Mormonism, especially among online discussion groups and grassroots associations that are putting new ideas and ways of relating into practice? What can Latter-day Saints learn from the discussions and new forms of church taking wing in Emergence Christianity? What would be easy sensibilities and practices to fold into Mormon Christianity? Which ones might be harder to connect with? For this two-part Mormon Matters episode, we are extremely blessed to have been able to spend an hour with two of Emergence Christianity’s most eloquent thought leaders, cultural historian and publishing icon Phyllis Tickle and dynamic author, speaker, and former pastor Brian McLaren, learning from their descriptions (through their telling stories from their own lives, as well as in all they see going on around them) of these shifts. Incredible friend and Mormon Matters podcast favorite Jana Riess arranged for their appearance on the show, and she leads this discussion. Following this initial focus on Emergence Christianity as a whole, we say goodbye to Phyllis and Brian, and we welcome Katie Langston and Parker Blount, two Latter-day Saints with a deep interest in Emergence Christianity, to discuss connections, hesitations, and their hopes and dreams for new discussions and renewal within Mormonism.
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