Mormon temple practices have come under renewed scrutiny recently as it has come to public attention that Mitt Romney’s father-in-law, a known non-religious person, had recently had temple ordinances performed on his behalf, and, in an even more emotionally charged case, that the names of the parents of well-known concentration camp survivor and Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal had been submitted for having baptism and other temple ordinances performed for them vicariously. (After recording this episode, we have learned that famous concentration camp victim, Anne Frank, has also just had temple work performed on her behalf in the LDS temple in the Dominican Republic.) These events have ignited a new round of controversy over the Mormon practice of proxy ordinances for the dead, especially as the LDS Church and Jewish leaders have several times come to strong agreement that no temple work would be done for Holocaust victims unless they were direct ancestors of contemporary Latter-day Saints. Given these pledges, how did this happen again? What is the nature of the submission processes that allow violations like this to occasionally still take place? Are there ways to stop it from happening again? In addition to the uproar over these breaches of agreements, these recent incidents have once more stirred strong feelings, as well as revealed a great deal of confusion, about just what it "means" for someone to have had their temple work performed for them after they are dead. It also has highlighted confusion on the part of both Jews and Mormons about why the other group can’t really understand their position on the impropriety or propriety of performing these ordinances. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jana Riess, Jared Anderson, Charles Randall Paul, and Jennifer Rooney White tackle these topics and share some great insights. But more important than discussing these recent events and confusions, the panelists explore many ways that Mormons might use this current moment to learn to better communicate about LDS temple work to those both outside and inside the faith--and arrive at several provocative ideas. Much to chew on in this episode!

Mormon temple practices have come under renewed scrutiny recently as it has come to public attention that Mitt Romney’s father-in-law, a known non-religious person, had recently had temple ordinances performed on his behalf, and, in an even more emotionally charged case, that the names of the parents of well-known concentration camp survivor and Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal had been submitted for having baptism and other temple ordinances performed for them vicariously. (After recording this episode, we have learned that famous concentration camp victim, Anne Frank, has also just had temple work performed on her behalf in the LDS temple in the Dominican Republic.) These events have ignited a new round of controversy over the Mormon practice of proxy ordinances for the dead, especially as the LDS Church and Jewish leaders have several times come to strong agreement that no temple work would be done for Holocaust victims unless they were direct ancestors of contemporary Latter-day Saints. Given these pledges, how did this happen again? What is the nature of the submission processes that allow violations like this to occasionally still take place? Are there ways to stop it from happening again? In addition to the uproar over these breaches of agreements, these recent incidents have once more stirred strong feelings, as well as revealed a great deal of confusion, about just what it "means" for someone to have had their temple work performed for them after they are dead. It also has highlighted confusion on the part of both Jews and Mormons about why the other group can’t really understand their position on the impropriety or propriety of performing these ordinances. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jana Riess, Jared Anderson, Charles Randall Paul, and Jennifer Rooney White tackle these topics and share some great insights. But more important than discussing these recent events and confusions, the panelists explore many ways that Mormons might use this current moment to learn to better communicate about LDS temple work to those both outside and inside the faith--and arrive at several provocative ideas. Much to chew on in this episode!

Phyllis Barber and Joanna Brooks are two of Mormonism’s bravest voices, writers of memoirs in which they offer us privileged glimpses of their inner lives, their comings of age in all the kinds of awkwardness that entails, including learning how to inhabit their bodies and sexuality in healthy ways, tensions between the path indicated by LDS narratives and the various other possibilities suggested by other stories that surround them, struggles with theological ideas and legacies that are especially difficult for women, their searches for place in and peace with the tradition and people into which they were born and "cultured." Their memoirs serve their own Mormon people through telling Mormon stories that offer companionship to other Latter-day Saints who have been shaped by the same or similar ideas, rituals, and messages--both the ennobling ones and those that miss the mark, even sometimes harm. These books and these writers' willingness to be exposed personally as well as to share an insider’s view of Mormon teachings and rituals also serve as powerful bridges to those outside the LDS community. Through their intimate depictions of the particularity of their Mormon upbringings and lives, these books provide connection to what is universal in human experience.

This episode is an attempt to aid in processing the current moment in which various Mormon-watching communities are beginning to digest the preliminary results that have recently been released from the Open Stories Foundation survey about why Mormons leave the church, which comes on the heels of remarks made in December at Utah State University by LDS Church Historian Elder Marlin Jensen and reported on in numerous recent news stories in which he reflects on the current disaffection crisis and the Church’s plans to help address it. What does the survey suggest? How might the LDS Church move ahead more effectively--and how might we as members of these online communities assist in claiming a greater space within Mormonism for a more accurate telling of its history and an acceptance of a wider variety of ways of orienting toward Mormonism’s scriptures and shaping narratives? What are some tools or framings that might be helpful to those who through these news stories (and others yet to come as more results are released) might be hearing about are deciding to truly examine many of the complexities of church history and doctrine for the first time? Joining Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in reflecting on this current moment are podcast veterans, professor, blogger, and LDS commentator Joanna Brooks, professor and holder of the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University Philip Barlow, and first-time podcast guest and financial strategist Scott Holley, who served as a key analyst for the survey.

This is an expanded version of the talk Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon gave at the Houston Region Mormon Stories Support Community conference held 20-21 January 2012. Using the biblical accounts of Jacob and the angel, and Jacob and Esau, as key texts, and organized around the central image of a "wrestling match" being simultaneously a fight but also an embrace, along with the idea of the close ties between making love and making war, the talk is geared toward providing ways of thinking about faith crises in positive ways--as integral parts of the larger human developmental journey--and then allowing those kinds of encouragements to work on our hearts and minds in a manner that will allow us to make peace with God (even if we totally end up thinking about or experiencing God or Truth and/or the spiritual path in new ways), church, friends and family who may be struggling with our pulling away from them in terms of having a shared worldview, as well as, even most importantly, ourselves. From this place of greater centeredness, achieved only as we go through the life and death match and agonizing processes of coming to fully center authority in ourselves and our own deep and genuine experiences rather than by giving that authority over to others--persons, institutions, and texts--we will be able to joyfully interact once more with loved ones. They may still not "understand" what we have (and are still) going through, but most of them will not be able to resist us in our greater, more peaceful and happier incarnation forever. And even if they continue to do so, we will be fed by a deep sense of peace and connection and groundedness in spirit that we will be able to be patient and still lovingly interact with them. We are called to the arena. God/Spirit/Our highest self is ready and encouraging us to fight--and through that fight to love more deeply. Will we answer the bugle’s call?

This is an expanded version of the talk Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon gave at the Houston Region Mormon Stories Support Community conference held 20-21 January 2012. Using the biblical accounts of Jacob and the angel, and Jacob and Esau, as key texts, and organized around the central image of a "wrestling match" being simultaneously a fight but also an embrace, along with the idea of the close ties between making love and making war, the talk is geared toward providing ways of thinking about faith crises in positive ways--as integral parts of the larger human developmental journey--and then allowing those kinds of encouragements to work on our hearts and minds in a manner that will allow us to make peace with God (even if we totally end up thinking about or experiencing God or Truth and/or the spiritual path in new ways), church, friends and family who may be struggling with our pulling away from them in terms of having a shared worldview, as well as, even most importantly, ourselves. From this place of greater centeredness, achieved only as we go through the life and death match and agonizing processes of coming to fully center authority in ourselves and our own deep and genuine experiences rather than by giving that authority over to others--persons, institutions, and texts--we will be able to joyfully interact once more with loved ones. They may still not "understand" what we have (and are still) going through, but most of them will not be able to resist us in our greater, more peaceful and happier incarnation forever. And even if they continue to do so, we will be fed by a deep sense of peace and connection and groundedness in spirit that we will be able to be patient and still lovingly interact with them. We are called to the arena. God/Spirit/Our highest self is ready and encouraging us to fight--and through that fight to love more deeply. Will we answer the bugle’s call?

This episode features panelists who all are deeply involved with the LDS Church, yet from their position of involvement in, and love and affection for, the church and those they worship and serve with, each of them acts as an agent for change. As one of the panelists, Carol Lynn Pearson, suggests in the podcast, don’t we all want to be a blessing to those we love? But while the idea of bringing about "change" being a way of "blessing" others flows easily from Carol Lynn and the other panelists, these two don’t equate this way for many Latter-day Saints who, like most people, don’t naturally embrace change, and when it comes to change in the church view any and all course corrections as solely for general leaders to instigate. In this podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Chelsea Fife, Chelsea Shields Strayer, and Carol Lynn Pearson reflect on ways to help mitigate this idea of waiting to be directed and to instead act in ways that model love, build trust, and effectively bring about positive shifts in LDS culture, emphases, and beyond. In this far-ranging discussion, they discuss tips and share stories, successes, and failures in their lives as change agents. What are the secrets to the kind of confidence they have that it is their right, and even duty, to work for greater tolerance and awareness, and less harm?