"Am I saved?" "Is this idea or that practice ‘pertinent to my salvation’?" Many Mormons and other Christians focus quite a lot of energy on concerns about possible rewards or punishments in the afterlife. And many, as seems natural for humans living in an unpredictable and confusing world, long for and (even very consciously) seek assurances here and now that their life is acceptable to God, their "salvation" is secure. Concepts such as having one’s "calling and election (a New Testament phrase and idea) made sure" reveal this longing and concern. Christians seek to know they are "saved" in many different ways, as do Latter-day Saints, but Mormonism also has a formalized ritual in which these concerns are directly addressed and assurances that one’s life is fully accepted by God are given. "Salvation"--it’s a huge idea. But it often comes as a bit of an eye-opener to those who are raised fully within some form of the Christian story to learn that the idea of "sin" as the major problem we need to overcome in this world and that we as humans would need a "savior" (especially a god of some form to intervene on our behalf) to overcome it are not simply the obvious primary problem to those in other traditions. In fact, many religions do not focus much at all on "salvation" in terms of eternal rewards or punishments, instead viewing religion much more practically, such as helping one seek meaning or mediate social conflicts that affect us in "this" world. In this three-part episode of the Mormon Matters podcast (our biggest one to date), host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Chelsea Shields Strayer, and Danielle Mooney dive deep into "salvation." What are the various ways other world traditions view the human predicament and how to overcome it? How does Christianity differ from these, and then Mormon views from those of other Christians? What, exactly, is Mormon salvation theology? How is the LDS "plan of salvation" typically presented, and what are some ways of looking at it that might lead to more profound insights and understandings? Finally, how does the idea of "calling and election" fit into this story? Is it still part of Mormon thought or focus today? What about the ritual of the "second anointing" that was practiced intensely at times in LDS history but has had declines and resurgences since early in the twentieth century? What are its major features? How does it make sense within the overall salvation narrative? What clues does it offer about deeper views about women and priesthood than one typically sees explored in LDS discourse? What information is available about this ritual being practiced today? Finally, what is the currency in today’s Mormonism about other seemingly exotic teachings related to a soul’s journey toward salvation and exaltation? In all of the above discussions, the panel tries to pay close attention to insights from myth and ritual studies, scripture, and concepts about blessings and acts serving as tokens of promises to come rather than automatic sealings of those promises. Within such contexts, are LDS notions and practices really all that "weird"?

"Am I saved?" "Is this idea or that practice ‘pertinent to my salvation’?" Many Mormons and other Christians focus quite a lot of energy on concerns about possible rewards or punishments in the afterlife. And many, as seems natural for humans living in an unpredictable and confusing world, long for and (even very consciously) seek assurances here and now that their life is acceptable to God, their "salvation" is secure. Concepts such as having one’s "calling and election (a New Testament phrase and idea) made sure" reveal this longing and concern. Christians seek to know they are "saved" in many different ways, as do Latter-day Saints, but Mormonism also has a formalized ritual in which these concerns are directly addressed and assurances that one’s life is fully accepted by God are given. "Salvation"--it’s a huge idea. But it often comes as a bit of an eye-opener to those who are raised fully within some form of the Christian story to learn that the idea of "sin" as the major problem we need to overcome in this world and that we as humans would need a "savior" (especially a god of some form to intervene on our behalf) to overcome it are not simply the obvious primary problem to those in other traditions. In fact, many religions do not focus much at all on "salvation" in terms of eternal rewards or punishments, instead viewing religion much more practically, such as helping one seek meaning or mediate social conflicts that affect us in "this" world. In this three-part episode of the Mormon Matters podcast (our biggest one to date), host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Chelsea Shields Strayer, and Danielle Mooney dive deep into "salvation." What are the various ways other world traditions view the human predicament and how to overcome it? How does Christianity differ from these, and then Mormon views from those of other Christians? What, exactly, is Mormon salvation theology? How is the LDS "plan of salvation" typically presented, and what are some ways of looking at it that might lead to more profound insights and understandings? Finally, how does the idea of "calling and election" fit into this story? Is it still part of Mormon thought or focus today? What about the ritual of the "second anointing" that was practiced intensely at times in LDS history but has had declines and resurgences since early in the twentieth century? What are its major features? How does it make sense within the overall salvation narrative? What clues does it offer about deeper views about women and priesthood than one typically sees explored in LDS discourse? What information is available about this ritual being practiced today? Finally, what is the currency in today’s Mormonism about other seemingly exotic teachings related to a soul’s journey toward salvation and exaltation? In all of the above discussions, the panel tries to pay close attention to insights from myth and ritual studies, scripture, and concepts about blessings and acts serving as tokens of promises to come rather than automatic sealings of those promises. Within such contexts, are LDS notions and practices really all that "weird"?

"Am I saved?" "Is this idea or that practice ‘pertinent to my salvation’?" Many Mormons and other Christians focus quite a lot of energy on concerns about possible rewards or punishments in the afterlife. And many, as seems natural for humans living in an unpredictable and confusing world, long for and (even very consciously) seek assurances here and now that their life is acceptable to God, their "salvation" is secure. Concepts such as having one’s "calling and election (a New Testament phrase and idea) made sure" reveal this longing and concern. Christians seek to know they are "saved" in many different ways, as do Latter-day Saints, but Mormonism also has a formalized ritual in which these concerns are directly addressed and assurances that one’s life is fully accepted by God are given. "Salvation"--it’s a huge idea. But it often comes as a bit of an eye-opener to those who are raised fully within some form of the Christian story to learn that the idea of "sin" as the major problem we need to overcome in this world and that we as humans would need a "savior" (especially a god of some form to intervene on our behalf) to overcome it are not simply the obvious primary problem to those in other traditions. In fact, many religions do not focus much at all on "salvation" in terms of eternal rewards or punishments, instead viewing religion much more practically, such as helping one seek meaning or mediate social conflicts that affect us in "this" world. In this three-part episode of the Mormon Matters podcast (our biggest one to date), host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Chelsea Shields Strayer, and Danielle Mooney dive deep into "salvation." What are the various ways other world traditions view the human predicament and how to overcome it? How does Christianity differ from these, and then Mormon views from those of other Christians? What, exactly, is Mormon salvation theology? How is the LDS "plan of salvation" typically presented, and what are some ways of looking at it that might lead to more profound insights and understandings? Finally, how does the idea of "calling and election" fit into this story? Is it still part of Mormon thought or focus today? What about the ritual of the "second anointing" that was practiced intensely at times in LDS history but has had declines and resurgences since early in the twentieth century? What are its major features? How does it make sense within the overall salvation narrative? What clues does it offer about deeper views about women and priesthood than one typically sees explored in LDS discourse? What information is available about this ritual being practiced today? Finally, what is the currency in today’s Mormonism about other seemingly exotic teachings related to a soul’s journey toward salvation and exaltation? In all of the above discussions, the panel tries to pay close attention to insights from myth and ritual studies, scripture, and concepts about blessings and acts serving as tokens of promises to come rather than automatic sealings of those promises. Within such contexts, are LDS notions and practices really all that "weird"?

Are there statements about God, humans, the universe, and any other thing that a Latter-day Saint "must" believe to be considered a "Mormon"? And, if so, how literally does one have to take these so-called "doctrines"? Are they close-to-perfect encapsulations of eternal truths that are consistently taught in scripture and that have hardly changed or evolved throughout time, with modern LDS pronouncements simply further clarifications? Or are doctrines far "fuzzier," more fluid statements suggesting where Mormons are encouraged to focus now but always with the anticipation that, as the Ninth Article of Faith states, there are "many great and important things" still to be revealed? Furthermore, are "ideas" or "truths we can state" really what we should focus on? Does "knowing" some truth actually translate directly to becoming more godlike in nature? Would God really prefer that someone is able to list beliefs or name attributes of godliness over someone who has come to embody compassion and other spiritual qualities? Are we giving "doctrine" too much power? Are we letting "statements that we are supposed to believe" distract us from what’s vital? Are we allowing the discomfort of conspicuousness when we imagine that we are being pressured to say we assent to various teachings (that fall apart, horribly, when held up to scientific or intellectual scrutiny) drive us from fellowship with other Latter-day Saints? In this two-part podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Gina Colvin, Charles Harrell, and Chris Cobb take on all of these issues, and much more. Are there different, healthier ways to view the question of Mormon teachings and doctrinal discourse? Is doctrinal presentation, especially in Church curriculum, a straightforward process of teaching truth, or is there much more at play--assumptions (cultural, Western, cognitive, gendered, etc.) motivating what is selected as more or less important? The panel explore what it means when leaders might say that this or that doctrine is "binding" upon members and whether or not it is actual "doctrines" that are canonized or simply sources (scripture) that are granted authoritative power--and, as is evident about any scripture, whatever doctrines might be offered therein call always to a wonderfully wide spectrum of interpretation? The panel also explores whether we might be in a moment within Mormon development when doctrines are being scaled back, when less emphasis is being placed upon teachings and more on community, doing good in the world, "becoming" better Christians/human beings.

Are there statements about God, humans, the universe, and any other thing that a Latter-day Saint "must" believe to be considered a "Mormon"? And, if so, how literally does one have to take these so-called "doctrines"? Are they close-to-perfect encapsulations of eternal truths that are consistently taught in scripture and that have hardly changed or evolved throughout time, with modern LDS pronouncements simply further clarifications? Or are doctrines far "fuzzier," more fluid statements suggesting where Mormons are encouraged to focus now but always with the anticipation that, as the Ninth Article of Faith states, there are "many great and important things" still to be revealed? Furthermore, are "ideas" or "truths we can state" really what we should focus on? Does "knowing" some truth actually translate directly to becoming more godlike in nature? Would God really prefer that someone is able to list beliefs or name attributes of godliness over someone who has come to embody compassion and other spiritual qualities? Are we giving "doctrine" too much power? Are we letting "statements that we are supposed to believe" distract us from what’s vital? Are we allowing the discomfort of conspicuousness when we imagine that we are being pressured to say we assent to various teachings (that fall apart, horribly, when held up to scientific or intellectual scrutiny) drive us from fellowship with other Latter-day Saints? In this two-part podcast, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Gina Colvin, Charles Harrell, and Chris Cobb take on all of these issues, and much more. Are there different, healthier ways to view the question of Mormon teachings and doctrinal discourse? Is doctrinal presentation, especially in Church curriculum, a straightforward process of teaching truth, or is there much more at play--assumptions (cultural, Western, cognitive, gendered, etc.) motivating what is selected as more or less important? The panel explore what it means when leaders might say that this or that doctrine is "binding" upon members and whether or not it is actual "doctrines" that are canonized or simply sources (scripture) that are granted authoritative power--and, as is evident about any scripture, whatever doctrines might be offered therein call always to a wonderfully wide spectrum of interpretation? The panel also explores whether we might be in a moment within Mormon development when doctrines are being scaled back, when less emphasis is being placed upon teachings and more on community, doing good in the world, "becoming" better Christians/human beings.

The three guests in this Mormon Matters episode grew up in faithful, committed Mormon homes. In important ways, however, these panelists’ homes were different than what many listeners of the Open Stories family of podcasts experienced growing up in the way that these homes welcomed any and all questions about the faith and encouraged reading and exploration and working through difficult issues. Each home was highly orthoprax--there was no question of commitment to LDS standards, attending church, accepting and serving faithfully in callings--but what a family member had to believe was wide open. For them, Mormonism featured a wide array of ways to orient to the tradition and/or to God, and the set of claims one had to accept to truly be a Mormon was small. What was it like to grow up in these homes? What messages about gospel "roominess" or what it means to be "Mormon" did these panelists absorb? How much of the way the parents in these homes taught and lived the gospel have found their way into these panelists’ lives as they raise their own families now or think ahead to when they will have children? I am extremely grateful for the generosity of heart and spirit of panelists Kristine Haglund, Jordan Kimball, and Katie Davis Henderson in sharing so much of their lives in this episode, and I am thrilled to present our conversation to listeners. These are issues that truly hit home for so many of us who are raising children while we are, at the same time, wrestling with our own faith and relationship with God and life’s biggest questions. We hope to teach them "fearlessness" in their spiritual lives but wonder exactly how open we should be with our children about our own struggle toward this type of faith. We want our children to have their own faith journeys, but at the same time we are not sure we want them to experience the sort of "crisis" that accompanied what many of us have or are going through. These are "tire meets the road" issues, indeed. May this episode be a great conversation starter!

Pragmatism is the name of a philosophical approach for judging between truth claims. It essentially says that if you are presented with two competing ideas and there is no overwhelming way to determine through empirical methods which is superior to the other, you should consider the difference it would make to you if you decided to accept one or the other as the true one. For instance, one of philosophy’s long-standing discussions is about whether or not human beings have free will or if they are fully determined. Since there are good arguments and evidences on both sides, the pragmatic method suggests we should turn to the practical effects it would have in our lives if we were to live as if one position or the other were true. William James, one of pragmatism’s key champions, broadens this "difference" to include which idea would "work" better in moving us to positive action, increased zest--what he calls living the "strenuous mood." Ideas have a "cash value" of sorts, with the value being how much they contribute to greater vitality and richer experience. If an idea "works" in this way, it can be considered "true"--but then pragmatism says that truth still needs to continue to prove itself in struggle with other ideas; these things we hold as "true" should always remain open to further refinement as they interact with other truths. It’s a philosophical method of experimentation and engaged action in the face of possible paralysis and stagnated action caused by the fear of perhaps being wrong. The pragmatic processes of continued engagement will help sort out the truth of any claim or system of thought. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Charles Randall Paul, and Chris Naegle introduce key aspects of pragmatism, especially focusing on the flavors given to it by William James. They then engage several of its shared sensibilities with Mormon theology and its optimistic temperament, as well as directions it points regarding why religion is such a powerful force--for good or ill--and reasons for not closing ourselves off to the areas of inquiry and subconscious realms religion focuses on. The discussion also includes a look at a fun section in William James’s book, Pragmatism, that proposes a thought experiment that matches in striking ways the LDS notion of a "council in heaven" and competing choices about whether to take part in earth life. Finally, the panelists tackle how pragmatism intersects with ethical decision making and the best ways to influence others who are engaging in what you consider to be harmful practices, and they also discuss some of the motivations and forces at play in the 9/11 tragedy and in the practice of circumcision--both male and female.

Pragmatism is the name of a philosophical approach for judging between truth claims. It essentially says that if you are presented with two competing ideas and there is no overwhelming way to determine through empirical methods which is superior to the other, you should consider the difference it would make to you if you decided to accept one or the other as the true one. For instance, one of philosophy’s long-standing discussions is about whether or not human beings have free will or if they are fully determined. Since there are good arguments and evidences on both sides, the pragmatic method suggests we should turn to the practical effects it would have in our lives if we were to live as if one position or the other were true. William James, one of pragmatism’s key champions, broadens this "difference" to include which idea would "work" better in moving us to positive action, increased zest--what he calls living the "strenuous mood." Ideas have a "cash value" of sorts, with the value being how much they contribute to greater vitality and richer experience. If an idea "works" in this way, it can be considered "true"--but then pragmatism says that truth still needs to continue to prove itself in struggle with other ideas; these things we hold as "true" should always remain open to further refinement as they interact with other truths. It’s a philosophical method of experimentation and engaged action in the face of possible paralysis and stagnated action caused by the fear of perhaps being wrong. The pragmatic processes of continued engagement will help sort out the truth of any claim or system of thought. In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Jared Anderson, Charles Randall Paul, and Chris Naegle introduce key aspects of pragmatism, especially focusing on the flavors given to it by William James. They then engage several of its shared sensibilities with Mormon theology and its optimistic temperament, as well as directions it points regarding why religion is such a powerful force--for good or ill--and reasons for not closing ourselves off to the areas of inquiry and subconscious realms religion focuses on. The discussion also includes a look at a fun section in William James’s book, Pragmatism, that proposes a thought experiment that matches in striking ways the LDS notion of a "council in heaven" and competing choices about whether to take part in earth life. Finally, the panelists tackle how pragmatism intersects with ethical decision making and the best ways to influence others who are engaging in what you consider to be harmful practices, and they also discuss some of the motivations and forces at play in the 9/11 tragedy and in the practice of circumcision--both male and female.