Latter-day Faith

Dan Wotherspoon
  • 4.7 (129)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Latter-day Faith is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Wotherspoon, PhD, that explores faith and its realities for this time in human history. Although each discussion maintains awareness of its primarily Latter-day Saint audience, the conversations, sensibilities, and variety of guests featured are drawn from many religious traditions.

  1. 1D AGO

    05_Women Outside the Garden: Healing from Generational Trauma

    In this remarkable discussion that is part of the "Women Outside the Garden" series hosted by Teri Petersen, Terri talks with Susannah Clarke about several topics, preeminent among them is "generational trauma." Based on the science of epigenetics, each of us inherit DNA from our ancestors, and carried within it are propensities, temperament, fears, and more. Not all manifest within us, but it is important to understand these as part of our makeup.  One of the most difficult things inherent in our genetic makeup are the effects of any unhealed trauma our forbearers they may have experienced. Likewise, our own children will carry within them the effects of our own traumatic experiences. Hence, we are all called to learn how to heal those pieces of us in order to break the negative patterns we inherited. There are many remarkable things about Susannah Clarke, and Teri draws out of her the ways she confronted the effects of her own  generational and personal trauma. It is a fascinating story that includes church messaging, divorce, and raising a profoundly disabled child, and her healing path she found through learning to advocate for her daughter as well as herself. Listen in!

    1 hr

  2. FEB 10

    227: A Reason of the Hope That Is in You

    Using as launching pad the Western Christian liturgical calendar celebration of Epiphany (the day recognizing Jesus's first revelation to Gentiles--in this case, the Magi) this episode is a discussion between LDF host and co-host Dan Wotherspoon and Mark Crego about the importance of being ready at all times and within any group to share our witness with others. As it says in 1 Peter 3:15: "and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear," Dan and Mark share how we might be able to do this effectively during or after our faith has begun to shift because the once easy "I know" responses no longer feel authentic for us. How do we share what is currently going on with us in language that indicates the "hope" that is still in us? The hosts focus on three situations: speaking with active LDS family and friends, speaking with friends who want to tear down the church, and speaking with outsiders to our tradition.  Listen in!

    1h 40m

  3. JAN 28

    04_Women Outside the Garden: Tonia Toole

    This powerful episode, the 4th in Terri Petersen's series, "Women Outside the Garden," features an interview she did with Tonia Toole, who is the founder of a non-profit organization, Holding Out Help, that assists individuals in leaving polygamous communities in Utah. In it, Tonia shares her personal journey, including her experience with cancer and how it led her to this work. She described the various polygamous sects in Utah, the challenges faced by those leaving these communities, and the services provided by Holding Out Help. Tonia emphasized the importance of kindness and understanding towards those from polygamous backgrounds and expressed concerns about the decriminalization of polygamy in Utah. The interview also highlights the resilience and strength of those leaving polygamous communities. Listen in! Learn Much! Be Inspired!

    1h 2m

  4. JAN 22

    226a: Big-Tent Mormonism--How Can We Help Bring that About?

    Many Latter-day Saints long for a more inclusive church, including less of an emphasis on doctrines in favor of learning to listen better to each other and open our hearts to more diverse points of view. They are bored by and are unmoved by certainty. They want a deeper connection with the Divine (however they picture that). They want to be heard and understood for who they are and not feel they have to perform the role of "perfect" Mormon. This episode looks closely at the concept of "Big Tent" Mormonism. How can we help bring it about? What are the main obstacles standing in the way of us learning to be more welcoming to everyone? How can we broaden awareness of faith struggles and talk about them in genuine ways (and not just offering quick responses and rushing to get back to the lesson)? Listen in as LDF host Dan Wotherspoon engages with show regular Terri Petersen and the wise historian and church watcher Greg Prince! We think you will really enjoy the conversation!

    1h 28m

  5. JAN 16

    226: Big-Tent Mormonism--How Can We Help Bring that About?

    Many Latter-day Saints long for a more inclusive church, including less of an emphasis on doctrines in favor of learning to listen better to each other and open our hearts to more diverse points of view. They are bored by and are unmoved by certainty. They want a deeper connection with the Divine (however they picture that). They want to be heard and understood for who they are and not feel they have to perform the role of "perfect" Mormon. This episode looks closely at the concept of "Big Tent" Mormonism. How can we help bring it about? What are the main obstacles standing in the way of us learning to be more welcoming to everyone? How can we broaden awareness of faith struggles and talk about them in genuine ways (and not just offering quick responses and rushing to get back to the lesson)? Listen in as LDF host Dan Wotherspoon engages with show regular Terri Petersen and the wise historian and church watcher Greg Prince! We think you will really enjoy the conversation!

    1h 28m

  6. 12/11/2025

    225: Hope Now!

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

    1h 4m

  7. 12/04/2025

    03_Women Outside the Garden: Alyson Deussen and Susie Augenstein

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

    1h 12m

  8. 11/14/2025

    224: Valuing Myth

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

    34 min
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4.7
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129 Ratings

About

Latter-day Faith is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Wotherspoon, PhD, that explores faith and its realities for this time in human history. Although each discussion maintains awareness of its primarily Latter-day Saint audience, the conversations, sensibilities, and variety of guests featured are drawn from many religious traditions.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Wotherspoon
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    232
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019-2022 Faith Journey Foundation and Dan Wotherspoon - All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Latter-day Faith

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