Pioneering Paradox: A podcast for conflicted saints

Casey McFarland
  • 4.9 (14)
  • RELIGION

An attempt to find a middle ground in the Mormon experience.

  1. 1D AGO

    A Weekend at Warren Jeff's house- The Paradox of Fundamentalism

    One day Celestial Marriage (Polygamy) was considered the "Capstone" of our religion, and the next day anyone who continued the practice with a new marriage or even showed favor toward it were excommunicated. That stands still today. The church went from fighting for "the principle" to helping the US government root our fundamentalists in our midst. All the while we never full stopped polygamy, we simply deferred it to the next life. We discuss why in this episode. Also, in 2017 Melanie and Casey on a random chance ended up sleeping over at Warren Jeffs house for a weekend, you know the one that says "Pray and Obey" on the side of it! That one! In this episode tell Wil all about our experience and also the history or how Short Creek (Colorado City and Hildale) were founded and why.

    1h 9m

  2. MAR 20

    The Paradox of the Book of Mormon Part 1

    The Book of Mormon presents an interesting paradox: it is often placed on a pedestal, almost like a trophy, as a symbol that we possess the truth, while at the same time it cautions against that very kind of attitude. I haven't read the Book of Mormon in ten years (Casey). I called Will and told him the other day that Donald Trump is almost making me believe in the Book of Mormon again for reasons I did not expect and likely you won't either. Melanie, Casey and Wil have a discussion about it.

    1h 12m

  3. MAR 12

    The Civility Paradox- Raising civil kids in an uncivil world

    MELANIE MCFARLAND of True Within You emotional wellness joins Wil Wood and Casey McFarland to have a discussion about how adults can model civility, hope and better communication for the next generation.

    1h 11m
  4. The Paradox of Proximity - Creating Safe Places for LGBTQ Saints- Jenny Mathews

    MAR 4

    The Paradox of Proximity - Creating Safe Places for LGBTQ Saints- Jenny Mathews

    Seven years ago, a group in Cache Valley created FHE for ALL, a community that provides a safe place for LGBTQ Mormons to simply be themselves. In this conversation, Jenny Mathews shares her story of her father coming out when she was in high school, an experience that was very difficult at the time but has since become one of the greatest blessings in her life. Many people contribute to making FHE for ALL the welcoming and supportive space it is today. This discussion also explores how others might think about creating similar safe spaces in their own communities. We love Jenny and the entire FHE for ALL group, and we loved this conversation. We hope you do too! 🌈 If you want to meet another member of this group go back and listen to our episode titled: Coffee hour with Blake

    1h 14m

  5. FEB 25

    Clark Gilbert- Preserver and Distruptor

    The paradox of Clark Gilbert is that he is both a preserver and a disruptor. He built his reputation on the logic of disruptive innovation arguing that institutions must be willing to dismantle parts of themselves to survive, yet his motivation has often been deeply conservative: to protect enduring values, faith communities, and long-term institutional purpose. He is willing to fire 40% of a newsroom or radically restructure an organization not out of iconoclasm, but out of stewardship. In Gilbert’s model, stability comes through change, and loyalty to a mission sometimes requires disloyalty to a model. That tension between conviction and adaptation, preservation and reinvention is the core of his leadership paradox.

    1h 21m

  6. FEB 21

    Women on the Stand- Amy Watkins Jensen

    In the fall of 2023, local leaders in the bay area were instructed by the Area presidency to no longer allow women sit on the stand during ward and stake conferences. While it is not something done in all wards or stakes it was something this area had done for nearly a decade to show respect and honor women leaders in their area. The sudden change was deeply hurtful and left a lot of members asking why? As a result  Amy Watkins Jensen started an instagram account titled Women on the Stand. Today it has nearly 15,000 followers. Although it was started by Amy, it has quickly become a place where members can post success stories and little changes and wins in the pursuit of greater equality in the church. We were so happy to interview Amy and we hope you feel inspired to be a part of making a difference after listening to this.

    1h 3m

  7. FEB 17

    McArthur Krishna- To Thine Own Self Be True AND Be a Part of Community

    In this episode, we’re joined by the marvelous McArthur Krishna. McArthur has been on the front lines reminding Latter-day Saints that Heavenly Mother is not a side note to our story but rather essential and that without Her, we will always be out of balance. She has co-written 14 books, primarily focused on Heavenly Mother and women in the scriptures and she is heavily involved in the world of Latter Day Saint art.  In this conversation, we explore the importance of becoming sovereign. The paradox of being part of a very strong group identity while honoring one's own distinct voice can be a real challenge. Both are important and we discuss ways people can balance the two and that sometimes there can be costs when someone follows that very divine an individual call. We gained a lot from this conversation and hope you do too. That's Church March 7: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/becoming-sovereign-claiming-your-story-honoring-your-agency-and-building-the-beloved-community McArthur's Amazon Account: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMcArthur%2BKrishna&s=relevancerank&text=McArthur+Krishna&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1

    1h 11m

  8. FEB 13 ·  BONUS

    Coffee Hour w/ Blake Muir part 1- Bonus Episode

    Melanie and Casey sit down with Blake Muir for what we are calling Coffee Hour with Blake. Blake asks the question "If there is Eternal Progression, could there be eternal digression?" Without diversity in heaven would we progress? We also discuss what heaven would be like without our LGBTQ members. Would that be heaven? Is there sin in thinking you are going to heaven while thinking others aren't?

    59 min
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An attempt to find a middle ground in the Mormon experience.

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