Latter-day Faith

Dan Wotherspoon
  • 4,7 (126)
  • CHRISTIANISME
  • TOUTES LES 2 SEMAINES
Latter-day Faith

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. -2 J

    205: What is Mysticism? Can Mormons Be Mystics?

    In this terrific episode, Terri Petersen interviews Jana Spangler and usual LDF host Dan Wotherspoon about "mysticism." The ultimate goal of their conversation was to take this word and topic and drop it down from the clouds (how many people imagine it) and into our lives here and now.  Through great questions from Terri and sharing their personal experiences, Jana and Dan emphasize that mysticism basically means getting in touch with the Divine/God/the Universe directly. Instead of staying in the realm of talking about God with words that can't capture the depth and wideness of of the Divine, when we give ourselves permission and imagine that what underlies and gives life to all things can be accessed directly we are never again the same. When we are able to touch it, everything in the foreground changes. As the mystic and spiritual teacher James Finley says, what happens isn't that we can see more of the nature of things as much as it is we are able to see all things by utilizing more of ourselves. Mystical experience teaches us directly about our actual depths. A fun part of the discussion focuses on the question, "Can Mormons be mystics?" The answer, of course is a resounding "yes," but the perspectives everyone brings to that question reveal various layers to that answer. Listen in! You are a mystic, after all, just like everyone is, you just may just not know it yet.

    1 h 15 min

  2. 27 FÉVR.

    204: Responding to Today’s Loneliness Epidemic and Pervasive Sense of Helplessness

    Loneliness has been on the rise for the past few decades and has reached epidemic status. A widespread sense of hopelessness, helplessness, and depression is also pervading today's culture. We don't know if anything can be done to save our world, nation, and communities, with many of us wanting to throw our hands in the air and hide from everything. This episode dives directly into these issues, focusing on the ways that community and group involvement can help alleviate these severe issues and effect both external and internal change. In it, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon is joined in conversation by three wonderful guests, Jordan Harmon, Laura Marre, and Becca Kearl, each of whom are working as activists in these areas. Each share their own journeys with these issues, as well as how their spirituality has aided them in this work and also how this work has returned the favor changing them spiritually in wonderful ways. It is an episode full of ideas! Learn about resources. Regain hope! Listen in!

    1 h 14 min
  3. 203: Navigating the Doctrine and Covenants in Sunday School

    11 FÉVR.

    203: Navigating the Doctrine and Covenants in Sunday School

    In this episode, Mark Crego, Dan Wotherspoon, and Terri Petersen explore how to approach the Doctrine and Covenants in this year's Come Follow Me curriculum. Acknowledging both the inspiring and troubling aspects of these revelations and church history, they discuss how to navigate our faith journey while engaging in the complex and difficult texts. Sometimes verses in the D&C can be triggering. What does it mean when we speak of "the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth?" When we read "by mine own voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same," do we really think it means that they are the same words?  How do we handle the scriptures on polygamy? On the other hand, we can find verses that uplift and sanctify us, like from sections 88 or 93, where our view of god and humans is expanded to a shared eternal life.  This conversation explores the issues in a way that helps us understand the context and method of scriptures like the Doctrine and Covenants, and provides some tools that we can use to engage more meaningfully in this year's Sunday School classes, and in our personal exploration of scripture. Together, Dan, Terri, and Mark encourage approachtes that allow for faith and critical engagement, making space for personal discernment and growth.  Check it out!

    52 min

  4. 24 JANV.

    202: Navigating Life and Spirituality as a Single Woman in a "Family" Church

    In this wonderful episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon introduces two powerful Mormon women who just happen to be single. They are Diana Brown and Mallory Everton, and they are now talking about many, many aspects of what that means on their podcast, "The Soloists."  In this conversation, they speak open-heartedly about their lives, including their feelings about how their paths look different from what they had imagined as teenagers and young adults. They talk about early concerns about whether they were not worthy in some way to be partnered up, or if they had done something wrong along the way that kept them from being married. But the journey they share about here has led them past such concerns, noting how their singleness has taught them so much about themselves, and led them to deep reflection and spiritual sensibilities that they might not have found had their lives followed "The Plan." They also share about their relationships with the LDS Church and community, God, what they struggle with, how it has affected their dating lives, and what keeps them tethered to the faith tradition they were raised in.  They are remarkable, and this is an episode you should listen to whether you or a loved one is single within the church. The spiritual insights here stand firmly on their own. Check it out!

    1 h 26 min

  5. 16 JANV.

    201: The Challenge for Church in a Changing World

    Doctrines that were set during the founding years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints enthroned as eternal (and how it is in heaven) many things that were true of life in those days but would later change. Among these was defining different roles for men and women, and also the priority of procreation. If families were going to survive in those days where most everything the family needs was produced by its own labor, the more children you had, the better. And since women were the ones who carried and gave birth to children, they, by necessity, were consigned to work that could be done while pregnant and raising children too young to work. Men's work was more physical, and it concentrated on labor that needed to be performed outside the house. What happens when these necessities change but the doctrine taught as what God wants and what heaven is all about does not? A term for the friction caused by increasingly larger mis-matches between theology and the evolving ideas/needs used by Dr. Carrie Miles, our LDF guest for this episode, is the problem of "syncretism." Two systems (our examples here are doctrine and changing economic patterns and societal shifts brought on by them) clash and each must learn to somehow manage the tensions the other. How successfully churches accommodate these shifts is a key factor in determining if a religious system stays relevant to those who are being raised in later generations. As we know, the LDS Church has had great difficulty in retaining its younger members as well as others who feel these tensions most acutely. More and more Latter-day Saints come to feel that they are not "safe" within Mormon congregations and within a church at large that does not successfully manage the crisis of syncretism.  As a way of talking about this issue of "safety," Dr. Miles draws on the “Polyvagal Theory “first introduced by Stephen Porges, which maps the effects on individuals when they feel disturbed. Any and all the body systems controlled by the vagus nerve react unconsciously to stress and any feelings of danger or a sense that something is “off.” In short, the storyline of this LDF episode is the tale of church members feeling less and less safe—physically emotionally—the greater the gap becomes between teachings and the rhetoric from those who present them, the less safe people feel in the Church when their own life situations, experiences, beliefs, and primary values don’t match with formal LDS positions, which have been taught as “eternal” even though they were heavily shaped by the assumptions, gender roles, and sense of sexual morality of the society in which the church emerged. This is a fascinating conversation! Listen in!

    1 h 12 min

  6. 10 JANV.

    200: What is "The Way?"—with author Larry Jordan

    This episode features a wonderful conversation between LDF board member Terri Petersen and author Larry Jordan, who wrote the book, The Way: Meaningful Spirituality for a Modern World detailing his spiritual journey from active but low-belief Christianity to more mystical understandings of Ultimate Reality informed mostly by eastern religious traditions. In many ways, the book is an attempt to unite eastern and western spirituality. They have great exchanges on many topics, ranging from the two worldviews, how quantum physics is describing reality in much the same way mystics do, the role of myths/stories and what difference it makes if God is a person or not, or if Biblical miracle stories really happened, and more! Enjoy!

    52 min

  7. 3 JANV.

    199: Breaking with the Resolutions/Goal-setting Pattern and Having a Much Happier New Year

    New Years season is fraught. It can mark new beginnings with fresh energy and purpose. But for so many of us who have been making and trying to keep resolutions, it can quickly become a downer as our determination and drive flounders and our old physical and mental habits and patterns reassert their power, leaving us feeling like a failure. For this reason, some folks simply throw out the whole idea of resolution and goal-setting, which is very understandable! But can this time of year be a boon for all of us if we refocus just a bit, becoming a time for renewal for our body, mind, and soul? We naturally want to (and it's good to) want to change and grow, but are we going about it in the wrong way? How do we act without falling into age-old traps? In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon is joined by two wonderful friends, board members, and occasional LDF hosts, Terri Peterson and Mark Crego to share ways to avoid seasons of “failure” and instead receive the boon that this season can bring. They each share their past experiences with goals and resolutions and the role they have played in their journeys, but also how they view such things now and how they approach New Years differently.  This episode is full of stories that we can each relate to in some way. They also share reflections on certain sayings of Jesus, wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita and mine from other sources as well as their own personal experiences things they come to understand more deeply. Listen in! Also, see if you can attend one of this month's virtual firesides (January 16th and 19th), with will be centered on these topics! Join as a listener or come and tell us your stories, past and present, about resolutions, goals, intentions, and renewal!

    1 h 3 min

  8. 27/12/2024

    198: Seasons of Light!

    In this episode, Mark Crego and Terri Petersen explore the universal themes of light and fire as celebrated across diverse cultural, religious, and spiritual traditions. From the twinkling Christmas lights of Christianity to the lamps of Diwali in Hinduism, the menorah of Hanukkah in Judaism, and the kinara of Kwanzaa, light has long symbolized hope, renewal, and the triumph of good over adversity. We delve into how these traditions connect humanity to something greater—be it divine presence, communal unity, or the rhythm of the cosmos. Their conversation spans light and darkness throughout religious and cultural traditions, finding balance between them. Through personal reflections and a deep dive into these global traditions, they uncover shared truths: light as a source of inspiration, fire as a force of transformation, and both as symbols of connection and renewal. Yet, they also address concerns, such as the risks of dualism that pits light against darkness and the potential for hierarchical domination when institutions claim ownership of light. Closing with the warmth of Christmas, they tie these themes together, inviting listeners to embrace light—not to dominate darkness but to foster balance, understanding, and love. This holiday season, let the light you share illuminate not just your home but the lives of those around you!

    54 min
Tout afficher (205)

4,7
sur 5
126 notes

À propos

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.

Informations

  • Création
    Dan Wotherspoon
  • Années d’activité
    2019 - 2025
  • Épisodes
    205
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © 2019-2022 Faith Journey Foundation and Dan Wotherspoon - All rights reserved
  • Site web de l’émission
    Latter-day Faith

Vous aimeriez peut‑être aussi

Pour écouter des épisodes au contenu explicite, connectez‑vous.

Recevez les dernières actualités sur cette émission

Connectez‑vous ou inscrivez‑vous pour suivre des émissions, enregistrer des épisodes et recevoir les dernières actualités.
Choisissez un pays ou une région

Afrique, Moyen‑Orient et Inde

Asie‑Pacifique

Europe

Amérique latine et Caraïbes

États‑Unis et Canada