Faith Matters
Religion & Spirituality
About
Faith Matters offers an expansive view of the Restored Gospel, thoughtful exploration of big and sometimes thorny questions, and a platform that encourages deeper engagement with our faith and our world. We focus on the Latter-day Saint (Mormon) tradition, but believe we have much to learn from other traditions and fully embrace those of other beliefs.
Episodes
- Ritual, Wisdom, and our Divine Mother: Kathryn & Bob Sonntag
Kathryn and Bob Sonntag join Faith Matters to discuss the Divine Mother in ancient Christianity, divine femininity, and divine masculinity. They also explore how ritual translates meaning into action and is available in ordinary life, maki…
- Torn: A Conversation About Who We're Losing and Why, with Jeff Strong
Jeff Strong talks about his book, "Torn: Why People We Love Are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn From Them." He discusses the reasons for disaffiliation, such as unmet spiritual needs and exclusion, and suggests ways to cultivate a…
- Learning to Trust Your Own Inspiration: Deidre Green
Deidre Green joins Faith Matters to discuss epistemic confidence, focusing on trusting one's own inspiration. The conversation explores the intersection of gender, faith, and the Christian life, drawing from Green's article "Envying Hannah…
- Fr. James Martin, SJ: Moral Courage in an Age of Approval
Father James Martin, SJ joins the podcast to discuss his memoir, Work in Progress, and his journey toward spiritual transformation. He explores themes of overcoming people-pleasing, the role of doubt in faith, and maintaining compassion wh…
- Nurturing a Faith Your Kids Don’t Have to Heal From: Meredith Miller
Meredith Miller discusses her book, Woven, focusing on nurturing a healthy faith in children. The conversation covers the distinction between trust-based and obedience-based faith, approaches to scripture, and the role of family dynamics i…
- What to Say When Your Kid Leaves the Church: Joseph Grenny & Jeff Strong
Joseph Grenny and Jeff Strong discuss how to handle conversations with loved ones who decide to leave the Church. They explore the impact of stress on communication and provide strategies for choosing connection and curiosity over fear in…
- Terryl Givens: The God Who Waits
Terryl Givens joins Faith Matters to discuss W.H. Vanstone’s The Stature of Waiting, exploring the vulnerability of God through the final week of Jesus's life. The conversation examines how themes of waiting and receptivity relate to the h…
- Won't You Be My Neighbor? An episode of Article 13
This episode features a conversation from the podcast Article 13, hosted by Zach Davis, exploring the challenges of commitment in modern culture. It discusses how fostering deep connections, such as friendships and community involvement, c…
- Reading the Bible Through the Jesus Lens
Riley Risto joins Faith Matters to discuss reading the Hebrew Bible through a Christ-centered, cruciform lens. The conversation explores how Jesus’s life and teachings can help navigate passages of divine violence in scripture.
- “Yes, And”: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice, with Lisa Valentine Clark and James Rees
Lisa Valentine Clark and James Rees discuss creativity as a spiritual practice and how it helps individuals process life's challenges. They explore the impact of the improv principle "yes, and" and the importance of vulnerability in the cr…
- When Your Faith Breaks: Tucker Boyle
Tucker Boyle, a former seminary teacher and founder of Harmony Road Retreats, discusses his personal experience with a faith crisis. He shares how his journey through doubt and re-evaluating his religious framework led to a process of tran…
- When Faith Meant Trust, with Teresa Morgan
Teresa Morgan, a scholar of early Christian history, explains that the early Christian concept of 'faith' primarily meant trust and faithfulness, involving the act of entrusting one's life to God. Over time, external pressures led to a shi…
- Bruce Tift: Already Free
This episode features Bruce Tift discussing his book "Already Free," which integrates Western psychotherapy and Eastern Buddhist practices. Tift explores how to make peace with being human by acknowledging childhood survival strategies and…
- Terryl Givens: Wrestling with the Word
This episode revisits a conversation with Terryl Givens, exploring the Old Testament's rich spiritual insights and challenging aspects. Givens helps navigate tensions by discussing the Bible's origins, translations, and how to engage with…
- Choosing Community over Ideological Purity: Lessons from Exponent II with Katie Ludlow Rich & Heather Sundahl
This episode discusses the history and lessons of Exponent II, a publication and community for Latter-day Saint women, exploring how to maintain relationships amidst differing beliefs and experiences by listening and making space for compl…
- Jeff Strong: Un-Sifting the Saints
Jeff Strong joins Faith Matters to discuss his survey findings on spiritual segments within the Church, like Seekers and Protectors. He explores how answering "Who is the Church for?" shapes community, belonging, and responses to differenc…
- An Inconvenient Faith: Robert Reynolds and Patrick Mason
Robert Reynolds and Patrick Mason join Faith Matters to discuss the docu-series An Inconvenient Faith, which tackles sensitive subjects like women and authority, LGBTQ belonging, and race within their faith tradition, aiming to foster unde…
- A Deeper Look at the Creation Story: an episode of Sanctuary with Jared Lambert
Larkin Swain hosts Jared Lambert, a historical linguist, on the Sanctuary podcast to discuss the Genesis creation story. Lambert offers a linguistic perspective on the creation narrative, temple endowment symbolism, and reinterprets the st…
- Finding Nourishment in the Old Testament, with Sarah and Josh Sabey
Sarah and Josh Sabey share insights on their new Old Testament storybook, providing a thoughtful lens to re-examine familiar stories and find deeper faith. The episode explores themes of healing, perfectionism, and personal growth through…
- Let's Talk About Money, with Carl Richards
This episode features Carl Richards, known as The Sketch Guy, discussing his perspective on money as a reflection of personal values. He encourages listeners to become 'world-class spenders' by aligning their financial decisions with their…
- In the Bleak Midwinter, by Peter Conti-Brown
This episode features a reading of Peter Conti-Brown's "In the Bleak Midwinter," a true story about unexpected grace, presence, and connection during a Christmas marked by absence and uncertainty.
- The Four Tendencies with Gretchen Rubin
New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin discusses her Four Tendencies framework, which categorizes how people respond to inner and outer expectations as Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, or Rebels. Understanding your tendency can…
- Rooting Out “It Was Right for Its Time” : Paul Reeve and Ramesus Stewart-Johnson
Paul Reeve and Ramesus Stewart-Johnson discuss the history of race, priesthood, and temple restrictions within the Church, exploring the lasting impacts and the need to confront the past to move forward. They address the prophetic challeng…
- Advent: A Season of Sacred Longing, with Cecelia Proffit
Cecelia Proffit shares insights on Advent as a season of sacred longing, encouraging listeners to embrace both the joys and difficulties of life, trusting that God meets us in our experiences. She explains how Advent prepares us for Christ…
- Humor as Wisdom: Mallory Everton at Restore
Mallory Everton argues that laughter is a spiritual practice, not a distraction, connecting us to the present and the divine. She suggests Jesus’s encouragement to be like children may point to the value of playfulness and delight, sharing…
- The Prophet and the Priest, with Matt Bowman
Scholar Matt Bowman explores the archetypes of the prophet, an outside voice calling for repentance, and the priest, who nurtures from within. Bowman examines how these roles, though seemingly contrasting, work in harmony to support a comm…
- "Truth and Treason" with filmmaker Matt Whitaker
Filmmaker Matt Whitaker joins the Faith Matters podcast to discuss his film "Truth & Treason." The film chronicles the true story of Helmuth Hübener, a 16-year-old Latter-day Saint in Nazi Germany who risked his life distributing anti-Nazi…
- Unpacking Polygamy: Wrestling with 132, with Bethany Brady Spalding, Patrick Mason, and Bill Turnbull
This episode features Bethany Brady Spalding, Patrick Mason, and Bill Turnbull discussing the theological challenges of polygamy, focusing on Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants. They compare it with other scriptures and current chur…
- Unpacking Polygamy: The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy, with Carol Lynn Pearson
Carol Lynn Pearson joins Faith Matters to discuss her book "The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy," sharing her personal views on the historical practice of polygamy and its lasting effects on Latter-day Saints. She advocates for honoring the past…
- Unpacking Polygamy: Polygamy from Nauvoo to Utah, with Brittany Chapman Nash & Patrick Mason
Historian Brittany Chapman Nash and Patrick Mason examine the lived experiences and theological underpinnings of plural marriage in early Utah. Nash shares overlooked stories, highlighting the spiritual convictions, complexities, and sacri…
- Unpacking Polygamy: Our Evolving Sealing Practices, with Nate Oman
Nate Oman joins Faith Matters to discuss the historical evolution of Latter-day Saint sealing practices and their connection to polygamy. The conversation explores how confronting difficult doctrines can lead to deeper faith and understand…
- Unpacking Polygamy: Joseph Smith's Polygamy, with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich & Patrick Mason
This episode of Faith Matters features historians Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Patrick Mason discussing Joseph Smith
- Beyond Thoughts and Prayers: A Conversation with Sharon Eubank
Faith Matters features Sharon Eubank discussing practical and ethical humanitarian aid. Eubank, director of Latter-day Saint Charities, explains the "second disaster" of ineffective aid and shares principles for impactful relief, emphasizi…
- Faith on the Frontier of AI: A Conversation with Medlir Mema
Scholar Medlir Mema joins Faith Matters to discuss the profound spiritual and human implications of artificial intelligence. Mema argues for the urgent need for people of faith to shape an AI future that reflects humanity's best values.
- The Spiritual Practice of Speaking Up: A Conversation with Cynthia Winward & Susan M. Hinckley
Susan Hinckley and Cynthia Winward, authors and podcast hosts, share insights on the spiritual practice of speaking up, discussing how honest conversations about faith challenges can foster trust, transformation, and a deeper connection wi…
- The Last Book Written By a Human — a conversation with Jeff Burningham
Jeff Burningham discusses his book, "The Last Book Written By a Human," exploring themes of transformation, presence, and the concept of AI as a cosmic mirror revealing essential human qualities. He suggests a path forward involves relinqu…
- How to Love Your Enemy: Arthur Brooks at Restore 2025
Arthur Brooks' keynote at Restore 2025 focused on combating contempt and practicing moral courage. He urged the audience to love their enemies not as a feeling, but as concrete, countercultural action, emphasizing that becoming a different…
- Peacemaking and Discipleship: A Live Conversation from Proclaim Peace with Jennifer Thomas and Chad Ford
This episode of Faith Matters features a live conversation on peacemaking and discipleship with Jennifer Thomas and Chad Ford. The Waymakers conference, REPAIR, is announced for October 23–25 in Provo, Utah.
- Loving Your Neighbor: Jared Halverson at Restore 2024
Recorded at Restore 2024, Jared Halverson
- Article 13 - A Church Where We Belong
This Faith Matters episode discusses belonging in spiritual communities, emphasizing inherent connection and the act of offering belonging to others. It considers how striving to create identity as children of God, rather than solely throu…
- The Honest Truth About Our Messy Families: Joseph Grenny at Restore 2024
Joseph Grenny discusses his "messy" family experiences, including loved ones struggling with addiction and estrangement, and challenges the traditional idea of family success. He suggests "All is well" can be true even amidst imperfection,…
- Why We Love Conspiracy Theories: A Conversation with Sharon McMahon
Sharon McMahon, a former government teacher and podcast host, discusses with Faith Matters why conspiracy theories are compelling, how they spread, and the human needs they fulfill. The conversation also covers how faith communities can fo…
- Holiness to the Lord: A Conversation with Jonathan Stapley
This episode features historian Jonathan Stapley discussing his book "Holiness to the Lord," which explores the origins and evolution of the Latter-day Saint temple. Stapley examines Joseph Smith's use of Revelation and biblical archetypes…
- That We Might Have Joy: Desire, Divinity, and Intimate Love, a conversation with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife
Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife joins Faith Matters to discuss her new book, "That We Might Have Joy: Desire, Divinity, and Intimate Love." The conversation explores how sexual intimacy can be a starting point for joy and spiritual connection…
- A Fresh Look at the Word of Wisdom—a conversation with Ali Essig and Bill Turnbull
This episode features a conversation with Ali Essig and Bill Turnbull about the Word of Wisdom. They discuss re-evaluating this health code as a principle of wisdom and wholeness rather than a list of prohibitions, considering its relevanc…
- Joy is Our Birthright—Astrid Tuminez at Restore
Astrid Tuminez, president of Utah Valley University, shares her life journey and practices for finding joy, drawing from the Book of Mormon and Buddhist meditation. This session was recorded before the unexpected passing of her husband.
- The Last Voyage—A conversation with Brian McLaren
Brian McLaren joins Faith Matters to discuss his novel "The Last Voyage," which is set in a future where Earth is collapsing and a crew is sent to Mars. The conversation delves into relationship conflict, the importance of curiosity in dif…
- Leap of Faith: Mauli Bonner at Restore 2024
Mauli Bonner recounts a personal story of spiritual prompting and radical trust from the Restore 2024 gathering. The session explores living a faith-filled life that involves acting as God's hands without guaranteed outcomes.
- A Candid Portrait of Joseph Smith - A Conversation with John Turner
Faith Matters features historian John Turner discussing his biography, "Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet." The conversation explores Joseph Smith's family, visions, plural marriage, and personal evolution, drawing on…
- Holy Envy - David Butler at Restore
Dave Butler discusses "Holy Envy," encouraging appreciation for other faiths and recognizing divine elements within them. He shares a vision of restoration as an inclusive, healing process for all humanity.