Latter-day Faith
Religion & Spirituality
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.
Episodes
- 06_Women Outside the Garden: When Sovereignty Becomes Holy Disruption
Terri Petersen interviews Heather Pack for our series "women outside the Garden" discussing the concept of "holy disruptors" as those who challenge accepted norms to create long-term solutions. They explore biblical examples of women who a…
- 229: Is Christianity's Idea of Individual Sin and a Need for the Savior Helpful to Becoming Christlike?
In this monologue episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon shares some of his recent thinking about the ways Western Christianity has misinterpreted (or ignored) his actual teachings in such a way that we have the rise of Christian Nationalism, i…
- 228: Rethinking Prophets: Lessons from the Hebrew Bible
This year's Sunday School curriculum is the Old Testament (better titled the Hebrew Bible). And before too long, those of us who follow the Come Follow Me calendar will begin moving into the study of the prophets Isaiah through Malachi. Fo…
- 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 epi…
- 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 Wothe…
- 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…
- 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 b…
- 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 b…
- 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 ex…
- 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…
- 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 purp…
- W2: Women Outside the Garden - Just Give Me the Keys to My Own Dang Car
In the second episode of our special series, "Women Outside the Garden", host Terri Petersen interviewed an amazing Substack content provider Stephanie G., discussing women and priesthood power. In a church culture that emphasizes patriarc…
- 223: What Do We Do with Scripture?
During faith crises/shifts, one the most difficult things to renegotiate is our relationship with scripture. For most of our lives we have most likely thought that they portrayed an accurate history of things that happened in the past and…
- 222: Thoughts in the Aftermath of "No Kings" Rallies
In this short episode, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon reflects on this week's "No Kings" rallies and an idea that has begun to form in his mind that names something happening over the past decades (and specifically the last six year…
- "Women Outside the Garden": Episode 1
As we announced a couple of weeks ago, the Faith Journey Foundation and Latter-day Faith Podcast are launching a new series of episodes with the title, "Women Outside the Garden," hosted by our wonderful friend and collaborator, Terri Pete…
- 221: Anxiety and the Dearth of Optimism in Today's World
Many people feel unsettled these days. There seems to be a general unease in the air, some of it caused by the rapid changes the current president is making, many mean-spirited and cruel. For Latter-day Saints, add in the recent loss of Pr…
- 220: Making the Shift from Being Right to Being Good
In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon shares a few thoughts on very important step in our spiritual maturation processes: shifting from a preoccupation with the question, "What is True?" to instead evaluating how various ideas "affect…
- 219: Exploring Faith Outside the Garden
In this episode, Latter-day Faith co-host Terri Petersen shares with us about her life and spiritual journey with all its ups and downs. We get to know her as a perfectionist who loved everything about the church because it had answers to…
- 218: What's Ahead for Latter-day Faith
As we refresh our energies after a long summer, Mark Crego and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon take stock a bit about Latter-day Faith, its mission, and what its plans are going forward, including new kinds of offerings ahead. This is an unusual…
- 218: What's Ahead for Latter-day Faith
As we refresh our energies after a long summer, Mark Crego and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon take stock a bit about Latter-day Faith, its mission, and what its plans are going forward, including new kinds of offerings ahead. This is an unusual…
- 217: Showing Up Imperfectly
This terrific episode features a conversation between Kimber Poon and LDF co-host Terri Petersen about moving past our fears about our changing beliefs, attitudes, relationships with the Church, family and friends, and more. Kimber is a te…
- 216: Religious Trends and How They Are Reflected in the Upcoming Sunstone Symposium
Religious topics and types of conversations about them change through the years: folks are all abuzz over particular topics, and then a new buzzy one comes along and the types of conversations about the others begin to be transform, and th…
- 215: Fear, Labeling, Dismissing, and False Peace
We don't like it when situations get complicated. We hate being confused. We want everything to go back to making sense again--and right away. One way to make this happen is to find someone to blame. It's that person's fault. Whew! We labe…
- 213: What Does Healthy Differentiation Look Like?
We are delighted to welcome Valerie Hamaker back to the show! Early on in the discussion between Valerie and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon, we get caught up about the shake up this past March that was started by church leaders who disapproved o…
- 212: Why and How Do We Engage with Mormonism the Way We Do
Every person who finds the Latter-day Faith podcast has wrestled and is still wrestling with Mormonism in some way. We each find ourselves in in our own unique relationship with the LDS church, its teachings, and its members (often includi…
- 210: A Different Kind of Creed
The famous creeds of Christendom focus solely on who Christ is, including his relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, his resurrection and role in bringing about salvation. But the do not include any of this teachings or pers…
- 211: Women Emerging from Patriarchy
In this wonderful episode, writer Stephanie G shares with Terri Petersen her experiences as a Latter-day Saint in a patriarchal system. Together, she and Terri mourn what was lost to them through the church's purity and modesty culture, le…
- 209: We Love That They Have Said It (and Have Now Written About It)!
Many of this show's listeners are aware of the incredible podcast, "At Last She Said It." Its co-hosts, Susan Hinckley and Cynthia Winward, are long-time friends personally and have been on this show several times. They are always insightf…
- 208: Healing Our Religious and Political Divides
We are in a time of profound divisions, where our religions and particularly our politics are tearing the very fabric of our society. How can we continue like this? How does our faith survive when so many within our religious communities a…
- 207: Conference Challenges, Comments, and Connections
We had yet another LDS General Conference this past weekend--the semi-annual tradition of listening to the talks that will inform our sacrament meetings as well as priesthood and Relief Society meetings for the next six months. Conference…
- 206: How Is Our View of God Related to How We View External Authority?
Each person's life journey includes intense wrestles with the matter of "authority." When we are young, we are in a position in which we must defer to another's authority in order to survive. As we grow, we soon become self-conscious, taki…
- 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 peop…
- 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…
- 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 c…
- 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…
- 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 de…
- 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-bel…
- 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 o…
- 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 D…
- 197: Meet David Hayward, "The Naked Pastor"
In this terrific episode, Terri Petersen interviews someone that we guess many of you know: David Hayward, known best online as "The Naked Pastor." David is an artist, blogger, leader of a community called "The Lasting Supper," and has man…
- 196: Becoming Change Agents through Constructive Community Involvement
When we are feeling down and helpless in the face of frightening trends, events, and horrors, one of the possible causes is that we have become passive, possibly just throwing up our hands and retreating into our own cocoon to ride things…
- 195: The Good We Can Do When We Share from Our Hearts
This wonderful episode features LDF host Dan Wotherspoon in conversation with two of his (and his wife Lorri's) great friends, Shauna and Roger Anderson. The idea of doing this episode was spurred by fantastic sacrament meeting remarks tha…
- 194: Election Thoughts and How We Can Care for Ourselves in its Wake
In this short episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon offers a few of his reactions to the recent presidential election. Without trying to demonize anyone who may have voted differently than he did, Dan speaks to the situation of just how eviden…
- Can AI Play a Supporting Role in Our Spiritual Journeys?
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives as it is now enhancing the way businesses and health care providers work, as well as assisting in financial fraud detection, cybersecurity, and much more. Its…
- 192: Reacting to the Announcement of Changes to the LDS Temple Garment
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has just announced changes to LDS garment styles, including options that don't require shoulders to be covered, along with the option to wear a garment "shift" that doesn't require women to h…
- 191: Responses to the New LDS Emphasis on Christ's Second Coming
In the October 2024 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ, Church president Russell M. Nelson indicated that the reason the Church is building so many new temples is related to preparations for Christ's Second Coming. "Why are w…
- 190: Discerning Our Life Path
So many of us stumble through life without a genuine sense of who we are and what we should do. One of things that brings us the greatest joy and peace is when we finally connect with what our soul seems to be calling us toward. What are o…
- 189: How Does God Intervene in Our Lives and in the World?
LDS Church teachings about deity suggest that God is very actively engaged in our lives and the world more widely. Many members of the church pray to God for blessings large and small. They try to live in ways that will please God, and avo…
- LatterDayFaith-188
Listen in on a conversation between three longtime confidantes, LDF board member Terri Petersen and her friends, Nancy and Susan as they discuss their changing relationships with the LDS Church and with their loved ones. As will become cle…
- 187: The Gospel of Jesus Christ--What is the "Good News"?
The question, "What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?" might not lead many people to think deeply. For a large number of Mormons and other Christians, our answer is tied up with the messages of their religious tradition and its belief system.…