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 ..read more

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 convers ..read more

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 th ..read more

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 alo ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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? W ..read more

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 r ..read more

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 many books that are collections of his thoughts and cartoons. During their conversation, we are privileged to get an overview of David’s faith journey, his decision to leave formal ministry and step into his current roles, and the focus of his spirituality now. The bulk of the discussion focuses on faith “deconstruction,” framing it in terms of Elisabeth Kubler ..read more

This has been a tough week in Mormonism, with new rehearsals of old ideas entering the LDS universe that seem to portray God and we humans as less that loving and beautiful. In this environment, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon shares his convictions, based on his own experiences, in an effort to encourage and celebrate everyone and the Love that is the animating force of the universe. God is Loving. We are all beautiful One portion of Dan's words speak to the sense he has that what we are seeing in terms of the intensity and increasing frequency of warnings of eternal judgments and the s ..read more