This perennially well-received session features the stories of those who have chosen to remain active, dedicated Latter-day Saints even in the face of challenges to traditional faith. Christian Kimball, Matt Jones, LaShawn Williams, Dan Wotherspoon
Speaker: Dan Wotherspoon
The Difficulties and Joys of “Inner Work”
In this session, leaders of the Faith Journey Foundation, the non-profit organization that manages and facilitates Latter-day Faith and several other podcasts, will share their reflections on their attempts to walk the challenging but rewarding path of spiritual development (“inner work”) that involves entirely changing how we approach life, hold our beliefs, interact with others, …
From Surviving to Thriving: Learning How to “Do” Church as an Adventurous Mormon
Early on in a faith shift, most of us begin to feel less comfortable at church, sure that we’re the only one thinking (what seem to be) bigger thoughts about the topics at hand, or frustrated at appeals to authority instead of genuine engagement. “Where’s the growth?” “Where’s the curiosity?”, we wonder. Experiences like these …
Worth of All Persons
This panel includes people from many different branches of the Restoration movement who will discuss what “Embracing All, Even the Least of These” means in a faith transition. What do our books of scripture say about this topic? How we act upon those words? Carla Long Lachlan Mackay Nancy Ross Dan Wotherspoon Ruth Williams
Enjoying the Temple with Fresh Eyes
For many, the Mormon temple experience is first jarring, then inspiring, and eventually repetitive, dull, and monotonous. How might we enliven temple worship and service? Are there ways of approaching it that can add life, personal and communal empowerment, and richer views and experiences? Meet three people for whom this answer is a resounding yes. …
Moving Past Black And White Thinking About God Religion And Mormonism
One of the most difficult tasks in a faith journey is to enter into complexity, to be willing and able to move from clean, simple views of truth, history, and knowledge into more uncertain and uncharted territories—all with the hope (but no guarantee) that we’ll find something in which to center ourselves. Panelists will present …
Why We Stay
This perennially well-received session features the stories of those who have chosen to remain active, dedicated Latter-day Saints even in the face of challenges to traditional faith. Dan Wotherspoon, Sydnie Cazier Olsen, Bill Reel, Eric Samuelsen, Jerri A. Harwell
The Persistence Of Ideas About Reincarnation In Today S Mormonism
Though not officially taught as doctrine, ideas concerning the potential reincarnation of souls have held some sway in Latter-day Saint minds and hearts. Some Mormons claim that they can access past lives or experiences in a way that suggests they’ve been incarnated on earth before. This panel examines reincarnation in light of LDS theology concerning …
Why Ritual Makes Sense
Religious ritual is strange, but there is a method to its madness. The many forms it takes, from meditation to ecstatic dance, from the solemnity of the LDS endowment to ceremonies involving psychotropic drugs, all point toward a coherent vision of who we are and how this secret is so easily obscured by our day-to-day …
Honesty In The Borderlands
Honesty is central to the Mormon experience. But in the borderlands, the questions get harder: How should we answer temple interview and worthiness questions? What do we tell family, neighbors, friends, and church officials when they ask about our beliefs and feelings? How do we deal with the internal psychological conflicts? This session will explore …