Mormon Matters

On 29 March 2015, the Christian world will celebrate Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem for what turned out to be the final few days of his life. This final week, especially his suffering in Gethsemane, betrayal, and crucifixion, are also widely known as "The Passion," and commemorations of these and other events of this seven day period (ending with his resurrection on Easter Sunday) occur during Holy Week. The things that occurred during this final week have special significance for Christians, and they are among the few events in Jesus’s life that are mentioned in each of the four Gospels. In this episode, Eric Huntsman and Julie Smith join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a close look at the events of this final week, as well interesting textual issues (both things included and how, as well as differences). They also speak freely of devotional angles one might examine as part of a Holy Week commemoration, as well as at other times. What can we learn about Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem? His overturning of money-changer tables and causing of a ruckus in the temple? His anointing with expensive oil by a woman with an alabaster jar? The Last Supper? His ordeal in Gethsemane? His betrayal? Finally, what can we learn from the rending of the temple veil at following his crucifixion? This episode dovetails nicely with "An Easter Primer" (Episodes 159-163) released in March 2013. In that series of episodes, Jared Anderson, Zina Petersen, and Kristine Haglund introduce us in great detail to the textual record (and wider background) of his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, as well as a history of liturgies and music and celebrations of Holy Week throughout history and today, including things like Passion plays and devotional experiencing of the Stations of the Cross. Together, these episodes serve well as rich and wonderful introductions in preparation for Holy Week commemorations.

The Apostle Paul’s theology can be difficult to grasp--and in a few ways, especially so for Mormons. Some challenges arise from Latter-day Saints’ primary use of the King James Translation of the Bible, which has often very beautiful language but contains archaic expressions that sometimes confuse English readers and obscure key connections between ideas. Another factor has been Mormonism’s attempts to differentiate itself from mainline and evangelical Christianity, which, in so doing, has caused it to de-emphasize Paul’s writings since they are so pivotal in shaping the understandings in these other traditions. One huge cost of this shying away from things that sound "too Protestant" has been a Mormon de-emphasis on--and huge misunderstanding of--the central theological tenet of Grace, especially as it relates to sin and "the law." In the past two decades, however, several popular Mormon theologians have begun to rescue Grace and Paul’s central messaging from their background positions. This episode’s guests, Adam S. Miller and Joseph Spencer, are two of these theologians who have done a great deal of important thinking, writing, and speaking about Grace and its relationship to other familiar but often misunderstood and misjudged elements of Paul’s theology. In this discussion, and through his an aptly titled book, Grace Is Not God’s Backup Plan: An Urgent Paraphrase of Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Miller gets to the heart of LDS misunderstandings of Grace. As he sees Paul teaching, it is not a response to sin, a kind of divine approval that bridges the gap that always will remain even "after all we can do" (a common misreading of what is being taught in 2 Nephi 25:23). Miller writes: "Grace is not God’s backup plan. Jesus is not plan B. God’s boundless grace comes first and sin is what follows. Grace is not God’s response to sin. Sin is our embarrassed, improvised, rebellious rejection of God’s original grace." Besides Grace, Miller and Spencer also lead us in wonderful explications of Paul’s views on sin, the law, death, and faith. In so doing, they help reveal the "underlying logic" of Paul’s brilliant theology, presenting it in a very compelling way.

In this episode, co-released with Mormon Stories, Wendy Williams Montgomer, John Dehlin, and Dan Wotherspoon speak about the difficult dynamics at play in discussing with loved ones, whether family, friends, or ward members, about differences in faith positions after one party or another has shifted. In contrast with the types of challenges presented to people by "outsiders" to their faith, a change in stance and the new worldview presented by those who were once in sync with you (or at least perceived to be in sync) can be far more devastating. Their shifts often feel very personal, a rejection of something we hold most dear. And they have no excuse! They once knew what we know and now challenge and say they are seeing more clearly or experiencing something else more richly? For those who are the ones who have shifted, a loved one’s negative reactions to that person’s change also can feel quite personal. Why don’t they trust me that I’m on a good path, that I have information or insights that open the world to me in new ways? Why are they choosing stubbornness and clinging to ideology and dogma over really exploring and staying in close relationship with me no matter where my faith journey takes me? How can we see these and other dynamics more clearly? What is "our" responsibility as those who have been the one whose perspectives have shifted? How can both parties better understand the challenges of this situation and learn to have compassion for each other? What are key virtues needed in such relationships? What are some "dos" and "don’ts" for negotiating this difficult interpersonal terrain?

We all recognize that there is a significant distance between the "real" world we live in and the "ideal" one we’d love to see instantiated. Parker Palmer calls this space between real and ideal the "tragic gap." He uses "tragic" to denote the inevitability of this distance and to acknowledge that even the greatest person living the best kind of life will never live to see her or his ideals fully realized. "Tragic" implies those things that are inescapable conditions of life. In Mormon theology, even God lives in the tragic gap. God can call and urge and try to persuade each person and entity toward its richest life, but always that pesky thing called "agency" will thwart full realization. Given these facts of existence, however, how does God maintain focus and energy and a life of continual striving to try to bring about joy for all? And, closer to home, how can we? How can we hold the tension? How can we find renewal of our spirits? This episode features an extended reflection on these and related issues by Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon. Using a talk he gave in November 2014 at the Sunstone Northwest Symposium as a guide, he seeks to draw attention to deeper and richer forms of inclusion and belonging, culminating in our coming to peace and joy as people who are willing to courageously (but also not without its joys) live, breathe, and serve in this tragic gap. It is a life that offers no easy tasks, but it is a type of life and independence of spirit in which we might fully be at peace with ourselves and find renewal of our energies. And one in which we’ll find that we are also in great company!

This week’s excommunication from the LDS Church of John Dehlin, and its making fresher the memory of Kate Kelly’s excommunication last summer as well as other actions taken against persons of conscience who have found themselves in tension with the church, is taking a great emotional and spiritual toll on many of us. We are sad, angry, disappointed, frightened, thrown into turmoil with family members and friends who react differently than we do, and we can’t help but wonder if we have the fortitude to keep fighting on, to keep witnessing for truths we’ve come to feel deeply. Many may be feeling that this is the "last straw" or are otherwise despairing that Mormonism will likely never become better able to welcome open-hearted discussions of difficult historical, social, and doctrinal issues. How can we go forward? On the evening of the news that John Dehlin was excommunicated, Natasha Helfer Parker, Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, Joanna Brooks, Dan Wotherspoon, and Brian Dillman got together via Skype audio chat to discuss various ways they personally cope with the kinds of distress such things cause, perspectives that help heal them in times of difficulty. Their sharing is this podcast episode, which is being co-released by Mormon Matters, Rational Faiths podcast, and Mormon Mental Health podcast. How might we experience and understand our anger in healthy ways? How do we not let our emotions get the better of us and block out wider perspectives that likely would serve us better for the long haul? Can historical and sociological frameworks help us see these recent events in greater context, help us understand ways to more forward rather than repeat negative cycles? Are there larger spiritual or existential framings that can help us make peace with the tensions life and the many things we care about seem to constantly call upon us to bear?

In this Mormon Matters episode, Taylor Petrey and Eric Huntsman join host Dan Wotherspoon to help ground the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the political, geographic, linguistic, and religious contexts of their times. What do we know (and not know!) about the authors of these texts, when they wrote, and their intended audiences? How are their gospels organized? Which covers which parts of the story? How are they similar and dissimilar in their portrayals of the texts’ central character, Jesus, known most often now by the term Christ (messiah), as well as regarding various other story details? Finally, how has knowing what they know about the origins of the early church and these texts changed the panelists’ perspectives--even their faith?

In this Mormon Matters episode, Taylor Petrey and Eric Huntsman join host Dan Wotherspoon to help ground the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the political, geographic, linguistic, and religious contexts of their times. What do we know (and not know!) about the authors of these texts, when they wrote, and their intended audiences? How are their gospels organized? Which covers which parts of the story? How are they similar and dissimilar in their portrayals of the texts’ central character, Jesus, known most often now by the term Christ (messiah), as well as regarding various other story details? Finally, how has knowing what they know about the origins of the early church and these texts changed the panelists’ perspectives--even their faith?

Of course Mormonism is a religion. But do we always think about it through the lenses of such a big and diverse category? Among those who are born into and/or otherwise live and experience the world primarily through the lenses of Mormonism, most often their focus is on its "truth claims" as well as the pathway it lays out for "salvation—" And for them Mormonism and the LDS Church are mostly defined in terms of their community and the institution that sets forth its beliefs and practices, including administering its sacred ordinances. But like every other religion, Mormonism is more than just these things. It is a key element in identity formation; it articulates core spiritual and ethical values and suggests, either formally or through Mormon cultural influences, how its members should think and act about key matters of the day. In general, it is the primary contributor to the worldview that provides a sense of orientation and direction in what can often feel like an overwhelmingly chaotic world. In this two-part episode, religion scholars Laurie Maffly-Kipp and Doe Daughtrey, along with classics scholar Margaret Toscano, join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in discussion of "religion" that opens our eyes to these larger categories and ways religions influence lives, and then discusses elements of Mormonism that these help illustrate. What can we learn and realize about Mormonism when seen through comparative lenses? How typical is Mormonism among other traditions in its historical and current-day wrestling with social and cultural issues such as gender, sexuality, race, scripture and sacred texts, women, and authority structures?

Of course Mormonism is a religion. But do we always think about it through the lenses of such a big and diverse category? Among those who are born into and/or otherwise live and experience the world primarily through the lenses of Mormonism, most often their focus is on its "truth claims" as well as the pathway it lays out for "salvation—" And for them Mormonism and the LDS Church are mostly defined in terms of their community and the institution that sets forth its beliefs and practices, including administering its sacred ordinances. But like every other religion, Mormonism is more than just these things. It is a key element in identity formation; it articulates core spiritual and ethical values and suggests, either formally or through Mormon cultural influences, how its members should think and act about key matters of the day. In general, it is the primary contributor to the worldview that provides a sense of orientation and direction in what can often feel like an overwhelmingly chaotic world. In this two-part episode, religion scholars Laurie Maffly-Kipp and Doe Daughtrey, along with classics scholar Margaret Toscano, join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in discussion of "religion" that opens our eyes to these larger categories and ways religions influence lives, and then discusses elements of Mormonism that these help illustrate. What can we learn and realize about Mormonism when seen through comparative lenses? How typical is Mormonism among other traditions in its historical and current-day wrestling with social and cultural issues such as gender, sexuality, race, scripture and sacred texts, women, and authority structures?

In the Doctrine and Covenants, we read that it is through ordinances that "the power of godliness is manifest" (D&C 84:20). There are many ways to read this scripture, various angles to take, and all of them are fruitful. In this two-part episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Samuel Brown and Brad Kramer first look at the "ritual" aspects of ordinances, the origins of and way that actions designed to take us out of the normal flow of life’s activities and consciousness and into something more purposeful and symbol-drenched can affect our ability to experience things in ways that many find empowering and enlightening (a kind of "power of godliness being manifest"). Whether speaking of secular or religious rituals, participation in them can and often does "work changes" in us. In the second part of the discussion the panel looks more closely, but also quite broadly, at the rituals we know as "ordinances," which are far more clearly designed to invoke God, our highest aspirations, and closeness and intimacy with community, as well as to create, enhance, and preserve shared memory across time and space. Ordinances are powerful also because they are so embodied, so tied to the temporal sphere and limited human form yet strive to reach across and bridge the gap with future events and eternal realms. It's a fascinating subject!

In the Doctrine and Covenants, we read that it is through ordinances that "the power of godliness is manifest" (D&C 84:20). There are many ways to read this scripture, various angles to take, and all of them are fruitful. In this two-part episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Samuel Brown and Brad Kramer first look at the "ritual" aspects of ordinances, the origins of and way that actions designed to take us out of the normal flow of life’s activities and consciousness and into something more purposeful and symbol-drenched can affect our ability to experience things in ways that many find empowering and enlightening (a kind of "power of godliness being manifest"). Whether speaking of secular or religious rituals, participation in them can and often does "work changes" in us. In the second part of the discussion the panel looks more closely, but also quite broadly, at the rituals we know as "ordinances," which are far more clearly designed to invoke God, our highest aspirations, and closeness and intimacy with community, as well as to create, enhance, and preserve shared memory across time and space. Ordinances are powerful also because they are so embodied, so tied to the temporal sphere and limited human form yet strive to reach across and bridge the gap with future events and eternal realms. It's a fascinating subject!

Ever feel worn down, your spiritual life lagging, feeling like all you are doing is going through the motions, and church engagement is feeling more like "gospel grind" than blessing? When we find ourselves in one of these moments--perhaps days, months, years!--what might we do to recover a little of that energy and sense of joy we remember? In this episode, Jana Riess and Mark De St. Aubin join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a discussion of insights into the phenomenon of "gospel burn-out," various framings for acknowledging it and making our way through the doldrums and into deeper connection and spiritual awareness. Have you ever considered burn-out a blessing? Find out why these panelists frame it that way!

Because they come up so often in gospel lessons and are indeed the "first principles" of the gospel (Article of Faith 4), we might think that a 90-minute podcast on faith and repentance would be redundant and boring. Not so when talked about by Sam Brown and Adam Miller! Mixing personal stories with scripture and wonderful insights from their study and writing, Brown and Miller challenge the over-emphasis on faith as belief and repentance as being primarily about seeking forgiveness that we often encounter in Sunday discourse, and open these principles to fresh angles, examining them especially in light of Mormonism’s rich relational theology.

No two individuals are exactly alike, and no schema can fully capture our particular essence or personality. Yet it is sometimes helpful to speak about different temperaments or "personality types." One of the largest personality type groupings distinguishes between "extroverts" and "introverts," with certain studies recognizing between 30 and 50 percent of people as introverts. Society at large, and Mormonism in particular, seems to have a bias toward extroversion--fitting more easily those persons with larger, perhaps more recognizably adventurous personalities, often seeming more at home in large group social situations. For this reason, we often find more extroverts than introverts in leadership positions, and most cultural forms seem to forget that many people are not extroverts! We are missing a lot! Each personality type has wonderful strengths, and lead individuals to different approaches to life situations and problem solving, and involve preferences and abilities that are distinct and unique--and quite complementary of each other. In this episode, panelists Laura Sullivan, John Hatch, John Shaw, and Greg Nelson--who all self-identify as introverts--join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon in a wonderful tour of the various ways the world presents itself to introverts. The discussion describes aspects of the introverted personality type and preferences, debunks misconceptions and stereotypes, and highlights introverts' strengths and the areas and types of interaction in which they excel. Each panelist also shares their own stories of how wonderful it has been for them to come to see themselves as introverts and to embrace it rather than constantly trying to bend themselves toward society’s (wrongheaded) "extroversion ideal." After defining introversion in general terms, the panelists share experiences in Mormonism that they experience differently than do extroverts, and how their introversion strongly shapes their interests and spirituality in terrific, wonderful ways that Mormonism would be all the richer for if it were to recognize them, as well as come to better utilize the introvert's gifts. This is a fantastic episode for introverts, parents and spouses and friends of introverts, and church and community leaders!

In 1 Peter, we are encouraged as Christians to always be ready to give voice to "a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). This past weekend, I was given an opportunity to do just that when I shared reflections from my spiritual journey as part of the Sunstone Northwest Symposium. I feel strange releasing a Mormon Matters episode that isn’t a panel discussion, so please forgive me (and know that we’ll be back to our regular type of programming again next week!) but I have chosen to do it because in these remarks I share some of the ways I answer the many queries I get about how I, even knowing what I know about LDS history and doctrinal inconsistencies and various other issues and sources that can cause great pain, manage to stay optimistic and feel my spirit fed while committed to remaining an active Mormon. For what it’s worth, then, this episode contains some of that answer. Many parts of the story I tell and some of my reflections will be familiar to long-time listeners, but hopefully they flow here in a way that helps them feel new.