Faith Matters: Episode Archive

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Work in Progress on Bookshop.org

Moral Courage in an Age of Approval: a conversation with with Fr. James Martin, SJ

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:01:52 GMT

Today, we’re honored to share a conversation with Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, a New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of Outreach, a ministry for LGBTQ Catholics.

His new memoir is called Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest. And yes, he held every one of those jobs before he found his calling. But beneath the laughs, this book is really about the slow, unglamorous, often uncomfortable work of transformation.

In our conversation today, Father Jim talks about growing up desperate to be liked—and what it took to become someone willing to speak up and make waves when it matters. We talk about the difference between kindness and people-pleasing, about staying connected to religious institutions that can both nourish and wound us, and why he believes doubt is a natural part of a living, growing faith.

In a moment when so many public voices feel reactive and divisive, Father Jim stands in conviction without losing compassion—offering a steady, grounded wisdom that feels deeply needed right now.

Work in Progress on Amazon

Raising Little Saints: A Faith Matters Family Night

May 1, 2026 | 6-7:15pm | Kiwanis Park in Provo (the big pavilion)

Nurturing deep faith without fundamentalism.

An evening of music, storytelling, and connection designed for families—both parents and kids.

What to expect:

Live music with Emily Susan Pack
Short, inspiring reflections on faith and family from Whitney Call and Lauren Yarro
Food and community building
Simple activities for kids (movement welcome)

Bring your kids exactly as they are. No perfect behavior or faith required.

Spots are limited, so do please RSVP.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

GIVE WAYFARE ISSUE 7 FOR MOTHER’S DAY

Give a gift subscription to Wayfare to someone you love this week! Get a peek inside the newest issue here:

Meredith's book Woven on Bookshop.org

FAITH MATTERS BENEFIT ART AUCTION

When: Saturday, May 9th at 7:00 PM

Where: The Compass Gallery (250 W. Center St., Provo)

Highlights: Live auction of featured works, silent auction bidding, mocktails and hors d'oeuvres, live music.

LEARN MORE AND RSVP

Faith Matters needs your support for our Benefit Art Auction at The Compass Gallery. It will be an evening of art, connection, and giving, where you’ll have access to one-of-kind art we think you’ll treasure for years to come. Here at Faith Matters, we work to promote a vibrant, nourishing faith and we hope you’ll partner with us.

Can’t make it but still want to support Faith Matters? You can donate directly via DonorBox here:

DONATE TO FAITH MATTERS

Nurturing a Faith Your Kids Don't Have to Heal From: A Conversation with Meredith Miller

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:01:59 GMT

Today we’re exploring a tender question so many parents are carrying: how do we help our kids grow in faith when we’re still figuring it out for ourselves? And underneath that—what if we get it wrong? What if we hand them something they’ll spend years trying to untangle?

Today, we’re joined by pastor, author, and researcher Meredith Miller, who has spent her career thoughtfully engaging these questions. Her book, Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From, offers a grounded and practical guide for what this can look like.

Meredith invites us to move away from rigid faith metaphors like walls and foundations, and instead to see faith more like a web—flexible, resilient, and uniquely woven for each person. That shift opens up a much more spacious way of thinking about what it means to guide our kids spiritually.

Anchoring this conversation is her distinction between obedience-based and trust-based faith. Meredith makes a compelling case that trust must come first—that obedience, when it matters, grows naturally out of a relationship with a God we’ve come to know and trust, rather than fear.

We also talk about how to approach scripture with kids, what her research revealed about the strengths of a Latter-Day Saint ward-based model, the value of family warmth, and why “I don’t know” can be a great answer.

This conversation was a steadying reminder for us that while we can’t control how our kid’s faith unfolds, we can trust that God is already at work in their lives. We hope this episode gives you both some practical tools and a little more peace for the long, slow work nourishing a faith your kid doesn’t need to heal from.

Meredith's book Woven on Amazon

You can also find Meredith’s new book Wonder: 52 Conversations to Help Kids Fall in Love with Scripture on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

Raising Little Saints: A Faith Matters Family Night

May 1, 2026 | 6-7:15pm | Kiwanis Park in Provo (the big pavilion)

Nurturing deep faith without fundamentalism.

An evening of music, storytelling, and connection designed for families—both parents and kids.

What to expect:

Live music with Emily Susan Pack
Short, inspiring reflections on faith and family from Whitney Call and Lauren Yarro
Food and community building
Simple activities for kids (movement welcome)

Bring your kids exactly as they are. No perfect behavior or faith required.

Spots are limited, so do please RSVP below.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

GIVE WAYFARE ISSUE 7 FOR MOTHER’S DAY

Give a gift subscription to Wayfare this week to be sure it arrives in time for Mother’s Day! Get a peek inside the issue here:

OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT A FAITH MATTERS VOLUNTEER

Jeff Strong & Joseph Grenny: What to Say When Your Kid Leaves the Church

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:42:40 GMT

Today we’re asking: what do you do when someone you love tells you they’re leaving the Church? What do you say? How do you stay grounded and connected when the stakes feel high or you’re caught off guard?

We sat down with two longtime friends of the podcast—authors and researchers Joseph Grenny and Jeff Strong—to explore these high-stakes moments when someone is ready to talk about their shifting faith.

Drawing on research from over 500 real-life conversations about faith transitions, Joseph and Jeff uncover something both surprising and sobering: statistically, it’s devout parents and church leaders who are most likely to miss the mark in these conversations.

They suggest this isn’t about a lack of love or sincerity—but consequences of a very natural response to fear. Jeff and Joseph call it a TUI—talking under the influence. When the amygdala takes over, stress floods the system, and the thinking brain goes offline. What looks like a communication problem is actually a chemical one, and even the most well-intentioned among us can say things that damage relationships for years.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Today, Joseph and Jeff show us how to recognize when we’re under the influence, how to pause before we cause harm, and how to come back grounded and clear—so that we can choose connection over control, curiosity over fear.

With General Conference and Easter this weekend—seasons that bring families together and open the door naturally, to these conversations—we hope this episode reminds you that you’re not alone, and that these hard moments, can become the fertile ground for relationships that are deeper, more honest, and more connected than they were before.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

GIVE WAYFARE ISSUE 7 FOR MOTHER’S DAY

Give a gift subscription to Wayfare this week to be sure it arrives in time for Mother’s Day! Get a peek inside the issue here:

Lower Lights In-Person Gathering | Wednesday, April 8th | 7:30-9 pm | Salt Lake City, UT

Most of us are a little lonely, even in a crowd.

We long to be truly known — and yet something in us resists it. To be seen is to risk being rejected. To open ourselves is to expose our most tender places. So we keep a careful distance, even from the people and the divine presence we most want to draw near.

In spiritual life, we name this honestly: we are ambivalent about intimacy. And then, we move into a greater vulnerability anyway.

On April 8th, we invite you to join us at Bell Hall — in song, in meditation, and in authentic contact with each other. To risk seeing others, and being seen in turn.

Love,

Thomas

OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT A FAITH MATTERS VOLUNTEER

Terryl Givens: The God Who Waits

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:35:07 GMT

We live in a world that prizes activity: being productive, staying in control, always doing something. So when life brings seasons of waiting—through illness, loss, or circumstances we didn’t choose—it can feel unsettling, even threatening to our sense of self. But what if those seasons are actually inviting us into a deeper understanding of God?

Today, we’re joined by Terryl Givens to explore an extraordinary book called The Stature of Waiting by W.H. Vanstone. Vanstone noticed something hiding in plain sight in the gospel accounts of the last week of Jesus’s life. Up until a certain moment, Jesus is the one acting—teaching, healing, feeding, leading. And then, almost imperceptibly, the grammar of the story shifts. He is no longer the one doing, but the one to whom things are done. He is handed over. He waits. He receives. And Vanstone suggests this isn’t a tragic turn in the story—it’s its deepest revelation.

Terryl and Fiona introduced many of us to the God who weeps in Moses 7. In Vanstone, we meet that same vulnerable God again—this time, waiting. And we ask what it means to follow that God in how we love, how we age, how we suffer, and how we let ourselves be carried.

We hope that as you move through Holy Week this year, this conversation helps see the face of God in the most vulnerable moments of the Easter story — and in your own.

Descent from the Cross, Brian Kershisnik

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SUBSCRIBE TO WAYFARE NOW TO RECEIVE ISSUE 7

Issue 7 will be mailed out soon! Become a Friend of Faith Matters or Wayfare paid subscriber by March 31 to receive your copy in the mail! Get a peek inside the issue here:

OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT A FAITH MATTERS VOLUNTEER

Are You My Neighbor? An episode of Article 13

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:26:41 GMT

From time to time we like to share episodes from other shows in the Faith Matters network that we think you’ll really love, and today we’re highlighting one of our new favorites from Article 13, the podcast hosted by Zach Davis.

If you haven’t discovered it yet, Article 13 is one of the most beautifully produced things Faith Matters does. The title comes from the thirteenth Article of Faith and that really captures the spirit of seeking that you’ll experience in these episodes. These are rich, deeply researched explorations that bring together cutting-edge scholarship and spiritual wisdom to ask big questions about how we live.

In today’s episode, drawing on research from thinkers like Seth Kaplan and Pete Davis, we hear a compelling case that one of the central challenges of our time is a growing fear of commitment.

Our culture tells us that the best life is the one where we keep our options open. But the irony is that the things that make life richest—friendships, tight-knit neighborhoods, shared projects, belonging—become possible when we choose to commit to one another. Real, rooted, showing-up-again-and-again community.

Even though our tradition is built around covenant relationships, we’re living in the same cultural waters that pull toward busyness, mobility, and individualism.

This episode is both a diagnosis and an invitation. It’s full of ideas and stories that might make you want to knock on a neighbor’s door, join something local, or start something in your own community.

We hope it sends you back to your people—your neighbors, your ward, your community—with a little more fire.

And with that, here’s Article 13.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

SUBSCRIBE TO WAYFARE NOW TO RECEIVE ISSUE 7

Issue 7 will be mailed out soon! Become a Friend of Faith Matters or Wayfare paid subscriber by March 31 to receive your copy in the mail! Get a peek inside the issue here:

OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT A FAITH MATTERS VOLUNTEER

NEW COURSE FROM THOMAS MCCONKIE AND LOWER LIGHTS

Creating a Rule of Life: The True Monastery is Within

We’re excited to share that registration is now open for our Rule of Life course—a 5-week exploration in creating a deep and authentic spiritual rhythm for daily living…

Reading the Bible Through the Jesus Lens: A Conversation with Riley Risto

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:02:00 GMT

One of the real challenges of studying the Hebrew Bible is figuring out how to make sense of stories of divine violence—where a God of love seems hard to find. These passages raise real questions about the nature of God and what it means for us as we try to live faithfully.

Our guest today is Riley Risto, director of Latter-day Peace Studies, who joined the Church after a powerful mystical experience while praying about the Book of Mormon, an experience that centered his faith on Jesus and shaped his lifelong effort to take Christ’s teachings seriously in a world—and a Bible—full of violence and conflict.

In this episode, Riley invites us to engage scripture through what’s often called a cruciform lens—the idea that, if Jesus gives us the clearest picture of who God is, then his life and teachings should shape how we understand every Bible story. Instead of letting the most troubling passages define our image of God, we begin with Christ and the cross and allow his life—and his radical call to love our enemies—to guide the way we wrestle with the rest.

Along the way we explore what René Girard’s work on scapegoating might reveal about violence in scripture, what it might really mean to “take the Lord’s name in vain,” and what a Christ-centered reading could mean about justice.

Underneath it all is the conviction that we’re not meant to be casual observers of scripture, but participants—trusting that honest wrestling can refine our faith and discipleship. For us, this cruciform lens has sparked new curiosity and breathed new life into our scripture study this year, and we’re excited to share it with you.

If conversations like this are resonating with you, we’d love to invite you to explore more of the work we’re doing at Faith Matters. One podcast you might especially enjoy is Proclaim Peace, a joint project from Faith Matters and Mormon Women for Ethical Government.

Hosted by Jennifer Thomas and Patrick Mason, Proclaim Peace explores what it might look like to read scripture through a lens of peace—and how those teachings can shape the way we live, engage conflict, and show up in the world.

If this episode sparked something for you, we invite you to subscribe to Proclaim Peace on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. We think you’ll really appreciate the thoughtful conversations happening there.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

CATCH UP WITH WAYFARE

Issue 7 will be mailed out soon! Become a Friend of Faith Matters or Wayfare paid subscriber by March 31 to receive your copy in the mail!

NEW COURSE FROM THOMAS MCCONKIE AND LOWER LIGHTS

Creating a Rule of Life: The True Monastery is Within

We’re excited to share that registration is now open for our Rule of Life course—a 5-week exploration in creating a deep and authentic spiritual rhythm for daily living…

James Rees and Lisa Valentine Clark: "Yes, And": Creativity as a Spiritual Practice

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:21:26 GMT

In today’s conversation, we explore creativity as a spiritual practice—not something reserved for artists, but a way of living.

Our guests are Lisa Valentine Clark, a comedian, actor, and host of The Lisa Show, and James Rees—artist, educator, researcher, and passionate advocate for the arts.

Both Lisa and James have spent their lives creating—in front of audiences on stages, in studios, in classrooms—and they’ve come to see that creativity does sacred work inside us. It gives form to what we’re wrestling with. It helps us clarify what we think and feel. It helps us metabolize the unexpected. It draws us into deeper presence.

For Lisa, these insights became intensely practical. She shares the foundational rule of improv, “yes, and”: accept what’s given and build from it. This principle became a discipline that helped carry her through the hardest season of her life.

Throughout the episode, we return again and again to the role of vulnerability—the courage to begin before you feel ready, to quiet the inner critic, and to let something take shape before you judge it. It’s this openness that makes growth possible.

We hope this conversation expands the way you think about creativity and moves you to notice the ways you’re already being invited to practice it.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

CATCH UP WITH WAYFARE

Issue 7 will be mailed out soon! Become a Friend of Faith Matters or Wayfare paid subscriber by March 31 to receive your copy in the mail!

NEW EPISODE OF SANCTUARY

Why Ritual?: A conversation with Matthew Bowman

This conversation with Matt was one of my favorites. I am endlessly fascinated by ritual. Why have humans, since seemingly the beginning of time, performed rituals? I want to understand the role ritual plays in my life, in my community, and in the world. I have wrestled with it. I have hated it. I have been transformed by it. I have come to deeply love …

2 months ago · 2 likes · Cecelia Proffit

SUBMIT YOUR ARTWORK

The Compass Gallery invites artists of all faiths and spiritual traditions to submit work for a special interfaith feature at the Salt Lake Art Show this May. Share art that explores belief, devotion, mystery, or the search for meaning across traditions and perspectives. Submissions are due April 15 — we can’t wait to see what you bring to the conversation!

NEW COURSE FROM THOMAS MCCONKIE AND LOWER LIGHTS

Creating a Rule of Life: The True Monastery is Within

We’re excited to share that registration is now open for our Rule of Life course—a 5-week exploration in creating a deep and authentic spiritual rhythm for daily living…

When Your Faith Breaks: Tucker Boyle

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:02:50 GMT

Today we’re grateful to share a conversation with our friend Tucker Boyle—a longtime seminary and institute teacher and the founder of Harmony Road Retreats, a nonprofit creating safe, supportive spaces for people in faith crisis.

As a young missionary, Tucker fell in love with teaching the gospel and knew he wanted to become a full-time seminary teacher. He stepped into that role with his whole heart, and years later pursued a PhD, hoping to become an even better, more thoughtful teacher. But during his doctoral research into early Church history, his certainty began to fracture. And before long, the ground beneath him seemed to give way. His work, his community, his family—his entire life—was built around the faith he was now struggling to hold.

And for the first time, Tucker wondered if he belonged. He describes sitting in church—once his sanctuary—and feeling his body surge into fight or flight. But in time, he learned that what felt like collapse was the beginning of a deeper, more conscious faith.

Today, Tucker shares how that unraveling became an invitation into transformation. And though the questions didn’t disappear, his relationship to them changed. The groundlessness opened into something more spacious and alive, expanding his capacity for love, humility, and connection.

Whether you’re in the middle of your own wrestle, loving someone through theirs, or simply trying to build a faith that can hold complexity, we think Tucker offers language and light for the journey.

If you or someone you love is navigating a faith journey you can check out Tucker’s organization at harmonyroadretreats.com. Tucker created these retreats to offer the kind of support and community he needed—spaces where you can feel less alone, where you can connect with others on the road, and explore practices that cultivate inner harmony and peace. He has retreats coming up in both March and April, and you can find all the details on the website.

As always, thank you so much for listening—we’re so glad you’re here.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

NEW EPISODE OF SANCTUARY

An Evolving Relationship with Obedience: A conversation with Jennifer Finlayson-Fife

2 months ago · 2 likes · Cecelia Proffit

SUBMIT YOUR ARTWORK

A NEW COURSE FROM THOMAS MCCONKIE

Creating a Rule of Life: The True Monastery is Within

We’re excited to share that registration is now open for our Rule of Life course—a 5-week exploration in creating a deep and authentic spiritual rhythm for daily living…

When Faith Meant Trust: Teresa Morgan

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 15:02:43 GMT

We’re so excited to share a conversation that our friend and Executive Director, Zach Davis, had with Teresa Morgan, Professor at Yale Divinity School and a leading scholar of early Christian history.

Today, Teresa invites us to reconsider one of the most central words in Christianity: faith. She explains that for the first generations of Christians, “faith” didn’t mean signing on to a list of beliefs. It meant something more like trust—faithfulness, trustworthiness, the act of entrusting your life to God. Faith was less about what you thought and more about the kind of relationship you were living: a daily, embodied trust in a faithful God.

But over time, as outside pressures mounted, Christian leaders drew clearer boundaries around belief. Creeds became markers of belonging, and faith—once rooted primarily in trust and lived allegiance—was increasingly defined by agreement with specific doctrines. That shift has shaped the Christian imagination ever since.

In this conversation, Zach and Teresa explore how that evolution happened, what may have been lost, and what it might look like to recover a richer, more relational vision of faith today.

We also want to mention that this interview is featured in the upcoming Issue 7 of Wayfare, and that this is a special edition centering women’s voices on the theme of trust—trust in God, in ourselves, and in our communities. It’s a beautiful and thoughtful collection that we are really proud of. You can read the adapted transcript of this interview, and see the artwork that will accompany it in the magazine, in a special preview on WayfareMagazine.org.

If you’d like to receive your own copy of Wayfare in the mail, you can become a Friend of Faith Matters or a paid Wayfare subscriber by March 31. Your support is what makes conversations like this possible, and we’re so grateful.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

NEW EPISODE OF SANCTUARY

An Evolving Relationship with Obedience: A conversation with Jennifer Finlayson-Fife

2 months ago · 2 likes · Cecelia Proffit

SUBMIT YOUR ARTWORK

A NEW COURSE FROM THOMAS MCCONKIE

Creating a Rule of Life: The True Monastery is Within

We’re excited to share that registration is now open for our Rule of Life course—a 5-week exploration in creating a deep and authentic spiritual rhythm for daily living…

Already Free on Bookshop.org

Already Free, with Bruce Tift

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 15:02:32 GMT

Today we’re so excited to share our conversation with Bruce Tift, author, psychotherapist and longtime practitioner of Vajrayana Buddhism. This summer, our friends at Uplift Kids introduced us to Bruce’s fascinating book Already Free, and we’ve been thinking about it ever since.

In this conversation, Bruce dives into some of the ideas in the book. He explores how to make peace with being human. He looks at two seemingly opposing paths—both Western and Eastern wisdom—and shows how each offers a vital piece of the puzzle. Where psychotherapy may teach us to bring our early wounds and disowned emotions into awareness, Buddhist practices help us recognize the deeper freedom that’s available when we stop identifying with the fixed self.

We loved that Bruce talked us through the ways we organize around our core fears, why so many of our childhood survival strategies still run the show in adulthood, and why real freedom often begins with simply allowing ourselves to feel uncomfortable without trying to fix or escape.

Bruce’s insights feel so useful for navigating seasons of growth—emotional, spiritual, and relational.

This conversation really helped us see that personal growth isn’t about achieving some ideal version of ourselves—it’s about meeting our actual experience with curiosity, compassion, and presence. We found Bruce’s wisdom to be gentle, honest, and deeply liberating, and we’re so grateful he joined us.

Already Free on Amazon

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

LISTEN TO A NEW EPISODE OF SANCTUARY!

The Extraordinary Gift of Life: An exploration of covenants with George Handley

Gosh, I really can’t express how much I loved this conversation with George. It felt like a celebration of life—and an invitation to live and love it more fully. This conversation explores the five covenants we make in the temple, with particular emphasis on the first and the last: obedience and consecration. George shares his personal journey of coming…

3 months ago · 7 likes · Cecelia Proffit

GOSPEL MEETS DHARMA MEDITATION RETREAT

Putting on the Mind of Christ and Exploring Buddha Nature Through Meditative Practice

Join Thomas McConkie and Lower Lights for a 3-day meditation retreat in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 27-March 1.

This retreat will include:

Copious amounts of meditation!
Mindful walking, eating, and interacting with like-hearted pilgrims
A nourishing lunch provided each day
Detailed instruction and lecture on Buddhist and Christian approaches to meditation
Time in nature
An ongoing invitation to weave yourself into a community that walks the inner path

You will love this meditation retreat if:

You sense that the Christian tradition is more expansive than what you were taught to believe.
You prefer soul work to Netflix, but damn if it ain’t hard doing soul work alone.
You want to bring wisdom teachings to life through shared reading and practice
You trust silence, nature, and community to help you heal and grow.
You want to suck the marrow out of life. (Hat tip to Henry David Thoreau).

Thomas McConkie has been practicing in Buddhist meditation and Christian contemplation for over 25 years. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School in transformative practice and envisions a renaissance in consciousness on the Wasatch Front.

FEBRUARY ONLINE MINI RETREAT WITH THOMAS MCCONKIE

Saturday, February 21st | 7-11 am MST

This month, I’d like to return to my original intention of exploring “rhythms of practice.”

Whether we take after St. Paul and “pray always”, cultivate unbroken awareness via Buddhist training, or Sufi-style, fan the flames of tawqā, remaining ever present to God’s Reality, there is an invitation in the Wisdom traditions to live in an abiding state of Grace and Wakefulness.

But how? The mind is unruly and modern life so fragmenting.

On February 21st, we will continue to deepen our exploration of the rule of life—establishing rhythms of practice to sustain us throughout the day and night. Specifically, we’ll pay attention to continuous meditation practice and basic strategies to help make this awesome shift in awareness.

Love,
Thomas

You can register here for $55 (registration must be completed by 7 PM MST the evening prior to the retreat to ensure you receive the link to join.)

We recognize that four hours on a Saturday morning is an investment. If questions are arising about format and/or time commitment, reach out to us at info@lowerlightswisdom.org—we’re happy to help you discern if this is right for you.

Wrestling with the Word: A Conversation with Terryl Givens

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:02:54 GMT

As we explore the Old Testament this year, we’ve found ourselves returning to a past conversation with our friend Terryl Givens. It felt grounding and expansive and we’re really excited to share it with you again.

The Old Testament can be incredibly rich—full of beauty, poetry, and profound spiritual insights. But it can also sometimes feel bewildering or even faith-shaking. We get glimpses of a loving, nurturing God—and turn the page to encounter a God that seems angry, even violent. It’s a text that raises big questions and invites us into deep wrestles. And maybe that’s part of its sacredness—that it pushes us into such honest, meaningful conversation.

In this episode, Terryl helps us navigate those tensions. Together, we ask: What is the Bible, really, and where did it come from? What do different translations of this text have to offer, and how can we engage with this scripture in a posture of reverence and discernment that allows for mystery, and honors the sacredness of the whole landscape.

We loved Terryl’s insights in this conversation, and we’re so grateful to revisit them now. Thanks so much for listening—we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

JOIN US FOR SEASON 2 OF PROCLAIM PEACE!

JOIN US FOR SEASON 2!

GOSPEL MEETS DHARMA MEDITATION RETREAT

Putting on the Mind of Christ and Exploring Buddha Nature Through Meditative Practice

Join Thomas McConkie and Lower Lights for a 3-day meditation retreat in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 27-March 1.

This retreat will include:

Copious amounts of meditation!
Mindful walking, eating, and interacting with like-hearted pilgrims
A nourishing lunch provided each day
Detailed instruction and lecture on Buddhist and Christian approaches to meditation
Time in nature
An ongoing invitation to weave yourself into a community that walks the inner path

You will love this meditation retreat if:

You sense that the Christian tradition is more expansive than what you were taught to believe.
You prefer soul work to Netflix, but damn if it ain’t hard doing soul work alone.
You want to bring wisdom teachings to life through shared reading and practice
You trust silence, nature, and community to help you heal and grow.
You want to suck the marrow out of life. (Hat tip to Henry David Thoreau).

JOIN THOMAS MCCONKIE FOR A COMMUNITY GATHERING

Wednesday, February 11th
7:30-9 pm
Bell Hall, SLC, Utah

Many of us have been formed—beautifully and painfully—by high-demand religion. We know its gifts: devotion, discipline, shared purpose, and lives oriented toward something greater than the self. We also know its shadows, especially when commitment becomes coercion, or belonging requires self-silencing.

At our upcoming community gathering in Salt Lake City, we will reflect together on the difference between high-demand religion and what we’re calling high-integrity spirituality—a way of practicing that preserves depth and rigor while honoring conscience, consent, and the authority of lived experience.

Through chant, sacred silence and shared inquiry, we’ll explore how to embrace the best of what we’ve been given without repeating its harm—and how a life of prayer and meditation can form courage, wisdom, and moral clarity for the world we’re being asked to meet now.

Come curious. Come as you are.

Love,
Thomas

Open to all. Registration required: https://lowerlightswisdom.org/classes/p/monthly-gathering-feb

*Please note that due to capacity restrictions at Bell Hall, registration is required for all who plan to attend. We will have a check in at the door to confirm registration, so we recommend arriving early if you can! Please plan on street parking.

Katie Ludlow Rich and Heather Sundahl: Choosing Community over Ideological Purity

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 15:02:39 GMT

Today we’re excited to share a conversation with Katie Ludlow Rich and Heather Sundahl about 50 Years of Exponent II, their new book tracing the history of a space where Latter-day Saint women have engaged the most urgent questions of their time, while also honoring the dailiness of life.

The roots of this effort go back to 1872, when women began publishing the Woman’s Exponent to speak for themselves and stay connected across distance. A century later, Exponent II carried that work forward—not to create consensus, but to make room for complexity, difference, and the kind of deep listening that makes real community possible.

And that’s what this conversation is about: what it takes to stay in relationship, even when ground we used to share—whether in belief, perspective, or experience—starts to shift. We’re probably all navigating this now in some spaces, whether that be in families, wards, or friendships. And so today, Katie and Heather explore the difference between discomfort and danger, how we can sit with the tension of disagreement without walking away, and what it means to listen, not to persuade, but to witness—to be present with someone else’s experience, even when it’s different from our own.

Katie is a writer and independent scholar of women’s history. Heather is a marriage and family therapist in Orem, Utah.

This was a deeply personal conversation, and we’re so grateful to Katie and Heather for showing up with such honesty and care. Their own lived experiences have led them down different paths, and it was a gift to sit with them in dialogue—watching the ways they do this together and make space for others to do the same. That kind of wisdom is hard won, and we’re honored to share it with you now.

You can find their book, 50 Years of Exponent II, on Amazon, Bookshop.org, or wherever books are sold.

STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS

JOIN US FOR SEASON 2 OF PROCLAIM PEACE!

JOIN US FOR SEASON 2!

FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1 - GOSPEL MEETS DHARMA MEDITATION RETREAT

Putting on the Mind of Christ and Exploring Buddha Nature Through Meditative Practice

Join Thomas McConkie and Lower Lights for a 3-day meditation retreat in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This retreat will include:

Copious amounts of meditation!
Mindful walking, eating, and interacting with like-hearted pilgrims
A nourishing lunch provided each day
Detailed instruction and lecture on Buddhist and Christian approaches to meditation
Time in nature
An ongoing invitation to weave yourself into a community that walks the inner path

You will love this meditation retreat if:

You sense that the Christian tradition is more expansive than what you were taught to believe.
You prefer soul work to Netflix, but damn if it ain’t hard doing soul work alone.
You want to bring wisdom teachings to life through shared reading and practice
You trust silence, nature, and community to help you heal and grow.
You want to suck the marrow out of life. (Hat tip to Henry David Thoreau).

Un-Sifting the Saints: A Conversation with Jeff Strong

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 15:03:07 GMT

We’ve all heard it called a sifting—the language that sometimes surfaces when someone is struggling or steps away from the Church. Wheat from tares, sheep from goats, a sorting in the last days that reveals truly elect.

But today, our good friend and contributor Jeff Strong is back to invite us into a deeper reflection on that idea—and what he sees as the more essential question: Who is the Church for?

Jeff shares how the way we answer that question has real implications—shaping how we respond to difference, and how we create (or close off) spaces for spiritual growth, belonging, and trust.

In this conversation, he also brings new and fascinating findings from his large-scale survey of Latter-day Saints. Jeff introduces a framework of spiritual segments that emerged from the data—types like Seekers, Protectors, Cultivators, and more. It’s illuminating to see yourself in one of these groups—but maybe even more powerful to recognize how others might experience the same Church culture in radically different ways.

He reflects on the tension people feel when their deepest values don’t seem to match what’s emphasized in their church experience. And he offers a way through that tension: wherever you fit, we each face the challenge to let go of fear—because fear, more than anything else, is what drives us apart.

Ultimately, this conversation isn’t about disaffiliation or activity—it’s about relationships. It’s about how we respond to differences, how we hold tension as a community, and whether we’re building a church culture that reflects the expansive, welcoming love of Christ.

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Plus: join us for the Wayfare Issue 6 release party, a meditation retreat with Thomas McConkie, and an interfaith REPAIR workshop! ","cta":"Read full story","showBylines":true,"size":"lg","isEditorNode":true,"title":"Save the Date for Restore 2026!","publishedBylines":[],"post_date":"2026-01-16T19:54:06.673Z","cover_image":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!T3Rc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7aea4c45-a91a-4563-81b6-78e96d004f2c_4500x3582.jpeg","cover_image_alt":null,"canonical_url":"https://www.faithmatters.org/p/save-the-date-for-restore-2026","section_name":null,"video_upload_id":null,"id":184771626,"type":"newsletter","reaction_count":0,"comment_count":0,"publication_id":3308858,"publication_name":"Faith Matters","publication_logo_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IB5l!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3d16121-0bb3-46fa-9527-83c8e93c257d_224x224.png","belowTheFold":true,"youtube_url":null,"show_links":null,"feed_url":null}">

LISTEN TO A NEW EPISODE OF SANCTUARY

An Embodied Discipleship: A conversation with Jennifer C. Lane

This conversation with Jennifer was especially meaningful to me because it explores embodiment, a pillar of my personal spirituality. Jennifer beautifully explains how our ordinances teach us the necessity of embodiment in discipleship. We perform ordinances with our bodies to symbolize that the spiritual journey requires more than intellectual belief—i…

3 months ago · 6 likes · Cecelia Proffit

JOIN US FOR PROCLAIM PEACE SEASON 2!

JOIN US FOR SEASON 2!

Patrick Mason and Robert Reynolds: An Inconvenient Faith

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 15:02:51 GMT

Today we’re joined by our friend Patrick Mason and filmmaker Robert Reynolds. Rob is the director and producer of the new docu-series An Inconvenient Faith—a project that’s already opening hearts and starting some long-overdue conversations.

This series is raw and honest. It takes on some of the most difficult and tender topics in our faith tradition—things like women and authority, LGBTQ belonging, race and the priesthood, and lots more. And it brings together voices from across the spectrum of faith—people who’ve stayed who are still engaging these issues, and people who have decided to step away. But all of them have one thing in common: they’ve wrestled with these big questions with their whole hearts.

For many of us, this hits close to home. These aren’t abstract issues—this is about our families, our friends, our wards. And so it can be hard to hear a perspective that challenges your own. But Rob explains that his intention here is to help us love better. To help us listen longer and more generously. He hopes it’s a glimpse into the inner wrestles of people you may know and love, to remind us that behind every decision is a real human being, and behind these questions is a heart that wants to do what’s right.

This episode is for anyone who loves someone who’s landed in a different place in their faith. If you’re looking for peace, for trust, for more compassion in the middle of complexity—we think you’ll find something meaningful here.

We’re so grateful to Rob and Patrick for showing us what that can look like.

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LISTEN TO SCRIPTURE STORIES FOR LITTLE SAINTS (and adults!)

Jared Lambert: A Deeper Look at the Creation Story

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 15:00:25 GMT

Today, we want to introduce you to another podcast in the Faith Matters Podcast Network called Sanctuary: Discovering the Temple, hosted by Larkin Swain. Larkin brings a candid, curious, and thoughtful approach to conversations about the temple, and this episode felt especially fascinating and timely as we begin a new year studying the Old Testament.

In this episode, Larkin speaks with historical linguist Jared Lambert, whose work focuses on language development, temple theology, and how translation and symbolism have reshaped biblical traditions.

Jared brings a linguistic lens to the Genesis creation story, uncovering rich meanings that have evolved over time and even been lost in translation. His perspectives are both mind-expanding and spiritually moving.

He reexamines the portrayal of God in Genesis, unpacks the symbolism of the temple endowment, and offers what feels like a powerful missing piece in our traditional telling of Adam and Eve’s story.

We hope this conversation sparks fresh insight and deep reflection as you revisit these foundational stories. And with that, here’s Larkin Swain with Jared Lambert.

Unveiling the Meaning Behind the Creation Story: A conversation with Jared Lambert

Jared Lambert is a historical linguist specializing in the ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible. He is a former military linguist in the United States Army and previously served as the lead linguist over sacred materials for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, working directly with temple-related content. Jared holds multiple degrees acro…

4 months ago · 7 likes · 1 comment · Cecelia Proffit

Subscribe to Sanctuary for honest, curious, and open conversations about the temple!

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Sarah and Josh Sabey: Finding Nourishment in the Old Testament

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 15:02:39 GMT

Today we’re sharing a conversation with writers and filmmakers Sarah and Josh Sabey about their new project, The Bible Storybook, a two volume collection of 50 stories from the Old Testament.

You might remember their Book of Mormon Storybook. Like those earlier volumes, this new project is guided by a simple and beautiful idea: “These are stories about a real God who loves real people”—people who are complicated, wounded, and doing their best to understand how God is working in their lives.

For many of us, the Old Testament can feel troubling—full of contradictions, harsh laws, and stories that might not always align with the God we’ve come to know through Jesus. So if the thought of spending a whole year studying this text feels daunting, this episode is especially for you.

Sarah and Josh offer a powerful way back into these familiar stories through a fresh and deeply thoughtful lens. While staying fully anchored in the text, they invite us to see the people and events in new and meaningful ways.

Their storytelling will invite you to consider what the Exodus story teaches us about revenge and healing. What if Cain was actually the first perfectionist, undone by his own impossible expectations? What can Jonah reveal about our own gifts and heartbreak?

Their retellings don’t avoid what’s difficult—they honor the tension. Again and again, they show how the complexity and even the discomfort of the Old Testament can become fertile ground for a deeper, more expansive faith.

We hope this episode leaves you feeling so excited to dive into this text again—to rediscover the Old Testament as a living well of wisdom, beauty, with a God who still meets us in the mess.

We’ve also partnered with Josh and Sarah to make half of the audiobook stories available to everyone as a podcast to listen to with your kids, in the car, as part of your Old Testament study, and to share with friends. The full audiobook is available as a private podcast for Friends of Faith Matters—thank you for your generosity making this collaboration possible. You can send us an email at info@faithmatters.org or check the instructions in this post if you need help downloading it.

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Carl Richards: Let's Talk about Money

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 15:01:51 GMT

Today we’re bringing you a conversation with Carl Richards, and we think this one might just change the way you think—and feel—about money.

You might know Carl as The Sketch Guy from his decade-long New York Times column, where he offered disarmingly relatable insights about money using just cardstock and a Sharpie.

For Carl, money isn’t about spreadsheets and savings accounts—it’s a mirror, reflecting to us what we value most deeply. And for this reason, he believes money sits at the center of our spiritual lives.

In this conversation, Carl invites us to become what he calls “world-class spenders”—not by spending more, but by spending more intentionally, in ways that align with our deepest values.

Carl is a Certified Financial Planner, the bestselling author of The Behavior Gap and Your Money, and hosts the 50 Fires podcast where he has frank, funny, and sometimes difficult conversations about money with guests from all walks of life.

Carl believes that money is the last taboo—the topic we often still avoid even with those closest to us. But he has such a gift for helping us recognize the stories and wounds that are shaping our efforts to be good stewards now.

So whether you’re thinking about end-of-year giving or hoping for a fresh start in the new year, we hope this conversation helps you feel more grounded in your values and more empowered to live—and give—from that place.

If you want more of Carl’s insights, definitely check out his podcast 50 Fires—it’s full of honest, thought-provoking conversations about money with really fascinating guests, and his new book, Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches. It’s smart, accessible, and genuinely so fun to read—you can get it on Amazon or wherever books are sold.

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LISTEN TO A NEW EPISODE OF SANCTUARY

A God Who Cuts Through All: A Conversation with Jenet Erickson

I’m so excited to share this beautiful conversation I had with Jenet Erickson with you. Being just a few days away from Christmas, this felt like the perfect episode to share because it feels like it is just drenched in Jesus…

4 months ago · 1 like · Cecelia Proffit

In the Bleak Midwinter: A Christmas Reading by Peter Conti-Brown

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:09:52 GMT

As we move into Christmas week, we wanted to offer something a little different.

Today’s episode is a reading of “In the Bleak Midwinter,” written and read by Peter Conti‑Brown, and originally published in the Faith Matters magazine, Wayfare.

It tells the true story of a Christmas that unfolded in unexpected ways—marked by absence, uncertainty, and pain. And yet, it’s also a story about how grace finds its way to us—through presence, through each other, and through the quiet mystery of ordinary, imperfect people becoming God’s healing hands in the moments when we need it most.

We hope this opens up space for you to feel whatever this season is bringing, and to notice the quiet ways love might be showing up.

From all of us at Faith Matters and Wayfare, we’re wishing you a Christmas filled with the peace of this season, and moments of deep connection and joy.

We’d also love to invite you to subscribe to Wayfare Magazine. Wayfare shares thoughtful, beautifully written essays each week through its email newsletter, and publishes stunning print editions twice a year—featuring original artwork and design that make each issue a work of art in itself. A Wayfare subscription also makes a meaningful gift for the thoughtful, curious reader in your life.

To learn more or to subscribe, just head to wayfaremagazine.org/subscribe.

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CELEBRATE ADVENT WITH WAYFARE

The Four Tendencies, with Gretchen Rubin

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 15:03:01 GMT

Today, we’re thrilled to share a conversation with New York Times bestselling author and happiness expert Gretchen Rubin, where we explored one of her most practical and game-changing frameworks: the Four Tendencies.

Gretchen explains that we all face two types of expectations—outer expectations, like a church calling or a request from a boss or family member, and inner expectations, like a personal goal or habit. She observed that people tend to respond to these expectations in one of four consistent ways. She defines these responses as the Upholder, the Questioner, the Obliger, and the Rebel.

Gretchen believes that understanding this one aspect of your personality can bring surprising clarity to your habits, relationships, and responsibilities.

In faith communities, expectations often come from many directions—God, leaders, our ward family, and ourselves. This framework offers a gentle way to understand why some people feel energized, while others quietly burn out.

Gretchen shares clear, practical strategies for each tendency so you can work with your nature, not against it. Whether you’re navigating a calling, serving a mission, experiencing doubt, or trying to build a consistent scripture study habit, she shows how to avoid burnout and follow through.

We’ve been so excited to share this episode. Once you start seeing yourself and others through the lens of the Four Tendencies, things shift. You’ll begin to understand why your spouse loves checklists, why your teen needs to do things their own way, or why it can be so hard to say no. Gretchen explains that these patterns aren’t flaws—they’re clues, blueprints that can help us make better choices, lower stress, and show up more fully in our lives.

We hope it’s as eye-opening for you as it was for us.

If you want to go deeper into the Four Tendencies or explore more of Gretchen’s work, you can check out her book The Four Tendencies or her other bestsellers The Happiness Project and Better than Before. She also hosts an award-winning podcast called Happier with Gretchen Rubin where she and her sister dive into practical ways to build habits, boost happiness, and live with more intention. Thanks again for listening.

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CELEBRATE ADVENT WITH WAYFARE

NEW EPISODE OF SANCTUARY

Hannah Packard Crowther is a beautiful human and a thought-provoking writer. She is the author of Gracing, published by Faith Matters, where she reflects on grace not simply as a theological idea, but as an everyday, lived partnership with God. She holds a master’s degree in biological science education from BYU, and she’s a longtime mother, an aspiring theologian and poet, and a beachcomber whenever she gets the chance. Hannah writes at the crossroads of embodied faith, justice, and beauty, and has an essay on prophecy coming out soon in Wayfare.

In this episode, Hannah and Larkin delve into what temple work is truly about. As Hannah says, “There’s more to the project than linking names and checking off ordinances. We are linking souls and welding hearts from both sides of the veil.” Hannah and Larkin explore temple ordinances as symbolic acts that reveal deeper truths about our relationships with God and each other. Hannah shares a touching family story that has reshaped her understanding of redemption and the healing that is made possible through this work.

They reflect on the journey back to God not as an individual task, but a deeply, unavoidably communal project “that is about coming home, together.” Ultimately, God is playing the long game when it comes to healing and redeeming His children.

The Truths That Save Us: A conversation with Hannah Crowther

Hannah Packard Crowther is a beautiful human and a thought-provoking writer. She is the author of Gracing, published by Faith Matters, where she reflects on grace not simply as a theological idea, but as an everyday, lived partnership with God. She holds a master’s degree in biological science education from BYU, and she’s a longtime mother, an aspiring…