Faith Matters
Faith Matters offers an expansive view of the Restored Gospel, thoughtful exploration of big and sometimes thorny questions, and a platform that encourages deeper engagement with our faith and our world. We focus on the Latter-day Saint (Mormon) tradition, but believe we have much to learn from other traditions and fully embrace those of other beliefs.
Episodes
288 episodes
Holiness to the Lord: A Conversation with Jonathan Stapley
We’re excited today to talk about the temple. It’s a topic we love—one that sits at the heart of our faith—but because of its sacred nature, it can sometimes be difficult to explore openly.Our guest today is historian Jonathan Stapley, ...
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1:07:38
That We Might Have Joy: Desire, Divinity, and Intimate Love, a conversation with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife
We’re so happy to welcome back Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife—someone whose voice and work have shaped our thinking in really lasting ways.Today we’re talking with Jennifer about her brand-new book, published by Faith Matters:
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58:43
A Fresh Look at the Word of Wisdom—a conversation with Ali Essig and Bill Turnbull
Nearly 200 years ago, Joseph Smith gave us a holistic code of health called the Word of Wisdom. But over the next century, we largely reduced that revelation to a list of don’ts—one that came to define us as a church and serve as a kind of stat...
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1:07:37
Joy is Our Birthright—Astrid Tuminez at Restore
Today, we’re so excited to share a powerful session from last year’s Restore gathering, given by Astrid Tuminez, president of Utah Valley University.Astrid’s story is truly extraordinary. She was born in a small village in the Philippin...
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31:17
The Last Voyage—A conversation with Brian McLaren
Today we’re so happy to share a conversation with our friend Brian McLaren about his brand-new novel, The Last Voyage. The book is set in the future, as Earth nears collapse and...
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1:03:38
Leap of Faith: Mauli Bonner at Restore 2024
Today we’re sharing another fun session from last year’s Restore gathering—one of the most unforgettable moments from the whole weekend—featuring Mauli Bonner.Mauli has spent the past two decades in the entertainment industry, developing...
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18:24
A Candid Portrait of Joseph Smith - A Conversation with John Turner
Today, we’re really grateful to share a conversation with historian John Turner about the brand new biography he’s just published: Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.John is a professor of Religious Studies a...
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1:05:55
Holy Envy - David Butler at Restore
Today, we’re excited to bring you a special episode—a replay of one of our favorite sessions from last year’s Restore Gathering, featuring Dave Butler.We’re also thrilled to let you know that Restore 2025 is happening this September 25–27 i...
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33:33
The Untold Story of the Church’s Young Women Organization - Lisa Olsen Tait and James Goldberg
Today we’re so excited to share a conversation about the new book Carry On, a rich and thoughtful history of the church’s Young Women organization. This project has been ten years in the making, created by historians Lisa Olsen Tait, J...
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1:04:21
I'm Still Here - John Gustav-Wrathall and Allison Dayton at Restore
Today, we’re sharing a really special session from last year’s Faith Matters gathering, Restore.This conversation has really stayed with us, and we're so grateful we get to share it with you now. It begins with a short, beautiful film—we...
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33:48
Divorced in a Family-Centered Church - A Conversation with Anna Lott
Today we’re excited to share our conversation with Anna Lott, and we’re especially thinking of those who are walking—or have walked—the path of divorce.Anna is the host of the Solo Saints podcast and retreats, and she’s become a...
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56:09
Lifting the Ban: The Untold Story of the 1978 Revelation - A Conversation with Matthew Harris
This week—June 9th—marks the 47th anniversary of the 1978 revelation that ended the Church’s 126-year ban on Black members receiving the priesthood and entering the temple. It’s a moment we often point to with reverence and gratitude—but the st...
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1:11:58
What We Owe Each Other - An Episode from Article 13
Today, we’re so excited to share something brand new with you—the very first episode of a new podcast we’re launching here at Faith Matters. It’s called Article 13.This new narrative podcast brings together cutting-edge research...
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29:32
God Loves your ADHD - A Conversation with Steven Sharp Nelson
This week, we got to sit down with someone we’ve long admired and are so thrilled to finally have on the podcast—Steven Sharp Nelson, known to millions around the world as “The Cello Guy” from The Piano Guys. He’s a creative force and a pioneer...
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1:13:29
A Thoughtful Faith - A Conversation with Philip Barlow
This week, we’re sharing a conversation with Phil Barlow about his new book, published by Faith Matters, called A Thoughtful Faith for the 21st Century. If that sounds familiar, it may be because Phil published the first volume back in...
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58:09
Can Doubt be a Spiritual Gift? A Conversation with Terryl Givens & Jared Halverson
This week, we’re excited to share a special live episode recorded at the Compass Gallery in Provo, as part of our Big Questions series with Terryl Givens. Each month, Terryl is joined by a guest for a conversation about some of our big...
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1:10:36
Heavenly Mother's Day - A Conversation with McArthur Krishna
With Mother’s Day coming up, we’re so honored to bring you this conversation with McArthur Krishna about her new book, Mother in Heaven: A Gospel Topics Essay Study Guide.The doctrine of Heavenly Mother is one of the most beauti...
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41:44
Seventy Times Seven - A Conversation with Chad Ford
This week, we’re so glad to be sharing a conversation with our friend Chad Ford.Chad is a conflict mediator, peace educator, and associate professor of religious studies at Utah State University. He’s spent decades working in some of the...
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1:04:06
Easter Is for Everybody - A Conversation with Amanda Suarez and Jon Ogden
With Easter just a few days away, we’re so excited to share this conversation with Amanda Suarez and Jon Ogden.Amanda and Jon are two of the co-founders of Uplift Kids, a lesson library and curriculum that helps families explore...
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53:40
How to Have a Conversation with God - A Conversation with Adam Miller & Rosalynde Welch
This week, we’re so excited to welcome Adam Miller and Rosalynde Welch to talk about their brand-new book, Seven Visions. This book is an exploration of seven visionary experiences in the Doctrine ...
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1:05:34
Changemakers - A Conversation with McArthur Krishna and Anne Pimentel
This week, we’re really excited to share a conversation about a brand-new Children’s book called Changemakers by McArthur Krishna and Anne Pimentel, with beautiful artwork by Jessica Sarah Beach. The book is a powerful and much-need...
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1:07:08
Listening to Women: Jared Halverson hosts Aubrey Chaves, Kathryn Knight Sonntag, and Bethany Brady Spalding
Today we’re bringing you a special conversation hosted by Jared Halverson, who’s joined by three women—Bethany Brady Spalding, Kathryn Knight Sonntag, and me—who’ve been part of a larger, ongoing conversation sparked by one of Jared’s recent vi...
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1:01:41
The Blessings of a Quirky Ward - with James Goldberg
We have a really fun episode for you today—We’re talking with James Goldberg about his delightful book Tales of the Chelm First Ward, which he co-wrote with his, wife Nicole Wil...
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58:44
The Path of Descent - A Conversation with Mike Petrow
This week, we’re joined by Mike Petrow, who serves as the Director of Formation, Faculty Relations, and Theological Foundations at the Center for Action and Contemplation. The CAC is a nonprofit founded by Father Richard Rohr that introduces se...
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1:02:18
A Counter-culture of Love - A Conversation with David French
This week, we’re excited to share a conversation between Zach Davis and New York Times columnist and author David French.David French began his career as a constitutional litigator, with a special focus on religious liberty. He ...
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