It’s General Conference weekend! Time to dig up the BINGO cards and park yourself in front of the TV with some cinnamon rolls and a Diet Coke or two, to soak in some inspiration and maybe even encounter some discomfort.
We thought we’d release a re-edited episode with Patrick Mason that feels really timely.
In this conversation with Patrick, we talked about creating what Brian McLaren has called a “four-stage community.”. The “stages” we’re referencing here come from Brian’s book Faith After Doubt, and refer to different stages in which people might find themselves in their journeys of faith. McLaren defines these stages as simplicity, where faith is straightforward; complexity, where faith becomes somewhat more complicated; perplexity, the stage where questions become more important than answers and previous faith paradigms often undergo massive shifts; and finally, harmony, where the gifts of each stage are finally realized and integrated.
It seems to us that the diverse reactions and feelings engendered by General Conference are often the result of being members of a community in which all four of these stages are manifest. Messages that seem to be tailored to members at a particular stage of faith may not resonate with listeners at a different stage. This can feel like misalignment, and it can sometimes feel jarring.
In this conversation, Patrick points to a couple of practices that have helped us turn that dissonance we sometimes feel into a gift: for one, being intentional about deeply listening to those we might be inclined to disagree with, and orienting ourselves toward generosity, asking what virtues and values might they be speaking from. Patrick also pointed out there’s a real potential for growth when we choose to stay in relationship with people we disagree with. As Eugene England points out in his essay “The Church is As True as the Gospel,” in many ways, that struggle is the point.
Patrick is the Leonard Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University and the author of several books including Restoration: God’s Call to the 21st Century World. He brought the wisdom, insight, and optimism that he always seems to meld so beautifully. We really hope that you can take what feels valuable in this episode, and use it as we come together in solidarity as a community this weekend, with all our varied life experiences and perspectives to be inspired by and stretched by General Conference.
64. Women Creating Sacred Spaces — Carol Lynn Pearson, Jana Spangler, and Becky Edwards
63. Beliefs, Biomes, and CRISPR - Dr. Laura Bridgewater with Terryl Givens
62. An Urgent Invitation to Women - Claudia Bushman with Terryl Givens
61. Repentance as Transformation — Thomas McConkie and Adam Miller
60. Discipleship vs Partisanship — Former Congressman Ben McAdams with Terryl Givens
59. Restoration: God's Call to the 21st-Century World - Patrick Mason
58. Congressman John Curtis with Terryl Givens—Healing our Nation's Wounds
57. All Things New - Fiona and Terryl Givens
56. The Most American Religion - McKay Coppins with Terryl Givens
55. Transformations of Faith - Thomas McConkie
54. Finding Mother God - Carol Lynn Pearson
53. Depression and the Plan of Happiness - Jane Clayson Johnson
52. The New Normal, Part 2 - Melissa Inouye
51. The Real Story of the Priesthood-Temple Ban - Terryl Givens with Paul Reeve
50. Navigating the Church in an Interracial Marriage - Kimberly and Matt Teitter
49. Joanna Brooks - Understanding the Past to Create a Better Future
48. Lord, Is It I? LaShawn Williams and Yahosh Bonner
47. The New Normal, Part 1 - Ashley Mae Hoiland
46. Belonging: On the Edge of Inside - with Jeralee Renshaw
45. In what way is our church the true church?
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