Faith Matters

• 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 thoughtful and compassionate voice in our community—especially for those who often feel like their experiences don’t quite fit the mold. As a divorced mother of four, Anna brings honesty, heart, and hard-won wisdom to conversations about faith, family, and belonging.Today’s episode is for everyone though—whether you’ve experienced divorce yourself or love someone who has, we talk with Anna about what it feels like to show up at church when your life no longer fits the picture of how you thought things were “supposed” to look. She speaks candidly about the stigma and shame that so many experience around divorce in a family-centered church, —and about how we, as a community, can do better to create a softer place to land.Anna also invites us to rethink and let go of some of the painful narratives many of us have inherited around marriage—that it should be preserved at all costs, or that staying married is always the most right choice. She shares the both-ands of her own story—the grief and the growth, the costs and the clarity—and how reclaiming and recentering her identity as a daughter of God has led to deeper joy, belonging, and renewed faith.We’re so grateful to the many of you who shared your stories and questions ahead of this episode. Your voices shaped this conversation in meaningful ways. We’re grateful for your honesty and vulnerability and we hope you feel heard here.And with that, here’s our conversation with Anna Lott.

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• 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 story we’ve inherited about how it happened is, in many ways, incomplete.To help us understand more fully what led to that pivotal moment, we’re joined by Dr. Matthew Harris, whose new book Second-Class Saints draws on previously unavailable documents—including the complete, unredacted journals from Pres. Spencer W. Kimball and private papers from several other apostles and prophets who were part of this story. What emerges is a story of complex revelation—one that didn’t arrive all at once, but unfolded slowly through conversation, persuasion, and deep personal growth.We sometimes talk about the 1978 revelation as if it came out of nowhere—a sudden command from heaven. But Matt helps us see the reality that this was a process shaped by years of thoughtful wrestling and dialogue, by courageous individuals who quietly worked to open hearts and minds, and by the unwavering faith of Black members who carried impossible burdens with grace and conviction.In our conversation today, we explored what it means to be part of a living church—one that’s capable of change because it’s built on continuing revelation. We talked about how “doctrine” has been defined and redefined across the Church’s history, the vital role each of us plays in the process of institutional revelation, because this isn’t just about the past—it’s about how we show up today: how we answer President Nelson’s call to root out racism and build a more inclusive future within the body of Christ.We’re deeply grateful to Matt for his careful, bold work. And with that, we’ll jump right into our conversation with Matt Harris.Buy the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/45a7IjlBuy from Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/108982/9780197695715 

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• 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 and spiritual wisdom to explore creative paths toward a more connected and compassionate world. As our society grows increasingly divided along political and cultural lines, Article 13—hosted by Zachary Davis—offers a hopeful and constructive alternative. Through deep dives into vital social issues, extraordinary guests, and beautiful sound design, the show models the kind of thoughtful, intelligent discourse our country needs—and offers practical ways each of us can make a difference, starting right where we are.Today, we’re honored to share Episode 1 of Article 13 with you—it’s titled What We Owe Each Other.In this episode, Zach is joined by voices like Cornel West, Shaylyn Romney Garrett, and Robert Putnam to explore what rebuilding trust really looks like—and why it matters now. They propose that real renewal begins from the inside out, as we recommit to the people we serve in the institutions we’re already part of—our families, schools, churches, and communities. When we view these roles as shared responsibilities, not personal platforms, we can begin to restore the trust and connection that hold us together.It’s a thoughtful, timely conversation—and we’re so excited to share it with you. You can find Article 13 wherever you listen to podcasts.

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• 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 in "cello-percussion"—where rhythm, melody, and movement come together in such creative and beautiful ways.If you’ve ever seen Steve perform, you know the energy he brings to music is unlike anything else—it’s vibrant, joyful, and instantly captivating. And we felt all of that in this conversation.But this episode isn’t just about music. Today we got to talk with Steve about ADHD—his diagnosis as a child, and the way he’s come to understand it not as a disorder, but a spiritual gift that has shaped his creativity, deepened his connection to God, and is helping him live into his divine purpose. Though ADHD began as a source of confusion and shame, he’s come to see it as one of the greatest blessings of his life.In this conversation, Steve shares what that transformation has looked like—what it means to live with “attention abundance,” how this overflow of energy, sensitivity, and ideas have become the place where God meets him—again and again. And how, when we offer our weaknesses to God, the burdens begin to lift and the blessings blossom. Steve reminds us that God works with our particular brains, capacities, and quirks, speaking to each of us in the language we understand best. And that sometimes, what we once thought was a weakness might actually be the key to our calling.This episode is full of honesty, humor, and deep spiritual wisdom. We’re so excited to share this one with you—here’s our conversation with Steven Sharp Nelson.

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• 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 1986. That original collection included essays by Eugene England, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Francine Bennion, Richard Bushman, and others—each exploring what it means to live a spiritually and intellectually honest life within the Latter-day Saint tradition.As Phil points out, challenges to faith are not new. Thoughtful people were wrestling with difficult questions decades ago in ways that still have power today. But, as he says, “the world has turned some” since then. The 2025 edition brings in a new generation of scholars and voices—Thomas McConkie, Melissa Inouye, Fiona Givens, Ben Schilaty, among others—who speak to today’s distinctive challenges while honoring the wisdom and foundation of those who came before.At the heart of both volumes is an urgent and beautiful question: How can we hold together the integrities of our minds and our hearts and our spirits? That question—its weight, complexity, and quiet hope—sits at the center of this conversation today.Phil brings so much humility and clarity, and in this episode we get to hear a little about what’s changed in his own faith, about the wisdom of surrendering the need to know, and why he still finds the Latter-day Saint tradition compelling, human, and a spiritual home he continues to choose with both heart and mind.We’re so grateful to Phil for this conversation, and we hope you love it as much as we did. With that, here’s Phil Barlow.Links for the show notes:Purchase the book through Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/108982/9781953677242) Amazon (https://amzn.to/4mgJsCf) or anywhere you get your books. Get a free look inside the book on our website: https://www.faithmatters.org/s/a-thoughtful-faith-vol-2

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