Send us Fan Mail Is the Book of Mormon socialist? That question launches Matt, Shawn, and Levi into a much bigger debate about capitalism, democratic socialism, wealth inequality, agency, public education, corruption, and how far government should go in encouraging people to make good choices. But first: Is America's government becoming too corrupt? A new Gallup survey finds that 89% of U.S. adults believe government corruption is widespread—the highest level Gallup has recorded in two decade...
Sep 23
1 hr 3 min
Send us Fan Mail Why are Latter-day Saints and white evangelical Christians beginning to look different politically? Matt, Shawn, and guest Clayton examine new polling on Mormon politics, Christian nationalism, American power, and whether the increasingly global nature of the Church is changing the way Latter-day Saints see America and the world. They also ask whether modern politics punishes honest politicians, how to respect a political office when you distrust the person occupying it, whet...
Sep 16
58 min
Send us Fan Mail Is cheating actually a sin—or are some rules just arbitrary? Matt says that even after explicitly telling his BYU–Idaho students how they may and may not use ChatGPT, about 20% still cross the line. Shawn asks a more uncomfortable question: If a professor makes an arbitrary rule, is breaking it actually immoral? That launches a debate about AI, plagiarism, the Honor Code, obedience, honesty, and what actually makes cheating wrong. Matt also confesses that he cheated in high s...
Sep 9
1 hr
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Latter-day Lens, Matt, Shawn, and guest co-host Levi open with a personal announcement regarding the future of the show and Matt's timeline for stepping away. From there, the panel dives into four distinct issues spanning governance, ethics, academia, and church trends: Federal Data and Public Good: Following meteorologist John Morales's warning about NOAA budget cuts and lost weather balloon data, the team debates whether the federal government has a m...
Sep 2
1 hr 11 min
Send us Fan Mail Is communal property ownership an eternal gospel principle, and are Latter-day Saints commanded to live the Law of Consecration right now? In this episode, Matt, Shawn, and guest Melanie explore the scriptural tensions between property rights and consecration, the unique social isolation of American poverty compared to the developing world, and new survey data breaking down religion by college major. They kick things off by answering a listener question from the mailbag: Are ...
Aug 26
53 min
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Latter Day Lens, Matt, Shawn, and special guest Porter dive into listener mailbag questions and examine today's pressing societal and religious questions through a Latter-day Saint perspective. Topics Covered in This Episode: Listener Mailbag: A lighthearted debate on favorite taxes, tithing, and common misconceptions surrounding plural marriage (polygamy) and D&C 132. The 3 P's of Youth Retention: Analyzing Jana Reese and Benjamin Knoll'...
Aug 12
53 min
Send us Fan Mail In this deep-dive episode of The Latter-Day Lens, hosts Matt and Shawn tackle listener mail and pressing socio-political questions through a unique Latter-day Saint perspective. 1. Listener Mailbag: Mormon Heaven & Eternal Polygamy A listener and mental health therapist shares why young LDS women are feeling disheartened by perceptions of a male-centric heaven. Matt and Sean discuss Heavenly Mother, the theological vs. cultural views on celestial marriage, and whether the...
Aug 5
1 hr 5 min
Send us Fan Mail Join Matt, Shawn, and guest Levi as they tackle complex cultural and geopolitical issues through a Latter-day Saint lens! In this episode, the team discusses a listener mailbag letter on unrighteous dominion and eternal polygamy, dives into the nuclear diplomacy double standards between South Korea and Saudi Arabia, debates employee stock ownership vs. free market principles, and explores the gospel perspective on property rights and taking care of those in need. 🔑 Key Topics...
Jul 29
1 hr 2 min
Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: Melanie returns to the show to add a missing perspective as the team tackles a wide range of timely and complex topics! The crew begins by diving into LDS youth retention rates, examining why young women leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at higher rates than young men between ages 18 and 25. From there, Matt, Shawn, and Melanie examine Russian oligarch Andrei Melnichenko’s warnings regarding Putin and the Ukraine conflict, debating what ro...
Jul 22
54 min
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Latter-day Lens, Matt, Shawn, and Porter reunite to tackle a fascinating mix of listener mail and heavy-hitting social data. From a deep dive into the nuances of the abortion debate to economic realities facing Gen Z, the team breaks down current events through a unique cultural lens. What We Discuss in This Episode: The Mailbag: Correcting the false dichotomy in political rhetoric surrounding abortion and shifting accountability to men.Gen Z & Livi...
Jul 15
1 hr 1 min
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