Our guest in this episode is Jenet Erickson, a Fellow at the Wheatley Institute and Associate Professor of Religious Education at BYU whose research has specialized in maternal and child wellbeing. Join us as we discuss the different, yet sacred roles of both mothers and fathers. Jenet shares how children develop emotionally and physically by bondi…

Benjamin Pacini, host of the podcast, “Radical Civility,” is currently a faculty member at BYU-Idaho in Elementary Education and pursuing an EDD from BYU. His experience as both educator and student has given him a unique perspective on how our culture seems to view and express “truth”. Benjamin explores how truth remains constant across cultural b…

Christopher Cunningham is the managing editor for Public Square Magazine, a faith and research based online editorial discussing various issues of the day. He joins us to discuss his most recent article, “When Therapy Subverts Change.” In this episode, Christopher and our host, Brent Andrewsen, discuss a potential communication disconnect between t…

Sharing our testimony can sometimes be a little intimidating, but does it really need to be? In this episode we sit down with Mimi Bascom, a Latter-Day Saint Content Creator who has partnered with us for the knew #HowIKnow campaign. This campaign follows the “Stories of How I Know” lesson on thefamilyproclamation.org website and is designed to help…

Social media is a large part of our world and, for better or worse, our main source of information. Our guest, Priscilla Davis started her Instagram account, SheSharesGoodness, to encourage anyone struggling with depression or anxiety and to help bring more light and truth to the world. She begins by discussing her own battle with depression and ho…

Elder Neil L. Andersen once said that “spiritually defining memories from our book of life are like luminous stones that help brighten the road ahead.” How do spiritually defining memories act like luminous stones and what can we do to make sure we have them in times of need? Professional storyteller Teresa Clark joins the podcast today to discuss …

Jeff Bennion is a real estate and property manager, a part time marriage and family therapist, and one of the co-founders of North Star International. North Star is a faith-affirming resource for Latter-day Saints addressing sexual orientation and gender identity, and who desire to live in harmony with the doctrines and values of The Church of Jesu…

Jeff Bennion is a real estate and property manager, a part time marriage and family therapist, and one of the co-founders of North Star International. In this second part of Jeff’s two-part episode, he clarifies that not subscribing to a gay label does not and should not mean going “back in the closet” (3:30). He talks about the three aspects of th…

Dennis Schleicher is the author of “Is He Nuts?: Why a Gay Man Would Become a Member of the Church of Jesus”. He joins the podcast to share his conversion story (1:14) and what drew him to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (4:23). Though being a gay member of The Church can be a painful journey, Dennis shares how his membership brings…

Many families have trouble addressing the topics of gender and identity. This episode is a recording of a speech given by Carol Rice (one of the contributors of thefamilyproclomation.org) about how to address these topics and how to combat the enticing narratives of the world. The speech begins at 2:13, where Carol reminds us that even though we ma…

The Family Proclamation “calls upon responsible citizens… everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family.” Andrew Young joins the podcast to share his experience as a DreamWorks animator and how he was forced to decide between answering the call to strengthen the family or keep his job. Andrew begins by explaini…

Blake Fisher is an Inclusion Advisor at BYU with the Office of Student Success. Helping students navigate being in the LGBTQ community while at BYU has given him a unique perspective on labels and how to identify when labels are helping us or hurting us. This episode is paired with the lesson ‘Identity and Labels: Part One’ on thefamilyproclamation…

Nathan and Jelaire Richardson are some of the creators of the new curriculum on thefamilyproclamation.org. This curriculum is designed to be a resource for parents and church teachers who need extra tools when approaching difficult topics such as Identity, Gender, and Truth. The Richardsons discuss why this curriculum might be helpful for your fami…

When Michelle Pollard moved from Australia to the US a few months ahead of her husband Steve, they had no idea that a pandemic was about to change a planned few months away into nearly a year and a half of separation. Michelle and Steve look back on that time and discuss what it was like for Michelle to raise their two teenage sons without Steve, a…

Danny Frost, a Family Life professor at BYU, offers a unique perspective on Paragraph 8 of the Family Proclamation by applying his background in philosophy and politics. Paragraph 8 warns us that the disintegration of chastity and family will bring calamities on our societies and nations. Danny discusses current views of sexuality (5:10), the recen…

When Lauren Colemere became a single mother she realized she wanted to make a course correction for her life and the life of her daughter. That course correction pointed them towards the temple, and on today’s episode Lauren shares her journey there and what the temple endowment means to her. We invite listeners to learn from the amazing response o…

In this follow-up episode, Collette Blackwelder shares the story of her husband’s kidney transplant and the sacred moments they shared with the family of the donor. His miraculous story teaches us to live a full life in return for the great gifts we’ve been given. To learn more, visit TheFamilyProclamation.org…

Collette Blackwelder became a first time mom at the age of 50 after a miraculous adoption. On this episode she shared her thoughts on infertility and how one can still be a parent though they may not have children of their own (12:35). She gives advice to those who are struggling on their own journey (18:30) and the story of their adoption (23:00).…

As a hospice nurse of 25 years, LeAnn Jackson has witnessed many sacred moments at the bedside of those passing from this life (10:02). These experiences have built a deep understanding of the sanctity of death, as well as a respect for "the greatest generation that's ever lived." LeAnn graciously shares her personal experience with the passing of …

The Family Proclamation teaches that each soul has a divine nature and destiny. Jeff Carney works to uncover those divine natures in others by teaching Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits” to prison inmates. On this episode, Jeff shares what it was like going into a prison for the first time (4:50), His testimony of each person’s worth (16:00), and how we ca…

Logan Wilkes remembers what it was like to be a 30 year-old, unmarried “menace to society” and shares what NOT to say to those in the dating phase. “Too often we want to preach at people the importance of marriage and the importance of [parenthood], when it’s their individual journey we should be focused on.” (22:25) Logan relates the good (and bad…

What is your divine purpose on earth? Olivia Jewell, creator of the 21 Day Family Connection experiment, joins the podcast to discuss how she found her own divine purpose and how the Family Connection experiment began. Like many others, Olivia was brought down by the Covid-19 pandemic and found herself feeling disconnected and depressed. One night …

What's the impact of what we call ourselves - and allow others to name us as well? Listen in to our guest Cameron Maddox as he explains how he thinks everyone is trying to put a label onto someone else ... whether it's true or not (20:30). We discuss how our perspective can change based on these labels and if they can pull us away from our main ide…

We often gloss over the words “solemnly proclaim” in the opening paragraph of the Family Proclamation. Loren Marks, a BYU professor in the School of Family Life, joins the podcast to discuss the gravity of those words and how they should affect the way we view this special document. “Whether you’re in ancient Israel or in the early Christian church…

The Family Proclamation tells us that parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness. But with the world pulling us in so many directions, it can be easy to let that sacred duty slip down our priority list. Amanda Davis, mother and family advocate at the United Nations, joins the podcast to discuss the forces at play ag…

What is the family’s role in education? Glynis Neves, parent and educator since 1992, joins hosts David and Linda to answer this question. They discuss how parents might be unintentionally hindering their children’s progress at school (10:43), how to overcome the education gap created by Covid-19 (20:47), and how education has changed in the last 3…

The Family Proclamation warns that the disintegration of the family will bring calamities upon individuals, communities, and nations. Brent Andrewsen, lawyer and Chairman of the Board at Kirton McKonkie, joins the podcast again to discuss this warning and how The Equality Act may affect the family (8:57). Brent proposes that the law is a teacher fo…

The call for unity from leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has been heard with increasing frequency and urgency. In this episode, hosts David and Linda discuss the recent political discord and contention they’ve seen in their own social circles (3:15), the question “what do we unite around?" (4:16), and how lessons on unity …

Angela Fallentine, co-founder of TheFamilyProclamation.org, discusses her time advocating for the family at the United Nations (3:55), annotating the family proclamation and creating the website (6:53), her experiences with infertility (9:50), and choosing to not take that on as part of her identity. “So many times when we’re feeling a hole in our …

Does wholesome recreation actually lead to greater happiness in family life? Dr. Brian Hill, professor of Experience Design at Brigham Young University, discusses the science behind successful family traditions and rituals and why they are essential for strong families. Though the holidays will look different this year, consistent and meaningful tr…

Is the family proclamation canonized, or is it subject to change? Brent Andrewsen, lawyer and Chairman of the Board at Kirton McKonkie, shares his memories of the Family Proclamation announcement (3:40), how it is still relevant today (8:30), and discusses the legal and historical background of the proclamation (11:30). “I would encourage anybody t…

Hosts David Steele and Linda Hill introduce themselves and talk about their "why" behind the podcast and what it means to them to promote the family. Linda (0:50) is a mother, grandmother, and master up-cycler. David (3:10) grew up on a farm, was a member of BYU's Vocal Point, and has been married for two years. Though they each have busy lives and…

Truths about the family are often weaponized and used to fight rather than invite. Carol Rice, co-creator of TheFamilyProclamation.org, introduces the website and discusses her hopes that it will equip people with the tools to build families without debating the truths found within the proclamation. Tune in to hear why there's "no other site like t…

Professor Enright is one of the world's authorities on forgiveness. He has studied forgiveness for 24 years and examined how cultivating forgiveness, even in environments steeped in violence, poverty, depression and anger, can be a helaing, strengthening force.By Robert Enright

Can stem cell research proceed without cloning? Yes and no, says Alta Charo, JD, UW-Madison professor of law and medical ethics. Scientific research into human stem cells may yield cures and therapies for humanity’s most intractable diseases. Clinical outcomes of stem cell therapy, called regenerative medicine, are touted as the future of biomedici…

World-renowned UW psychology professor Richard Davidson is searching for the source of happiness, and he has used Buddhist monks in his lab as a model group. Learn what he has discovered about the secrets and brain science of happiness. Professor Davidson was named in Time magazine’s “Time 100, The People Who Shape Our World.” He earned his PhD in …

Join political science Professor David Cannon and Professor Virginia Sapiro as they discuss the 10 most interesting things about the 2006 election, then answer the audience's political questions. Professor Canon is an expert in American political institutions, especially Congress, and in race, representation and congressional reform. He also is a c…

Bret Bielema is the third rookie head football coach in NCAA Division I history to guide his team to 12 wins. He holds the record for most wins by a first-year coach at Wisconsin. Hear how Coach Bielema built his staff and led the Badgers to a Capital One Bowl win. Bielema played college football at the University of Iowa from 1989-92. He went on t…

Most of us know someone who has experienced blindness or visual impairment. And the number of people with age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration is rising as our life expectancy increases. Dr. Albert discusses common vision problems in the context of known science and future treatment possibilities. His research focuses on ocular tum…

Don’t take away your child’s or grandchild’s video or computer games just yet. They are actually learning how to be successful in tomorrow’s work force, says Professor David Shaffer. Education must move beyond its “skill and drill” curriculum and embrace creative learning technologies, such as computer and video games, to prepare young people for t…

Learn how just 15 minutes of sunlight a day can change your life. Learn too how it may reduce the risk of getting various cancers, the flu, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune diseases. Hector DeLuca is the Harry Steenbock Research Professor in the UW-Madison Department of Biochemistry and an internationally recognized pioneer in vitamin D resea…

Edward Friedman who holds the Hawkins Chair of Political Science, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is an expert on Chinese politics. He has written several books on the subject including “Revolution, Resistance and Reform in Village China” and “What If China Doesn’t Democratize?” Friedman answers questions about one of the most dynamic and c…