Podcast
Pioneering Paradox: A podcast for conflicted saints
Hosted by Casey McFarland · EN
An attempt to find a middle ground in the Mormon experience.
20episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Come to Italy with McArthur and Amy Watkins Jensen
4d ago00:24:54Tap to summarizeAs part of a roll out of our 2027 Tours we are excited to announce a tour to Southern Italy April 22-30 with McArthur Krishna and Amy Watkins Jensen. See details here: https://www.reliqtravel.com/tours/becoming
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FROM CRISIS TO HARMONY w/Melanie and Casey
2w ago01:10:40Tap to summarizeMany of you know that my wife Melanie and I experienced a very difficult and long faith upheaval that affected nearly every aspect of our lives. We can laugh about it now but those years of struggle were very serious and tense times for us. but they were also full of new ideas, unlearning false traditions, rebirth, and excitement. In this episode we talk about how we formed new framework and spiritual rituals that replaced some of the void and grief and helped us maintain a connection to the divine and integrate useful parts of our heritage. We both held onto a belief that moving forward in our faith journey meant letting go of blame, hate and duality and allowing more grace, gratitidue and love in. We hope you enjoy this conversation.
Transcribe →Staying Connected through difficult conversations w/ Christian Hansen
3w ago01:13:20Tap to summarize"Every single one of us is selling something or trying to persuade someone multiple times a day. Whether it’s convincing your kids to eat their vegetables and finish their homework, or gently steering your spouse toward Mexican food instead of Italian on date night.The truth is, the art of persuasion is one of the most important skills we can develop. When done well, it strengthens relationships. When done poorly, it can damage them.In today’s episode, we’re joined by author and speaker Christian Hansen to explore how we can master difficult but necessary conversations, build stronger connections, and stay persuasive even when we disagree.Christian is the author of three fantastic books on influence and persuasion: The Influence Mindset, The Influence Mindset for Sales Acceleration, and Unforgettable Phrases That Get People to Choose You.He brought so many practical, thoughtful, and eye-opening ideas to this conversation.So sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode!https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Mindset-Science-Getting-People-ebook/dp/B0989DFGF7https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Mindset-Sales-Acceleration-People-ebook/dp/B0FDH4LQ7Zhttps://www.thechristianhansen.com/phrasebook
Transcribe →Chad Ford- The tension between social action and inner peace
Apr 1501:29:54Tap to summarizeEschatology is a word I didn't know prior to this convo with Chad Ford. It deals with theology of end times and how that changes behavior . Chad makes a case that the Latter Day Saint theology dictates that we are co builders with God and we are not to just sit around and let the world collapse around us. How do we balance social ills with inner peace? What can the Latter Day Saints do with the call from President Oaks to "use the language and methods of peacemakers"? How do we help the next generation imagine a better future? These are all topics we discuss in this very important and timely episode. Thanks for listening.
Transcribe →Nature with Neighbors: The Year Yellowstone changed our Neighborhood
Apr 801:07:15Tap to summarizeIn 2013 one fast and testimony meeting altered the course of our neighborhood. Four families started something we didn't realize would become a yearly tradition, but last week we completed our 14th annual neighborhood National Park Trip. today we have visited 17 parks. I invited Peggy Craney and Corinne Kelly to join me and Mel to talk about how it all began, how it can be replicated (we hope) what these trips have done for our families and most especially our kids. I am just naive enough to believe that nature with friends is just the thing that can heal our divide in our world right now. Thanks for listening.
Transcribe →A Weekend at Warren Jeff's house- The Paradox of Fundamentalism
Mar 2701:08:32Tap to summarizeOne day Celestial Marriage (Polygamy) was considered the "Capstone" of our religion, and the next day anyone who continued the practice with a new marriage or even showed favor toward it were excommunicated. That stands still today. The church went from fighting for "the principle" to helping the US government root our fundamentalists in our midst. All the while we never full stopped polygamy, we simply deferred it to the next life. We discuss why in this episode. Also, in 2017 Melanie and Casey on a random chance ended up sleeping over at Warren Jeffs house for a weekend, you know the one that says "Pray and Obey" on the side of it! That one! In this episode tell Wil all about our experience and also the history or how Short Creek (Colorado City and Hildale) were founded and why.
Transcribe →The Paradox of the Book of Mormon Part 1
Mar 2001:11:50Tap to summarizeThe Book of Mormon presents an interesting paradox: it is often placed on a pedestal, almost like a trophy, as a symbol that we possess the truth, while at the same time it cautions against that very kind of attitude.I haven't read the Book of Mormon in ten years (Casey). I called Will and told him the other day that Donald Trump is almost making me believe in the Book of Mormon again for reasons I did not expect and likely you won't either. Melanie, Casey and Wil have a discussion about it.
Transcribe →The Civility Paradox- Raising civil kids in an uncivil world
Mar 1201:10:46Tap to summarizeMELANIE MCFARLAND of True Within You emotional wellness joins Wil Wood and Casey McFarland to have a discussion about how adults can model civility, hope and better communication for the next generation.
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The Paradox of Proximity - Creating Safe Places for LGBTQ Saints- Jenny Mathews
Mar 401:13:59Tap to summarizeSeven years ago, a group in Cache Valley created FHE for ALL, a community that provides a safe place for LGBTQ Mormons to simply be themselves. In this conversation, Jenny Mathews shares her story of her father coming out when she was in high school, an experience that was very difficult at the time but has since become one of the greatest blessings in her life.Many people contribute to making FHE for ALL the welcoming and supportive space it is today. This discussion also explores how others might think about creating similar safe spaces in their own communities.We love Jenny and the entire FHE for ALL group, and we loved this conversation. We hope you do too! 🌈If you want to meet another member of this group go back and listen to our episode titled: Coffee hour with Blake
Transcribe →Clark Gilbert- Preserver and Distruptor
Feb 2501:21:08Tap to summarizeThe paradox of Clark Gilbert is that he is both a preserver and a disruptor. He built his reputation on the logic of disruptive innovation arguing that institutions must be willing to dismantle parts of themselves to survive, yet his motivation has often been deeply conservative: to protect enduring values, faith communities, and long-term institutional purpose. He is willing to fire 40% of a newsroom or radically restructure an organization not out of iconoclasm, but out of stewardship. In Gilbert’s model, stability comes through change, and loyalty to a mission sometimes requires disloyalty to a model. That tension between conviction and adaptation, preservation and reinvention is the core of his leadership paradox.
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