Episode 263: What Do You Say? | 3 Conversations About Agency, Motherhood, Faith Crisis, Premonitions, and Creating God
Release Date: 05/12/2026
At Last She Said It
What do women do with Christianity? While some experiences may be specific to Latter-day Saints, when we talk to women in other churches we find a surprisingly big overlap: our sisters from other denominations describe so many common themes and similar challenges in their institutional religious experiences and personal spiritual lives. In Episode 270, Cynthia and Susan welcome Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Dean of Core Faculty at the Center for Action and Contemplation, for a conversation about women and Christianity. Don’t let the “bonus” in the title fool you—this one’s a don’t...
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One of the hallmarks of a Big Idea is that there's always more to say about it! In bonus Episode 269, Cynthia and Susan have conversations with 3 women from the ALSSI community—Lisa, Brooke, and Michelle—exploring a few ideas they had in response to Season 11 topics.
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One of the hallmarks of a big idea is that it's connected to so many others. In Episode 268, Susan and Cynthia revisit the Big Idea episodes that formed the theme of ALSSI Season 11. After discussing these topics, If there's one thing we're sure of it's that we only scratched the surface.
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In Episode 267, Susan and Cynthia ask Jen, Jessie, and Anne, What Do You Say? It’s the fifth installment of ALSSI’s series of episodes involving questions, answers, and the wide-ranging conversations they inspire among Latter-day Saint women.
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What would a generative day—one that might throw off energy into the rest of your life—look like? In Episode 266, Susan and Cynthia take on the concept of Sabbath. It’s a conversation about abundance, rhythm, letting go, and what it means to rest. Also about not needing to earn or prove anything, liberation, eradicating oppression, and some of the ways Latter-day Saints may think too narrowly when approaching this expansive idea.
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Vocation at its deepest level is “something I can’t not do, for reasons I’m unable to explain to anyone else and don’t fully understand myself, but are nonetheless compelling.” This description from Parker Palmer frames the journey of chaplain Jenny Richards. She says, “If there is an openness to life, then I think vocation is where we meet our desires and our love of God. They meet, and if I think it’s something I can’t not do, that’s very compelling. And it’s terrifying.” In Episode 265, Jenny joins Cynthia and Susan for a conversation about the remarkable path she’s...
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What do you think of when you hear the word ‘myth?’ You might use it to describe the opposite of what is real or factual, maybe a widely held but false belief. However, sacred narratives are also called myths—traditional or symbolic stories explaining the origin of the world, natural phenomena, or cultural customs. Most societies have their own creation myths, for instance. Sound familiar...maybe even like scripture? Yet it would be a profound shift for many Latter-day Saints to consider approaching our scriptures through a mythic lens. In Episode 264, Cynthia and Susan discuss some...
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In Episode 263, Cynthia and Susan ask Stephenie, Blakelee, and Tedi, What Do You Say? It's the fourth installment of ALSSI's conversations-about-everything with wise women. Three randomly selected questions about their memories, insights, and beliefs, are answered through stories of their personal lives and experiences as Latter-day Saints.
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We all know change can be hard, but what about changing our own thinking? Can the discomfort associated with conflicting ideas keep us from fully engaging with them, or prevent us from objectively weighing data? Why does 'putting it on the shelf' sometimes feel like our only option? The human tendency to seek validation for existing beliefs is called Confirmation Bias. Religions and politics both depend on it; by naturally pursuing evidence that supports our current position, people maintain the conviction that “My team is the best.” In Episode 262, Cynthia and Susan discuss...
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Some things in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seem to be changing more regularly than they have in the past. Many members have lived through decades where it felt like almost nothing changed in our meetings, curriculum, and official messaging, so this evolution comes with a diversity of feelings. How might Church leadership help members move forward more easily? Could adjusting the way these inevitable shifts are introduced increase clarity, unity, hope, and even anticipation for what the future may bring? Episode 261 addresses this and other topics—including listener...
info_outlineIn Episode 263, Cynthia and Susan ask Stephenie, Blakelee, and Tedi, What Do You Say? It's the fourth installment of ALSSI's conversations-about-everything with wise women. Three randomly selected questions about their memories, insights, and beliefs, are answered through stories of their personal lives and experiences as Latter-day Saints.