Shows
Conference TalkS10E06: The Family Proclamation—Words from GodIs the Family Proclamation a statement of policy? A document written by lawyers for the Church to use in amicus briefs against same-sex marriage? Did Pres. Hinckley commandeer the Relief Society meeting to present the Family Proclamation? Did the Relief Society Presidency feel excluded by not reviewing it in advance? Is it "just a matter of time" until the Church comes around and caves to social pressure to institute same-sex sealings?Matthew has written about these and other myths that have plagued Church members for too long. So has Angela. And now, so has Elder Ronald A...
2025-12-0655 min
Conference TALKS: Drawing Nearer to Jesus ChristEpisode 11: Wrestling with "The Family A Proclamation to The World" - with Dan Ursenbach🎙️ Episode 11: Wrestling with “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” — with Dan UrsenbachIn this week’s episode, we explore The Family: A Proclamation to the World through the lens of Elder Ronald A. Rasband’s October 2025 General Conference address. This conversation takes a slightly different tone than our previous episodes—one of reflection, wrestling, and compassion.While we affirm the divine principles and truths within the Family Proclamation, we also recognize the sincere questions and struggles it may present for some members of the Church, particularly our LGBTQ brother...
2025-11-121h 34
The Raising Family PodcastShima Baughman: Finding Happiness in Family LifeGuest Shima Baughman joins host Carol Rice to explore Paragraph 4 of The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Together, they consider how the teachings of Jesus Christ guide us in setting boundaries, extending forgiveness, navigating accountability, and finding real happiness within family life. This conversation highlights both the challenges and the hope that come when gospel principles shape our closest relationships.Timestamps15:00 — The pursuit of happiness20:45 — Reconciling forgiveness and boundaries28:00 — Eternal potential of marital relationships34:00 — What happiness research reveals39:00 — Finding comfort in promises41:00 — Revolutionizing the world with the restored gospel
2025-09-2254 min
The Raising Family PodcastEmily and Trent: Marriage Between Man and Woman is Essential to His Eternal PlanIn this episode, Trent and Emily share their beautiful and unique story — marrying later in life and learning together how marriage between a man and a woman fits into God’s eternal plan. For Trent, it's a second marriage after losing his first wife; for Emily, it's her first. Together, they offer heartfelt insights about timing, trust, and what it means to walk the covenant path--together.We talk about: 16:25 — Asking: "What do I really want?" 18:40 — The difference between the "covenant path" and God's "eternal plan" 22:00 — Why ideals are not indictments 31:00 — How marriage helps us become our “favorite self” — "...
2025-06-261h 04
The Raising Family PodcastDivine Roles and Eternal Identity: Exploring Paragraph 3 of The Family ProclamationIn this episode, host Brent Andrewsen sits down with renowned gospel scholar Jared Halverson for a rich and timely discussion on Paragraph 3 of The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Together, they unpack profound truths about eternal identity, divine roles, and the sacred nature of gender as essential characteristics of premortal, mortal, and eternal life.This thoughtful conversation explores:[04:12] The doctrine of divine parentage and what it means to be a child of God[12:35] The eternal significance of gender and its divine origin[23:18] How these truths offer clarity and compassion in...
2025-04-021h 02
The Raising Family PodcastJenet Erickson: The Complimentary Roles of Mothers and FathersOur 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 bonding with both a mother and father as well as the areas of identity that are developed by each parent. (10:59). She describes how facing the challenges we all face as imperfect individuals raised in imperfect families can help us respond, help and hea...
2023-08-1552 min
The Raising Family PodcastBenjamin Pacini: Humility & The Pursuit of TruthBenjamin 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 borders and historical periods (4:14) and how we can manage to stand for truth and still be compassionate to those who disagree (8:46). He goes on to explain how truth, by definition, cannot be individualized, but that we should have the humility and gratitude to be corr...
2022-12-2152 min
The Raising Family PodcastChristopher Cunningham: Therapy & RepentanceChristopher 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 therapists and clients (5:57), how therapy can be compatible with faith (16:45), and how repentance is a crucial element for true change and lasting happiness (28:31). To read Christophers article, please go to https://publicsquaremag.org/faith/gospel-fare/when-therapy-subverts-change/To lea...
2022-12-0236 min
The Raising Family PodcastMimi Bascom: Sharing Testimonies With #HowIKnowSharing 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 each of us identify and share our own testimonies.Join us as we discover what motivates Mimi to share her faith (4:57) and how she deals with both positive and negative feedback from her followers (8:09). Mimi then s...
2022-11-2128 min
The Raising Family PodcastPriscilla Davis: Emotional Resilience and Sharing GoodnessSocial 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 how she found help through therapy and understanding her relationship with the Savior (5:06). Priscilla shares her experience with a pilot program from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called “Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resi...
2022-11-0240 min
The Raising Family PodcastTeresa Clark: Storytelling and TestimonyElder 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 stories and why they matter. Clark gives some background about how she came to the storytelling profession (1:15) before discussing the “Stories of How I Know” lesson outline found on thefamilyproclamation.org (4:40). Stories can effect our lives in...
2022-09-1934 min
The Raising Family PodcastJeff Bennion Part One: IdentityJeff 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 Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.In the first half of this episode, Jeff and host Brent Andrewsen discuss basic concepts of identity and self-awareness before Jeff expands on what can happen when we over-identify with our feelings (6:19). Many times, especially in...
2022-07-0235 min
The Raising Family PodcastJeff Bennion Part Two: IdentityJeff 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 the gay label (4:55), what they mean, and why they make it difficult to remain “all in” to the gospel. Jeff shares his thoughts on dealing with unanswered questions (23:48), his testimony (24:50), and taking inspiration from Mormon to find hope i...
2022-07-0232 min
The Raising Family PodcastDennis Schleicher: Gay Membership and Temple WorkDennis 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 him joy through family history work (12:15) and having the spirit in his life (24:55). In response to the question “why do you stay?” (42:03), Dennis quotes 2 Nephi 2 and testifies that God will consecrate our afflictions for our good...
2022-06-0456 min
The Raising Family PodcastCarol Rice: Gender and the Stories We Tell OurselvesMany 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 may have the same vocabulary as the world, we are operating with different dictionaries for words like “love” and “accept.” She demonstrates that the stories we tell ourselves are powerful (5:30) before diving into three separate misleading narrative...
2022-05-3143 min
Sit Down with Sky and AmandaThe Family Proclamation & Gender RolesSend us a textOn today’s episode, what does the Family Proclamation say about gender roles? And how are those principles twisted in pop culture?Plus, we’ll end the episode answering questions submitted by listeners. All of that and more on this episode of Sit Down with Sky and Preston. Want to start your own podcast?Following the link below gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support our show.https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1789725Subscr...
2022-04-2253 min
The Raising Family PodcastAndrew Young: Social Engineering in MediaThe 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 explaining what social engineering is (6:14). He gives some background on his career and then tells the story of his time at DreamWorks, starting with when he got his job (12:10) and began working on Mr. Peabody and Sherman (17:59). When Andrew discovered the actual motivations for ma...
2022-03-151h 03
The Raising Family PodcastBlake Fisher: Identity and LabelsBlake 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.org. Blake elaborates on his job at BYU (3:10) why people feel the need to label themselves even though it can be stressful (6:30) and the difference between prescriptive and descriptive labels (10:15). In the tension of navigating same...
2022-03-0634 min
The Raising Family PodcastNathan & Jelaire Richardson: Family CurriculumNathan 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 family (3:42), how they created the curriculum and chose the topics (7:31), and how it might supplement official church curriculum (14:30). “We make kids take a semester long course in drivers ed before we give them a drivers license, but we send them off into...
2022-02-2737 min
The Raising Family PodcastTrials of Faith, Parental Roles, and Driving on the Wrong SideWhen 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, and what it was like for Steve to be the sole grandparent back in Australia. On this episode about roles in the family, we also learn lessons about trials of faith—and that th...
2021-12-3154 minThe Raising Family PodcastThe Decline of Chastity, Moral Vocabulary and AristotleDanny 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 recent movements on sexual consent (7:32), and what our children are learning about sexuality (14:30). “Our culture provides us with a way of looking out at the world… Kids get this from lots of different directions. On TV there’s a glamorization of a hedonistic and rebellious lifestyle. Specifically with respec...
2021-12-0352 minThe Raising Family PodcastSingle Mothers and Preparing for the TempleWhen 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 of her family and ward when learning of Lauren’s pregnancy (18:55) and the few things that helped prepare her to have a better temple experience (13:12). Lauren is now working to have her daughter sealed to her (24:25) and shares...
2021-10-1130 minThe Raising Family PodcastSanctity of Life and Missions FulfilledIn 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
2021-09-0335 minThe Raising Family PodcastInfertility, Adoption, and the Potential for ParenthoodCollette 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). “Everyone has unrealized dreams. But God knows them, and because of the atonement we can choose to be okay.”To learn more, visit TheFamilyProclamation.org
2021-09-0139 minThe Raising Family PodcastSanctity in Death and Spiritual HomecomingsAs 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 her dad and how she came to hospice work (12:37), how Covid influenced the nursing center which she now directs (20:50) and how to hold onto patience with older family members (25:15). "Never correct, redirect."To learn more, visit TheFamilyProclamation...
2021-07-0942 minThe Raising Family PodcastInmates, Divine Potential, and PepperThe 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 can avoid the victim mindset to more fully uncover our potential (22:28).Jeff teaches that finding your life purpose is more an act of discovery than of creation (33:54). “Seeing yourself as God sees you, as Heavenly Mother sees [you] changes ev...
2021-06-3049 minThe Raising Family PodcastSociety Menaces, Potential, and ParenthoodLogan 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!) advice he received on dating and marriage, tips for YSA bishoprics (14:17), how to be an involved dad (25:15), and how to avoid the trap of “I’ll just get married and everything will be better” (31:40).“In the church we o...
2021-06-1740 minThe Raising Family PodcastMillennials, Family Connection, and Divine PurposeWhat 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 she felt prompted to do three things: Complete Sister Nelson’s 21 day family history challenge, invite her friends to do it as well, and then measure the psychological benefits from participating in the challenge. Less than two weeks later, Connections-Experiment.com was lau...
2021-06-0429 minThe Raising Family PodcastHello, My Name Is...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 identity (21:20). Should we challenge popular labels, is there any point in trying (23:45)?"Is our heavenly parentage our first and most profound identity? Here on earth, we identify ourselves in many different...
2021-05-2730 minThe Raising Family PodcastSolemnly Proclaim, Reverence, and False IdolsWe 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 or today, the role of prophets has not been to offer guidelines. We have other folks who do that. [Prophet’s] sacred mission, by their own report, is to deliver messages with life and death importance... [The proclam...
2021-03-0836 minThe Raising Family PodcastIntentional Parenting: The Armor of God vs. Bubble WrapThe 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 against the family and how to be more intentional with our parenting“There are no perfect parents and no easy answers, but there are principles of truth that we can rely on.”—Elder Larry R. Lawren...
2021-02-2651 minThe Raising Family PodcastEducation, The Covid Gap, and American Idol ParentsWhat 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 30 years (30:45). Glynis believes that there is no “one size fits all” in education (15:57), and one of the best things a parent can do is to be proactive in finding a teacher that’s the right fit for their child. Once they do tha...
2021-02-1540 minThe Raising Family PodcastCalamities, Blessings, and the Equality ActThe 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 for the people living it (16:30), and hosts David and Linda join in to discuss why we can still have hope and control in our families regardless of where we live or the calamities that may come (22:00). “The law is a teacher. I think the...
2021-02-0329 minThe Raising Family PodcastUnity, Cookies, and 2x4’sThe 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 are best taught in the home. They brainstorm ways to love those who think differently from us (8:26), before coming to the conclusion that kindness alone will fall short in our efforts to unify. Our love for others must be coupled with the firs...
2021-01-2418 minThe Raising Family PodcastCounterfeit Healing, Infertility, and True EmpowermentAngela 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 hearts, especially with infertility, we try to fill it with the world and it doesn’t fit. We try to fill it with feminism, post-modern relativism, secular ideologies, activism... it’s never sustainable and it’s never full empowerment. He is the only one who can fill those hole...
2021-01-1638 min
Mint Arrow Messages99: Three Christmas Stars: Two Stories of Old and One Christmas Star That God Will Send Us TonightDo you love the story of the star that the shepherds saw on the night that Jesus was born? We are talking a little about why we love that story so much, and also a story of people who saw that same star that you may not have heard before. It’s one of my very favorite Christmas stories. But did you know there’s a new star this year? Yes. A new Christmas star that will be visible tonight from anywhere in the world where skies are clear. I hope you enjoy these three short (but true...
2020-12-2133 minThe Raising Family PodcastHoliday Traditions, Wholesome Recreation, and Chuck-a-RamaDoes 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 traditions are still one of our greatest tools in uniting families.Tune in to learn about the core and balance model of family recreation (3:20), the elements of a good tradition (8:02), and how God has set a divine example of family rituals (19:42). Strong family traditions...
2020-12-1140 minThe Raising Family PodcastPerry Mason, Gender Roles and the ProclamationIs 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 to go back and watch the video of President Hinckley introducing [the proclamation]... and then take the challenge he issues at the end to carefully, thoughtfully, and prayerfully consider [it]. And I promise anyone who does that will feel the truth of it, and have their own rev...
2020-12-0437 minThe Raising Family PodcastThe eBay Wizard and the Farm Boy - Meet the HostsHosts 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 responsibilities, they both believe that promoting the family is worth a sacrifice of their time and efforts (5:10)."There's no such thing as a perfect family. But there are perfect principles, and doctrine and truths...
2020-12-0312 min
The Raising Family PodcastIntroduction to TheFamilyProclamation.Org — Carol RiceTruths 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 this in the world" (3:06), how this project began (4:36), and how this website can be used as a tool to help people create, strengthen, and heal families (11:20)"Most of the time when we try to defend the family, we are...
2020-11-1415 min