Pioneering Paradox: A podcast for conflicted saints

Meagan Skidmore is the author author of TransparentSEE: How I Learned to SEE through My Journey as a Parent of a Transgender Kiddo It's a memoir that chronicles her journey as the parent of a transgender child. Through personal stories, reflection, and spiritual exploration, Skidmore examines how her understanding of identity, faith, family, and love evolved over time. The book invites readers to move beyond fear and assumptions, embracing greater compassion, connection, and acceptance while exploring what it means to truly “see” others—and ourselves.Meagan also has a podcast titled Living Beyond the Shadow of Doubt and is a life coach who is currently taking clients.

"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

In 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.

The 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.

Seven 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

In the fall of 2023, local leaders in the bay area were instructed by the Area presidency to no longer allow women sit on the stand during ward and stake conferences. While it is not something done in all wards or stakes it was something this area had done for nearly a decade to show respect and honor women leaders in their area. The sudden change was deeply hurtful and left a lot of members asking why? As a result Amy Watkins Jensen started an instagram account titled Women on the Stand. Today it has nearly 15,000 followers. Although it was started by Amy, it has quickly become a place where members can post success stories and little changes and wins in the pursuit of greater equality in the church. We were so happy to interview Amy and we hope you feel inspired to be a part of making a difference after listening to this.

Melanie and Casey sit down with Blake Muir for what we are calling Coffee Hour with Blake. Blake asks the question "If there is Eternal Progression, could there be eternal digression?" Without diversity in heaven would we progress? We also discuss what heaven would be like without our LGBTQ members. Would that be heaven? Is there sin in thinking you are going to heaven while thinking others aren't?

We are joined by the articulate, intelligent, and courageous Valerie Hamaker of the Latter Day Struggles Podcast. As a therapist, Valerie has been a vital support to individuals and families navigating the complexities of faith in the 21st century. Through tireless effort, she has built an extraordinary network of resources—including therapy, workshops, and educational tools—designed to help those who feel like they’re struggling just to breathe as they grapple with the realities of a faith journey.In this episode, we explore the idea of the “myth of normal,” challenging the assumption that what is considered normal within church culture is always healthy or helpful. Valerie brings a rare combination of clinical insight and lived experience, helping us examine the unspoken beliefs and behaviors that are simply part of the air we breathe, and inviting us to ask whether they truly serve us.Listen to Latter Day Struggles interview with Casey: Part 1 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/375-when-god-refuses-to-be-church-correlated/id1612326898?i=1000732662668Part 2 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/377-when-ones-soul-has-the-audacity-to-grow-right/id1612326898?i=1000733703085

Casey saw a UFO. So what does that mean? Melanie joins me and Wil to discuss how in Latter-day Saint theology, this phenomena bumps up against a quiet but persistent paradox: a God vast enough to organize “worlds without number,” yet a religious culture often lived out in small wards, narrow social expectations, and very local ways of thinking. The cosmic scope of the plan of salvation stretches across galaxies, intelligences, and eternities, while daily faith practice can feel bounded by committee meetings, cultural habits, and an unspoken pressure to keep the universe tidy and familiar. A UFO sighting becomes less about aliens and more about discomfort, what happens when the heavens feel too big, too strange, too alive for a worldview that prefers the comfort of the known? This episode explores that tension: how believers reconcile a radically expansive, cosmic God with the human impulse to shrink mystery down to something manageable, and what might be lost—or rediscovered—when we dare to think as big as our theology claims the universe really is.

Welcome to Pioneering Paradox (@pioneeringparadox) , hosted by Wil Wood (@willywouldnt) and Casey McFarland (@caseymcfarlandphoto). Here, we explore the messy, meaningful, and often difficult conversations within the Latter-day Saint tradition. We believe paradox is not a problem to solve but a healthy way to hold the tension of complex issues. As Richard Rohr reminds us, “Paradox is the only language that can contain the whole.”This episode marks the beginning of season 2. We start this season off with a discussion with the mystifying Melanie McFarland (@TrueWithinYou) who has an emotional wellness practice and happens to be my wife. We dive into the chaotic and exhillerating world of the stage of faith Brian Mclaren calls “perplexity”. This stage can be destabilizing and also exciting but what do we do about raising kids and being a part of the larger world when we are in this stage? We don’t have all the answers but just some thoughts and perspective. Thanks for listening.

I had to scratch this itch about how much Polygamy has shaped our family.

Today, we’ve invited a close friend of mine who has been living in Guatemala for the last 14 years and during that time he and others became deeply involved in humanitarian work. He shares what he has learned—and unlearned—over the years to help us better understand how to address humanitarian issues in meaningful ways.Back in 2019, while our family was living in Guatemala and closely connected with Greg’s family, news broke that the Church was sitting on roughly $100 billion (and growing). Like many others, I found myself wondering, “Why aren’t we doing more with that money?” Yet as we’ll explore, addressing these questions is far more complex than simply throwing money at a problem.Also, We’ve mentioned before that we’ll be taking a group of 15–19 year olds down to Guatemala next February 25. We’ll touch more on that at the end of the episode, so if you’re interested in an experience that could be transformative for both youth and parents, be sure to stick around.

We are told to work out our salvation with the Lord. But what happens when that becomes so heavy it begins to rule almost everything you do? Kathryn Hilton Johnston is an active member, mother of two who has been diagnosed with scrupulosity, a form of Religious OCD.Scrupulosity often shows up more in highly religious environments, and because it overlaps with normal religious devotion, it can be underdiagnosed or mistaken for piety.While the topic of Scrupulisity has been more prevalent in main stream, it is still something many people don’t understand or recognize. Kathryn articulates this struggle very well. We hope you get value from this conversation.