At Last She Said It

Latest Episodes:

Episode 193: What About Blessings, Part 3 | Things That Would Be Nice If They Were True Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

Bad things happen to good people—good works cannot protect us from the natural consequences of being human in an imperfect world. But in a church where the narrative often draws connections between worthiness and blessings, it can be hard to avoid internalizing the idea that we're special and can achieve control by doing the right things. "How do I reconcile my life experiences with the things the Church teaches about blessings?" This prompt from a listener frames Susan and Cynthia's discussion in Episode 193. It's a conversation about one of life's biggest questions, and the spiritual havoc members sometimes wreak by meeting suffering armed with well-meaning answers.

Episode 192: Embracing Your Journey | A Conversation with Anne Pimentel Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

"We can do things a little differently and still be okay," says Anne Pimentel. She's a natural—but also intentional—space-maker, devoted to the idea that one can be a "good member" of the Church without fitting the mold. In Episode 192 Anne joins Susan and Cynthia for a conversation about how she learned and has internalized this lesson for herself. She's a Latter-day Saint woman whose desire to be an ally in all areas continues to shape the way she shows up in her ward and in the world.

Episode 191: What About Grief? | A Conversation with Pam Heggie Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

"My faith life really begins with death," explains Pam Heggie. "Meaning, the real, genuine experiences of my life that molded me, shaped me and taught me what love and empathy really are, began with deaths. Four (so far) to be exact. Five if you count my own." In Episode 191, Pam joins Susan and Cynthia to discuss lessons she's learned at the intersection of grief and faith. In what ways might being a member of our church make grieving easier...or harder? Her experiences are packed with insights that can help all of us in our desire to mourn with and bring comfort to each other in times of grief.

Episode 190: What About Sister Missionaries? | Part 2 Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

Bonus Episode 190 contains all the voicemails we couldn't squeeze into the previous episode's discussion exploring unique complexities of being a Sister missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Episode 189: What About Sister Missionaries? Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 189, ALSSI team member and returned missionary Katie joins Cynthia and Susan for a dive into listener voicemails about women's experiences as sister missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From the pressures around the decision to serve to the daily realities of mission life, there's plenty to unpack. The rigors of mission service can pay big dividends and/or cause ongoing pain for years post-mission. Every missionary's experience is individual—a complicated mix of hardship and reward—but is there additional complexity for women who serve?

Episode 188: Jesus & the Canaanite Woman | Cynthia's Sacrament Meeting Talk Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

"If you lift up a prism, depending on how you slightly turn it, the light will hit different facets, refracting and coming out in different ways. That's how I like to approach the scriptures," explains Cynthia, "Turning them just ever so slightly to see what different meanings there could be." In Episode 188, she turns her personal prism on the story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman, exploring some interpretations of the unique dialog between them. It's a short story touching on big themes including vulnerability, growth, faith, persistence, and inclusiveness. Then Susan joins and together they dive a little deeper into Cynthia's insights and discuss a few possible takeaways.

Episode 187: Embracing Your Journey | A Conversation with Amy Watkins Jensen Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

"Spiritual stretching ... makes you stronger, gives you more balance, and keeps you stable. It took me years to understand that my questions and seeking that stretch me, and are really difficult to wrestle with, are healthy and completely in line with our theology. [...] We need more stretchy saints." Amy Watkins Jensen has plenty of hard-earned wisdom to share with those who may be experiencing challenges—even heartbreak—on their journey as Latter-day Saint women. In Episode 187, she joins Cynthia and Susan to talk about how her lifetime of church experience continues to fuel her faith.

Episode 186: What Happened to Community? | A Conversation with Candice Wendt Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

"Life as a member offers relatively little social time or enjoyment," writes Candice Wendt. "Being in the ward is mostly about passive listening and being told to follow leaders and go to the temple. [...] You're more likely to get asked to clean our very dirty building than be asked to dinner." In episode 186, Candice joins Susan and Cynthia for a discussion of some of the ways church has changed, with more focus on things like covenants and temple attendance, and less on community. It's a conversation about what we've lost, what's important, what remains, and what it all might mean in the lives of members and the future of the organization.

Episode 185: Does That Scripture Mean What You Think it Means? | A Dance with the Parable of the Talents Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

Rob Bell describes interacting with scripture like this: there's the black ink (what's written on the page), then there's the white space around it (where we dance with what's written). In Episode 185, Susan and Cynthia take on what Latter-day Saints commonly call the Parable of the Talents, from Matthew 25. It's a conversation about grace out of hand, covenant relationship, and how we may have come to think about things the way we do. If you're a fan of the #gracepeddlers, you won't want to miss it!

Episode 184: Am I Allowed to Change? | A Conversation with Jana Spangler Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

Many of us make temple covenants as young adults. Are we expected to have the same perspectives and priorities at 80 that we had at 18? In a church that emphasizes concepts like "staying on the covenant path" and "enduring to the end," it can be hard to know how to navigate when our life experiences invite us to grow in new directions. In Episode 184, Jana Spangler joins Cynthia and Susan to discuss the challenges Latter-day Saints may face as they change and mature within an inflexible paradigm.

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