At Last She Said It
176 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago -At Last She Said It is a podcast that seeks to amplify and explore a variety of voices, stories, ideas and experiences of Mormon women.
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Episodes
Episode 176 (Bonus): What About Season 8?
April 09, 2024 11:00 - 20 minutes - 15.6 MBIn this short bonus episode, Susan and Cynthia look ahead to the upcoming season of podcast conversations. Season 8 will center on Latter-day Saint women digging and drawing from our individual spiritual wells. Hope you’ll join us!
Episode 175 (Bonus): Revisiting When Women Are The Problem
April 02, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 52.9 MBIn this bonus episode, Cynthia and Susan revisit part of an earlier discussion exploring the idea of Latter-day Saint women’s complicity in our own marginalization. Recent events have once again highlighted ways women may be the biggest obstacle to achieving greater parity of roles within the organization. It’s still an itchy topic with no easy answers. This conversation is a call for women to support other women as a necessary first step to change. The underlying question remains: if we can’...
Episode 174 (Bonus): Exhibit A—Reactions to the Relief Society Broadcast
March 19, 2024 11:00 - 53 minutes - 42.2 MBOn March 17, 2024 the Church broadcast a Worldwide Relief Society Devotional featuring remarks from the RS General Presidency and President Nelson. In this bonus episode, Cynthia and Susan discuss some of the messages delivered and the social media outpouring from Latter-day Saint women in response.
Episode 173: An Open Letter to the Church | The Imagination Episode
January 30, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 50.7 MBSome topics come up in these podcast conversations again and again, and that gets our attention. They frustrate us but also feel like obvious opportunities: areas where the church we love could take a step forward, and even small changes might make a big difference. In Episode 173, Cynthia and Susan call out a few of their frustrations and imagine possible responses that would feel like real progress.
Episode 172: The Grace Peddlers are Back
January 23, 2024 11:00 - 59 minutes - 48.9 MBTalk a lot about guilt and shame and eventually, you'll probably crave a hefty dose of grace! The conversation in Episode 172 is just that. Cynthia and Susan focus on challenges Latter-day Saints might have decoupling works and grace. Is it possible accepting grace actually requires more faith than depending on our own good works? How might pivoting toward grace propel us forward? Good news spoiler: We don’t have to save ourselves!
Episode 171: What About Guilt and Shame? | A Conversation with C.A. Larson, Part 2
January 16, 2024 11:00 - 52 minutes - 44.1 MBIn Episode 171, Susan and Cynthia continue their discussion with therapist C.A. Larson about guilt and shame. Where are they coming from? What are some specific ways these emotions might affect Latter-day Saint women, and how can we recognize and work through them in healthy ways?
Episode 170: What About Guilt and Shame? | A Conversation with C.A. Larson, Part 1
January 09, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 50.3 MB“The most liberating process is to realize that no one’s expectations for my life matter but my own,” says therapist C.A. Larson. In Episode 170, she joins Cynthia and Susan for the first part of a discussion about guilt and shame. What’s the difference between these two emotions? How do they help or hinder our growth and progress? And what tools can we use to manage them in healthy ways, and move toward greater self-acceptance?
Episode 169: Embracing Your Journey | A Conversation with Lisa Torcasso Downing
January 02, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.4 MB“My religious life is beyond the confines of my ward or stake,” says Lisa Torcasso Downing, a Latter-day Saint woman for whom using her voice is an integral part of her faith life. She describes her long-running blog, Life Outside the Book of Mormon Belt: "That's where I’ve been saying it!” In Episode 169, she joins Susan and Cynthia for a rich conversation about everything from her unique conversion story to some of the foundational ideas that shaped her Mormonism to the ups and downs of lea...
Episode 168: Revisiting What Women Don't Get in our Church
December 26, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBSome questions need to be revisited often so we don’t lose sight of the fact that no satisfactory answer has been given. In Episode 91, Cynthia asked, “If history shows that patriarchy is bad for women, and data shows that girls and women fare better when they can see themselves at every level of leadership in our churches, schools, and societies…why do LDS women and men continue to cling to old ideas that deny history and data?” Unfortunately, her question stands, as little if any progress ...
Episode 167: Behind the Scenes
December 19, 2023 11:00 - 55 minutes - 45.8 MBSometimes it’s good to just have fun! Episode 167 is a peek behind the curtain at ALSSI. Cynthia and Susan turn on the mics for an unscripted chat about everything from podcaster-pet-peeves to “spilled tea” to Christmas traditions. It’s the kind of conversation that’s probably good to publish now and then just to remind ourselves and everyone else: we’re two average LDS women trying to keep it together and figuring stuff out as we go.
Episode 166: Embracing Your Journey | A Conversation with Lyric Montgomery Kinard
December 12, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBLyric Montgomery Kinard uses the word expansion to describe her faith journey because, as she says, “it feels like spirituality has burst my Mormon box wide-open.” In Episode 166, she joins Susan and Cynthia to talk about her experiences as a Latter-day Saint. It’s another glimpse into the life of a woman who’s given herself permission to walk the path in her own way, honest about what fills her and what doesn’t, and willing to speak her truth.
Episode 165: BONUS | Still Talking About Patriarchal Blessings
December 08, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 17.6 MBWe asked, you answered! In Bonus Episode 165, women from the ALSSI community share personal experiences and thoughts about Patriarchal Blessings.
Episode 164: What About Patriarchal Blessings?
December 05, 2023 11:00 - 58 minutes - 46.3 MBWhen it comes to Patriarchal Blessings, there are as many experiences as there are members who give and receive them. In Episode 164, Cynthia and Susan are joined by Blakelee Ellis for a discussion about some of the many ways these highly anticipated blessings can be complicated for Latter-day Saint women. From the experience itself to the advice given or promises made, there can be plenty to unpack at the time the words are spoken, but also as we continue to revisit the transcript throughout...
Episode 163: Finding Jesus Through Your Inner Compass | A Conversation with Autumn McAlpin
November 28, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 52.6 MBThe image of the compass feels central to Autumn McAlpin’s book, But Jesus: A Conversation. Autumn explains, “Right now, my spiritual practice is centered on this—I read pure religion as found in the gospels in the New Testament, then try my best to keep up…” In Episode 163, she joins Cynthia and Susan to talk about the journey behind the book, and how her experiences as a mother and Latter-day Saint LGBTQ+ ally continue to shape her commitment to following Jesus and focusing on love.
Episode 162: Stepping Out of the Box with Jesus—Claiming Space in the Gospel Narrative | A Conversation with Kajsa Berlin-Kaufusi
November 21, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 54.5 MB“I’m tired of putting Jesus in a hermeneutical box nailed together by patriarchal exegesis,” says Kajsa Berlin-Kaufusi. In Episode 162, she joins Cynthia and Susan to discuss what those words mean. What might they mean specifically for Latter-day Saint women as we approach the New Testament with a desire to broaden our scriptural understanding and interpretation? Can we excavate meaning by uncovering and examining biblical women in new light?
Episode 161: Embracing Your Journey | A Conversation with Debbie Squires-Coleman
November 14, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 47.6 MB“In the fleet, I'll sail my own boat,” says Debbie Squires-Coleman. In Episode 161, she joins Cynthia and Susan from her home in England to share this and other insights in an Embracing Your Journey discussion about her experiences as a Latter-day Saint woman. It’s a conversation about relationships and growth, full of wise glimpses into how it’s possible to walk together in love, even on divergent paths.
Episode 160: At Last YOU Said It Part 2 | More Listener Voicemails
November 10, 2023 11:00 - 56 minutes - 45 MBIn Bonus Episode 160, Susan and Cynthia share and discuss more ALSSI listener voicemails.
Episode 159: At Last YOU Said It | ALSSI Listener Voicemails
November 07, 2023 11:00 - 54 minutes - 43.5 MBWe started this project in an effort to amplify Latter-day Saint women’s voices and create a safe space for sharing ideas and experiences. In Episode 159, Cynthia and Susan dive into listener voicemails to hear, share, and discuss things women in the ALSSI community are saying.
Episode 158: Telling the Truth | A Conversation with Jana Riess
October 31, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 52.1 MBTelling the truth can be complicated for a Latter-day Saint woman, even if we value honesty. It’s hard to say out loud some of what we’re thinking, feeling, or experiencing. At church or even in our families and close relationships we may self-censor with an ‘okayness’ filter: Is it uplifting? Faith promoting? Too negative? Does it cast the Church in an unfavorable light? Sound contentious? Will I look less worthy/valiant/faithful? And how are others likely to react? In Episode 158, Susan and...
Episode 157: Embracing Your Journey | A Conversation with Mer Monson
October 24, 2023 10:30 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBEvery faith path is walked one step at a time. Every woman’s story is unique. In Episode 157, Cynthia and Susan are joined by Mer Monson to talk about her journey so far, and how the ground she’s traveled informs the way she’s walking now. It’s a conversation that radiates hard-won wisdom, an inspiring glimpse into one Latter-day Saint woman’s spiritual life.
Episode 156: What About Consent?
October 17, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBThere are many touchpoints with consent in a Latter-day Saint woman’s church life. From baptism to temple ordinances to accepting callings, we say yes over and over again, sometimes without ever seriously engaging our options. In Episode 156, Susan and Cynthia unpack consent. There are good reasons a woman might say ‘yes’ even while something inside her is saying ‘no,’ but true consent isn't coerced by force, threats, pressure, or intimidation. And silence is not consent.
Episode 155: To the Children of the Mothers in Zion | A Conversation with Susie Augenstein
October 10, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBFor Latter-day Saint women in 1987, expectations outlined by the prophet were explicit: “Mothers in Zion,” he said, “Your God-given roles are so vital to your own exaltation and to the salvation and exaltation of your family.” In episode 155, Susan and Cynthia are joined by Susie Augenstein to break down the messaging mothers received then and have raised children in the shadows of since. It’s no wonder shifts in faith cause strain within families. This conversation is aimed at helping childr...
Episode 154: What About Racism? | A Conversation with Tamu Smith
October 03, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 50.2 MB“What could a Relief Society lesson on racism look like?” “What do you wish other members of the Church knew about what it’s like to be a Black Latter-day Saint in 2023?” Cynthia asked Tamu Smith these questions and more as they visited in Cynthia’s kitchen with the recorder running. In Episode 154, Tamu shares her personal insights and answers in a wide-ranging, thoughtful conversation between two good friends.
Episode 153: When Women Can't Stay
September 26, 2023 13:41 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBEmbracing our journey means accepting that every individual’s path is different. While some Latter-day Saint women think about why they stay, others will be thinking about why they make the choice not to. In Episode 153, two women who found stepping away from church engagement to be the right choice for them share their personal stories. It's a conversation about why leaving is not as easy as some members may think, and why staying is not always the best option.
Episode 152: Spelling It Out
September 19, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBFor some Latter-day Saint women, embracing the journey may include reckoning with difficult aspects of the church experience that are specific to women. Some may choose to leave when they find their personal cost exceeds their benefit. In Episode 152, Susan and Cynthia muddy the water around the decision to 'stay' with a frank discussion about things a woman may have to accept, ignore, or sacrifice in order to make that choice.
Episode 151: Embracing Your Journey | A Conversation with Aubrey Chaves
September 12, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBEvery Latter-day Saint woman is on her own journey of faith. We describe it using all kinds of language, and some days the path ahead seems a lot clearer than other days. We each carry our own baggage, our own maps, our own stories of how we came to be where and who we are. Learning to relax into change in this part of our lives can be difficult in a religion where we hear phrases like ‘immovable faith,’ ‘knowing with every fiber of our being,’ and ‘unchanging doctrine.’ In Episode 151, Cynth...
Episode 150: Why We Stay
September 05, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 47.6 MBSeason 7 begins with a series of conversations exploring reasons some women continue to find spiritual value participating in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and some do not. Every individual has her own faith story, and in Episode 150, Cynthia and Susan ask themselves and each other the question listeners continue to ask more than any other: Why do you stay?
Episode 149: BONUS | Still Making Peace
August 15, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBWhere are you turning for peace these days? It can feel elusive on a shifting path! In bonus Episode 149, Cynthia and Susan revisit an earlier conversation to compare notes and discuss things they’re still learning when it comes to the ongoing challenge of ‘making and doing’ personal peace.
Episode 148: BONUS | Still Asking—Where's the Priesthood in That?
August 01, 2023 11:00 - 52 minutes - 43.7 MBIn this bonus episode, Susan and Cynthia discuss new thoughts and old frustrations around a previous conversation from ALSSI Episode 35 about church callings and priesthood authority. What is changing when it comes to organizational roles for Latter-day Saint women, and what hasn’t changed at all? Is there movement toward greater equality in our church opportunities and experiences? Are women getting any closer to finally being “in the room where it happens?”
Episode 147: BONUS | Revisiting the Map
July 18, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 47.2 MBIn this episode, Cynthia and Susan add a few new thoughts to their conversation from Season 1 about going off the edge of one’s map in pursuit of a more personalized spiritual life. In this discussion ALSSI listeners will recognize the seeds of many foundational ideas about the importance of spiritual empowerment for Latter-day Saint women that this podcast has continued to develop and explore in depth.
Episode 146: BONUS | Revisiting the Rule Breaking Woman
July 04, 2023 11:00 - 49 minutes - 41.5 MBIn Episode 146, Cynthia and Susan revisit The Rule Breaking Woman to discuss what her story can teach Latter-day Saint women about spiritual empowerment. It's a scriptural example of a woman who took a big risk, and received exactly what she was seeking in return. Sometimes getting what we need may require us to make choices that are at odds with what others deem acceptable or appropriate.
Episode 145: Season 6 | That's a Wrap!
June 20, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBFinale Episode 145 is a look back at Susan and Cynthia's sixth season of ALSSI conversations: identifying themes, adding additional thoughts, discussing listener responses, and thinking ahead.
Episode 144: Messages to our Daughters | Part 2—To Our Young Selves
June 13, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 40.2 MBIf you had the opportunity, what would you say to young Latter-day Saint girls about things like patriarchy, priesthood, women’s roles, the messages they receive at church, and how those messages should be weighted as they approach the big life decisions ahead? What would you say to your own young self? Episode 144 is Part 2 of our conversation about things ALSSI listeners want the Church’s kids to know, and/or wish we’d heard ourselves.
Episode 143: Get Used to Disappointment | A Conversation with Dr. Julie Hanks
June 06, 2023 11:00 - 45 minutes - 39 MB“Your job as an adult is to disappoint people.” So said Dr. Julie Hanks the first time she was on the ALSSI podcast. In Episode 143, she joins Cynthia and Susan to talk more about actually applying that statement in our lives and relationships. Why might it be hard for Latter-day Saint women to believe our choices don’t have to please everyone—or even anyone—else?
Episode 142: Messages to our Daughters | Part 1—About Girls and the Sacrament
May 30, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 43.8 MBOne of the questions Cynthia and Susan hear most often comes from mothers who write, “My daughter is asking when it will be her turn to pass the sacrament….what should I say?” They took this question to listeners and in Episode 142, voices from the ALSSI community share answers. It’s a broad conversation about women and priesthood featuring a diversity of ideas, experiences, and perspectives.
Episode 141: The Making of Biblical Womanhood | A Conversation with Beth Allison Barr
May 23, 2023 11:00 - 56 minutes - 41.6 MBCan faithful women reject patriarchy? Beth Allison Barr's book, The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth, suggests the answer is yes. Her book is a compelling 'untelling' of the story of patriarchy as divinely appointed truth. In Episode 141, Cynthia and Susan are joined by Dr. Barr for a conversation about historical forces that have shaped women's roles in the world and at church. She offers insights not only into women's roles in the Bible, but spe...
Episode 140: Does That Scripture Mean What You Think it Means? | A Dance with the Ten Virgins
May 16, 2023 11:00 - 57 minutes - 47.9 MBEvery church goer has probably heard more lessons about the wise and foolish virgins than they can count. Why do Latter-day Saints love to talk about this parable so much? And why do we seem to be so attached to one interpretation of it? In Episode 140, Susan and Cynthia try to shake up the same old conversation about this story—and the women in it—by asking a few new questions, and imagining new answers.
Episode 139: BONUS—Let's Talk About Garments...at last! | More with Afton Southam Parker
May 12, 2023 11:00 - 43 minutes - 31.8 MBWhat would you say if you had the ear of the people in charge of designing garments? Afton Southam Parker came prepared with a 37 slide PowerPoint presentation, based on her own experiences and those of many other women who wear them. The meeting was a masterclass on many of the communication tips she talked about in Episode 138. In bonus Episode 139, she joins Cynthia and Susan to review her presentation, and break it all down!
Episode 138: Finding Your Voice...and Using It | A Conversation with Afton Southam Parker
May 09, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 47.7 MBBringing attention to issues affecting Latter-day Saint women requires us to be opportunistic about using our voices. Even those in leadership callings don’t always find their ideas and opinions are welcome. And when chances to be heard do arise, the power dynamic of our culture and organization may make it hard for a woman to find the courage to express a non-traditional view. In Episode 138, Cynthia and Susan are joined by Afton Southam Parker, a woman who knows how to speak up about things...
Episode 137: Let's Talk About Healthy Relationships | A Conversation with Meghan Decker
May 02, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 51.6 MBIn close relationships, sometimes it’s difficult to differentiate between a loved one’s side of the road and our own. We may develop unhealthy or unbalanced behavioral patterns. Codependency is one word used to describe what happens when we begin internalizing someone else’s emotions, or allow our well-being to become dependent on their behavior. We may try to fix, rescue, or control them. In Episode 137, Susan and Cynthia are joined by author Meghan Decker to discuss relationships and the ch...
Episode 136: Let's Talk About The One True Church
April 25, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 49 MB“I know this church is true.” Many Latter-day Saints rely on this anchor phrase when bearing testimony, but what do the words really mean? What are the implications—good and less so—of believing an organization carries the divine stamp of approval? Could devotion to a label like ‘The One True Church’ come with a shadow side?
Episode 135: What About Religious Trauma?
April 18, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBWhat’s religious trauma? For some Latter-day Saint women, church may become difficult or even unsafe because of it, yet many members have probably never heard of it. In episode 135, Jana Spangler joins Cynthia and Susan for a discussion of some of the ways trauma may manifest in our church experience, and steps we can take toward healing.
Episode 134: What About Converts? | A Conversation with KC Bramer
April 11, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBMany Latter-day Saint women have had similar experiences as lifelong Church members. We come up through Primary and Young Women’s singing the same songs, going to camp, and participating in correlated lessons and activities. But what about women who convert later in life? In Episode 134, Cynthia and Susan chat with KC Bramer about her experiences before and after joining in her mid 40s. What’s attractive about this church? What’s confusing? Against the backdrop of her personal conversion and ...
Episode 133: BONUS—Ask Us Anything | ALSSI's Third Anniversary Part 2
April 07, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 44.2 MBEnjoy dessert with Susan, Cynthia, and Blakelee in this continuation of ALSSI's Ask-Us-Anything Third Anniversary podcast celebration.
Episode 132: Ask Us Anything | ALSSI's Third Anniversary
April 04, 2023 11:00 - 59 minutes - 50.9 MBPlease join us for Episode 132 as we celebrate our podcast anniversary with an Ask-Us-Anything conversation, hosted by Blakelee Ellis and featuring listener questions with Cynthia-and-Susan answers! It’s a fun, wide ranging discussion packed with women’s voices, ideas, and experiences—a perfect way to commemorate 3 years of saying it at last. Bring your own cake!
Episode 131: Speaking in Sacrament Meeting | The Susan Edition
March 28, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 50.3 MBIt sounds simple to say I must love my neighbor as I love myself, but what does that really look like? We have an unfaltering example in Jesus, whose works offered a living reflection of his teachings about the nature of God. The scriptures may be full of unclear translations, contradictory ideas, metaphors that have lost meaning over time, and laws that have lapsed. But Christ’s actions show clearly who God is, and how God loves. In episode 131, Cynthia and Susan discuss the real challenge o...
Episode 130: Speaking in Sacrament Meeting | The Cynthia Edition
March 21, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 50.3 MBFor ALSSI listeners, it’ll be no surprise that when Cynthia was asked to speak on the subject of atonement, she pivoted to an exploration of grace. In Episode 130, ideas from her talk inspire a conversation about the relationship between those two words, as well as salvation and healing. Do Latter-day Saints believe in grace? Or are we mostly just confused by it? As we study the New Testament together, what might change if our discussion at church shifted to focus more on the radical grace ex...
Episode 129: Three Sisters, Three Experiences | A Conversation with Cynthia, Patricia, and Carolyn
March 14, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 52.1 MBIt’s easy to assume that when we’re all in the same room, we’re hearing, seeing, and experiencing the same things. But this discussion between three sisters shows that living in the same house, growing up in the same family, and attending the same ward and church activities carries no such guarantee. In Episode 129, Cynthia is joined by her two sisters for a conversation about how even Latter-day Saint women who share many commonalities are not having the same experiences in life or at church...
Episode 128: It's Not Easy—A Conversation about Having Hard Conversations | with C.A. Larson
March 07, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 42.4 MBLatter-day Saint women in a liminal faith space may find it’s not easy to know what to say, or to whom they can say it. It can feel scary to share non-traditional thoughts with the people closest to us—a husband or partner, a parent, close friend, or child—or discuss shifts we experience in foundational aspects of our church or spiritual lives. In Episode 128, Cynthia and Susan are joined by therapist C.A. Larson for a conversation about having these hard conversations.
Episode 127: Who Said You Could Wear That?
February 28, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 46.8 MBCultural taboos and prohibitions can feel etched in stone for many Latter-day Saint women. Even in things so personal as what to wear to church, we may feel little room to deviate from what’s expected. In Episode 127, Cynthia and Susan discuss choices they each make that are counter to the cultural norm. They’re small things, but in a church where it can feel like there are no small things, learning to ignore raised eyebrows and give yourself permission can pay big mental and spiritual divide...