In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Julie de Azevedo Hanks—and honestly, it quickly became one of our favorite conversations. We laughed, we cried, and we learned a lot. A quick content note: we dive into sensitive topics, including how we handle claims of abuse in the church, because we deeply wanted to hear Julie’s perspective. With over 30 years of experience as a social worker, psychotherapist, and founder of Wasatch Family Therapy, Julie brings wisdom and compassion that gave us a lot to think about.

We asked her how we can raise boys to grow into good men in the church, what young women should look for in healthy relationships, and how we can all create more space for people to be heard in our community. This was a meaningful, moving discussion—and we can’t wait to share it with you.

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. 

 I'm joined by my wife, Melanie McFarland who owns a non-traditonal practice helping people overcome trauma, abuse and heal childhood wounds. She is somewhat of a mystic. When I married into Melanie's family, I married into a world of naturalists, herbalists and neighborhood healers. My more traditional and skeptical family upbring was challenged in ways I couldn’t have ever imagined.

Early in our marriage, Melanie was diagnosed with Graves disease. The leading experts told her that her condition was incurable and she would need to kill her thyroid. I plead with her to listen. Against my wishes, she turned to naturopaths and eventually a naturopathic MD, and within six months of treatment her bloodwork normalized—and has stayed that way since. My eyes were opened that maybe traditional medicine doesn’t always have the answers. But is that always the case? 

In this episode we discuss how the early Mormon history of magic, visions, and mysticism are alive and well in the underbelly of our culture for better or for worse. We get into everything from treasure digging to why we think women in particular gravitate to more non-traditional healing modalities. As usual it’s a paradox. Thank you for listening. 

You can find Melanie on Instagram at @TrueWithinYou.

Jeff Lowe found himself where many men do—successful on the outside, surrounded by family and friends, but battling deep loneliness and depression. Hitting a breaking point led to a profound shift in his life. Now, he's building something different.

Jeff is the host of the Bonded Brotherhood podcast—a space where men can gather, get honest, and find connection. It's a far cry from the typical "alpha male" blueprint.

This episode isn’t just for men. If you have a son, a partner, or a friend who’s struggling, this conversation matters.

Thanks for listening.

In this episode, we invited social media influencer and latter day saint Phil Cowley onto the show. In 2021 Phil was about to close the doors on his pharmacy when he was approached to do a social media clip for a local gym. Soon after he started his own social media called Phil’s my pharmacist which now has over 3 million followers across his platforms. We discuss faith, parenting, critical thinking and raising kids with disabilities. Thank you for listening.

In this episode, Wil and I explore the Buddhist teaching of Emptiness. Back in 2017, during a time when I was seriously considering leaving the Latter-day Saint community, I encountered Buddhist teacher and podcaster Noah Rasheta. Through a series of events, I had the privilege of joining Noah and eleven others from across the country in a six-month Buddhist intensive.

The most challenging—and ultimately most rewarding—part of that experience was the ominously named teaching of Emptiness. It forced me to confront and question many of the stories I was telling myself and eventually became the foundation of a daily practice I still carry with me.

Wil and I discuss how this concept has the potential to move us beyond the dualistic thinking that pervades our culture and touches nearly every aspect of our lives. We hope it brings insight or comfort to someone out there.Thank you for listening.

Welcome to Pioneering Paradox, a podcast for Latter-day Saints navigating inner conflict and complexity. As Richard Rohr once said, “Paradox is the only language that can contain the whole.” In this space, we aim to embrace both light and shadow—because holding the tension between them is often the closest we come to the truth.

In this episode we invited the lovely Lauren Wood to join us for a discussion about the paradox of being a part of a community, specifically the Latter Day Saint Community. Lauren discusses how the church has been a place she finds meaningful spiritual nourishment while also expressing she can’t fully enjoy it as long as there are people feeling left out. We discuss finding that balance. I am hoping this is only part one of a two part series on community because Lauren brings some heart to this topic and we still have so much more to say about this. Thanks for listening. 

On this episode we were thrilled to interview my daughter, Sami McFarland and talk about some of the struggles she had choosing to go on a mission with parents who were not active, and also coming home and beginning to process some of her own thoughts about certain tenants of our faith. Her story is unique but in some ways a microcosm of some of the things our young people are struggling with today. If you are a parent with struggling kids or if you are a parent who is not longer attending but have active kids, this is a great episode for you. 

Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s difficult for many: Patriarchy. For me, it became deeply personal when, in 2018, it nearly cost me my marriage to my love, Melanie. We’ve since walked through that pain, found healing, and emerged stronger. In this episode, Melanie joins me to explore how the system of patriarchy created a deep wound in our relationship—and how facing it together became a path to transformation.

In this episode, I interview Dr. Benjamin Park (My cohost Wil Wood was out of town) , an associate professor at Sam Houston State University. Together, we explore the question: Why do we think the way we do? Why are my parents so deeply partisan? 

For example, why did the Church become so closely aligned with the Republican Party, when Utah was a swing state for much of the early 20th century? We also examine when and how the Relief Society began to lose some of its autonomy, eventually being reduced to what some have called a “handmaiden to the priesthood.”

All of this is viewed through the historical lens of a powerful figure in the First Presidency: J. Reuben Clark. Dr. Park argues that Clark may be the most influential architect of both modern Mormonism and Mormon conservatism over the past century. 

If you're not already following Dr. Benjamin Park, I highly recommend that you do. He provides essential context for many of the issues modern Saints are wrestling with today. You can find him on YouTube under Professor Benjamin Park.

And while you're at it, consider picking up a copy of his book American Zion—and for extra credit, buy it locally at Benchmark Books in Salt Lake City.

Thanks for listening.

In an attempt to give some back story to listeners about who we are as hosts, Wil and I took turns interviewing each other. I interviewed Wil in the episode title Meet Wil Wood, Go back and give that a listen. This episode Wil interviews Casey. Thanks for listening. 

Welcome to Pioneering Paradox, a podcast for conflicted Latter Day Saints. In the current  polarized climate we find ourselves in, we thought we would interview two people who are working on bringing people together through similarities rather than differences. "That's Church" is a podcast hosted by sisters Emilie Call and Ashlie Sanders, who come together to explore the diverse tapestry of faith within their community. Inspired by their grandparents' mixed-faith marriage and their grandmother's belief that "there is good in all religions," they aim to build bridges between various religious communities by interviewing individuals who lead or attend different congregations. Through these conversations, Emilie and Ashlie delve into how their friends and neighbors experience spirituality and define what church means to them, embracing ideas and beliefs beyond their own LDS backgrounds. Please welcome Emile and Ashlie

An interview about one man's journey to Mecca three times. I recorded this during covid with a travel podcast in mind. I went to publish it when I discovered he was being indicted on federal charges for Covid Relief fraud in the sum total of $300k Bummer

Now that we have recorded a few episodes we realized many of you don’t know who we are so in this episode I interviewed my co-host and active member, Wil Wood. Wil lives with his wife Lauren and three children in Cache Valley, Utah. Together they own a very popular kitchen appliance store called Love to Cook. Located in downtown Logan it has become a cultural gathering place for cooking classes, book clubs and bridge building and Wil and Lauren are at the center of it all. 

Wil is an avid outdoorsman and finds much of his spiritual nourishment in the local mountains. He is a poet and writer and has contributed to local magazines. He is the author of the book “And it Was Beautiful” 

In a 2017 study, researchers Benjamin Knoll and Jana Riess asked members who had left the faith, ‘How old were you when you stopped identifying as a member of the LDS Church?’ The average answer? Twenty-one—the legal drinking age.

Currently, in the U.S., about 62% of adults drink alcohol. Many do so responsibly, but according to Pew Research, over 10% of Americans age 12 and up struggle with alcohol use disorder.

The reality is, many of our kids will step into a world where drinking is not just common—it’s often expected. So how do we talk about that without sounding churchy?

Today, we’re bringing in a guest Jay Hymas from outside the church to share a different perspective and help us open up a real, informed conversation about alcohol and a few other substances—with their risks and realities, and how we can keep those conversations going, with love and honesty.”**

In this episode, I invited Natalie Curtis (former owner of Holy Threads, and former Seminary Teacher) for a younger generation perspective on change and about how the church is aligning more and more with mainstream Christianity including the new invitation to join other denominations to celebrate the season of Easter. We talk about how change is good but can also be confusing and hurtful. 

In this episode, Wil and I discuss the importance of being true to oneself while still being a part of a community. We discuss how communities can either squash an individual or help and individual thrive depending on a variety of factors. We also breech the topic of being ones own self within a marriage. We hope this helps someone in someway.

In this episode we discuss Richard Rohr's concept of the Cosmic Egg from a Latter Day Saint perspective, which is a model that encompasses My story, Our story, Other stories, and THE story. We discuss the Latter Day Saint story from the perspective of an active member, a member who no longer attends and some who is all over the place.

In this episode, we’re joined by Mormon history scholar Patrick Mason to explore the complexity of the controversial figure, Brigham Young. In a time when polarization divides us, we seek to thoughtfully address a question recently posed by my daughter: “Is there anything good about Brigham Young?”

We delve into topics such as slavery, racism, polygamy, and the tensions between Mormons and Native Americans. While we can’t cover all the nuances of these complex issues in a single hour, we hope this conversation offers a thoughtful perspective on Brigham Young's legacy and the challenges of reconciling both the positive and negative aspects of history.

Join Casey McFarland and his wife Melanie as they analyze the life of Joseph F. Smith with a compassionate lens to better understand the mind of the modern day Mormon.