This past Friday our blog was contacted to participate in a Q&A session with the Givens to discuss their new book, “The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life.” It was an amazing experience. We gathered at the corporate offices of Deseret Book around a table; there were maybe 20 of us total. Because I was seated right next to Terryl, I was able to record the session. (You might not be able to hear the questions really well, but the answers are golden.) The recording begins with Terryl explaining why they wrote the book. You may have to turn the volume all the way up to 11. Enjoy!
If the player doesn’t work for you, you can click here to get the mp3 version.
We will have an upcoming post that reviews their book as well.
Pablo
Born and raised in Northern California, Pablo received his education at Ricks College and BYU with a BA in Spanish, minor in PE Coaching. Pablo served his LDS mission during the years 94-96 in Rosario, Argentina. He now runs a skate shop and batting cages in Orem, UT. He's married and has 4 boys.
All posts by Pablo
Thanks so much for posting this. I disagree with Givens’ assertion that the leaders aren’t to blame for the culture. The leaders have the greatest possible influence on what the culture becomes. Though they may write letters about not letting kids bear testimony in sacrament meeting, they are obviously not taking meaningful steps towards helping the culture to mature. If they wanted this to happen, they have many means at their disposal to make it happen.
Carl I do agree with you, but I like us as a church taking responsibility too. Sometimes as a people I feel we are just waiting to be told what and what not to do. Maybe they need to start putting up “suggestion boxes”. 😉 – Those would get filled up fast!
Haha That’ll be in volume two! Excited to see that post coming out!
That will be out in about two weeks or so.
Hello,
My name is Casey S. Smith. I’ve been serving Christ consistently since April 6th, 1997 one month prior to turning twenty. I’ve read through the Bible almost twelve times now. I went to a Southern Baptist Seminary for almost three years, attended well over fifty Churches ranging from all Christian denominations from Roman Catholic, Jehovah’s Witnesses, every form of Christendom’s Protestant Churches from Armenian to Calvinist. I’ve used all forms of Bible translations…NIV ’84, NIV 2011, NASB ’77, NASB ’95, KJV 1611, KJV 1789, GOD’S WORD, AMPLIFIED, NKJV, GOOD NEWS, NAB ST. JOSEPH EDITION, JERUSALEM, NEW JERUSALEM, ESV, LIVING, NEW LIVING, HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD, NEW WORLD TRANSLATION, NEW CENTURY, CEV, ALL SORTS OF STUDY BIBLES FROM THE NIV STUDY, JOHN MACARTHUR STUDY, PROTESTANT STUDY, LUTHERAN STUDY, GOD’S NAME STUDY – there’s not a Bible translation I have not used in my reading and studies. However I can’t seem to find the peace, stillness and contentment that Jesus promises to give. Sure, don’t let me mislead you, I have done much witnessing with the Gospel and much charity work. But I always find myself wanting and lacking something. For the most part I’ve been a consistent Calvinist believing strongly in God’s Sovereignty in Providence and Election. But I’ve been to Roman Catholic, Anglican, Episcopalian, Independent Baptist, Southern Baptist, Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Seventh Day Adventist, American Presbyterian, Lutheran, Bible Churches, Reformed Churches, Orthodox Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Church of God, Trinitarian Pentecostal, Oneness Pentecostal. You name it, I’ve tried it! I have had studies with LDS missionaries but their approach for the most part is shallow not giving me enough theological depth. But I always find myself calling the Missionary Elders because I feel that the LDS Church has something I am looking for but never finding. I admire the open Canon theory and with anticipation and giddiness love the four books of Canon Bibles the LDS Church richly has. But I’m scared as well! I’ve always heard Mormonism is a cult! And I watched a YouTube broadcast from the 700 Club of a Mormon who died and went to hell because she believed a lie …LDS theology and teaching. Now I personally believe in annihilationism and not eternal hell fire and brimstone so I don’t know what to make of her story. But some rhetoric and anti-Mormon sites cause me to doubt. For example I’ve read that Heavenly Father had sex with Mary, that there is a divine mother (which I find NO TRACE of in Holy Scriptures-or the Protestant 66 book Bible) that God was once a man and we will be like God with our own planet, that God is living on a planet called KOBOL, that God has flesh and bone, Universalism…the problems there are verses such as, “I am Yahweh God and am not a man that I should change my mind”, “even the highest heavens cannot contain thee” and most of all there is Yahweh or Jehovah God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit but never a goddess or divine mother. Jesus is reigning in heaven at the right hand of God the Father. Why am I writing to you? Because something inside of me yearns for THE TRUTH! Something inside if me believes the LDS Church has what I’ve been searching for. I like the belief that Jesus’ atonement began in the Garden of Gathsemene and not first on the cross, I like that the LDS Church doesn’t use crosses or crucifixions but emphasizes the resurrected Christ, I like the four books of Canon that explain what is lacking in both the Protestant and Catholic Bibles. Can you help me or give me some advice? Can you direct me to Fiona & Terryl Givens?
Mr. Casey S. Smith
Thank you for reading our blog. I’m not sure what your question is here. Are you looking for Terryl and Fiona Givens? Here is Terryl’s website it has his contact information there. http://terrylgivens.com/ How did you happen to read our blog?