The Latter Day Lens
Your home for authentic, faith-promoting, entertaining discussion of current events. In the podcast we tackle the tough topics that most people avoid and showcase how faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apply gospel principles in their everyday experiences. New episodes each Wednesday.
Episodes
125 episodes
Episode 123: Military Presence, Digital Dating, Celebrity Faith, & Religious Freedom
Join Matt, Shawn, and Melanie this week as they dive into some of the biggest ideas shaping our world, from the presence of the US military on home soil to the cutting edge of AI in dating, the public display of celebrity faith...
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43:36
Episode 122: What Is America? Media Polarization, Gaza Coverage, and Whether Natural Laws Actually Exist
We open this episode with a moment of reflection, discussing the somber news regarding Ukrainian refugees in Utah and the ongoing challenges many face with immigration and refugee status.We then dive into a listener's compelling question...
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1:01:46
Episode 121: Jail Escapes, Presidential Pardons, and the BYU Honor Code
Join Matt, Shawn, and Marc on the Latter-day Lens podcast for a lively and thought-provoking discussion that spans centuries and tackles complex moral questions.In this episode, we kick off with a fascinating dive into Colonial Heritage...
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42:16
Episode 120: College, Culture, Calling Out Racism, and the Supreme Court
This week on the Latter-day Lens, hosts Matt and Sean dive into hot-button topics that spark lively debate.First, they tackle recent research suggesting that college can actually make students more conservative depending on their majo...
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59:32
Episode 119: AI Ethics, Biden's Presidency, and Refugee Politics: Where Morality Meets Democracy
In this intellectually stimulating episode, Matt, Shawn, and Melanie explore complex intersections of politics, education, immigration policy, and artificial intelligence ethics. Our discussion examines vocational education's resurgence, contro...
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51:18
Episode 118: Self-Reliance, Racial Gap in Small Business Success, Ukraine's Mineral Deal, and Religious Expression in Academia
In this episode, Matt, Shawn, and Levi engage in a thought-provoking discussion about three distinct topics that challenge conventional thinking within their community. The conversation begins with Levi's bold assertion that "self-reliance is a...
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1:00:46
Episode 117: Faith in a Fractured World: Misinformation, Politics & Divine Guidance Today
This week, hosts Shawn, Matt, and Marc delve into some thought-provoking questions ripped straight from the headlines!Topic 1: The Weaponization of MisinformationIn a recent
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56:09
Episode 116: White Collar Crime, Taxes, Trump's First 100 Days: A Provocative Discussion
Join hosts Matt, Shawn, and Melanie for a deep dive into the week's most pressing and thought-provoking issues! In this episode, they tackle the controversial shifts in
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56:20
Episode 115: Biden Better on the Border than Trump, Mormon Views on the Pope, App Control, Lottery Wins, & Money Dysphoria
In this episode of Latter Day Lens, hosts Matt and Shawn delve into various topics including the contrasting deportation rates under Presidents Biden and Trump, the significance of the Pope's death, and the political dynamics involved in church...
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43:30
Episode 114: Oligarchy, ProPublica's Prophecy, a Lost Deportee, and the IVF Parenthood Question
In this episode, Shawn, Matt, & Marc engage in a lively discussion covering various topics. They dive headfirst into the murky waters of corruption, questioning if all forms are equally damaging, sparked by AOC's critique of fellow Democrat...
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51:06
Episode 113: Police Training Gaps, CBT for Crime Reduction, Trump's Tariffs, and Four Strains of LDS Thought
We experienced some technical difficulties this week ...please be patient with the broadcast.Welcome to Latter-day Lens with Shawn, Levi, and Matt! This week, we're tackling some heavy hitters that touch our communities and our faith. Fr...
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54:17
Episode 112: Politics, College, and General Conference: A Lively Debate
This episode of "The Latter-Day Lens" features a spirited discussion between Matt, his daughter Melanie, and friends Shawn and Jacob. The conversation moves through several engaging topics with the perfect blend of humor, disagreement, and thou...
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1:05:58
Episode 111: Beyond Divides: College Worth, Church Growth, Happiness, and Immigration
In this conversation, Shawn, David, and Matt discuss various themes around social division and unity, including the perceived value of college education, the success metrics of their religious community, global happiness trends linked to trust,...
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1:01:27
Episode 110: Trump's Speech to Congress, Partisan Views of Foreign Countries, Suing Church Members, America's Christian Heritage
In this episode of the Latter Day Lens Podcast, hosts Matt, Shawn, and Marc engage in a lively discussion that begins with light-hearted banter about cooking and personal anecdotes. The conversation then shifts to a critical analysis of Trump's...
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53:16
Episode 109: Ukraine, DOGE, Lazy federal employees, Cloud hosting of explicit images, The latter day lens on racism
This episode opens with a listener challenging hosts Shawn and Sam for previously dismissing Matt's concerns about Trump's Ukraine policy. The listener cites seven recent Trump administration actions that appear to validate Matt's predictions, ...
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1:15:24
Episode 108: Republicans and traditional gender roles, Disappointed Trump voters, Germany's move to the right, The abundance movement
SummaryIn this episode of Latter Day Lens, hosts Matt and Shawn engage in a candid conversation about their recent disagreements, the importance of reconciliation, and listener feedback. They explore LGBTQ+ issues within the church, discuss...
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52:53
Episode 107: Immigration, COVID-19, Integrity, Post WWII International Order
One listener pointed us to
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1:06:39
Episode 106: The Economy, Robocalls, Ranchers Rights, Promoting the Family
In this episode of Latter Day Lens, hosts Matt, Shawn, and Levi engage in a deep discussion about immigration laws, the complexities of undocumented immigration, and the economic implications of these policies. They explore the nuances of fisca...
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1:03:25
Episode 105: Can Manufacturing be Saved, Andy Reid's Favorite Trilogy, Unequal Justice, Peace in Politics
In this episode, hosts Matt and Shawn, along with guest David, engage in a deep discussion about racism, implicit bias, and the complexities of social justice. They explore the nuances of microaggressions, the role of education in combating rac...
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1:13:44
Episode 104: Implicit Racism, Transgender Ban, Deep Seek, Trump's First Week
In this episode of Latter Day Lens, hosts Matt, Shawn, and Marc engage in a lively discussion that begins with personal anecdotes about oil changes and transitions into listener feedback regarding the podcast's branding. The conversation then d...
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58:15
Episode 103: Same Sex Marriage in Thailand, Freeze on US Foreign Aid, Transgender Dorms, Germany's AfD (Alternative fuer Deutschland)
The Thought Provoker:Melanie is up first this week. I got a Breaking News notification from BBC about how Thailand has legalized same-sex marriage, which brokered the question: why do we care? As global powers, how much is it our respons...
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56:58
Episode 102: Seditious Conspiracy, Shari Franke, Dementia
Topic 1: The special counsel released their findings from their investigation into Trump's behavior on Jan. 6, 2020. We now know that Trump broke the law in his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. By the...
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53:20
Episode 101: BYU Faculty Challenges, Partisan Optimism/Pessimism in 2025, A Felon in the White House
The Salt Lake Tribune has a story about why a sizable number of faculty members at BYU are afraid. In the article and on
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47:21
Episode 100: Sam's final episode
In this episode of the RM podcast, hosts Matt, Sam, and Shawn engage in a lively discussion sparked by listener questions. They explore the impact of foreign relations on the growth of the church, the role of workplace safety regulations li...
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39:06
Episode 99: Special Guest Host, New Year’s Resolutions
In this special episode of the RM podcast, the hosts celebrate their 99th episode recorded together in person. They discuss various topics including family dynamics, the implications of government subsidies on the automotive industry, t...
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52:40