Bringing disability and neurodiversity to the pulpit: An LDS Come Follow Me podcast and more. Dedicated to amplifying disabled perspectives in religious settings, especially within and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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wHoly Human is proud to join with Professor Bryce Fifield in this bonus episode to share stories of early disabled saints. Fifield is a professor of Special Education and Rehabilitation at Utah State University. His career within the disability studies field spans decades. He has also had many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but his greatest calling in life has been that of father, grandfather and husband.In this episode he shares the extensive research he has done into finding the names and stories of early disabled saints in church history. He also shares how he found these names, and gives resources for learning more about early disabled saints.

Ep. 37: Early Disabled Saints and How to Find Them

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Here, Serena and Katie cover Doctrine and Covenants 137–138, and Official Declarations 1 and 2. This will be their last Come Follow Me of the year, but not their last episode release of the year. Stay tuned for more wHoly Human content!

Ep. 36: Officially Declaring a Reason to Mourn

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Two weeks&#39; worth of LDS Come Follow Me study and commentary, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants Sections 133-136.In this episode, we deepen the conversation around 19th century Mormon polygamy and disability/neurodivergency. We mention various instances of disabled and neurodivergent people in polygamous relationships, and discuss how that relationship style worked to either aid or disadvantage the disabled/neurodivergent person.We reiterate the fact that just because a person has a specific disability or neurodivergence, it does not make them an automatically good person; we can hold space for disability/neurodiversity representation while also holding people accountable for the harm they&#39;ve caused others.This is especially true when discussing Brigham Young and both his eschewment of tradition (a neurodivergent trait) and the fact that he promoted eugenic, ableist rhetoric around Mormonism, as well as his complicity in the enslavement of indigenous people.Lastly, we bring Emma Smith to the forefront during our discussion of Joseph Smith&#39;s martyrdom, as we read the blessing she requested from Joseph right before he went to Carthage Jail. We correlate the mourning of the LDS church after Joseph&#39;s death with the expression of mourning of Black people in America during Black Lives Matter. The spilling of innocent blood is therefore something that Mormons should especially resonate with.CW: In this episode, we touch on eugenics, enslavement, and anti-Black racism.

Ep. 35: Mourning in "Liberty" - D&C 133-136

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A solo episode by Serena, where she breaks down how one cannot speak about polygamy without also speaking about how it is shaped by and connected to disability, neurodiversity and queerness.	If we only talk about the negative aspects of 19th century Mormon polygamy, while talking about both negative and positive aspects of Mormon monogamy, then we are not taking an equitable approach to polygamy as a relationship style/structure. And when the history of polygamy is also shaped by disability, and when neurodivergent and queer people are highly represented in modern day nonmonogamy, the way we talk about polygamy matters. 	Those of us in the progressive Mormon sphere are trying to build a bridge from Mormon history and doctrine to those of us who have historically been excluded and even expelled from Mormonism. If the bridge purports to lead towards inclusion of neurodivergent, disabled, and queer people, then should it not consider our viewpoints while reimagining and analyzing our collective Mormon history? How can you talk about polygamy - literally, marriage to more than one person - without centering love? How can you talk about polygamy, a “deviant” relationship style, without centering the people whom modern Mormonism considers deviant, meaning queer and neurodivergent people? 	If we believe that “love is love”, and that “we are here and we are queer!” are true principles when it comes to BYU students protesting homophobic policies at the Church administrative building in downtown SLC, then those principles are also true when people engage in nonmonogamous relationships.

Ep. 34: BONUS - We Need To Talk About How We Talk About Polygamy

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Two weeks worth of Come Follow Me covering D+C 125 through 132.In this episode, Serena and Katie discuss how privilege plays a role in the gathering of the saints despite desire (or lack of), the circumstances around Brigham Young&#39;s call to stay with his family, the nuanced space Joseph Smith and disabled people today dwell in in regards to trials, real life policies in regards to temple attendance and baptisms for the dead who are deemed &#34;not accountable&#34; during their lives on earth, considering people with psychosis when discussing angelic or other spirit visitations, the logic of feeling comfort in suffering with prophets, when personal revelation conflicts with prophetic teachings, and brief insights on polygamy.Watch out for a bonus episode that will be coming out this Thursday (11/11) with more thoughts and information on polygamy, from a queer, disabled, neurodivergent perspective.

Ep. 33: Desire, Logic and Personal Revelation - D+C 125-132

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Two weeks of LDS Come Follow Me commentary, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants sections 121 through 124. In this episode, we provide context for the circumstances that led to Joseph Smith&#39;s imprisonment in Liberty Jail, and explain that the tension between non-Mormons and members of the Church in Missouri at the time was not unilateral. Violence was high on both sides, and that is something we need to acknowledge to move forward honestly in our faith.We go on to discuss how we should approach the privilege and marginalization of other people, especially when we&#39;re going through a hard time ourselves. Is there a &#34;right&#34; approach, or do certain approaches simply not work at certain times? We make a connection between the verses discussing suffering and the suffering of disabled people during the pandemic. Finally, we bring it back to disability by sharing some stories of disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent people all around the world who have been impacted by COVID-19 disproportionately. We share these stories to point out the diversity of disabled experiences, but strongly encourage our followers to seek out and listen to the experiences of disabled people in their own congregations, neighborhoods, and communities. Follow us on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wholyhuman/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/wholyhuman/</a>Like us on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wholyhumanpodcast" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/wholyhumanpodcast</a>Read full transcripts on our site: <a href="https://www.wholyhumanpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.wholyhumanpodcast.com/</a>

Ep. 32: Privilege in the Very Jaws of Hell - D&C 121-124

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Two weeks&#39; worth of LDS Come Follow Me study, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants Sections 111 through 120.In this episode we discuss how Thomas Marsh left the LDS Church in 1838 for legitimate (non-cow-milk-related) reasons and what that teaches us about allyship, and what it means to &#34;arise and sit down, and shake off the dust.&#34;We introduce another disabled person from LDS church history, Oliver Granger, who was mostly blind, a good friend of Joseph Smith&#39;s, and served in many important positions in the early church. His story is a remarkable example of how disabled people can and should be in leadership positions in the church nowadays.Finally, we delve into the issues surrounding tithing and disability, especially when a disabled member of the Church is on government disability benefits. Many people are unaware that the Church cannot require disabled people to pay tithing on government benefits for legal reasons, and yet many disabled people are still being pressured to do so, and shamed and excluded if they don&#39;t.

Ep. 31: A Blind High Councillor and Disability Tithes - D&C 111-120

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Two weeks&#39; worth of LDS Come Follow Me commentary, discussing Doctrine &amp; Covenants Sections 106-110. In this episode, we highlight the importance of intersectionality, and how disability and neurodivergence often come last in intersectional discussions. We talk about how behavioral expectations in 19th century Mormon meetings didn&#39;t allow for disabled and neurodivergent people to be present and involved in their own way. We discover another instance of how anti-blackness was intertwined with the LDS Church back in the 1830s, and how it was used to alienate dissenters from the Church. Some other questions from the text we discuss: How much power does someone hold in the church if they hold an &#34;auxiliary&#34; position without the priesthood? What does it mean to us as disabled people to read how Adam and his generation lived for hundreds of years? Finally, we both rejoice and lament in the language of the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland, Ohio temple in Section 109.

Ep. 30: Appendages, Auxiliaries, & Accessibility

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Serena and Katie of wHoly Human cover two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me in this episode- Doctrine and Covenants 98-105.In this episode, they discuss Elder Holland&#39;s recent talk given at BYU, which has had harmful affects on LGBTQ+ people and their allies (https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-jeffrey-r-holland-2021-byu-university-conference).They also discuss forgiveness, repentance, reparations, moving forward in the midst of persecution, meekness and solemnity of heart, ableist metaphors, the early saints&#39; anti-racism and their backtracking off it, Camp Zion, and thoughts on the phrase &#34;everything happens for a reason.&#34;

Ep. 29: When Violent Words Spur Violent Actions

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Two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me study, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants 93-97.In this episode, we start by sharing the recent LDS First Presidency announcement regarding COVID-19 precautions for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and offering our commentary on it. Going into our scripture study, we start off by discussing what it means to &#34;grow from grace to grace&#34; as disabled and neurodivergent people, and how opposite tensions can lead to further discovery of knowledge. We discuss how the union of the body and spirit to equal the soul is the antidote for earthly self-betrayal. Finally, we introduce Frederick G. Williams as a disabled man and a progressive physician in his own right, examining his life and his work from a disability and neurodiversity perspective.

Ep. 28: Ode to Frederick G. Williams

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Two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me study, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants 88-92.In this episode, we start by sharing information on how to order customized garments, for those in need of that resource. We also correct information we shared in Episode 25 about The Indian Placement Program, using Indian Country Today&#39;s website as our resource.We then jump into our studies of the scriptures, and discuss &#34;celestial&#34; bodies and the harms of ranking bodies, the parable of the workers in the field and how the Lord glories in coming to us in our own time, how unique and important each of us are to God within and despite the vastness of the creation, the strain between calls for resisting idolatry vs a working mindset and capitalism within the church and the history of that, and we end our discussion with a break down of the history and canonized text of the Word of Wisdom.

Ep. 27: Word of Wisdom - For Whom?

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Two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me study, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants 84-87. In this episode, we celebrate a verse in section 84 which affirms that godly knowledge and influence is sent to every human on Earth, regardless of race, religion, neurotype, disability, country, gender, sexual orientation, and more. We deliberate on whether the Come Follow Me manual lives up to the scripture&#39;s potential for inclusiveness, and how long it has to go to fulfill that potential. We talk about &#34;sin&#34; in the &#34;world&#34; and how that has been used in Church culture to vilify marginalized people, especially neurodivergent people, by falsely assuming that &#34;progress&#34; and &#34;growth&#34; is only in one, linear direction, rather than expansive and individual. Finally, when talking about Joseph Smith&#39;s prophecy of the Civil War, we remind our followers that slavery still exists in the United States via a loophole in the 13th Amendment, and exhort everyone to continue to learn about issues of slavery, racism, and policing.

Ep. 26: Light Unto Every Being

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We&#39;re back at it with Come Follow Me! This is two weeks&#39; worth of study and commentary, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants 77-83. In this episode, we discuss: The dehumanization of certain peoples in the scriptures, metaphors vs. literal interpretations in the Book of Revelations, confusing and potentially problematic changes to the text of the Doctrine &amp; Covenants, and how the kinds of stories we tell about disabled people in the Church can either empower or stigmatize disabled members. Read full transcripts:<a href="https://www.wholyhumanpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow"> https://www.wholyhumanpodcast.com/ </a>Support us on Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/wHolyHuman" rel="nofollow">https://www.patreon.com/wHolyHuman</a>Share our content on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wholyhumanpodcast" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/wholyhumanpodcast</a>Join the conversation! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wholyhuman/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/wholyhuman/</a> Explore other fantastic podcasts in the Dialogue Podcast Network: <a href="https://www.dialoguejournal.com/podcastnetwork" rel="nofollow">https://www.dialoguejournal.com/podcastnetwork</a>

Ep. 25: "Creatures" and Old Stories

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Everyone meet Saylor O&#39;Brien!Saylor is Paralympic Alpine Skier. She began skiing at the age of four, and is now working toward competing in the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing, China.Saylor was born with Spina Bifida, and born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She recently decided to stop attending the church, and has developed a free thinking attitude with her spirituality and faith.There is a lot to celebrate and learn from listening and reading her story. Come celebrate Saylor with us! Also, keep in mind that our goal is to lift the perspectives of all disabled and neurodivergent people. As you listen, please keep in mind that experiences vary widely. The views expressed by an interviewee do not necessarily express the wHoly Human hosts&#39; views. Instead, we seek to share diverse experience, learn from each other, and combat ableism together.

Ep. 24: Saylor- Spiritually Diverse Paralympian

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In this episode we discuss two weeks’ worth of Come Follow Me, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants 51-59.We call out the hypocrisy and tragedy of scriptures with admonitions to care for the “poor and needy” that cover up contextual ableism and discrimination. We point out ways the the Church can be more like Jesus Christ and “leave the 99 to go after the 1” by centering the concerns of marginalized people like disabled, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ people. Finally, we have an illuminating discussion of how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs both informs the conversation around Church and community care, and how Maslow’s model falls short because of its appropriation of First Nations/Indigenous knowledge.We realize that on wHoly Human, we strive to move upwards from self-actualization to community care and perpetuity, as the First Nations model represents. By doing so, we hope to bless our own lives and the lives of those around us.

Ep. 23: First Shall Be Last, Last Shall Be First

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This week we continue our series of bringing disabled and neurodivergent people to our virtual pulpit! Please note: The views expressed by our interviewees do not necessarily represent our views at wHoly Human. We strive to have healthy dialogue as we unroot our own internalized ableism, however, it is a work in progress. If you have any suggestions for how to balance this representation please reach out to us. Amy Chapman is a special education teacher at a local elementary school. She enjoys swimming, wheelchair basketball, reading books, and relaxing watching a movie. Amy was born with a condition called Fibular Hemimelia. When she was born she was missing the fibula bone in both legs as well as most of her ankle and foot bones. She had an amputation when she was 14 months old in order to prosthesis better. Amy is a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She grew up in Chicago, IL, and moved to Utah when she was 17. She served an 18-month proselyting mission in Long Beach, CA. Amy has also been involved with the Especially For Youth program for the last 3-4 years. For more on the metaphor Serena shares at the end of the episode, please check out Ariane Fauteux on TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeGNrfHF/ Follow us on Instagram @wholyhuman, read full transcripts at www.wholyhumanpodcast.com, and email us at wholyhumanpodcast@gmail.com to connect.

Ep. 22: Amy - "Put on Your Legs!"

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Two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants 46-50. TW: Conversation about gaslighting spiritual experiences and gaslighting with hearing voices or seeing visions. In this episode, we discuss what it means to &#34;cast someone out&#34; of a church meeting, what the &#34;proper way&#34; is to express your spiritual feelings, and where the line is between a spiritual breakthrough and a psychotic episode. Spoiler alert: We don&#39;t believe there is a &#34;right&#34; way to express your emotions, whether they be spiritual or mental. We also fully believe that neurodivergent people - including people who experience psychosis and hallucinations - have the right to determine their religious beliefs for themselves. We also introduce our book wishlist, which we hope our devoted audience can help us out with. Every book you buy for us helps us to make more connections about disability and theology, which in turn makes each episode better! Click to contribute --&gt; https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/15KWNR03XYJND/guest-view

Ep. 21: Spiritual Manifestations & Gifts

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Since many of our followers might be engaging with the disability and social justice communities for the first time, we decided to produce an episode dedicated to defining important terms. We use these all the time in our podcast, so feel free to come back to this episode as a reference whenever you need it! Side note: These are not all-inclusive terms for all disabilities and neurodivergencies. Instead, this episode &#34;jet-skis&#34; over the terms to include as many as possible within our time constraints. We leave the &#34;deep sea diving&#34; for our regular episodes. There are more vocab episodes to come! Side note to the side note: These are very basic descriptions, meant meanly for ablebodied and NT people who are just starting their anti-ableism journey. If you identify as being or having one of these neurodivergencies, please feel free to correct us on this information.  The 40 terms defined in this episode: Neurodivergent, neurodiverse, neurotypical, “functioning” labels, masking, special interests/specializations, stimming, autistic meltdowns, autistic shutdowns/burnout, medical zebras, paralysis, assistance animals, service animals, emotional support animals (ESA), psychiatric support animals, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Housing Act (FHA), the Air Carrier Access Act, the American Kennel Club (AKC), reputable breeder, public access, Depression, Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), ADHD/ADD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Schizophrenia, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Diagnostic &amp; Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), BPD splitting, Scrupulosity, personality disorders, Bipolar/Manic-Depressive Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), delusions, hallucinations, psychosis, panic attacks vs anxiety attacks, executive dysfunction.

Ep. 20: "However..." Disability & Neurodiverse Vocab Part 2

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Two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me, covering Doctrine &amp; Covenants 41 through Doctrine &amp; Covenants 45. In this episode, we discuss what it means to have boundaries when doing advocacy work, especially as we try to minister intersectionally. Looking to Jesus Christ, we can see that it&#39;s more nuanced and complicated than it may seem. We also discuss inclusion and exclusion from the Church and from advocacy spaces, from the perspective of disabled and neurodivergent people. Finally, we find some verses that reorient our understandings of our own disabilities and how they work with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ep. 19: Boundaries & Strategic Compassion

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In this episode, we interview Austin Jorgensen! Austin was born with Cerebral Palsy (Triplegia). He has had several surgeries in his life (including brain surgery!) along with AFOs and series casting during childhood but currently doesn’t require any walking aids. Austin was born a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He grew up in California and Texas and served a 24-month mission when he was 19 in Utah as an online missionary. He currently lives with his boyfriend of two years in Austin, TX. In this episode, we discuss coping mechanisms for dealing with ableism while growing up disabled, LGBTQ+ and disabled identities, and some of the complicated feelings and reasons people leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Ep. 18: Austin - Out from the Tent & Out of the Closet

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Two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me discussion, comprising Doctrine &amp; Covenants Sections 30-40. In this episode we touch on missionary work, religious victimization, loads and loads of ableist metaphors, free will, body intersectionality, and consent when it comes to interacting with someone else&#39;s body, whether that us as mortal humans or Jesus Christ while healing a disabled person.

Ep. 17: Jesus Christ Cares About Consent

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April is Autism Acceptance Month and we are here for it! We&#39;re starting it off with an interview with Sandra. Sandra is a multiply Neurodivegent, Queer person who is working to raise four Neurodivergent people and support her wife through her demanding career without messing everything up too badly. They are a late-identified Autistic, working to advocate for their family and other Autistic people as best she can while battling the adversity of a world and society that is largely hostile to the needs those who are not neuro-normative. In this interview, we discuss autistic parenting, both as an autistic parent and as having autistic children, the difficulties of being nonbinary in the Mormon church, and the baptismal covenant to mourn with those that mourn.

Ep. 16: Sandra - Autistic, Agender, "Active" Mormon!

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For many disabled people, resurrection is a complicated, often painful topic. This Easter Sunday, we place Jesus Christ&#39;s resurrection from the dead in a disabled context, tenderly exploring what it means to have a body, especially one that is imperfect and mortal.

Ep. 15: The Body - Resurrection & the Fall

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Introducing Joseph Featherstone! Joseph, who is Deaf, is a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He currently works as a manager and lead at GoReact, an online feedback software company for ASL and interpreting students. He also teaches ASL at Brigham Young University. In this episode, Joseph discusses growing up in the Church as Deaf, his introduction to the Deaf community, his spirituality, the tendency of hearing and able-bodied people to infantilize Deaf and disabled people, and what we can do NOW to create a more inclusive environment at church.

Ep. 14: Joseph - All About the Plans!

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In this Come Follow Me episode we discuss two weeks&#39; worth of scripture reading: Doctrine &amp; Covenants 23-26 and 27-28. With the trials that Joseph and Emma Smith encountered in this time of their lives, we delve into what it means to be patient and why that can be harder for disabled and neurodivergent people than other people. Introducing the idea of &#34;common consent&#34;, we discuss how voting/sustaining LDS leaders has changed from the 1800s to now, and what we can do to reduce modern-day &#34;voter suppression&#34; in the Church. Finally, we come full circle by revisiting the concept of patience and reiterating that every person deserves to feel peace and joy, regardless of whether that&#39;s in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or whether it&#39;s by exploring other spiritual practices because of access barriers in the LDS Church.

Ep. 13: A Place for Patience?

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Introducing Travis Eberhard! Travis is a disabled actor and illustrator and a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You may recognize him from various films, most notably by playing Albert in T.C. Christiansen&#39;s film, 17 Miracles. In this episode, we discuss Travis&#39;s experiences interacting with able-bodied people both in and out of the church, inside of Utah, and outside of Utah. We learn inside details about the production of 17 Miracles and Travis&#39;s thoughts on his character. With both the entertainment industry and the Church having the tendency to &#34;typecast&#34; disabled people into limited stories, we ask, how can we diversify the roles and stories to greater showcase disabled lives?

Ep. 12: Travis - to Act or Be Acted Upon

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Our &#34;Fifth Sunday&#34; episode that runs a little longer than usual, but is definitely worth it! We discuss two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me: Doctrine &amp; Covenants 18-19 and Doctrine &amp; Covenants 20-22. We start off by asking what sin and repentance mean in the disability justice communities, and whether sin is objective or subjective. On the flip side of Section 19, we marvel at the humanity and pain expressed by Jesus, and how his suffering in Gethsemane is yet another example of the Disabled God. Next, we examine what &#34;years of accountability&#34; in relation to baptism means for intellectually disabled persons, and how the view of disabled spiritual accountability has changed over time and has yet a long way to go. Finally, we close out by sharing an underquoted example of disability in Joseph and Emma Smith&#39;s family life, and how that might have influenced Joseph&#39;s revelations in Doctrine &amp; Covenants.

Come Follow Me - D&C 18-19 and D&C 20-22.

Ep. 11: Gethsemane, Disability, & Accountability

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/2/22/23/e10db30e-4164-4556-bb6d-03e28a362def_wh_vocab_final.mp3

Since many of our followers might be engaging with the disability and social justice communities for the first time, we decided to produce an episode dedicated to defining important terms. We use these all the time in our podcast, so feel free to come back to this episode as a reference whenever you need it! Side note: These are not all-inclusive terms for all disabilities and neurodivergencies. Instead, this episode &#34;jet-skis&#34; over the terms to include as many as possible within our time constraints. We leave the &#34;deep sea diving&#34; for our regular episodes. There are more vocab episodes to come! Terms defined in this episode:<ul><li>Ableism</li><li>Capitalism</li><li>Toxic positivity</li><li>&#34;Nothing about us without us&#34;</li><li>Examples of ableist language</li><li>&#34;Policing&#34; disabled expression</li><li>Identity-first language</li><li>Person-first language</li><li>Medical Model of Disability</li><li>Social Model of Disability</li><li>Inspiration porn</li><li>Invisible disability</li><li>Ambulatory wheelchair users</li><li>Spoon Theory / &#34;spoonie&#34;</li></ul>

Ep. 10: Disability Vocab Part 1

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/2/15/0/e7083439-880e-47a2-bde7-1a958fd797ce_wh_cfm_dc_12-17_final.mp3

In this episode we discuss two weeks&#39; worth of Come Follow Me: Doctrine &amp; Covenants 12-13, Joseph Smith History 1:66-75, and Doctrine &amp; Covenants 14-17. We learn that God&#39;s power and authority are not necessarily the same thing, and in fact, are often manifested separately in the scriptures and in LDS Church history. We discuss the implications of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery receiving authority from an angel, the 3 witnesses volunteering to testify of the Golden Plates, and the interesting fact that two female witnesses were not selected to be official witnesses. What does authority mean in the Church for marginalized people, particularly disabled and neurodivergent people? Does it help or harm? Are there ways we can innovate our church authority and decision-making structures to better accommodate and include people with disabilities? We say YES!

Ep. 09: Power, Authority, & Accommodations

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/2/12/19/9205b1fb-a8bf-40ac-8fb6-ec10c8f1b25b_btb_bonus1.mp3

We have a special treat this week! Our friends over at Beyond the Block podcast, James and Derek, interviewed us for their listeners. In this episode we discuss the inspiration behind wHoly Human, the assumption of some privileged persons that they have no bias, and similarities between the LGBTQ+ and disability movements. Check out other Beyond the Block episodes: <a href="https://beyondtheblockpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow">https://beyondtheblockpodcast.com/</a>Support Beyond the Block: <a href="https://glow.fm/beyondtheblock/" rel="nofollow">https://glow.fm/beyondtheblock/</a>

Ep. 08: Bonus - Interview with Beyond the Block!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/2/11/23/ee1ef02c-ccaa-4e3d-b67a-9cd0adbbe97b_wh6p2_brooke_interview.mp3

In this episode, we wrap up our conversation with Brooke by talking about how Autistics function in a larger neurotypical society. Many Autistics experience meltdowns when they are overstimulated by their environment, which can be embarrassing and socially - and often, physically - costly. We discuss how Autistics &#34;mask&#34; themselves to fit in and survive in a neurotypical world, and the suspicions Autistics may have that neurotypical people don&#39;t like or trust them. Finally, Brooke explains how her PDA alters and enhances her relationship with the Divine. She shares a tender experience of finding a church congregation that better fits her neurodivergence. In this episode, Brooke references Autistic advocates Dr. Chloe Farahar and Kieran Rose, as well as a University of Glasgow study, and a few other studies.

Ep. 07: Brooke Interview, Part 2 - Meltdowns, Masking, & Judgment

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/2/8/2/eda7f054-e0ad-415a-823f-a5de0b5e691d_wh6p1_brooke_interview.mp3

Brooke is a Westminster College graduate, an award winning poet and author, and an Autistic queer person with a profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), and other disabilities. In this episode, she covers Autistic terminology including PDA differentiation, religious nationalism, spiritual bypassing, the benefits of social ecology in a church setting, general Autistic culture, and she even does a short poetry reading to give us insight into how her mind processes her surroundings.This interview is part one of the second episode in our interview series.Our goal is to lift the perspectives of all disabled and neurodivergent people. As you listen, please keep in mind that experiences vary widely. The views expressed by an interviewee do not necessarily express the wHoly Human host&#39;s views. Instead, we seek to share diverse experiences, learn from each other, and combat ableism together.To learn more about Autism PDA, Brooke recommends these helpful resources: <a href="https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/</a> <a href="https://www.harryjackthompson.com/musings" rel="nofollow">https://www.harryjackthompson.com/musings</a><a href="https://www.kristyforbes.com.au/blog" rel="nofollow">https://www.kristyforbes.com.au/blog</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Aucademy/" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/Aucademy/</a>In this episode, she also references the Double Empathy problem, a study by autistic scholar Dr. Damian Milton.

Ep. 06: Brooke Interview, Part 1 - Autistic Vocab and Social Ecology in Religion

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/2/1/9/c32f028a-73ea-4166-bd87-956a60bfa260_wholy_human_episode_05.mp3

A discussion of Come Follow Me: Doctrine &amp; Covenants 6-9 and Doctrine &amp; Covenants 10-11.  In this episode, we talk about the resurrected Jesus Christ&#39;s body, John the Beloved, and what &#34;perfection&#34; means for disabled people and other people that don&#39;t fit a white, heteronormative, cisgender model. We talk about how accommodations are shown as holy throughout the scriptures and especially when receiving revelation. We examine how logic relates to poop, question odd metaphors, and laugh when Serena slips into a Russian accent. Finally, we pay a visit back to our old friend Lucy Harris and her husband Martin, and question the necessity of vilifying opposition.

Come Follow Me Weeks 5 and 6: D&C 6-11

Ep. 05: The Disabled God, Contention, & Our Very Own Poop Metaphor

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/1/25/0/3e84bb19-28b4-4c05-846c-d97891107338_wholy_human_episode_4.mp3

We begin our interview series by talking with César, a BYU-Idaho instructor, convert to the LDS Church, and spunky biologist with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). César relates his experiences in the Church and describes how his faith intersects with his disability. Our goal is to lift the perspectives of all disabled and neurodivergent people. As you listen, please keep in mind that experiences vary widely. The views expressed by an interviewee do not necessarily express the wHoly Human hosts&#39; views. Instead, we seek to share diverse experiences, learn from each other, and combat ableism together.

Episode 04: César - Plowing Down Misconceptions of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/1/18/2/3ddf49b3-9366-4dbd-bc8f-e95c21730738_wholy_human_episode_3.mp3

Who really was Lucy Harris? Did she really steal the 116 pages of the translated Book of Lehi? That and more insights about disability &amp; the divine from D&amp;C 2, Joseph Smith History 1:27-65, and D&amp;C 3-5.

D&C 2, Joseph Smith History 1:27-65, D&C 3-5

Episode 03: Angels & "Nasty Women"

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/1/11/4/2746465f-1ad3-45bb-b6f6-8d979e01250d_wholy_human_episode_2.mp3

Can God heal disabilities? We would say yes. Will God heal disabilities? Not always. Perhaps not even usually. Some people on Earth will always live with disabilities. We need to learn how to grapple with that truth, no matter how “dark,” “crazy,” or uncomfortable it may be.

Joseph Smith History 1:1-24

Episode 02: Visions, Validation, & Darkness

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/1/10/19/a05ff616-d034-4ac7-b05d-03072f54e720_wholy_human_episode_1.mp3

When we speak to people in less ableist language, or in more disability-inclusive language, with metaphors that pertain more to them, we become more godlike.

D&C 1, Saints 1:140-143

Episode 01: Shenanigans, Thorny Issues, & “Weak” Things

Bringing disability & neurodiversity to the pulpit.