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Announcements

No new episodes through December 2025—Episode 150 drops January 2026. Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music feeds are experiencing technical issues. Follow Matt on Instagram during the break.

Topics

Young Men's Advisory Board: The newly announced Young Men's Advisory Board is notable because five of its fourteen volunteer advisors are public influencers, signaling a potential shift toward valuing digital communication expertise in Church leadership.

Federalism in Church Governance: A Catholic parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, is defying the Archdiocese of Boston by maintaining an anti-ICE nativity scene. If a ward defied an Area Presidency this way, would Shawn's love of local government control apply to church governance?

Kratom Deaths in Idaho: Bonneville County has investigated six kratom-related deaths in 18 months. The FDA prohibits kratom, but Idaho law allows its sale. Is this federalism gone bad?

The Big Question: The Economist ranked the top economies in 2025—and the results defy simple "socialist vs. capitalist" explanations. Since ideology doesn't explain outcomes, is it morally appropriate to use labels like capitalist, socialist, or Marxist at all?

Chapters

00:00 Podcast Updates and Technical Glitches
02:51 The Role of Social Media in Content Creation
05:38 The Influence of Digital Content Creators in the Church
09:36 Local Control vs. Central Authority in the Church
17:57 Political Messages and Church Doctrine
24:57 Building the Kingdom of God
26:58 Federalism and Public Health
30:54 The Role of Federalism in Drug Regulation
37:33 Economic Ideologies and Their Impact
44:26 The Manipulation of Labels in Politics

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Matt’s got a Christmas tree, a Lenin bust, and a bunch of books and maps in his office. Shawn has buckwheat, stockings, and very strong opinions. In this episode, the Latter Day Lens mailbag explodes and drags us into some uncomfortable but important questions about what Latter-day Saints really worship and trust.

We wrestle with:

• Why so many women say they’d rather raise kids in Europe than in the U.S. (paid maternity leave, food, breastfeeding norms) — and whether “if you don’t like it, move” is a fair response.
• How laws that aren’t explicitly racist (like gerrymandering) can still leave people of color disadvantaged — and why Matt’s stopped calling policies “racist” even when they obviously hurt minorities.
• The heartbreaking rise in global child deaths as foreign aid shrinks: are American Saints more fired up about defending the unborn than feeding already-born, already-suffering children abroad?
• Whether the U.S. healthcare system needs more government… or way less. Matt and Shawn both shock themselves by landing on a radical free-market answer.
• The christening of the USS Utah nuclear sub and Spencer W. Kimball’s warning against worshipping the “false gods” of military might — is it spiritually sketchy for Saints to cheer for ever-bigger weapons?
• And finally, “limitarianism”: should government cap personal wealth at €10M in the name of justice… or is that just sanctified envy dressed up as philosophy?

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Holiday Cheer
02:39 Listener Mailbag and Community Engagement
05:48 Cultural Perspectives on Maternity Leave
08:38 Food Quality and Health in America
11:24 Racial Disparities and Voter Suppression
14:11 Foreign Aid and Global Health Concerns
17:18 The Role of Government vs. Individual Responsibility in Charity
20:03 Healthcare System Breakdown
22:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
26:22 Healthcare Economics: A Clash of Ideologies
28:36 The Role of Insurance in Healthcare
31:05 Free Market vs. Regulation in Healthcare
33:25 The Case for Unregulated Healthcare
37:23 The Impact of Regulations on Healthcare Costs
41:04 Military Spending and Moral Implications
47:56 Limitarianism: A Controversial Proposal
53:48 Final Thoughts on Wealth and Value

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Faith and Exceptionalism (03:21)

The US is becoming less religious, but Matt and Shawn debate if this signals secular decline or a unique American shift. Shifting Faith: Matt argues the decline of mainline Protestantism is due to its alignment with politics. He notes the growth of the Latter-day Saint Church and other faiths as people seek "pure religion," suggesting an "American exceptionalism" where religious freedom fosters a marketplace of faith. Awakening: Shawn challenges this, longing for the widespread "Great Awakening" revivals of the past, though Matt highlights current growth within the Church as a type of revival.

The Morality of Political Power Plays (15:07)

The hosts discuss Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García's maneuver to secure his staffer, Patty García, a seat by announcing his retirement after the filing deadline, effectively eliminating a primary election. Noblesse Oblige: Shawn calls the tactic immoral, motivated by arrogance or self-interest, invoking the concept of "Noblesse Oblige"—the privileged acting for the "less blessed." Kingmaker: Matt agrees the move is unethical but admits he'd be tempted by the "kingmaker" role, reflecting a common distrust in voters' judgment among the political elite.

Distrust and Discontent (25:39)

A Gallup poll shows extreme dissatisfaction with US democracy, especially among women aged 18 to 44, 40% of whom would move abroad—a fourfold increase since 2014.

The Problem: Matt argues this level of distrust risks undermining the divinely inspired US Constitution and suggests it is linked to policies from the last decade, such as those impacting women's healthcare access, which disproportionately affect their liberty. The Cause: Shawn believes the discontent is rooted in social media's self-esteem pressures and political "bamboozling," rather than actual legal disparity. Matt counters that a platform addressing this widespread unhappiness is crucial for future politicians.

Good, Evil, and Fictional Franchises (38:22)

Matt and Shawn analyze shared themes in Stranger Things and Wicked.

Becoming Good: Matt links this to the gospel principle of being "born again," arguing that true goodness is a transformation of the heart, not just the sum of one's actions. He uses a convert's powerful baptism story to illustrate the contrast between life's "bitter" cup and the "sweet" love of God. Representation: Matt praises the character Susie from Stranger Things as the best fictional portrayal of a Latter-day Saint in media.

Chapters
00:00 Friendship and Loyalty in Adversity
02:57 The Decline of Religion in America
05:45 Awakening and Spiritual Growth
08:38 American Exceptionalism and Religious Freedom
11:46 Political Morality and Ethics
14:34 Dissatisfaction with Democracy
17:34 The Nature of Good and Evil in Fiction
20:22 Cultural Reflections