All Things New - A Conversation with Fiona and Terryl Givens

For this week’s episode, we’re sharing a conversation we had originally released almost three years ago - before many of you had started listening to the podcast! It’s the discussion we had with Fiona and Terryl Givens about the ground-shifting book they published in 2020 through Faith Matters Publishing, called All Things New: Rethinking Sin, Salvation, and Everything in Between.
When this book was first published, we knew it had the potential to truly change lives, and change how Latter-day Saints see the world. It certainly did for us. The book starts by tracing the roots of our religious vocabulary and shows how many fundamental gospel concepts and words have become unmoored from their original foundations and in many cases, can get us stuck in a gospel of fear that places limits on God’s love and grace.
Fiona and Terryl show us how we can renovate that vocabulary to embrace a gospel of hope where there is no final buzzer or sad heaven, because in their words, "Salvation and heaven are not rewards that God can dispense, or that we can earn. Relationships are forged. Life is the school of love, and our growing capacity for love constitutes the bricks out of which the heavenly Zion will be constructed."
In the book, and in our conversation, Terryl and Fiona address everything from our concepts of heaven, sin, salvation, exaltation, and family togetherness in the eternities. We found the work they do in this important book to be immensely healing and hopeful.

[@ReoPratt-uw8zi]

My only regret is that I didn't encounter this months ago. In fact, when I see that more than 3,000 people were able to see it before me, I feel a tinge of,,,,envy(?). I've just finished reading "All Things New" for the second time, and this is a marvelous expansion and explanation, of why I've felt that this book is so important. Thank you all for taking the time to have this conversation, and for sharing it. For the optimism in the task of finding "ways to characterize a constructive vocabulary that reflects the optimism" (of the restoration). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@moonman239]

I think being like a father is God's ultimate plan for us. Everything Mormons do goes back to that single principle.

[@merrellharcrow2909]

I love hearing this. I am a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Helps me to strengthen my, true gospel, testimony I have been working on since 1979.

[@michelebrown361]

Thank you so much for this! Incredible insight shared bringing clarity of why things can get confusing. I have grappled with these exact contradictions in what is often taught and what I felt was true in my heart. If feels so good to hear it so eloquently explained ❤

[@markchristiansen9611]

This has changed the way I think about everything. God as our loving parent, not an angry sovereign.

[@christianelauener8975]

Thank you so much for this Fiona and Terryls force for love

[@joostvandegoor150]

Such a great episode. I love the way Fiona and Terryl think. This resonates with me. Topics like sin and salvation have been occupying (and puzzling) me for years now, and this way of thinking seems to show us a path that I really love to follow. There was so much in this conversation. Too much to comment on every single thing. But I will definitely listen to this interview again.

[@joshua_sykes]

Well worth the repost
Thank you 🙏
- -
“We need to let go of this stranglehold that fundamentalism has on our approach to scripture.” - Terryl Givens • 26:45

[@markchristiansen9611]

So true

[@lynnedavidson4772]

I think 'surprising' God is similar to the 'joy' a parent feels as he/she watches their child delight in an accomplishment, in being able do something they hadn't been able to do. You know the child will do it, but the when, where and how are unique, and uniquely joyful to watch.

[@moonman239]

Just a personal observation:
When people hear the prophets speak, they often assume that he is a literal mouthpiece for God, but I think it's more intellectually honest to say that a lot of prophetic utterances are actually opinions that are inspired by the Holy Ghost. And maybe sometimes they're completely off the mark.

[@lynnedavidson4772]

'Prove' - not a proof, but an improvement.

[@strangecore4]

If we have eternity to repent and progress (and I believe that is true), why would Father send us to a world with so much suffering? Why the broiler when the crock pot will do?

[@cinnimini404]

That comes with the presumption that we are not in the crock pot right now. God weeps. Suffering is inescapable for those who love. And so is incandescent joy.

[@JC.X.4]

The earliest of the church fathers teach almost nothing that sounds like Mormonism. How do you account for men that were disciples of the apostles themselves or one generation removed not teaching practically any Mormon doctrine?