Cwic Media

Professor Ralph Hancock of BYU discusses the dilemmas facing the church and the complexities of navigating politics as Latter-day Saints work within a secular world. Ralph's Articles on Alive and Intelligent Substack - https://aliveandintelligent.substack.com Cwic Media Website: http://www.cwicmedia.com

Associate Professor Brent Yergensen has just written the most comprehensive and clarifying work on the Pride movement within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His conclusion? A Shadow Faith has risen in the church! His Paper, Shadow Faith or Organizational Breakoff? Inflection Points and the Symbolic Convergence of Latter-day Saint Subculture was recently published by an academic journal. Here is the paper - https://cdr.creighton.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/8c5efbfa-87d1-4c0f-b037-3ad6a76cdfa5/content Brent Yergensen (Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln) is Department Chair and Associate Professor of Communication at The University of Texas at Tyler. His research focuses on the intersections of religion, science, politics, and history with mass media, especially film. He teaches primarily in media theory and history, rhetorical theory and criticism, research methods, and organizational communication. Cwic Media Website: http://www.cwicmedia.com

Erec Smith of the Cato Institute returns to the show to talk about where the US stands with its DEI and woke culture and policies. Now at a crossroads, will academia change? Sports? Business? With a new administration bent on changing law and policy against DEI, we seem to be in a period of reprieve, but will it last? Cwic Media Website: http://www.cwicmedia.com

The conversation with Dr. Gale Pooley centers on their groundbreaking book Superabundance, which refutes decades of apocalyptic Malthusian thinking by demonstrating—through hard data—that as population increases, so does abundance. Using the innovative metric of “time prices,” which calculates how much time a person must work to afford basic goods, Dr. Pooley shows that global prosperity has skyrocketed over the past two centuries. This conversation dismantles myths of inevitable resource scarcity by highlighting how human ingenuity, freedom, and market-driven innovation have made the world richer, healthier, and more capable of solving its own problems. We also explore the psychological and cultural roots of anti-human, scarcity-driven ideologies. Figures like Paul Ehrlich and movements such as radical environmentalism promote a view that more people means more problems, but the data reveals the opposite: population growth, when coupled with freedom, is the greatest engine of human progress. The conversation linked the fear of the future to a broader cultural pessimism—fueled by ignorance of history and technophobic fatalism—and calls instead for a renaissance of gratitude and creativity. Far from being a cancer on the Earth, the individual—when free to think, speak, and trade—is a net good. Superabundance Book - https://amzn.to/4nqGQlF Cwic Media Website: http://www.cwicmedia.com

What can be a positive technological breakthrough, such as freezing a woman's eggs, can also end up as a strategy to put off motherhood. What is the status of motherhood today? Author and family policy maker, Leah Libresco Sargeant talks about the cultrual influence on women and motherhood. Wavemakers Podcaster Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/wavemakers  Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Ralph Hancock introduces his Cwic Show Series, "The City and The Soul." There is no better voice on the intersection of the Restored Gospel, Politics, and Philosophy. Ralph is also a contributor to our Substack, "Alive and Intelligent.' Ralph is a professor of political philosophy at Brigham Young University and is an accomplished author.   Website - www.cwicmedia.com  Fathom The Good Curriculum - https://fathomthegood.com/ 

Alive and Intelligent Substack - https://aliveandintelligent.substack.com WaveMakers Podcast Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/wavemakers Cade Alvey is a student at BYU and co-host of the YouTube Channel, All Those In Favor, who has his ear to the ground. He says things are changing at BYU. Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Amanda Freebairn talks about what Latter-day Saint women mean when they say, "Listen To Women." Sometimes "you're not listening" can mean "you're not agreeing with me." Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Jason Olson and Jabra Ghneim join Greg once again as attacks from both Israel and Iran continue. Who is obviously in the right? Where does it go from here? What does the rest of the Middle East really think about this? Trump goes bold. Doubles down. Jason Olson holds his Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University (2016). His first book, “America's Road to Jerusalem,” was released by Lexington Books in 2018. He researched the role of Christian Zionism in the development of a pro-Israel U.S. foreign policy. His second book, “The Burning Book,” won the 2022 Association for Mormon Letters award in creative nonfiction. In his doctoral studies, Jason held fellowships with The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Hertog Global Strategy Initiative at Columbia University, Israel Institute, American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, and the American Jewish Archives. In 2013, he served as teaching fellow for the Summer Institute for Israel Studies (Brandeis), where he educated an international group of scholars in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Jabra Ghneim is an educator, translator, and researcher with deep expertise in language services, refugee integration, and Middle Eastern affairs. A native Arabic and English speaker, he has led major translation and localization efforts for faith-based organizations and U.S. government clients, including curriculum design, interpretation, and training for Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, and other critical languages. For over three decades, he has served as the lead Arabic interpreter and translator for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, translating sacred texts, including the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, into Arabic. He holds a PhD in Educational Inquiry, Measurement, and Evaluation and an MSc in Economics from Brigham Young University, as well as a BA in Economics and Finance from Yarmouk University in Jordan. Jabra is passionate about cultural bridge-building, Jewish-Arab relations, and the power of language to connect people across divides. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Why are protestors (rioters) waving Mexican flags in a US immigration riot? Who really is behind these riots? Or are they just spontaneous? The riots are spreading. What is next? Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Ralph Hancock, BYU professor of Political Philosophy and sane thinker, talks about how secular "love" is overtaking "charity." What is "secular love" and is it encroaching on members of the church and Christianity as a whole. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Jacob Christensen, Editor-In-Chief of the digital student media organization, The Cougar Chronicle, talks with Greg about what's happening at BYU. Are things getting better or worse, or is it stuck at the status quo? Jacob has his ear to the ground on the cultural issues that may conflict with the mission of Brigham Young University. He and his team have uncovered countless stories of anti-family, woke behavior by faculty and departments at BYU. This interview is a type of status report. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Wavemakers Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/wavemakers  David Read is certain he is on the right track researching the DNA and genetics of Native Americans and tying them back to the Nephites and Lamanites who left Jerusalem. Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Untethered Empathy and Malevolent Compassion are encroaching upon our youth. It sprouts from the therapy industry. Brianna Holmes, a therapist, joins me in talking about the alarming tendency to "affirm" problems in place of offering a charitable truth. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

I have never heard this before." - Greg Trevan Hatch, professor at BYU focused on the Ancient Middle-East, lays out a framework for Matthew 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect." I had never heard this approach before but Trevan backs this up with evidence from the scriptures. We can look at "perfect" through a modern, Western mind as we often have, or as "complete" which is more popular today and fits within a temple framework of the Sermon On The Mount. But Trevan's explanations given though the context of other verses of scripture using the Greek word, "Teleios" showing support for a completely new understanding of the verse. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Political veteran Paul Mero and Greg Matsen discuss the hot topic of immigration in the US and the immigration "policy" of the Church. Do they match? Are they in conflict? Where has the Church stood previously on immigration law and enforcement? Where do they stand now? What is the ethical approach to immigration policy? Website- www.cwicmedia.com

John Hewlett is a regular on the Show. Today, we talk about tariffs, are they effective?, real miracles in Samoa, and MAHA. Great discussion! Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Gospel On The Nile Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/gospel-on-the-nile  Paul Mero discusses his book, Defeated, and talks of the need to leave Babylon and focus on our homes. Does this mean leaving the culture wars alone? Does fighting the culture war diminish our ability to build Zion? Where do you stand on this? Website - www.cwicmedia.com  Alive and Intelligent Substack Articles - aliveandintelligent.substack.com  

Dave Butler and Greg Matsen team up again to discuss the temple writing of Nephi in 2 Nephi. Nephi knew of the ancient Israelite temple drama and the Royal Procession. Lehi knew of the temple ordinances and exhorted his sons in gospel instruction using temple ordinances. Did Nephi write all of his books as a temple poetry? Website- www.cwicmedia.com

On the Tuesday of the last week of Jesus' mortal life, He gave His last three parables. There seems to be a buzz about these parables today. Ambrosia Fox believes they are all about the temple. Listen to this interesting interpretation of the Ten Virgins, Talents, and Sheep and Goats. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Recent scholarship by Noel B. Reynolds and Jeff Lindsay highlights passages in the Book of Mormon that parallel those in the Book of Moses. Since the Book of Mormon authors are pulling from the Brass Plates, this implies that the Book of Moses may be the Genesis of the Brass Plates. This is a segment from a full episode interviewing Jeff Lindsay on the lost Book of Gad The Seer. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Jeff Lindsay and Greg discuss the scholarship on the lost Book of Gad The Seer. Jeff has been studying this story and the book for several years. A Jewish colony in India claims descent from the tribe of MANASSEH—and says they preserved a lost Old Testament book engraved on copper. Could this be the real ‘Words of Gad the Seer'? And, is the Book of Moses the Genesis of the Brass Plates. New scholarship suggests it is. To donate to the translation of Meir Bar Ilan's book click here - https://interpreterfoundation.org/foundation/donate/ Jeff Lindsay's Article - https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/the-words-of-gad-the-seer-an-apparently-ancient-text-with-intriguing-origins-and-content/ Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Interfaith dialogue can get messy. Many of us have been through it. In this video, Greg talks with two Evangelical pastors on specific topics such as Grace and Truth and hashes out how to communicate between us when we disagree. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Politics is a strange business with the Church and BYU. Dan Ellsworth talks about author and columnist Jonathan Rauch and his "partnership" with the Church. He also covers some major structural differences between the Restored Church and Evangelicals.

With this Digital Missionary Program, 50 cents gets an interested person or family (looking for the missionaries) connected with the missionaries. This is incredibly exciting and may be the future of missionary work. Advertising dollars are tracked directly to the countries targeted and a newsletter shows photos of baptisms and success on the ground. Gathering Israel - https://www.gatheringisrael.org/

I was accused of being "bold" in my speech, so I used word "Bold" to describe our new Substack newsletter. If we are bold in speaking the truth with charity, others will do the same. If we live in a world of feelings that dictate our behavior and character, then we reject truth. If we stand for something that is true, then we can supersede those feelings anchored on solid ground. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

So, who is "Elias?" Is it John the Baptist? Is it just the Greek version of the name Elijah? Is it Noah? Is it all of them? But ultimately, who is the "Elias" who visited the Kirtland Temple in Section 110 of the Doctrine and Covenants and restored the keys of the Gospel of the Dispensation of Abraham? Bruce Porter joins Greg to give his idea on who this elusive character is. Isn't there a "Spirit of Elias" and a "Spirit of Elijah?" Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Mads Larsen, an expert demographer, is at the tip of the spear globally in research and messaging on the collapsing fertility rate in the West. He is the source on the issue for many other "experts." The direction of the shrinking fertility rate has undeniable consequences including a lack of human productivity, immigration, and even a new need for an AI driven economy. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Years before President Nelson gave his talk on "Peacemakers," the word "Peace" had already been hijacked. Peace in the scriptures is not what you think it is. Peace is "Shalom" which is comparable to the Egyptian concept of "Ma'at." That is, order, truth, justice, and harmony. As Jesus is described in the New Testament and Book of Mormon, it is "Grace And Truth." Both are necessary. Without both, we end up with Untethered Empathy and Malevolent Compassion. Website- www.cwicmeadia.com

In the Book of Mormon, we hear of Secret Combinations and are warned against them. But what if some or many conspiracy theories are perpetuated by the Secret Combinations? Dan Ellsworth and Greg discuss the current environment of conspiracy theories. What causes us to have a plethora of lies, and in a world already full of lies, how do we know which ones are true? Dan Ellsworth's Article - https://publicsquaremag.org/faith/gospel-fare/truth-about-antichrist-last-days/ Website- www.cwicmedia.com

BYU chooses some interesting guest speakers. One recent speaker is Jonathan Rauch, a gay atheist supporting compromise between the LGBTQ agenda and institutional religion. Mostly Christianity. Political veteran Paul Mero and political influencer Eric Moutsos discuss the real fallout of this compromise and dissect its faults. A lot of new fluffy word are used but in the end, Rauch is simply asking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to compromise on legally on an anti-family agenda. A compromise that strengthens churches' right to discriminate while removing rights from their members and all citizens.  Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Longtime Deseret News columnist, Lois Collins, joins Greg to discuss a recent study showing that Utah has the largest drop in fertility rate of any state in the country. What are the consequences? Why is it happening? Website- www.cwicmedia.com Lois Collins Deseret News Article - https://www.deseret.com/family/2025/04/07/utah-drop-fertility

The fruit of Feminism has not fallen far from the tree. Those that have pushed it the most, codified it, and made it a movement are anti-family, anti-freedom, and almost always anti-God. We play with this Philosophy of Men (Women) casually without understanding its core or goals. It has made significant headway in the church and will continue to grow. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

How do grace and works fit within a Restored Gospel framework? What does it have to do with eternal laws and Exaltation? How does it differ from a Protestant perspective? And why are they both necessary? Where is the church at on the Grace - Works pendulum? Greg and Bruce Porter discuss the scriptural basis for works and the difference between grace and mercy. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Exciting new scholarship from Noel B. Reynolds sheds light on how the scriptures were produced and how many of the ancient prophets were trained. Beginning with Egypt, their scribal school taught both administrative and holy writing. But they were also taught many of the other skills such as metallurgy (think Nephi) and military stratagem and physical combat. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Lance Weaver has done an immense amount of research—enough for me to put him on the Show. An experienced geologist, Lance shows through modeling where he believes the settlements of Zarahemla, the Land of Mulek, and other sites existed. Known trade routes in Mexico, the American Southwest, and all the way to New York can show common travel by the Nephites. And just for fun, we look at the dating of the Pharaohs, and how dating and numbers cause problems for history. Website- www.cwicmedia.com Lance's website - gatheredin.one

The "Spiritual Economy" is built on "the last shall be first, and the first shall be last." It is not top-down but bottom-up. It is built on those who "condescend" to lift others, not the world's power structure. For men, it is being the "Servant King." The love of God is not just feelings but opportunity. God did not die so that you would feel better about being loved. He died to allow you to become like Him, grow, put on the character of God, and be a joint heir with Christ. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Michelle Stone, one of the thought leaders of the Joseph Smith Polygamy deniers, has gone silent and removed the videos from her YouTube channel. However, she still offers those videos on her website. We discuss Michelle's last video, her "Goodbye" video, which she says will be her last. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Did Lucifer entice a third of the host of heaven with empathy and fairness? Did he try to show how an outcome of disparity is unacceptable and that if we surrendered our agency, he would guarantee an equitable outcome? You cannot have Equity with Agency and you cannot have Agency without Disparity. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

This is a fascinating discussion of the church's inside political workings. How has the church managed controversial issues? Connor Boyack has extensive experience working directly with Salt Lake's church leaders at all levels. He discusses how the church has navigated politics in the past and his own experiences with the church when he and his organization have been on the opposite side of an issue. Website- www.cwicmedia.com

Scripture Notes - http://scripturenotes.com  Education is a bloated business... Is Gen Z just lazy or given the short end of the stick? Why can't anyone bring up the stats on women leaving the Church and Christianity without a vitriolic reaction?

Journey of Wisdom Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/journey-of-wisdom The Jared Halverson experience shows how deeply feminism has entered the church. Nothing Jared said in his very short video was worthy of the online backlash he received. This is eerily similar to Elder Holland's "Musket Talk" at BYU. People attacked him for things he never said. His later interview with a few women of the church focused on women being heard which had nothing to do with his video. Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Journey Of Wisdom Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/journey-of-wisdom Jacob Hansen of Thoughtful Faith  @thoughtfulfaith2020  and Austin Falter have put together a new docuseries on Joseph Smith called For Good Or Evil: The Real Story Of Joseph Smith. The two creators talk about their approach to the history of Joseph Smith and how Joseph Smith is viewed today from different perspectives. Be sure to go to the docuseries here - https://youtu.be/5itcWCFO6YI  Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Scripture Notes - https://scripturenotes.com 180 years ago, these same arguments were prevalent in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in the RLDS. Today, they are resurfacing and they are all focused on Brigham Young. The triad of the temple, character, and polygamy are ambushing Brigham Young and lancing attacks as a corrupt, evil man. Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Scripture Notes - https://scripturenotes.com Sky Sorensen is concerned, as am I, that many in the church are preaching that the church will "change" marriage. That same-sex marriage WILL happen in the temple. This becomes very confusing to gay Latter-day Saints. Many grab onto this vision of "hope in change" over "hope in Christ." Sky experiences same-sex attraction. He prefers that description over "gay." He is happily married to a woman and has children with her Website- www.cwicmedia.com   

MOMENTUM 2026 Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/momentum Eve is always an enjoyable yet controversial topic. The Mother Of All Living has been derided throughout most of Christianity and its history. Of course the Latter-day Saints have a unique perspective. Meghan Farner takes this discussion further by first building a character of Eve from the Garden of Eden account, then giving context to one's temple experience, and finally, encouraging women everywhere to model that character. She also emphasizes men embracing their masculinity and women embracing their femininity. This is always a fascinating discussion. No two people agree on the interpretation of Eve's actions and the drama surrounding her. Meghan Farner's Book, "Consider Yourself As Eve: A Guide to Spiritual Development for Women (and the Men Who Love Them) - https://amzn.to/4jGPxXn  Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

As culture and even the Church move from an Exaltation focus to a grace-only focus, we remake God and Jesus into our own image. Into our own culture. But the opposite is true in the scriptures. As we study Doctrine and Covenants this year, we can see in Section 1 that Jesus does not introduce Himself as a Teddy Bear Jesus. Instead, he is the Redeemer of the world, tethered Himself to truth and justice. That is, He is full of "Grace and Truth." Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Journey Of Wisdom Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/journey-of-wisdom  Just how flawed is the Old Testament? How much of it can we accept? Where did the Plain And Precious Things go in the Old Testament? What are the key omissions we know about? Where is Christ in the Old Testament if "all the prophets prophesied of me?" How does the Documentary Hypothesis fit in? What about the scribal schools of Joseph vs Judah? How was the Old Testament put together? Are we reading the results of just a few controlling editors and scribes with a different religion than the religion of the prophets? Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Journey Of Wisdom Cruise, Greece, Turkey, Cairo - https://www.cwicmedia.com/journey-of-wisdom  Most of us have had personal or family experience dealing with schools and government encroaching on parental rights. There has been a "woke madness" that has infiltrated our institutions and the kids are the most vulnerable targets. Tina Descovich is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Moms For Liberty. Her organization works to fend off government encroachment on parental rights and stand up for families. Moms For Liberty - https://www.momsforliberty.org/  Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Journey Of Wisdom Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/journey-of-wisdom The "Defining Circle" When you define something and state what it is, to protect that definition, you must also state what it is not. In his General Conference talk, Elder Andersen held nothing back in declaring that Abortion, except in extreme cases, is wrong. That as a church, we support the sanctity of life. And that as the world loses its love for the unborn, we should stay firm. Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

Gospel On The Nile Cruise - https://www.cwicmedia.com/gospel-on-t... With so many Latter-day Saint voices online, who do you listen to? Some of the most popular videos are on the End Times. Why do some people get so caught up on their "End Times" focus that they make rash, illogical decisions and almost hope for calamities? What is the best way to "prep" for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? While temporal preparation is important, spiritual preparation should always be the focus. Website - www.cwicmedia.com