Latter-Day American

Kyle and Samuel are very pleased to welcome to the show Meghan Farner, the wonderful host of the Latter-Day Disciples Podcast. We talk about what it means to be a disciple in the latter-days amidst the current political and cultural climate and discuss how this all leads to the Savior's return. We talk about the way disciples should carry themselves in their political and ideological battles and demonstrate a disciples perspective on the Roe v. Wade debate. This episode is one you wont want to miss!

Kyle and Samuel are joined in the studio with Ben Packard: avid hunter and lover of all things "2nd Amendment".  They discuss the tragic events of the Uvalde mass shooting as well as real solutions to help prevent such a terrible thing in the future. They also discuss the need for the 2nd Amendment as well as the history behind why it was included into the Bill of Rights. 

Kyle and Samuel interview Alex Lindstrom who is an active member of the church, an active member of the famed Tabernacle Choir, and who is gay. They discuss the difficulties and opportunities of being a gay member of the church and ways to keep our covenants in less than ideal circumstances. They discuss the cultural and political tug of war that has embroiled the gay community as well as the strength and support received from members of the church. Don't miss this landmark episode in which the first hand account does not necessarily align with the status quo.

In this unique episode, Kyle and Samuel discuss the possible reasons why people have left the church including societal and political trends that may be contributing to leaving. They discuss how to self-evaluate reasons you may be struggling and discuss solutions and tips on how to maintain faith and stay on the covenant path. They also discuss the importance of loving those who have fallen away. 

Kyle and Samuel triumphantly return to bring their principle based commentary on just one of the many hot topics in America: mandates. They compare and contrast the difference between federal mandates and encouragement from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They focus on this First Presidency letter and explore the emotions, the rationale, and the decision making process that everyone must go through. They reaffirm their love and sustaining faith in the brethren and demonstrate how to love one another. They speak out against shaming other and highlight the connection between unconstitutional federal mandates and the war for liberty that started in Heaven. This is not an episode that you want to miss!

Kyle and Samuel return with a much needed episode all about the greatness of America. They explore various quotes from prophets and apostles that declare America the divine miracle that it is. They explore the reasons this country is great and use this positivity to inspire in the face of the rampant negativity that is being hurled at this beautiful country. Need a pick-me-up? Listen to this episode!

In this no holds barred episode, Kyle and Samuel have a frank and open conversation about race and the machinations that are in place that are designed to keep us as a country divided and racism alive and well whether it be the disingenuous rhetoric of Black Lives Matter or corrupt politicians who make their money by causing division and contention. They discuss the gospel solutions to the problem and call everyone to action to stop taking part in the race war and embrace the fact that the color of your skin is not as important as the content of your character. 

Kyle and Samuel discuss the topic of identity and how the world exploits and twists identity to fulfill its own purposes. They discuss how the political and societal divides can be overcome if we remember our true identities and reject the manipulation performed by politicians and influencers and instead serve one another in order to build bridges of understanding and cause real change and real healing.

Kyle and Samuel welcome Pinal County Supervisor Mike Goodman to the show to discuss his roles, his responsibilities, and the way the Spirit has influenced his decisions. They discuss the need for civic engagement and talk about the revolutionary way that even those who are not politically enthusiastic can make a difference in the community and promote liberty.

In this fun episode, Kyle and Samuel build the perfect president by determining presidential attributes and then ordering them by importance. Despite bringing plenty of laughs, this episode helps us understand that no president is perfect and to determine if those imperfections are serious or superficial. Listen along and see if you agree with the priorities as they build a president.

Kyle and Samuel discuss the commandment work. They discuss the spiritual benefits of work as well as the temptations to be idle. Finally, they discuss the political and societal pressure that is applied to all us to stop working and to live off of the work of others. The purpose of welfare is discussed as well as the differences between the government-run welfare program and the church-run welfare program.

Kyle and Samuel welcome Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb to the show to discuss his role as sheriff, the constitutional authority that he possess, as well as how his duties tie to the American Covenant and the gathering of Israel. They discuss some of the recent events in our country as well as the activities within the county that citizens should be aware of including the legalization of Marijuana and the rampant crime of human trafficking. They discuss parallels between our modern day and the Book of Mormon and call all to action in order to preserve liberty and defend freedom. Finally, they discuss the connections between the War in Heaven and the political battles that are taking place right now. Don't miss this landmark episode that will introduce you to an American hero: The American Sheriff.

Kyle and Samuel discuss the need to understand and preserve history. They discuss the attacks on historical figures like the Founding Fathers and Joseph Smith as well as the motivation behind them. They discuss the divine mandate to preserve an accurate history as evidenced by the existence of The Book of Mormon and show how much good can be done when history is learned from. The inspirational qualities of understanding history can and do lead to more wisdom and an increase in fulfillment. Finally they discuss the foundational and inspirational history of America and that flaws within human beings should not lead to the eradication of their world-changing actions.

Kyle and Samuel kick off the New Year by discussing the chaotic events of the Capitol raid. They discuss the best way to understand all of the competing voices and determining their credibility and they discuss the needed reliance upon the Holy Ghost as the ultimate source of truth. They jump into history by discussing the differences between the people who raided the Capitol and the Sons of Liberty from the AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Finally, they discuss the teachings of the Savior and how His gospel calls to love our enemies while simultaneously fighting against evil. Liberty and freedom are principles of the gospel and must be defended.

Kyle and Samuel are joined by a special guest, Eric Jacobs, to discuss the crucial topic of identity politics and how it is used to persuade and manipulate people for the sake of votes and culture creation. They discuss how the Lord feels about identity according to modern day Prophets and Apostles as well as scriptures. The way in which politicians and virtue signalers use identity politics translates into government policy that is advocated and pursued by politicians but that can have far reaching consequences to the ideas of liberty and responsibility. They talk about the solutions to these problems and highlight why identity politics needs to be fought against for the sake of the nation as well as the sake of individuals who are caught in the tug-of-war that nations and cultures put them through.

Kyle and Samuel discuss the importance and magnitude of the privilege Americans have to vote. They also discuss the 2020 election as well as the polarizing era of President Donald Trump. They explore the complex concept of whether great policy masks a questionable personality as well as how personality affects the "brand" of a political ideology. Don't miss this fiery and passionate episode and listen to the end to take part in a contest!

The October 2020 General Conference highlighted the need for unity as we as a country face so many divisive and even combative situations that have caused anger, fear, frustration, and even depression. Kyle and Samuel discuss the conference, these situations, and an underlying thirst for victimhood that is exacerbating race relations and general unhappiness amongst U.S. and world citizens. More importantly, they discuss the Christlike attribute of charity and the commandment to serve each other as the true solutions to these problems.

It's not enough to stand against something. We must also stand up FOR something. Hear Samuels powerful and emotional story of the adoption of his 4 girls as we stand for possible solutions to the problem of abortion. In this emotional episode, we learn of the effect that children can have on the people around them. We also discuss the needs of the foster care system and the love that should be shown to social workers trying to find better lives for these children. We see the powerful and miraculous possibilities when children are given a chance to let the Lord work in their life.

The topic of abortion elicits many arguments that are often heated. As members of the church and those who understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is our duty to defend life and to speak out against abortion. But how do we do that while maintaining love and respect for those we are speaking to? What are some of the common arguments we receive in defense of life? This episode goes into some of the things that we at the Latter-Day American podcast have experienced in our conversations promoting life and renouncing abortion. When love is a part of the conversation these encounters have been full of the spirit. We discuss in particular the feelings that we have for women and their divine ability to create life as well as ways to properly communicate the need to defend the life of the baby.

Choosing a "Hill to die on" means that we are willing to unequivocally defend, or fight against, a certain principle or practice no matter the level of push-back that we receive. For the purposes of this discussion, it also means that we can have absolute confidence that the Lord is on our side and wants us to take a stand with courage and clarity. Abortion is just such a practice. The Lord has made it clear what His stance on this practice is and so has His church. What has the church said about abortion? How did this evil practice become accepted in a country built upon the idea of Natural Laws from God, the most foundational being life itself? How have proponents of abortion pushed deceptive arguments to persuade and convince millions of people to participate in such an un-American and immoral practice? The Latter-Day American podcasts discusses and with absolute conviction declares that this is a worthy "hill to die on".

Is there a definitive answer to the question of whether or not we should seek new laws, enforceable by the government, that would inject morality back into the country? Kyle and Samuel think there is a definitive answer written in the pages of the founding documents of this country and the hearts of the Founding Fathers! Let's explore the idea of addition by subtraction when it comes to the laws we ask the government to create and enforce. As we reject the idea of an ever expanding list of questionable "rights", we can find more freedom for all by writing and enforcing only those laws that protect the rights that are associated with "natural rights", that is to say, our rights from God. Morality should be infused within the country through the art of persuasion and persistent activism in order to focus the hearts of men and women on the knowledge that the country will only survive and thrive on principles of morality and virtue.

We continue our conversation about the rights that the constitution actually protects as well as what we can do to infuse morality back into our society and thus back into our government. We discuss the need to to get active in showing our political representatives what we as their constituents want to see by way of preserving our freedoms and keeping this country rooted in morality. We also discuss examples within the Book of Mormon that may lead us to the most effective way of doing this.

Kyle and Samuel learn together to determine what are our actual rights, whether they are connected to responsibility, and whether there is any moral ingredient to the founding of the country. This episode dives deeper into the concept that freedom is actually limited the more rights we try to list out and take upon ourselves. Kyle and Samuel also tie this to gospel concepts like keeping the Sabbath Day holy, following the Word of Wisdom, and obeying the Law of Chastity. Finally, they discuss the role the government has in protecting rights and the power people grant the government in enforcing the ever expanding list of rights. Was the Constitution really meant to give us full autonomy? Or, like the gospel which sets boundaries and consequences for disobeying the commandments, does it require societal morality to have any positive effect on our freedoms and the prosperity of the country?

Kyle and Samuel discuss the purpose of the podcast which is to connect principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and principles of the American foundation. They dive deeper into the obligation that we all share to be active and vocal regarding politics and civic government. They also explore the differences between conflict and contention and help give ideas on how to maintain Christian values and love while standing up for what you feel is right for America. They dive deeper into the affect that speaking up can have on the future of the country.