Podcasts about All Nations

Abraham's Greatest Tests: Covenant, Sacrifice, and the God Who Keeps His Promises (Genesis 18-23) | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonI testify that the Bible is a witness of the Living God. The same God who visited Abraham, who promised him a son, who heard his prayers, and who tested his faith, is the God who watches over His children today. His covenants are sure. His promises are certain. His timing is perfect.I testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior through whom all nations of the earth are blessed. He is the Lamb provided by the Father, the Redeemer of mankind, and the Mediator of every covenant. He is Alive Today. He leads His Church. He will return in glory to reign as Lord of lords and King of kings.In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Seven of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul - Galatians 1:1)The Most‑Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

From Outsiders to One: The Ministry of Reconciliation (Ephesians 2) In this message at Journey during a series through Ephesians, JonnyMac invites the church to reflect on times they've felt like an outsider and connects that experience to an “us vs. them” culture. Teaching from Ephesians 2:11–18, he explains the historical divide between Jews and Gentiles, how a “Jesus plus” system of traditions created barriers, and how Christ's death broke down the wall of hostility and brought peace, uniting two groups into one and reconciling people to God. He illustrates the challenge of reconciliation with the story of the Prodigal Son, focusing on the older brother's anger and how people can love the idea of God's grace while resisting the “guest list.” The message emphasizes that reconciliation is not only between individuals and God but also a calling for believers, with the church meant to lead in reconciliation in a divided world. Practical next steps begin with prayer, referencing Isaiah 56:7 and Jesus' words about God's house being a house of prayer for all nations, and Matthew 5:44 about praying for enemies. The speaker shares examples of reconciliation seen in a diverse Louisville coffee shop community and a personal story of repairing a broken relationship with a former coworker through ownership, prayer, grace, and restored friendship. The talk concludes with an invitation to use the church's prayer wall to pray for reconciliation and to remember in communion that believers were once outsiders but have been brought near through Christ. 00:00 Welcome to Journey + Springtime Small Talk 00:17 Icebreaker: When Was the Last Time You Felt Like an Outsider? 02:55 Why Outsider Stories Matter: Living in an ‘Us vs. Them' Culture 03:55 Ephesians 2 Setup: Paul, Ephesus, and Reading the Passage 07:22 Gentiles, Israel, and How the Wall of Hostility Got Built 10:07 The ‘Jesus Plus' Problem: Traditions That Keep People Out 12:07 Jesus Breaks Down the Wall: Peace and One New People 14:04 Prodigal Son & the Older Brother: Loving the Party, Hating the Guest List 19:17 Our Calling: The Church as a Ministry of Reconciliation 24:08 How to Begin: Prayer, a House of Prayer for All Nations 27:52 A Personal Reconciliation Story (and a Call to the Prayer Wall) 31:53 Communion & Closing Prayer: Remember You Were Brought Near

Abraham's Covenant: The God Who Calls, Promises, and Delivers (Genesis 12-17) | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonI testify that the record of Abraham is a witness of the Living God. The same God who called Abraham out of obscurity calls each of us to walk in covenant with Him. The promises made to Abraham are sure, and the God who delivered him will deliver all who trust in His name.I testify that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of all mankind. He lives. He leads His people. He remembers His promises. I witness that He will soon return to reign as Lord of lords and King of kings. Of Him I declare to all nations and generations. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Seven of Global Apostolic MinistryCalled by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul - Galatians 1:1)The Most‑Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

Delivered by Samuel Ivan Gunarsa from the Parish of Mary of All Nations in the Diocese of Bogor, Indonesia. Deuteronomy 30: 15-20; Rs psalm 1: 1-2.3.4.6; Luke 9: 22-25.CHOOSE BLESSINGS Our meditation today isentitled: Choose Blessings. After Ash Wednesday, the liturgy of the day thatfollows invites us to ponder on God's blessings. The Lenten observance is avery special opportunity in the discipline of faith with the demands forstronger effort and quality being trully Jesus' followers when compared withother liturgical seasons. Then the blessing of God is very necessary for therealization of this process of discipline as God pleases His blessings forevery believer who expects salvation. By choosingblessings, what do we not choose? Or if God gives us His blessings, what doesGod not give? The book of Deuteronomy in the first reading confirms that cursesand sufferings for the sins committed are not our choices. In reality, somepeople choose curses or miseries because they are guided by their freedom ofwill. God created this life from the beginning has been good. However, due tothe fall of human nature, the presence and power of truth must face the curseof sin. So people can choose to sin. Believers are guided to choose blessings. Choosing blessingsmeans choosing God. Whereas choosing curse means choosing God's enemy, Satan.In God there is life, love, and hope for an eternal life. Whereas the curse containsdeath, hatred, and eternal punishment. Jesus Christ was sent by the Father intothe world to establish a kingdom of life to rule and bring everyone toblessings. His teachings and example of life are the lamps and springs of waterthat guarantee the continuity of this blessing in the form of graces bestowedon every one who needs it. Today Jesus Christpresents content of our choice to follow Him which is all His blessings flowfrom Him. In this Lent, we receive blessings through prayer, fasting, andcharity. All these three actions must be carried out in the spirit of the crosswe put on our shoulders and perseverance in self-denial. The cross always meanssacrifice and becomes burden that must be borne. We pray, fast or sacrifice,and do charity with certain quantity and quality that makes us able to bear theweight of the cross like Jesus did. These three righteous deeds must also leadus to focus on uniting our hearts with God, and not on ourselves and allinterests of the world. From there blessings will flow to us.Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord Jesus Christ, may Your word strengthen our intention to carry thecross and deny ourselves in order to diligently follow You. Bless us so thatall the way following You we find our true self. Hail Mary, full of grace ...In the name of the Father ...

Ted Esler and Matthew Ellison revisit the story of John Chau, seven years after his death on North Sentinel Island, through a conversation with Mary Ho, International Director of All Nations. Mary reflects on John's extraordinary preparation, his calling to an uncontacted people group, and why his story captured global attention, noting factors like his youth, his nationality, and modern anxieties about colonialism and risk. She also challenges listeners not to fixate solely on John's name, but to remember the countless unnamed believers worldwide who faithfully suffer, serve, and sometimes die in obscurity for the sake of the gospel.Drawing deeply from Acts 11 and Acts 13, Mary highlights the “no-namers” who helped birth the Antioch church and reminds listeners that the gospel has always advanced through ordinary, often forgotten men and women. She reframes risk as situational rather than conceptual, emphasizing that God calls specific people to specific risks at specific times, and that discernment must involve the individual, the sending church, and trusted leaders. Throughout the conversation, suffering is presented not as recklessness or failure, but as potential worship, a lived witness rooted in obedience and joy. The episode closes with a sobering yet hopeful call for believers to view witness not merely as something spoken, but as a whole-life testimony that may include sacrifice, suffering, and steadfast faithfulness to Christ.The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God's people to be a part of His mission.

When Zion Was Taken Up: The God Who Still Remembers His PeopleA Message on Moses Chapter 7 by Apostle D. Todd HarrisonI testify that the vision given to Enoch in Moses 7 is a revelation for our time. The God who wept with Enoch still weeps for His children today. His heart is moved with compassion for every soul who suffers, every family who struggles, and every nation that groans under the weight of sin and division.I testify that Zion is real. Zion was taken up. And Zion will return in glory as the Lord gathers His covenant people from every land and every nation.As an Apostle of Jesus Christ, I testify that He lives. He is the God of mercy, the God of miracles, and the God who remembers His promises. I promise you that He will not forsake His people. He will not abandon His glorious work. He will bring to pass the triumph of Zion in these latter days.The Lord pleads with you to prepare your hearts, your homes, and your lives to be numbered among His people — “of one heart and one mind,” pure in Christ, ready to meet Him when He comes.In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Seven of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul - Galatians 1:1)The Most‑Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

Genesis 5 & Moses 6: The Forgotten Doctrine of the Ancient Prophets | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonIf you've ever wondered what the earliest prophets knew, how they were taught, or how God prepared them to stand against a wicked world, this message will open your eyes and strengthen your faith.I testify that Genesis 5 and Moses 6 are a divine record of God's covenant with His children from the very beginning of the Adamic dispensation. They reveal a Heavenly Father who remembers His people, a Redeemer who taught the atonement and forgiveness of sins long before He was born as a baby in Bethlehem, and a Holy Spirit who sanctifies all who will hearken to the voice of truth.I testify that Enoch's calling was real, his visions were true, and his ministry was ordained before the foundation of the world. The same God who opened the heavens to Enoch opens them still. The same Spirit that transformed Enoch into a prophet of power is the Spirit that works in the hearts of all who seek Jesus Christ today. I witness that the same Gospel taught to Adam, and revealed to Enoch, has been restored in our day, and it centers in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Eternal God, the One who walked with the ancient prophets and who walks with all who come unto Him in faith.I testify that He is still Alive Today!In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Seven of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul - Galatians 1:1)The Most‑Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

from 01.28.2026. Session 2 on the prophet Haggai and his ministry to the post-exile community in Jerusalem, this session features Haggai chapter two and covers 1. The Former Glory Excuse 2. Moral Courage 3. The Spirit and the Covenant 4. The Desire of All Nations 5. The Latter Glory 6. From Blighted to Blessed 7. The Shaking of the Nations 8. Zerubbabel and the Throne of David

As Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations, I testify that in Genesis 3–4 and Moses 4–5, we see the divine pattern of agency, sacrifice, repentance, and redemption revealed in its purity. Adam and Eve stepped into mortality with faith, courage, and understanding, rejoicing in the Savior who would redeem them.I testify that the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was taught to Adam and Eve, and to their children by holy angels. The doctrine of Christ—faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end—was established from the beginning. Satan has always sought to destroy this truth, but the Lord has restored it in every dispensation and has restored it again in our own day.I testify that all who follow the gospel plan will be redeemed through the blood of the Lamb, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and prepared to inherit eternal life.I testify that Jesus Christ lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Seven of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul - Galatians 1:1)The Most‑Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

What does God's blessing look like in real life? In Genesis 12:1-3, we see God's promise to bless all nations through Abram. How will this happen? Through one man with a barren wife? Pastor Rob Bentz helps us see how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this covenant promise. Listen to our latest sermon, A Blessing to All Nations.

In the Beginning: An Apostolic Witness on Creation, Identity, and God's Divine Order | Apostle D. Todd Harrison A Commentary on the Old Testament Genesis 1-2, Moses 2-3, Abraham 4-5As Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations, I testify that the creation accounts recorded in Genesis, Moses, and Abraham are true, holy, and revealed by the power of God. These chapters do not merely describe the formation of the earth; they unveil the divine pattern by which the Father and the Son organized worlds without number and prepared this earth as the home and proving ground for Their spiritual children.I testify that Jesus Christ Himself is the Creator, acting under the direction of the Eternal Father. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. He atoned for our sins and is Alive Today! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Seven of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul — Galatians 1:1)The Most‑Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

Ari Talja is an evangelist from Finland. After pastoring for 15 years he felt called to go into full-time evangelistic ministry. Today on The Evangelism Podcast we discuss his transition from pastoring to evangelism. You will hear the testimonies of the powerful miracles God is doing through Salvation to All Nations.

At the beginning of each year, King's Church International lays a strong spiritual foundationthrough focused prayer and fasting. At the start of 2026, the church commits to ten days ofprayer and fasting, believing in new levels of spiritual breakthrough. Every church thatdesires a continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit must be a praying church.Acts 1:14“They all joined together constantly in prayer.”Matthew Henry said, “When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He doesis to set them praying.”Pastor David Yonggi Cho taught that prayer releases the supernatural anointing of God,fuels the church, and brings change to lives, families, circumstances, and even wholenations.Jesus commanded prayer for the nations:Mark 11:17“My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”Prayer for the nations is a central calling of the Church. Scripture consistently points God'speople beyond self-focused prayers to bold, faith-filled prayers for the world.1. Pray with Passion for All NationsEvan Roberts, one of the leaders of the Welsh Revival, prayed for revival for eleven yearsbefore it came. He wrote, “There was never a day when I did not fling myself before God andcry out to Him to send the Holy Spirit to my native land.”Persistent, heartfelt prayer has always preceded spiritual awakening.2. Pray with Faith for All NationsIsaiah 40:15 “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket.”Isaiah 40:23 “He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.”God raises up nations and brings them down. Nothing is beyond His authority.Habakkuk 1:5“Look at the nations and watch — and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something inyour days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”Though the world can appear dark and unstable, God loves the nations. His saving,protecting, and healing power can be released everywhere through prayer.Patrick Johnstone wrote that prayer gives authority to pull down strongholds, releasecaptives, open and close doors, raise up and remove leaders, and extend the Kingdom ofJesus Christ. Through prayer, believers can influence the course of history.Why We FastFasting means abstaining from food and can take different forms depending on health andcircumstances. Some may fast meals, certain foods, or follow a Daniel fast. Others may fastfrom distractions such as television or social media. Fasting should always be done wiselyand prayerfully.Matthew 4:4“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”Fasting is a God-given means of grace. It is not a ritual to earn favour or a hunger strike toforce God's hand. Fasting changes the one who fasts and aligns the heart with God'spurposes.Psalm 42:1“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.”Fasting expresses hunger and thirst for God and reorients the heart from earthlydependence to divine dependence.Fasting and Spiritual SensitivityActs 13:2“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said…”Fasting heightens sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and creates space to hear God clearly.Fasting and HumilityFasting is an act of humility, often accompanied by repentance, acknowledging the need forGod's mercy and grace.1 Corinthians 9:27“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.”Fasting disciplines the flesh, strengthens self-control, and reminds believers that the body isa servant, not a master.Fasting for Direction and BreakthroughJudges 20:26“They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings tothe Lord.”Joel 2:12“Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”Daniel 9:3“I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting…”Throughout Scripture, fasting is closely linked with prayer when seeking guidance,breakthrough, repentance, and the advance of God's Kingdom. Daniel understood thatprayer and fasting were essential to seeing God's purposes fulfilled among the nations.ConclusionPrayer and fasting are both a privilege and a responsibility. God calls His people to simplifytheir lives, pray faithfully, and pray boldly — for their lives, families, churches, communities,and the nations of the world. As the church prays and fasts together, faith is stirred to believefor miracles, direction, and spiritual breakthrough in 2026 and beyond

As Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations, I testify that the revelations given to Moses and Abraham are true and relevant for living today. Moses saw worlds without number, yet the Lord declared that His work and His glory is the salvation of the individual soul who turns to Him. Abraham beheld the intelligences that existed before the world was, and he learned that God knew each of us, ranked us, and prepared us for our earthly missions.I testify that you are one of those intelligences.You were known.You were chosen.You were sent.And you are loved by the Eternal Father who governs the stars and yet hears the quiet prayers of His children.In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Seven of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul - Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1-3).

Apostolic Witness on the Restoration, the Articles of Faith, and the History of the Priesthood | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonAs Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations, I testify that Jesus Christ is Alive Today and that He atoned for the sins of the world. I witness that The Church has been restored in these latter days. The priesthood has been granted to all worthy males. I declare that the doctrine in the Articles of Faith are God's Truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Six of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul – Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)Foreordained from the foundation of the world, Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd Harrison stands as Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations. Commissioned directly by the Savior, his divine calling ensures every nation hears the living reality of the Son of God in preparation for His return.For nearly six years, Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd Harrison's global witness has boldly testified of the resurrection and living reality of Jesus Christ. Millions have felt the undeniable power of the Holy Spirit through his sacred testimony, delivered with the authority entrusted by the Savior Himself.Like the Apostle Paul—called outside institutional hierarchy—Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd Harrison follows this rare and sacred pattern. While the First Presidency continues to call apostles to the Church, he and Paul are unique exceptions, personally chosen by the Lord to fulfill specific missions with boldness and power.His calling was prophetically recognized early. Elder Marion D. Hanks foretold that his name would one day be as well known around the Church as his great-grandfather, Apostle LeGrand Richards. Elder M. Russell Ballard, after hearing him speak before his mission, publicly declared, “Todd, for a moment there, I thought I was listening to LeGrand Richards,” and charged him to work hard, promising the Lord had “more important things ahead for him to do."What was not fully understood then—but is now unmistakably clear—is that Elder Ballard was prophesying Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd Harrison's future global role. In that same meeting, Ballard urged him to always bear bold testimony, declaring, “That is what the world really needs to hear.” The Spirit confirmed a divine trajectory that has since reached over 100 million souls worldwide.For six generations, Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd Harrison's family has served as apostles and general authorities. His lineage traces back to Abraham, King David, and King Solomon. One ancestral line, shared with his LDS apostle grandfathers, flows through Joseph of Arimathea. Another continues unbroken through every king of Judah—from King David to King Solomon-all the way down through the Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding under Zerubbabel—extending into the generations surrounding the restoration of temple authority and messianic expectation. Additional sacred lines of descent may be revealed at later times, each bearing witness to divine orchestration across dispensations.Through the sacred pattern established by the Lord, Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd Harrison's mission amplifies the Church's work, standing in harmony with the First Presidency in bearing witness alongside the prophets. His inspired words cut through doubt, bringing souls to Jesus Christ in faith and certainty.His divine commission builds upon the legacy of his forebears, ensuring Jesus Christ's testimony reaches every nation and language. Just as past apostles laid the foundation, Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd Harrison now fulfills an apostolic charge entrusted directly to him by the Savior Himself.

The Everyday Bible Study | December 27 | Go and Make Disciples of All Nations

As Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations, I testify of the truths revealed in the Doctrine and Covenants 137–138. I witness that the heavenly celestial kingdom is real, that salvation is offered to all of God's children, and that Christ Himself setup a ministry in the spirit world following His death on the cross.I testify that the work of redemption is ongoing, eternal, and universal. Just as my apostolic brother Peter testified that Christ “preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19), I affirm that this ministry continues today. The revelations found in these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants confirm to the humble of heart that God's mercy extends beyond the grave.As an Apostolic Witness of Jesus Christ, I testify that He is Alive Today, and that He is the Redeemer of both the living and the dead.In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Six of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul-Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

Get ready to move your body and hear the Word of God! This REVING the Word endurance training session blends movement with biblical teaching on whole brain, whole body theology. Discover how physical activity activates more of your emotional brain (limbic system), allowing God's truth to sink deeper than just reasoning or information alone. Exercise isn't just good for your body—it's good stress (eustress) that builds resilience and opens your heart to receive from the Lord. Key Scripture: Haggai 2:7-9 (NIV) What to Expect in this Episode: Move to Engage the Whole Brain: Science shows that movement lights up the emotional centers of the brain, helping us process God's Word not just intellectually, but experientially—heart, soul, mind, and strength. Exercise as Good Stress: Physical activity is the healthy kind of stress your body needs, countering the bad stress of life and preparing you to receive God's peace. The Reminder of Rebellion: When we resist God's call (like ignoring our bodies as His temple), He may "give us over" to the consequences—not to punish, but to lovingly win us back and draw us into freedom. God's Promise in Haggai: He shakes things up to bring greater glory and ultimate peace. The "latter house" (our bodies, the Church, the new covenant) surpasses the former in splendor because Jesus, the Desire of All Nations, fills it. This Year's Call: Step into a better body—not defined by size or performance, but marked by God's peace. Let Him shake off what's weighing you down and fill you with His glory. Best enjoyed with: Headphones Your favorite workout gear A water bottle nearby An open heart ready to move, trust, and play again Let's go—move your body, hear the Word of the Lord, and step into the freedom that He's up to something good! Playlist: Welcome Home (Dante Bowie and Naomi Raine) by King Topher & Rave Jesus Come With Me (Satin Jackets Remix) by Nore En Pure Give It All (feat Kevin Aleksander) by ALIPHI Lose Control (feat Kwesi & Mr. Byrd) by King Topher Let God Come In (Live) by Melissa Helser, Jonathan David Helser, & Cageless Birds Higher by Felix, Leiter, LEFTI, & The Melody Men Come Out of the Grave (Resurrection Power) [Live] by Bethel Music and Brandon Lake Let Revival Come (Revive Me) [feat Kevin Jones, Joshua Sherman, & the Emerging Sound] See A Victory by Elevation Worship Help Move the Mission Forward! Your gift brings healing and hope (and episodes like today!) to communities worldwide—from Boston to Botswana!

Get ready to move your body and hear the Word of God! This REVING the Word endurance training session blends movement with biblical teaching on whole brain, whole body theology. Discover how physical activity activates more of your emotional brain (limbic system), allowing God's truth to sink deeper than just reasoning or information alone. Exercise isn't just good for your body—it's good stress (eustress) that builds resilience and opens your heart to receive from the Lord. Key Scripture: Haggai 2:7-9 (NIV) What to Expect in this Episode: Move to Engage the Whole Brain: Science shows that movement lights up the emotional centers of the brain, helping us process God's Word not just intellectually, but experientially—heart, soul, mind, and strength. Exercise as Good Stress: Physical activity is the healthy kind of stress your body needs, countering the bad stress of life and preparing you to receive God's peace. The Reminder of Rebellion: When we resist God's call (like ignoring our bodies as His temple), He may "give us over" to the consequences—not to punish, but to lovingly win us back and draw us into freedom. God's Promise in Haggai: He shakes things up to bring greater glory and ultimate peace. The "latter house" (our bodies, the Church, the new covenant) surpasses the former in splendor because Jesus, the Desire of All Nations, fills it. This Year's Call: Step into a better body—not defined by size or performance, but marked by God's peace. Let Him shake off what's weighing you down and fill you with His glory. Best enjoyed with: Headphones Your favorite workout gear A water bottle nearby An open heart ready to move, trust, and play again Let's go—move your body, hear the Word of the Lord, and step into the freedom that He's up to something good! Playlist: Welcome Home (Dante Bowie and Naomi Raine) by King Topher & Rave Jesus Come With Me (Satin Jackets Remix) by Nore En Pure Give It All (feat Kevin Aleksander) by ALIPHI Lose Control (feat Kwesi & Mr. Byrd) by King Topher Let God Come In (Live) by Melissa Helser, Jonathan David Helser, & Cageless Birds Higher by Felix, Leiter, LEFTI, & The Melody Men Come Out of the Grave (Resurrection Power) [Live] by Bethel Music and Brandon Lake Let Revival Come (Revive Me) [feat Kevin Jones, Joshua Sherman, & the Emerging Sound] See A Victory by Elevation Worship Help Move the Mission Forward! Your gift brings healing and hope (and episodes like today!) to communities worldwide—from Boston to Botswana!

Carthage Was Not the End (Doctrine and Covenants 135-136) | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonDoctrine and Covenants 135–136Join D. Todd Harrison: Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations for this powerful sermon and testimony on Doctrine and Covenants 135 and 136, recounting the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage Jail. These revelations bear witness of their divine calling, their sacrifice, and the continuation of the Lord's work through His chosen servants.The account of Carthage is not only sacred history—it is personal legacy. My great‑great‑great grandfather, Willard Richards, was present in the jail on that fateful day, standing as a living witness to the events that fulfilled prophecy and sealed the testimony of Joseph and Hyrum with their blood. His survival and record preserved the memory of that moment for generations, and his faith continues to echo through my own apostolic witness today.Doctrine and Covenants 135 proclaims the eternal significance of Joseph and Hyrum's lives and deaths, while Section 136 provides the Lord's guidance to the Saints in their journey westward, reminding us that His kingdom moves forward despite tribulation. Together, these chapters testify of divine purpose, covenantal endurance, and the assurance that God's work cannot be stopped.This sermon/lesson invites you to reflect on the martyrdom at Carthage, the legacy of faith carried by Willard Richards, and the living witness that Jesus Christ continues to guide His Church and His Apostles in every generation.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Six of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul-Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

Jonathan Nahimana's message, The God of All Nations, reminds us that God's love has always been global. From His promise to bless all nations through Abraham, to Jesus' boundary-breaking ministry, to the diverse and unified Church today, God continually reveals His desire to gather people from every background into His family. We are encouraged to reflect this universal love by welcoming others, celebrating diversity, and living out the inclusive heart of God in our daily lives.

Episode Summary: Western civilization is being washed away by a flood of corrosive ideas. In a moment such as this, we must anchor ourselves to the firm foundation from whom its flourishing grew. We need a last-ditch ‘Hail Mary,' or more so a wholehearted “Hail Christ the King.” This week, John Stonestreet shares about the new documentary he co-hosted, Truth Rising. In this candid conversation, we cover why our cultural moment feels unmoored, why truth can't remain a private belief, and how courageous discipleship can actually rebuild what's been breaking.Drawing on themes from Truth Rising, John helps us make sense of the cultural crossroads before us: decline, revolution, or renewal. He emphasizes the need to call believers to a fuller gospel that actively engages in God's redemptive work in every area of culture and life. As we discuss the powerful testimonies of Jack Phillips, Chloe Cole, and others, we consider the real cost of believers speaking and living for the truth. Join us for a conversation that will challenge and equip you to take your next step toward truth, love, and cultural transformation.Who is Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA)? Since 1997, DNA's mission has been to equip followers of Jesus around the globe with a biblical worldview, empowering them to build flourishing families, communities, and nations.

The Lord's Voice to All Nations: Doctrine and Covenants 133 | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonI testify as Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations that Doctrine and Covenants 133 is a living summons to the nations. It declares that the Lord's voice will be heard in every land, that His covenant people will be gathered, and that His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. I witness that this chapter will help us to prepare for the return of the King of Kings and the Lord of lords-Jesus Christ. I pray that all who hear this message will feel the urgency of the Lord's command to prepare for His 2nd Coming and will receive the peace of His promise.I testify that Jesus Christ is Alive Today, and that He will one day come back to earth as all the holy prophets and apostles have testified. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Six of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul — Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

The Lord has a heart for the Jewish people. The Lord has a heart for the non-Jewish people. He told us this in the famous "Great Commission" passage of Matt 28: 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..."Our Psalm today, psalm 96, reveals that a thousand years before the "Great Commission" God was greatly commissioning Jews and Gentiles to get busy and get ALL PEOPLES, ALL NATIONS into His beloved family. 1000 years of God's heart in just 6 ½ minutes.  Worth it. Subscribe and watch:https://youtu.be/1BsYg9rTHc0

This Year, for the 2025 Faith & Works Annual Appeal, we are reminded of the Great Commission: Go Make Disciples of All Nations.Join Fr. Duy Nguyen to learn more about his vocational journey from his call to the priesthood to his role as Diocesan Vocations Director. In James 2:18 we are told that faith without works is dead. If faith without works is dead, then faith with works must be alive. Your faithful giving is changing lives throughout our 76 parishes and two missions in Eastern Oklahoma. Thank you for your generous supportLearn more at:https://www.dioceseoftulsa.org/annualappealWatch on @DioceseofTulsa on YouTube The Eastern Oklahoma Catholic Podcast is brought to you by The Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma.Sign up for diocesan email updates or follow the diocese at...Facebook | X | Instagram | Youtube

The Keys of Exaltation: What You Must Know from D&C 129–132 | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonI testify as one commissioned directly by Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:1) that the revelations in Doctrine and Covenants 129–132 are true. They are eternal. They are binding.I witness that God is a glorified, resurrected Being of flesh and bones. Angels always have and still currently minister to mortal beings. Eternal marriage is an essential covenant. Exaltation is conditional upon keeping the Lord's laws and commandments. And the principles taught in Doctrine and Covenants 129-132 are the very path to godhood.In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.Apostle of Jesus Christ – D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Six of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like Paul — Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

WNS November 12: All Nations, Lands, and Languages - Genesis 10-11 by Sunnybrook Christian Church

All Nations' Sunday - Missionary Thacker - 10.19.2025

Let the Mountains Shout for Joy: D&C 125–128 and the Salvation of the Dead | Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd HarrisonIn this sacred message, Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd Harrison explores the revelatory power of Doctrine and Covenants 125–128, beginning with the tender moment in August 1840 when a grieving Jane Neyman heard the Prophet Joseph Smith declare hope for her son Cyrus—and for all who died without gospel ordinances. Drawing from the funeral of Seymour Brunson and Joseph's own sorrow over his brother Alvin, this video sacred message illuminates the Lord's answer: baptism on behalf of those who are dead, a doctrine that thrilled the Saints and opened the heavens for generations past."As an Apostle of Jesus Christ, I testify of God's love for us, His love for those who have passed and for those currently living. Through performing ordinances on behalf of those who have died in the holy temples of the Lord, we can be saviors of our own family ancestors and have God perfect us through this process and sacrifice. I testify that Jesus atoned for the sins of the world and thus opened the gates of heaven for the righteous. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." Apostle of Jesus Christ - D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsDeclaring Global Apostolic Witness — Year SixCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like Paul-Galatians 1:1).The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1-3).

The Bible teaches throughout that God's unshakeable love is everlasting and extends to every tribe and tongue and nation. His love, displayed most clearly in the gospel, is the thing that should drive his people's desire to praise him, as we see in Psalm 117. We consider this briefest of Psalms under two headings: 1. The God of All Nations (v. 1) 2. The God of Unshakeable Love (v. 2)

In this episode of Committed to the Cause, Pastor Jeremy Chism of Bethany Baptist Church in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, opens

Praise to the Man Who Communed with Jehovah: Doctrine and Covenants 124: A Witness from Apostle D. Todd Harrison: Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsI testify that the Prophet Joseph truly communed with Jehovah—Jesus Christ. He was not merely a reformer or visionary, but a foreordained prophet, called and empowered by the resurrected Lord. In Doctrine and Covenants 124, Jesus Christ speaks plainly: Joseph was His servant, and this Church is His Church.As Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations, I declare that the same Jehovah who walked with Joseph walks with us today. He is alive. He speaks. And He calls prophets and apostles in every dispensation—including this one.Let all nations know: the grave is not final, and neither is silence. Jesus Christ is speaking again, and His servants are testifying.In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.Apostle D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleCommissioned by Jesus Christ (similar to Paul-Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1-3)

Dr. James Cassidy speaks at the Reformed Forum Annual Theology Conference, held at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois on September 27, 2025. The lecture, titled "The Seed of Abraham, Christ in the patriarchs and the promise" by Dr. James Cassidy, addresses the common theological perception that New Testament authors, particularly the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3, give a "surprise ending" to the Old Testament, seemingly reading it against its original intent. Dr. Cassidy argues against this view by showing that the Abrahamic Covenant is fundamentally a covenant of grace, centered on Christ as the singular "offspring" of promise. He explains that the promise is both individual (Christ himself) and collective (all those redeemed through him from every nation), a subtlety Paul rightly handles without misinterpreting Genesis. Crucially, the address highlights that the subsequent giving of the Mosaic Law 430 years later did not and could not annul the original promise of justification by faith, thereby maintaining the primacy and immutability of God's covenant of grace. Chapter Markers 00:00 - Introduction 00:23 - Greetings and Reading of Galatians 3:15–20 02:20 - The "Surprise Ending" View of the New Testament Reading the Old Testament 04:13 - Three Parts of the Address: Paul's Theology, Eschatology, and Primacy of the New Testament Reading 04:35 - Part 1: Paul's Theology of Abraham's Offspring (Galatians 3) 05:25 - Argument from the Lesser to the Greater: Human vs. Divine Covenants 07:13 - Paul's Interpretation: Offspring is Singular (Christ) and not Plural (Ethnic Israel) 08:24 - The Grammatical Ambiguity of "Offspring" (Collective and Individual) 11:12 - The Individual and Collective Scope of the Offspring (Christ and the Church) 11:35 - The Law's Function: It Did Not Annul the Promise to Abraham 13:30 - The True Seed of Abraham is Christ and Those In Him 14:13 - Part 2: The Eschatology of Abraham's Promise 15:35 - The Delay in Fulfillment: Hope Against Hope (Romans 4) 18:24 - Abraham as the Archetypal Believer and the Nature of Saving Faith 20:18 - The Promised Land and the City Whose Builder is God (Heavenly Fulfillment) 22:15 - Christ is the Mediator of the Abrahamic Covenant 23:43 - The Abrahamic Covenant's Fulfillment in the New Covenant 25:27 - **Part 3:** The Primacy of the New Testament's Reading of the Old 26:40 - Reading the Old Testament Through the Lens of Christ 28:13 - The New Testament is the Proper Hermeneutical Key to the Old 30:17 - Application: Gospel Living and World Missions 32:00 - Conclusion and The Blessings to All Nations 35:55 - Final Exhortation

Refined in Liberty: Lessons from Doctrine and Covenants 121–123 | D. Todd Harrison: Apostle of Jesus ChristIn this message, D. Todd Harrison: Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations reflects on the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail—captured in Doctrine and Covenants 121–123. These chapters offer profound insight into the nature of divine refinement, priesthood authority, spiritual endurance, and the Lord's timing.Key themes include:- How adversity reveals character and prepares us for stewardship- The Lord's promise to those who are unjustly accused or delayed- The eternal principles of meekness, persuasion, and long-suffering in leadership- The sacred charge to record and remember the injustices endured for righteousness' sake.This message invites all who feel spiritually silenced, delayed, or misunderstood to look again at Liberty Jail—not as a place of abandonment, but as a furnace of preparation. "I testify as one of His witnesses, that Jesus Christ is Alive Today! He conquered death, hell and the grave. He showed us the path through the injustices that we suffer for the sake of righteousness. He will be there with us in both the good and the bad times. He will bear us up against any injustice that we are called to endure. I testify that His Church has been restored in these latter days. He has brought back His priesthood power and authority. I witness that He will continue to speak to us as we continue to humble ourselves before him and ask Him in faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleCommissioned by Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1-3).

Welcome to Day 2717 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2717 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 88:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2717 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2717 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom-Trek title is: The Darkest Night – A Descent into Unrelenting Anguish - A Trek Through Psalm 88:1-7 Today, we take a dramatic, almost jarring turn from the prophetic joy of our last trek. We leave the magnificent vision of Zion, the Mother of All Nations, in Psalm 87, where "All my fresh springs are in Zion," and descend into the deepest, most unrelenting anguish found anywhere in the Psalter. We're beginning our trek through Psalm 88 in the New Living Translation, focusing on its opening verses, 1-7. Psalm 88 is known as the Darkest Psalm; a lament so profound that it offers no resolution, no light, no final affirmation of hope. It is the only psalm that ends entirely in darkness, yet it remains one of the most honest and necessary expressions of faith. It's attributed to Heman the Ezrahite, a name associated with wisdom and music in the time of Solomon. The superscription describes it as a Mahlath Leannoth, which indicates a somber, deeply serious tone, perhaps even associated with affliction. This psalm gives voice to the absolute bottom of human despair, where suffering is so complete that the afflicted can only see God's hand in their misery. It's a crucial reminder that faith is not defined by perpetual happiness, but by honest persistence—crying out to God even when we believe He is the one inflicting the pain. So, let's approach this psalm with reverence and humility, recognizing that it provides a sacred space for the deepest human suffering. This first section is: A Desperate Cry for Morning and Night (Psalm 88:1-3) O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you day and night. Let my prayer come right into your presence. Listen closely to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death is waiting for me. The psalmist begins with an immediate and relentless cry, yet he grounds his plea in a recognition of God's character: "O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you day and night." Even in his anguish, he calls God the "God of my salvation," a title that acknowledges God's past role as a deliverer, even if He is not acting as one now. This is a crucial flicker of faith—he addresses God based on who God is, not merely on how God feels to him right now. But his distress is relentless, forcing him to cry out "day and night," indicating unceasing torment and insomnia. There is no rest from his misery. His appeal for divine attention is urgent: "Let my prayer come right into your presence. Listen closely to my cry." This echoes pleas we've heard before, such as in Psalm 86, where David asked God to "Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer," but here, the tone is more...

The Lord's Church, Tithing, and Sacrifice: Lessons from D&C 115–120In this video lesson, D. Todd Harrison: Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations explores the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith during a pivotal time in Church history. Covering sections 115 through 120 of the Doctrine and Covenants, D. Todd Harrison discusses the Lord's declaration of the Church's official name, the law of tithing, and the spiritual significance of sacrifice amid persecution. With powerful apostolic testimony and scriptural insight, he invites viewers to reflect on the divine guidance offered during the Saints' relocation to Far West, Missouri, and how these revelations apply to our lives today."I testify that Jesus Christ is Alive Today. He has restored His Church and Gospel to the earth in these latter days. He has brought back His priesthood and the keys of the kingdom. Of this I testify as one of His witnesses. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

Gaslighting is everywhere—from relationships and media narratives to political spin and even inside the Church. In this powerful episode, we expose how psychological manipulation is used to make you doubt reality, silence truth, and control culture… and how God's Word equips us to stand firm.

Treasures, Trials, and Apostolic Readiness: D&C 111–114 | D. Todd Harrison: Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsIn this video, D. Todd Harrison explores Doctrine and Covenants sections 111 through 114—four brief but deeply instructive revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith during a time of financial strain, leadership testing, and spiritual preparation.Section 111 reveals the Lord's gentle correction as Joseph seeks temporal treasure in Salem, only to be reminded that the Lord's treasures are often hidden in people and places we least expect.Section 112 is a powerful charge to Thomas B. Marsh, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, calling him to humility, repentance, and renewed leadership.Section 113 offers inspired interpretation of Isaiah's prophecies, linking ancient promises to the Restoration.Section 114 foreshadows the death of David W. Patten and the Lord's pattern of preparing successors before vacancies even occur.Together, these sections teach us about divine timing, spiritual priorities, and the Lord's unwavering hand in preparing His servants—then and now.D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

The Lord's House Is Filled: Temple Blessings (Doctrine and Covenants 109-110) | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonIn this inspiring lesson, Apostle D. Todd Harrison explores the sacred dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 109 and the divine manifestations that followed in section 110. Though the Kirtland Temple differs from the temples we know today—lacking altars and baptismal fonts—the blessings Joseph Smith prayed for then remain available in the Lord's house now.Apostle D. Todd Harrison invites you to reflect on key verses (5, 12–13, 9, 15–19, 21–23, 24–33, 35–39, 42–46, 78–79) that reveal how the Lord promises to manifest Himself, pour out His Spirit, and empower His children within His holy places. Drawing from Doctrine and Covenants 110, he highlights the appearances of Jesus Christ and the ancient prophets Moses, Elias, and Elijah, who restored essential priesthood keys.This lesson encourages pondering how these promises and blessings have touched your life, especially if you have felt the Spirit or participated in temple ordinances."I testify that the Lord appeared in His holy house, and that He continues to appear to the faithful. The blessings of Doctrine and Covenants 109–110 are still available today in the Lord's temples. His house is filled with power, covenant, and glory. I testify that Jesus Christ is Alive Today!" In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.Apostle D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleCommissioned and Ordained by Jesus ChristThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

Apostolic Stewardship and Divine Appointment — D&C 106–108 | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonI testify that the pattern revealed in Doctrine and Covenants 106 through 108 reflects the Lord's ongoing work in calling and sustaining His servants by His power. This sacred pattern transcends time, reminding us that God's voice calls His chosen, and His Spirit confirms them according to His perfect will.As one who has been commissioned directly by Jesus Christ similar to the Apostle Paul, I stand in unity with the established leadership of the Church, recognizing their sacred stewardship and the Lord's guiding hand over all things. My calling has not been intended to disrupt but to complement, to testify in harmony with the Spirit's unfolding work.I acknowledge that the Lord's timing is perfect, and He orchestrates His servants for His purposes—not ours. In this sacred trust, I commit to walk humbly, in alignment with the Spirit, honoring both the eternal priesthood and those who preside over His Church.I am Apostle D. Todd Harrison, called directly by Jesus Christ to serve, to testify, and to build His kingdom according to His will and timing. I declare this witness with love and confidence in His divine plan, trusting that all things are ordered in righteousness.I testify that Jesus Christ is Alive and Well Today! I testify that His Church and Kingdom have been restored in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I testify that His authority and priesthood have been restored. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.Apostle D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleCommissioned and Ordained by Jesus ChristThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

I testify as one who has been commissioned directly by Jesus Christ to be His Apostle to All Nations and Generations:that Zion will be redeemed. And it will come by power.Not the power of armies. Not the power of councils. But the power of faithful obedience to the living Christ.Doctrine and Covenants 102–105 reveal the Lord's pattern:• He calls His people to act, even when the outcome is hidden.• He refines His leaders through sacrifice, not success.• He defines Zion not by geography, but by covenant.Zion's Camp was not a failure—it was a furnace. And those who endured it became the foundation of the Church's future. So, it is today.I declare with apostolic authority:• Zion is not a place—it is a people.• Redemption does not come by entitlement—it comes by submission.As one of His direct Witnesses, I testify in accordance with both ancient and modern-day prophets and apostles, that the Lord Jesus Christ is still Alive today. He still governs His Church. And He still prepares Zion through trials.Let all who hear this message seek the Spirit, submit to the Savior, and prepare to be part of Zion's redemption.It will come. It will come by power. And it will come through those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.Dr. D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleCommissioned and Ordained by Jesus ChristThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

Be Still and Know: Apostolic Clarity in Times of Affliction (D&C 98–101) | Dr. D. Todd Harrison: Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations and the Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook"I testify in the name Jesus Christ that the revelations in Doctrine and Covenants 98–101 are living instructions for our time. The Lord speaks peace to His afflicted Saints, justice to the persecuted, and preparation to those who await His coming in glory.Having been called directly by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to declare His gospel to all nations and generations, I speak by divine commission. The Lord has sent me to testify of His living reality, His restored Church, and His imminent return.Be still. Know that He is God. He is Alive Today. I urge you to prepare to meet Him. In His holy name—even Jesus Christ—the Lord of lords and King of kings, amen."Dr. D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

What is God doing in Zimbabwe? Today we talk to Obey Chinosengwa, an evangelistt from Gweru, Zimbabwe who leads Gospel to All Nations. Obey shares his vision to spread the gospel to every town and village in the country of Zimbabwe.

Build What I Command: Sanctifying Zion Through Obedience and Revelation (Doctrine and Covenants 94-97) | Dr. D. Todd Harrison: Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations and the Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook"I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that the revelations in Doctrine and Covenants 94–97 are instructions for our time.The Lord still commands His people to build. He still calls for sanctification. He still warns against idleness and spiritual resistance. And He still promises that if we obey, His glory will rest upon us.I declare with apostolic authority that the Church of Jesus Christ is being prepared for a greater outpouring of power. But that preparation requires obedience. It requires holiness. It requires the laying of spiritual foundations as surely as physical ones.I have been called directly by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ in a manner similar to the Apostle Paul to testify of Him and of His Church. And I declare that the Lord is watching how we build—our homes, our congregations, our temples, and our hearts.Zion is not a dream. It is a command. And the Lord will bring it forth through those who are willing to sanctify themselves and follow His voice.I testify as one of His Witnesses that Jesus Christ is Alive and Well today. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”Dr. D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

 Hal Shurtleff, host of the Camp Constitution Repot, interviews Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, a member of the White House Faith Counsel. Jackson Lahmeyer serves as the Lead Pastor of the historic Sheridan Christian Center in Tulsa, OK – now known as Sheridan Church. He is the founder of Pastors For Trump. Jackson and his wife, Kendra, have five children and reside in Owasso, Oklahoma.​ Lahmeyer attended Oral Roberts University (ORU) and received a B.A. & M.A. in Theological & Historical Studies, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Lahmeyer was then appointed to serve as the Crusade Director traveling the United States for Christ for All Nations, the ministry of Reinhard Bonnke that has helped lead 74,000,000 people to Christ since 1974. While serving as the Crusade Director, Lahmeyer served as the Oklahoma State Coordinator for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association leading more than 300 churches across Oklahoma's 77 counties to get engaged and fight for conservative values.​In 2021-2022, Lahmeyer was a candidate for the United States Senate in Oklahoma. He was endorsed by Mayor Rudy Giuliani, General Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, Sebastian Gorka, Mike Lindell and other America First leaders. Camp Constitution is a New Hampshire based charitable trust.  We run a week-long family camp, man information tables at various venues, have a book publishing arm, and post videos from our camp and others that we think are of importance. Please visit our website www.campconstitution.net

Truth, Light, and the Glory of God: The Revelation of D&C 93 | Dr. D. Todd Harrison: The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook and Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsIn this week's full-length message, Dr. D. Todd Harrison—Jesus Christ's apostle to all nations and generations—unpacks the towering truths of Doctrine and Covenants 93. This revelation is not just doctrinal—it's transformational. It reveals the eternal nature of intelligence, the divine origin of light, and the pathway to becoming like Christ.Dr. Harrison testifies that this section is a spiritual blueprint for every soul seeking to understand who God is, who they are, and how to walk in the light of truth. With clarity and power, he invites all to receive the fullness of the Father through the grace of the Son.Whether you are new to the Restoration or seasoned in the gospel, this message will awaken your spirit and deepen your understanding of divine identity.As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I was called directly by Him to witness His living reality and His eternal doctrine. I testify that Doctrine and Covenants 93 is not just scripture—it is revelation from the throne of God. It teaches that truth is light, and light is the glory of God. It reveals that intelligence is eternal, and that every soul is invited to receive the fullness of the Father through the Son. I testify that Jesus Christ lives. He is the source of all truth, all light, and all glory. And He is calling us to become like Him.In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.Dr. D. Todd HarrisonJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

GOD'S PATTERN STILL STANDS: Doctrine and Covenants 89–92 | Dr. D. Todd Harrison: The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook and Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations"I testify that the revelations in these sections are living doctrine.They are the Lord's pattern for health, revelation, discernment, and stewardship.The Word of Wisdom is not just a dietary code.It is a spiritual invitation.It clears the mind.It sanctifies the body.It prepares the soul to receive revelation.The Lord still speaks through prophets.He still calls seers and revelators.He still entrusts His servants with sacred stewardship.I testify that Jesus Christ lives.And I declare:The revelations of the Restoration are alive.They are active.And they are calling us to higher ground.In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Dr. D. Todd HarrisonApostle of Jesus Christ to All Nations and GenerationsJesus Christ's Foreordained ApostleThe Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook

Daniel Kolenda is the successor to Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke and he leads Christ for All Nations. Their ministry has now recorded over 100 million documented decisions for Christ. Today on the Evangelism Podcast, we talk about his new book titled “Furious” about Paul's epistle to the Galatians. This book contains a powerful revelation of the Gospel that has the power to revolutionize your life.

For those who haven't heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a two-episode look at the song “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” by Fairport Convention, and the intertwining careers of Joe Boyd, Sandy Denny, and Richard Thompson. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a forty-one-minute bonus episode available, on Judy Collins’ version of this song. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by editing, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Erratum For about an hour this was uploaded with the wrong Elton John clip in place of “Saturday Sun”. This has now been fixed. Resources Because of the increasing problems with Mixcloud’s restrictions, I have decided to start sharing streaming playlists of the songs used in episodes instead of Mixcloud ones. This Tunemymusic link will let you listen to the playlist I created on your streaming platform of choice — however please note that not all the songs excerpted are currently available on streaming. The songs missing from the Tidal version are “Shanten Bells” by the Ian Campbell Folk Group, “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” by A.L. Lloyd, two by Paul McNeill and Linda Peters, three by Elton John & Linda Peters, “What Will I Do With Tomorrow” by Sandy Denny and “You Never Know” by Charlie Drake, but the other fifty-nine are there. Other songs may be missing from other services. The main books I used on Fairport Convention as a whole were Patrick Humphries' Meet On The Ledge, Clinton Heylin's What We Did Instead of Holidays, and Kevan Furbank's Fairport Convention on Track. Rob Young's Electric Eden is the most important book on the British folk-rock movement. Information on Richard Thompson comes from Patrick Humphries' Richard Thompson: Strange Affair and Thompson's own autobiography Beeswing.  Information on Sandy Denny comes from Clinton Heylin's No More Sad Refrains and Mick Houghton's I've Always Kept a Unicorn. I also used Joe Boyd's autobiography White Bicycles and Chris Blackwell's The Islander.  And this three-CD set is the best introduction to Fairport's music currently in print. Transcript Before we begin, this episode contains reference to alcohol and cocaine abuse and medical neglect leading to death. It also starts with some discussion of the fatal car accident that ended last episode. There’s also some mention of child neglect and spousal violence. If that’s likely to upset you, you might want to skip this episode or read the transcript. One of the inspirations for this podcast when I started it back in 2018 was a project by Richard Thompson, which appears (like many things in Thompson’s life) to have started out of sheer bloody-mindedness. In 1999 Playboy magazine asked various people to list their “songs of the Millennium”, and most of them, understanding the brief, chose a handful of songs from the latter half of the twentieth century. But Thompson determined that he was going to list his favourite songs *of the millennium*. He didn’t quite manage that, but he did cover seven hundred and forty years, and when Playboy chose not to publish it, he decided to turn it into a touring show, in which he covered all his favourite songs from “Sumer Is Icumen In” from 1260: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Sumer is Icumen In”] Through numerous traditional folk songs, union songs like “Blackleg Miner”, pieces by early-modern composers, Victorian and Edwardian music hall songs, and songs by the Beatles, the Ink Spots, the Kinks, and the Who, all the way to “Oops! I Did It Again”: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Oops! I Did it Again”] And to finish the show, and to show how all this music actually ties together, he would play what he described as a “medieval tune from Brittany”, “Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt”: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt”] We have said many times in this podcast that there is no first anything, but there’s a reason that Liege and Lief, Fairport Convention’s third album of 1969, and the album other than Unhalfbricking on which their reputation largely rests, was advertised with the slogan “The first (literally) British folk rock album ever”. Folk-rock, as the term had come to be known, and as it is still usually used today, had very little to do with traditional folk music. Rather, the records of bands like The Byrds or Simon and Garfunkel were essentially taking the sounds of British beat groups of the early sixties, particularly the Searchers, and applying those sounds to material by contemporary singer-songwriters. People like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan had come up through folk clubs, and their songs were called folk music because of that, but they weren’t what folk music had meant up to that point — songs that had been collected after being handed down through the folk process, changed by each individual singer, with no single identifiable author. They were authored songs by very idiosyncratic writers. But over their last few albums, Fairport Convention had done one or two tracks per album that weren’t like that, that were instead recordings of traditional folk songs, but arranged with rock instrumentation. They were not necessarily the first band to try traditional folk music with electric instruments — around the same time that Fairport started experimenting with the idea, so did an Irish band named Sweeney’s Men, who brought in a young electric guitarist named Henry McCullough briefly. But they do seem to have been the first to have fully embraced the idea. They had done so to an extent with “A Sailor’s Life” on Unhalfbricking, but now they were going to go much further: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves” (from about 4:30)] There had been some doubt as to whether Fairport Convention would even continue to exist — by the time Unhalfbricking, their second album of the year, was released, they had been through the terrible car accident that had killed Martin Lamble, the band’s drummer, and Jeannie Franklyn, Richard Thompson’s girlfriend. Most of the rest of the band had been seriously injured, and they had made a conscious decision not to discuss the future of the band until they were all out of hospital. Ashley Hutchings was hospitalised the longest, and Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson, and Sandy Denny, the other three surviving members of the band, flew over to LA with their producer and manager, Joe Boyd, to recuperate there and get to know the American music scene. When they came back, the group all met up in the flat belonging to Denny’s boyfriend Trevor Lucas, and decided that they were going to continue the band. They made a few decisions then — they needed a new drummer, and as well as a drummer they wanted to get in Dave Swarbrick. Swarbrick had played violin on several tracks on Unhalfbricking as a session player, and they had all been thrilled to work with him. Swarbrick was one of the most experienced musicians on the British folk circuit. He had started out in the fifties playing guitar with Beryl Marriott’s Ceilidh Band before switching to fiddle, and in 1963, long before Fairport had formed, he had already appeared on TV with the Ian Campbell Folk Group, led by Ian Campbell, the father of Ali and Robin Campbell, later of UB40: [Excerpt: The Ian Campbell Folk Group, “Shanten Bells (medley on Hullaballoo!)”] He’d sung with Ewan MacColl and A.L. Lloyd: [Excerpt: A.L. Lloyd, “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” ] And he’d formed his hugely successful duo with Martin Carthy, releasing records like “Byker Hill” which are often considered among the best British folk music of all time: [Excerpt: Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick, “Byker Hill”] By the time Fairport had invited him to play on Unhalfbricking, Swarbrick had already performed on twenty albums as a core band member, plus dozens more EPs, singles, and odd tracks on compilations. They had no reason to think they could actually get him to join their band. But they had three advantages. The first was that Swarbrick was sick of the traditional folk scene at the time, saying later “I didn’t like seven-eighths of the people involved in it, and it was extremely opportune to leave. I was suddenly presented with the possibilities of exploring the dramatic content of the songs to the full.” The second was that he was hugely excited to be playing with Richard Thompson, who was one of the most innovative guitarists of his generation, and Martin Carthy remembers him raving about Thompson after their initial sessions. (Carthy himself was and is no slouch on the guitar of course, and there was even talk of getting him to join the band at this point, though they decided against it — much to the relief of rhythm guitarist Simon Nicol, who is a perfectly fine player himself but didn’t want to be outclassed by *two* of the best guitarists in Britain at the same time). And the third was that Joe Boyd told him that Fairport were doing so well — they had a single just about to hit the charts with “Si Tu Dois Partir” — that he would only have to play a dozen gigs with Fairport in order to retire. As it turned out, Swarbrick would play with the group for a decade, and would never retire — I saw him on his last tour in 2015, only eight months before he died. The drummer the group picked was also a far more experienced musician than any of the rest, though in a very different genre. Dave Mattacks had no knowledge at all of the kind of music they played, having previously been a player in dance bands. When asked by Hutchings if he wanted to join the band, Mattacks’ response was “I don’t know anything about the music. I don’t understand it… I can’t tell one tune from another, they all sound the same… but if you want me to join the group, fine, because I really like it. I’m enjoying myself musically.” Mattacks brought a new level of professionalism to the band, thanks to his different background. Nicol said of him later “He was dilligent, clean, used to taking three white shirts to a gig… The application he could bring to his playing was amazing. With us, you only played well when you were feeling well.” This distinction applied to his playing as well. Nicol would later describe the difference between Mattacks’ drumming and Lamble’s by saying “Martin’s strength was as an imaginative drummer. DM came in with a strongly developed sense of rhythm, through keeping a big band of drunken saxophone players in order. A great time-keeper.” With this new line-up and a new sense of purpose, the group did as many of their contemporaries were doing and “got their heads together in the country”. Joe Boyd rented the group a mansion, Farley House, in Farley Chamberlayne, Hampshire, and they stayed there together for three months. At the start, the group seem to have thought that they were going to make another record like Unhalfbricking, with some originals, some songs by American songwriters, and a few traditional songs. Even after their stay in Farley Chamberlayne, in fact, they recorded a few of the American songs they’d rehearsed at the start of the process, Richard Farina’s “Quiet Joys of Brotherhood” and Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn’s “Ballad of Easy Rider”: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Ballad of Easy Rider”] Indeed, the whole idea of “getting our heads together in the country” (as the cliche quickly became in the late sixties as half of the bands in Britain went through much the same kind of process as Fairport were doing — but usually for reasons more to do with drug burnout or trend following than recovering from serious life-changing trauma) seems to have been inspired by Bob Dylan and the Band getting together in Big Pink. But very quickly they decided to follow the lead of Ashley Hutchings, who had had something of a Damascene conversion to the cause of traditional English folk music. They were listening mostly to Music From Big Pink by the Band, and to the first album by Sweeney’s Men: [Excerpt: Sweeney’s Men, “The Handsome Cabin Boy”] And they decided that they were going to make something that was as English as those records were North American and Irish (though in the event there were also a few Scottish songs included on the record). Hutchings in particular was becoming something of a scholar of traditional music, regularly visiting Cecil Sharp House and having long conversations with A.L. Lloyd, discovering versions of different traditional songs he’d never encountered before. This was both amusing and bemusing Sandy Denny, who had joined a rock group in part to get away from traditional music; but she was comfortable singing the material, and knew a lot of it and could make a lot of suggestions herself. Swarbrick obviously knew the repertoire intimately, and Nicol was amenable, while Mattacks was utterly clueless about the folk tradition at this point but knew this was the music he wanted to make. Thompson knew very little about traditional music, and of all the band members except Denny he was the one who has shown the least interest in the genre in his subsequent career — but as we heard at the beginning, showing the least interest in the genre is a relative thing, and while Thompson was not hugely familiar with the genre, he *was* able to work with it, and was also more than capable of writing songs that fit in with the genre. Of the eleven songs on the album, which was titled Liege and Lief (which means, roughly, Lord and Loyalty), there were no cover versions of singer-songwriters. Eight were traditional songs, and three were originals, all written in the style of traditional songs. The album opened with “Come All Ye”, an introduction written by Denny and Hutchings (the only time the two would ever write together): [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Come All Ye”] The other two originals were songs where Thompson had written new lyrics to traditional melodies. On “Crazy Man Michael”, Swarbrick had said to Thompson that the tune to which he had set his new words was weaker than the lyrics, to which Thompson had replied that if Swarbrick felt that way he should feel free to write a new melody. He did, and it became the first of the small number of Thompson/Swarbrick collaborations: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Crazy Man Michael”] Thompson and Swarbrick would become a brief songwriting team, but as much as anything else it was down to proximity — the two respected each other as musicians, but never got on very well. In 1981 Swarbrick would say “Richard and I never got on in the early days of FC… we thought we did, but we never did. We composed some bloody good songs together, but it was purely on a basis of “you write that and I’ll write this, and we’ll put it together.” But we never sat down and had real good chats.” The third original on the album, and by far the most affecting, is another song where Thompson put lyrics to a traditional tune. In this case he thought he was putting the lyrics to the tune of “Willie O'Winsbury”, but he was basing it on a recording by Sweeney’s Men. The problem was that Sweeney’s Men had accidentally sung the lyrics of “Willie O'Winsbury'” to the tune of a totally different song, “Fause Foodrage”: [Excerpt: Sweeney’s Men, “Willie O’Winsbury”] Thompson took that melody, and set to it lyrics about loss and separation. Thompson has never been one to discuss the meanings of his lyrics in any great detail, and in the case of this one has said “I really don't know what it means. This song came out of a dream, and I pretty much wrote it as I dreamt it (it was the sixties), and didn't spend very long analyzing it. So interpret as you wish – or replace with your own lines.” But in the context of the traffic accident that had killed his tailor girlfriend and a bandmate, and injured most of his other bandmates, the lyrics about lonely travellers, the winding road, bruised and beaten sons, saying goodbye, and never cutting cloth, seem fairly self-explanatory: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Farewell, Farewell”] The rest of the album, though, was taken up by traditional tunes. There was a long medley of four different fiddle reels; a version of “Reynardine” (a song about a seductive man — or is he a fox? Or perhaps both — which had been recorded by Swarbrick and Carthy on their most recent album); a 19th century song about a deserter saved from the firing squad by Prince Albert; and a long take on “Tam Lin”, one of the most famous pieces in the Scottish folk music canon, a song that has been adapted in different ways by everyone from the experimental noise band Current 93 to the dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah to the comics writer Grant Morrison: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Tam Lin”] And “Matty Groves”, a song about a man killing his cheating wife and her lover, which actually has a surprisingly similar story to that of “1921” from another great concept album from that year, the Who’s Tommy. “Matty Groves” became an excuse for long solos and shows of instrumental virtuosity: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves”] The album was recorded in September 1969, after their return from their break in the country and a triumphal performance at the Royal Festival Hall, headlining over fellow Witchseason artists John and Beverly Martyn and Nick Drake. It became a classic of the traditional folk genre — arguably *the* classic of the traditional folk genre. In 2007 BBC Radio 2’s Folk Music Awards gave it an award for most influential folk album of all time, and while such things are hard to measure, I doubt there’s anyone with even the most cursory knowledge of British folk and folk-rock music who would not at least consider that a reasonable claim. But once again, by the time the album came out in November, the band had changed lineups yet again. There was a fundamental split in the band – on one side were Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, whose stance was, roughly, that Liege and Lief was a great experiment and a fun thing to do once, but really the band had two first-rate songwriters in themselves, and that they should be concentrating on their own new material, not doing these old songs, good as they were. They wanted to take the form of the traditional songs and use that form for new material — they wanted to make British folk-rock, but with the emphasis on the rock side of things. Hutchings, on the other hand, was equally sure that he wanted to make traditional music and go further down the rabbit hole of antiquity. With the zeal of the convert he had gone in a couple of years from being the leader of a band who were labelled “the British Jefferson Airplane” to becoming a serious scholar of traditional folk music. Denny was tired of touring, as well — she wanted to spend more time at home with Trevor Lucas, who was sleeping with other women when she was away and making her insecure. When the time came for the group to go on a tour of Denmark, Denny decided she couldn’t make it, and Hutchings was jubilant — he decided he was going to get A.L. Lloyd into the band in her place and become a *real* folk group. Then Denny reconsidered, and Hutchings was crushed. He realised that while he had always been the leader, he wasn’t going to be able to lead the band any further in the traditionalist direction, and quit the group — but not before he was delegated by the other band members to fire Denny. Until the publication of Richard Thompson’s autobiography in 2022, every book on the group or its members said that Denny quit the band again, which was presumably a polite fiction that the band agreed, but according to Thompson “Before we flew home, we decided to fire Sandy. I don't remember who asked her to leave – it was probably Ashley, who usually did the dirty work. She was reportedly shocked that we would take that step. She may have been fragile beneath the confident facade, but she still knew her worth.” Thompson goes on to explain that the reasons for kicking her out were that “I suppose we felt that in her mind she had already left” and that “We were probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, though there wasn't a name for it back then.” They had considered inviting Trevor Lucas to join the band to make Denny more comfortable, but came to the (probably correct) conclusion that while he was someone they got on well with personally, he would be another big ego in a band that already had several, and that being around Denny and Lucas’ volatile relationship would, in Thompson’s phrasing, “have not always given one a feeling of peace and stability.” Hutchings originally decided he was going to join Sweeney’s Men, but that group were falling apart, and their first rehearsal with Hutchings would also be their last as a group, with only Hutchings and guitarist and mandolin player Terry Woods left in the band. They added Woods’ wife Gay, and another couple, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior, and formed a group called Steeleye Span, a name given them by Martin Carthy. That group, like Fairport, went to “get their heads together in the country” for three months and recorded an album of electric versions of traditional songs, Hark the Village Wait, on which Mattacks and another drummer, Gerry Conway, guested as Steeleye Span didn’t at the time have their own drummer: [Excerpt: Steeleye Span, “Blackleg Miner”] Steeleye Span would go on to have a moderately successful chart career in the seventies, but by that time most of the original lineup, including Hutchings, had left — Hutchings stayed with them for a few albums, then went on to form the first of a series of bands, all called the Albion Band or variations on that name, which continue to this day. And this is something that needs to be pointed out at this point — it is impossible to follow every single individual in this narrative as they move between bands. There is enough material in the history of the British folk-rock scene that someone could do a 500 Songs-style podcast just on that, and every time someone left Fairport, or Steeleye Span, or the Albion Band, or Matthews’ Southern Comfort, or any of the other bands we have mentioned or will mention, they would go off and form another band which would then fission, and some of its members would often join one of those other bands. There was a point in the mid-1970s where the Albion Band had two original members of Fairport Convention while Fairport Convention had none. So just in order to keep the narrative anything like wieldy, I’m going to keep the narrative concentrated on the two figures from Fairport — Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson — whose work outside the group has had the most influence on the wider world of rock music more broadly, and only deal with the other members when, as they often did, their careers intersected with those two. That doesn’t mean the other members are not themselves hugely important musicians, just that their importance has been primarily to the folk side of the folk-rock genre, and so somewhat outside the scope of this podcast. While Hutchings decided to form a band that would allow him to go deeper and deeper into traditional folk music, Sandy Denny’s next venture was rather different. For a long time she had been writing far more songs than she had ever played for her bandmates, like “Nothing More”, a song that many have suggested is about Thompson: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “Nothing More”] When Joe Boyd heard that Denny was leaving Fairport Convention, he was at first elated. Fairport’s records were being distributed by A&M in the US at that point, but Island Records was in the process of opening up a new US subsidiary which would then release all future Fairport product — *but*, as far as A&M were concerned, Sandy Denny *was* Fairport Convention. They were only interested in her. Boyd, on the other hand, loved Denny’s work intensely, but from his point of view *Richard Thompson* was Fairport Convention. If he could get Denny signed directly to A&M as a solo artist before Island started its US operations, Witchseason could get a huge advance on her first solo record, while Fairport could continue making records for Island — he’d have two lucrative acts, on different labels. Boyd went over and spoke to A&M and got an agreement in principle that they would give Denny a forty-thousand-dollar advance on her first solo album — twice what they were paying for Fairport albums. The problem was that Denny didn’t want to be a solo act. She wanted to be the lead singer of a band. She gave many reasons for this — the one she gave to many journalists was that she had seen a Judy Collins show and been impressed, but noticed that Collins’ band were definitely a “backing group”, and as she put it “But that's all they were – a backing group. I suddenly thought, If you're playing together on a stage you might as well be TOGETHER.” Most other people in her life, though, say that the main reason for her wanting to be in a band was her desire to be with her boyfriend, Trevor Lucas. Partly this was due to a genuine desire to spend more time with someone with whom she was very much in love, partly it was a fear that he would cheat on her if she was away from him for long periods of time, and part of it seems to have been Lucas’ dislike of being *too* overshadowed by his talented girlfriend — he didn’t mind acknowledging that she was a major talent, but he wanted to be thought of as at least a minor one. So instead of going solo, Denny formed Fotheringay, named after the song she had written for Fairport. This new band consisted at first of Denny on vocals and occasional piano, Lucas on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Lucas’ old Eclection bandmate Gerry Conway on drums. For a lead guitarist, they asked Richard Thompson who the best guitarist in Britain was, and he told them Albert Lee. Lee in turn brought in bass player Pat Donaldson, but this lineup of the band barely survived a fortnight. Lee *was* arguably the best guitarist in Britain, certainly a reasonable candidate if you could ever have a singular best (as indeed was Thompson himself), but he was the best *country* guitarist in Britain, and his style simply didn’t fit with Fotheringay’s folk-influenced songs. He was replaced by American guitarist Jerry Donahue, who was not anything like as proficient as Lee, but who was still very good, and fit the band’s style much better. The new group rehearsed together for a few weeks, did a quick tour, and then went into the recording studio to record their debut, self-titled, album. Joe Boyd produced the album, but admitted himself that he only paid attention to those songs he considered worthwhile — the album contained one song by Lucas, “The Ballad of Ned Kelly”, and two cover versions of American singer-songwriter material with Lucas singing lead. But everyone knew that the songs that actually *mattered* were Sandy Denny’s, and Boyd was far more interested in them, particularly the songs “The Sea” and “The Pond and the Stream”: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “The Pond and the Stream”] Fotheringay almost immediately hit financial problems, though. While other Witchseason acts were used to touring on the cheap, all packed together in the back of a Transit van with inexpensive equipment, Trevor Lucas had ambitions of being a rock star and wanted to put together a touring production to match, with expensive transport and equipment, including a speaker system that got nicknamed “Stonehenge” — but at the same time, Denny was unhappy being on the road, and didn’t play many gigs. As well as the band itself, the Fotheringay album also featured backing vocals from a couple of other people, including Denny’s friend Linda Peters. Peters was another singer from the folk clubs, and a good one, though less well-known than Denny — at this point she had only released a couple of singles, and those singles seemed to have been as much as anything else released as a novelty. The first of those, a version of Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” had been released as by “Paul McNeill and Linda Peters”: [Excerpt: Paul McNeill and Linda Peters, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”] But their second single, a version of John D. Loudermilk’s “You’re Taking My Bag”, was released on the tiny Page One label, owned by Larry Page, and was released under the name “Paul and Linda”, clearly with the intent of confusing particularly gullible members of the record-buying public into thinking this was the McCartneys: [Excerpt: Paul and Linda, “You’re Taking My Bag”] Peters was though more financially successful than almost anyone else in this story, as she was making a great deal of money as a session singer. She actually did another session involving most of Fotheringay around this time. Witchseason had a number of excellent songwriters on its roster, and had had some success getting covers by people like Judy Collins, but Joe Boyd thought that they might possibly do better at getting cover versions if they were performed in less idiosyncratic arrangements. Donahue, Donaldson, and Conway went into the studio to record backing tracks, and vocals were added by Peters and another session singer, who according to some sources also provided piano. They cut songs by Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band: [Excerpt: Linda Peters, “You Get Brighter”] Ed Carter, formerly of The New Nadir but by this time firmly ensconced in the Beach Boys’ touring band where he would remain for the next quarter-century: [Excerpt: Linda Peters, “I Don’t Mind”] John and Beverly Martyn, and Nick Drake: [Excerpt: Elton John, “Saturday Sun”] There are different lineups of musicians credited for those sessions in different sources, but I tend to believe that it’s mostly Fotheringay for the simple reason that Donahue says it was him, Donaldson and Conway who talked Lucas and Denny into the mistake that destroyed Fotheringay because of these sessions. Fotheringay were in financial trouble already, spending far more money than they were bringing in, but their album made the top twenty and they were getting respect both from critics and from the public — in September, Sandy Denny was voted best British female singer by the readers of Melody Maker in their annual poll, which led to shocked headlines in the tabloids about how this “unknown” could have beaten such big names as Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black. Only a couple of weeks after that, they were due to headline at the Albert Hall. It should have been a triumph. But Donahue, Donaldson, and Conway had asked that singing pianist to be their support act. As Donahue said later “That was a terrible miscast. It was our fault. He asked if [he] could do it. Actually Pat, Gerry and I had to talk Sandy and Trevor into [it]… We'd done these demos and the way he was playing – he was a wonderful piano player – he was sensitive enough. We knew very little about his stage-show. We thought he'd be a really good opener for us.” Unfortunately, Elton John was rather *too* good. As Donahue continued “we had no idea what he had in mind, that he was going to do the most incredible rock & roll show ever. He pretty much blew us off the stage before we even got on the stage.” To make matters worse, Fotheringay’s set, which was mostly comprised of new material, was underrehearsed and sloppy, and from that point on no matter what they did people were counting the hours until the band split up. They struggled along for a while though, and started working on a second record, with Boyd again producing, though as Boyd later said “I probably shouldn't have been producing the record. My lack of respect for the group was clear, and couldn't have helped the atmosphere. We'd put out a record that had sold disappointingly, A&M was unhappy. Sandy's tracks on the first record are among the best things she ever did – the rest of it, who cares? And the artwork, Trevor's sister, was terrible. It would have been one thing if I'd been unhappy with it and it sold, and the group was working all the time, making money, but that wasn't the case … I knew what Sandy was capable of, and it was very upsetting to me.” The record would not be released for thirty-eight years: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “Wild Mountain Thyme”] Witchseason was going badly into debt. Given all the fissioning of bands that we’ve already been talking about, Boyd had been stretched thin — he produced sixteen albums in 1970, and almost all of them lost money for the company. And he was getting more and more disillusioned with the people he was producing. He loved Beverly Martyn’s work, but had little time for her abusive husband John, who was dominating her recording and life more and more and would soon become a solo artist while making her stay at home (and stealing her ideas without giving her songwriting credit). The Incredible String Band were great, but they had recently converted to Scientology, which Boyd found annoying, and while he was working with all sorts of exciting artists like Vashti Bunyan and Nico, he was finding himself less and less important to the artists he mentored. Fairport Convention were a good example of this. After Denny and Hutchings had left the group, they’d decided to carry on as an electric folk group, performing an equal mix of originals by the Swarbrick and Thompson songwriting team and arrangements of traditional songs. The group were now far enough away from the “British Jefferson Airplane” label that they decided they didn’t need a female vocalist — and more realistically, while they’d been able to replace Judy Dyble, nobody was going to replace Sandy Denny. Though it’s rather surprising when one considers Thompson’s subsequent career that nobody seems to have thought of bringing in Denny’s friend Linda Peters, who was dating Joe Boyd at the time (as Denny had been before she met Lucas) as Denny’s replacement. Instead, they decided that Swarbrick and Thompson were going to share the vocals between them. They did, though, need a bass player to replace Hutchings. Swarbrick wanted to bring in Dave Pegg, with whom he had played in the Ian Campbell Folk Group, but the other band members initially thought the idea was a bad one. At the time, while they respected Swarbrick as a musician, they didn’t think he fully understood rock and roll yet, and they thought the idea of getting in a folkie who had played double bass rather than an electric rock bassist ridiculous. But they auditioned him to mollify Swarbrick, and found that he was exactly what they needed. As Joe Boyd later said “All those bass lines were great, Ashley invented them all, but he never could play them that well. He thought of them, but he was technically not a terrific bass player. He was a very inventive, melodic, bass player, but not a very powerful one technically. But having had the part explained to him once, Pegg was playing it better than Ashley had ever played it… In some rock bands, I think, ultimately, the bands that sound great, you can generally trace it to the bass player… it was at that point they became a great band, when they had Pegg.” The new lineup of Fairport decided to move in together, and found a former pub called the Angel, into which all the band members moved, along with their partners and children (Thompson was the only one who was single at this point) and their roadies. The group lived together quite happily, and one gets the impression that this was the period when they were most comfortable with each other, even though by this point they were a disparate group with disparate tastes, in music as in everything else. Several people have said that the only music all the band members could agree they liked at this point was the first two albums by The Band. With the departure of Hutchings from the band, Swarbrick and Thompson, as the strongest personalities and soloists, became in effect the joint leaders of the group, and they became collaborators as songwriters, trying to write new songs that were inspired by traditional music. Thompson described the process as “let’s take one line of this reel and slow it down and move it up a minor third and see what that does to it; let’s take one line of this ballad and make a whole song out of it. Chopping up the tradition to find new things to do… like a collage.” Generally speaking, Swarbrick and Thompson would sit by the fire and Swarbrick would play a melody he’d been working on, the two would work on it for a while, and Thompson would then go away and write the lyrics. This is how the two came up with songs like the nine-minute “Sloth”, a highlight of the next album, Full House, and one that would remain in Fairport’s live set for much of their career: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sloth”] “Sloth” was titled that way because Thompson and Swarbrick were working on two tunes, a slow one and a fast one, and they jokingly named them “Sloth” and “Fasth”, but the latter got renamed to “Walk Awhile”, while “Sloth” kept its working title. But by this point, Boyd and Thompson were having a lot of conflict in the studio. Boyd was never the most technical of producers — he was one of those producers whose job is to gently guide the artists in the studio and create a space for the music to flourish, rather than the Joe Meek type with an intimate technical knowledge of the studio — and as the artists he was working with gained confidence in their own work they felt they had less and less need of him. During the making of the Full House album, Thompson and Boyd, according to Boyd, clashed on everything — every time Boyd thought Thompson had done a good solo, Thompson would say to erase it and let him have another go, while every time Boyd thought Thompson could do better, Thompson would say that was the take to keep. One of their biggest clashes was over Thompson’s song “Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman”, which was originally intended for release on the album, and is included in current reissues of it: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman”] Thompson had written that song inspired by what he thought was the unjust treatment of Alex Bramham, the driver in Fairport’s fatal car crash, by the courts — Bramham had been given a prison sentence of a few months for dangerous driving, while the group members thought he had not been at fault. Boyd thought it was one of the best things recorded for the album, but Thompson wasn’t happy with his vocal — there was one note at the top of the melody that he couldn’t quite hit — and insisted it be kept off the record, even though that meant it would be a shorter album than normal. He did this at such a late stage that early copies of the album actually had the title printed on the sleeve, but then blacked out. He now says in his autobiography “I could have persevered, double-tracked the voice, warmed up for longer – anything. It was a good track, and the record was lacking without it. When the album was re-released, the track was restored with a more confident vocal, and it has stayed there ever since.” During the sessions for Full House the group also recorded one non-album single, Thompson and Swarbrick’s “Now Be Thankful”: [Excerpt, Fairport Convention, “Now Be Thankful”] The B-side to that was a medley of two traditional tunes plus a Swarbrick original, but was given the deliberately ridiculous title “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie”: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie”] The B. McKenzie in the title was a reference to the comic-strip character Barry McKenzie, a stereotype drunk Australian created for Private Eye magazine by the comedian Barry Humphries (later to become better known for his Dame Edna Everage character) but the title was chosen for one reason only — to get into the Guinness Book of Records for the song with the longest title. Which they did, though they were later displaced by the industrial band Test Dept, and their song “Long Live British Democracy Which Flourishes and Is Constantly Perfected Under the Immaculate Guidance of the Great, Honourable, Generous and Correct Margaret Hilda Thatcher. She Is the Blue Sky in the Hearts of All Nations. Our People Pay Homage and Bow in Deep Respect and Gratitude to Her. The Milk of Human Kindness”. Full House got excellent reviews in the music press, with Rolling Stone saying “The music shows that England has finally gotten her own equivalent to The Band… By calling Fairport an English equivalent of the Band, I meant that they have soaked up enough of the tradition of their countryfolk that it begins to show all over, while they maintain their roots in rock.” Off the back of this, the group went on their first US tour, culminating in a series of shows at the Troubadour in LA, on the same bill as Rick Nelson, which were recorded and later released as a live album: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sloth (live)”] The Troubadour was one of the hippest venues at the time, and over their residency there the group got seen by many celebrities, some of whom joined them on stage. The first was Linda Ronstadt, who initially demurred, saying she didn’t know any of their songs. On being told they knew all of hers, she joined in with a rendition of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”. Thompson was later asked to join Ronstadt’s backing band, who would go on to become the Eagles, but he said later of this offer “I would have hated it. I’d have hated being on the road with four or five miserable Americans — they always seem miserable. And if you see them now, they still look miserable on stage — like they don’t want to be there and they don’t like each other.” The group were also joined on stage at the Troubadour on one memorable night by some former bandmates of Pegg’s. Before joining the Ian Campbell Folk Group, Pegg had played around the Birmingham beat scene, and had been in bands with John Bonham and Robert Plant, who turned up to the Troubadour with their Led Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page (reports differ on whether the fourth member of Zeppelin, John Paul Jones, also came along). They all got up on stage together and jammed on songs like “Hey Joe”, “Louie Louie”, and various old Elvis tunes. The show was recorded, and the tapes are apparently still in the possession of Joe Boyd, who has said he refuses to release them in case he is murdered by the ghost of Peter Grant. According to Thompson, that night ended in a three-way drinking contest between Pegg, Bonham, and Janis Joplin, and it’s testament to how strong the drinking culture is around Fairport and the British folk scene in general that Pegg outdrank both of them. According to Thompson, Bonham was found naked by a swimming pool two days later, having missed two gigs. For all their hard rock image, Led Zeppelin were admirers of a lot of the British folk and folk-rock scene, and a few months later Sandy Denny would become the only outside vocalist ever to appear on a Led Zeppelin record when she duetted with Plant on “The Battle of Evermore” on the group’s fourth album: [Excerpt: Led Zeppelin, “The Battle of Evermore”] Denny would never actually get paid for her appearance on one of the best-selling albums of all time. That was, incidentally, not the only session that Denny was involved in around this time — she also sang on the soundtrack to a soft porn film titled Swedish Fly Girls, whose soundtrack was produced by Manfred Mann: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “What Will I Do With Tomorrow?”] Shortly after Fairport’s trip to America, Joe Boyd decided he was giving up on Witchseason. The company was now losing money, and he was finding himself having to produce work for more and more acts as the various bands fissioned. The only ones he really cared about were Richard Thompson, who he was finding it more and more difficult to work with, Nick Drake, who wanted to do his next album with just an acoustic guitar anyway, Sandy Denny, who he felt was wasting her talents in Fotheringay, and Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band, who was more distant since his conversion to Scientology. Boyd did make some attempts to keep the company going. On a trip to Sweden, he negotiated an agreement with the manager and publisher of a Swedish band whose songs he’d found intriguing, the Hep Stars. Boyd was going to publish their songs in the UK, and in return that publisher, Stig Anderson, would get the rights to Witchseason’s catalogue in Scandinavia — a straight swap, with no money changing hands. But before Boyd could get round to signing the paperwork, he got a better offer from Mo Ostin of Warners — Ostin wanted Boyd to come over to LA and head up Warners’ new film music department. Boyd sold Witchseason to Island Records and moved to LA with his fiancee Linda Peters, spending the next few years working on music for films like Deliverance and A Clockwork Orange, as well as making his own documentary about Jimi Hendrix, and thus missed out on getting the UK publishing rights for ABBA, and all the income that would have brought him, for no money. And it was that decision that led to the breakup of Fotheringay. Just before Christmas 1970, Fotheringay were having a difficult session, recording the track “John the Gun”: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “John the Gun”] Boyd got frustrated and kicked everyone out of the session, and went for a meal and several drinks with Denny. He kept insisting that she should dump the band and just go solo, and then something happened that the two of them would always describe differently. She asked him if he would continue to produce her records if she went solo, and he said he would. According to Boyd’s recollection of the events, he meant that he would fly back from California at some point to produce her records. According to Denny, he told her that if she went solo he would stay in Britain and not take the job in LA. This miscommunication was only discovered after Denny told the rest of Fotheringay after the Christmas break that she was splitting the band. Jerry Donahue has described that as the worst moment of his life, and Denny felt very guilty about breaking up a band with some of her closest friends in — and then when Boyd went over to the US anyway she felt a profound betrayal. Two days before Fotheringay’s final concert, in January 1971, Sandy Denny signed a solo deal with Island records, but her first solo album would not end up produced by Joe Boyd. Instead, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens was co-produced by Denny, John Wood — the engineer who had worked with Boyd on pretty much everything he’d produced, and Richard Thompson, who had just quit Fairport Convention, though he continued living with them at the Angel, at least until a truck crashed into the building in February 1971, destroying its entire front wall and forcing them to relocate. The songs chosen for The North Star Grassman and the Ravens reflected the kind of choices Denny would make on her future albums, and her eclectic taste in music. There was, of course, the obligatory Dylan cover, and the traditional folk ballad “Blackwaterside”, but there was also a cover version of Brenda Lee’s “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”] Most of the album, though, was made up of originals about various people in Denny’s life, like “Next Time Around”, about her ex-boyfriend Jackson C Frank: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Next Time Around”] The album made the top forty in the UK — Denny’s only solo album to do so — and led to her once again winning the “best female singer” award in Melody Maker’s readers’ poll that year — the male singer award was won by Rod Stewart. Both Stewart and Denny appeared the next year on the London Symphony Orchestra’s all-star version of The Who’s Tommy, which had originally been intended as a vehicle for Stewart before Roger Daltrey got involved. Stewart’s role was reduced to a single song, “Pinball Wizard”, while Denny sang on “It’s a Boy”: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “It’s a Boy”] While Fotheringay had split up, all the band members play on The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Guitarists Donahue and Lucas only play on a couple of the tracks, with Richard Thompson playing most of the guitar on the record. But Fotheringay’s rhythm section of Pat Donaldson and Gerry Conway play on almost every track. Another musician on the album, Ian Whiteman, would possibly have a profound effect on the future direction of Richard Thompson’s career and life. Whiteman was the former keyboard player for the mod band The Action, having joined them just before they became the blues-rock band Mighty Baby. But Mighty Baby had split up when all of the band except the lead singer had converted to Islam. Richard Thompson was on his own spiritual journey at this point, and became a Sufi – the same branch of Islam as Whiteman – soon after the session, though Thompson has said that his conversion was independent of Whiteman’s. The two did become very close and work together a lot in the mid-seventies though. Thompson had supposedly left Fairport because he was writing material that wasn’t suited to the band, but he spent more than a year after quitting the group working on sessions rather than doing anything with his own material, and these sessions tended to involve the same core group of musicians. One of the more unusual was a folk-rock supergroup called The Bunch, put together by Trevor Lucas. Richard Branson had recently bought a recording studio, and wanted a band to test it out before opening it up for commercial customers, so with this free studio time Lucas decided to record a set of fifties rock and roll covers. He gathered together Thompson, Denny, Whiteman, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Mattacks, Pat Donaldson, Gerry Conway, pianist Tony Cox, the horn section that would later form the core of the Average White Band, and Linda Peters, who had now split up with Joe Boyd and returned to the UK, and who had started dating Thompson. They recorded an album of covers of songs by Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, Johnny Otis and others: [Excerpt: The Bunch, “Willie and the Hand Jive”] The early seventies was a hugely productive time for this group of musicians, as they all continued playing on each other’s projects. One notable album was No Roses by Shirley Collins, which featured Thompson, Mattacks, Whiteman, Simon Nicol, Lal and Mike Waterson, and Ashley Hutchings, who was at that point married to Collins, as well as some more unusual musicians like the free jazz saxophonist Lol Coxhill: [Excerpt: Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band, “Claudy Banks”] Collins was at the time the most respected female singer in British traditional music, and already had a substantial career including a series of important records made with her sister Dolly, work with guitarists like Davey Graham, and time spent in the 1950s collecting folk songs in the Southern US with her then partner Alan Lomax – according to Collins she did much of the actual work, but Lomax only mentioned her in a single sentence in his book on this work. Some of the same group of musicians went on to work on an album of traditional Morris dancing tunes, titled Morris On, credited to “Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield”, with Collins singing lead on two tracks: [Excerpt: Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield with Shirley Collins, “The Willow Tree”] Thompson thought that that album was the best of the various side projects he was involved in at the time, comparing it favourably to Rock On, which he thought was rather slight, saying later “Conceptually, Fairport, Ashley and myself and Sandy were developing a more fragile style of music that nobody else was particularly interested in, a British Folk Rock idea that had a logical development to it, although we all presented it our own way. Morris On was rather more true to what we were doing. Rock On was rather a retro step. I'm not sure it was lasting enough as a record but Sandy did sing really well on the Buddy Holly songs.” Hutchings used the musicians on No Roses and Morris On as the basis for his band the Albion Band, which continues to this day. Simon Nicol and Dave Mattacks both quit Fairport to join the Albion Band, though Mattacks soon returned. Nicol would not return to Fairport for several years, though, and for a long period in the mid-seventies Fairport Convention had no original members. Unfortunately, while Collins was involved in the Albion Band early on, she and Hutchings ended up divorcing, and the stress from the divorce led to Collins developing spasmodic dysphonia, a stress-related illness which makes it impossible for the sufferer to sing. She did eventually regain her vocal ability, but between 1978 and 2016 she was unable to perform at all, and lost decades of her career. Richard Thompson occasionally performed with the Albion Band early on, but he was getting stretched a little thin with all these sessions. Linda Peters said later of him “When I came back from America, he was working in Sandy’s band, and doing sessions by the score. Always with Pat Donaldson and Dave Mattacks. Richard would turn up with his guitar, one day he went along to do a session with one of those folkie lady singers — and there were Pat and DM. They all cracked. Richard smashed his amp and said “Right! No more sessions!” In 1972 he got round to releasing his first solo album, Henry the Human Fly, which featured guest appearances by Linda Peters and Sandy Denny among others: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “The Angels Took My Racehorse Away”] Unfortunately, while that album has later become regarded as one of the classics of its genre, at the time it was absolutely slated by the music press. The review in Melody Maker, for example, read in part “Some of Richard Thompson’s ideas sound great – which is really the saving grace of this album, because most of the music doesn’t. The tragedy is that Thompson’s “British rock music” is such an unconvincing concoction… Even the songs that do integrate rock and traditional styles of electric guitar rhythms and accordion and fiddle decoration – and also include explicit, meaningful lyrics are marred by bottle-up vocals, uninspiring guitar phrases and a general lack of conviction in performance.” Henry the Human Fly was released in the US by Warners, who had a reciprocal licensing deal with Island (and for whom Joe Boyd was working at the time, which may have had something to do with that) but according to Thompson it became the lowest-selling record that Warners ever put out (though I’ve also seen that claim made about Van Dyke Parks’ Song Cycle, another album that has later been rediscovered). Thompson was hugely depressed by this reaction, and blamed his own singing. Happily, though, by this point he and Linda had become a couple — they would marry in 1972 — and they started playing folk clubs as a duo, or sometimes in a trio with Simon Nicol. Thompson was also playing with Sandy Denny’s backing band at this point, and played on every track on her second solo album, Sandy. This album was meant to be her big commercial breakthrough, with a glamorous cover photo by David Bailey, and with a more American sound, including steel guitar by Sneaky Pete Kleinow of the Flying Burrito Brothers (whose overdubs were supervised in LA by Joe Boyd): [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Tomorrow is a Long Time”] The album was given a big marketing push by Island, and “Listen, Listen” was made single of the week on the Radio 1 Breakfast show: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Listen, Listen”] But it did even worse than the previous album, sending her into something of a depression. Linda Thompson (as the former Linda Peters now was) said of this period “After the Sandy album, it got her down that her popularity didn't suddenly increase in leaps and bounds, and that was the start of her really fretting about the way her career was going. Things only escalated after that. People like me or Martin Carthy or Norma Waterson would think, ‘What are you on about? This is folk music.'” After Sandy’s release, Denny realised she could no longer afford to tour with a band, and so went back to performing just acoustically or on piano. The only new music to be released by either of these ex-members of Fairport Convention in 1973 was, oddly, on an album by the band they were no longer members of. After Thompson had left Fairport, the group had managed to release two whole albums with the same lineup — Swarbrick, Nicol, Pegg, and Mattacks. But then Nicol and Mattacks had both quit the band to join the Albion Band with their former bandmate Ashley Hutchings, leading to a situation where the Albion Band had two original members of Fairport plus their longtime drummer while Fairport Convention itself had no original members and was down to just Swarbrick and Pegg. Needing to fulfil their contracts, they then recruited three former members of Fotheringay — Lucas on vocals and rhythm guitar, Donahue on lead guitar, and Conway on drums. Conway was only a session player at the time, and Mattacks soon returned to the band, but Lucas and Donahue became full-time members. This new lineup of Fairport Convention released two albums in 1973, widely regarded as the group’s most inconsistent records, and on the title track of the first, “Rosie”, Richard Thompson guested on guitar, with Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson on backing vocals: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Rosie”] Neither Sandy Denny nor Richard Thompson released a record themselves in 1973, but in neither case was this through the artists’ choice. The record industry was changing in the early 1970s, as we’ll see in later episodes, and was less inclined to throw good money after bad in the pursuit of art. Island Records prided itself on being a home for great artists, but it was still a business, and needed to make money. We’ll talk about the OPEC oil crisis and its effect on the music industry much more when the podcast gets to 1973, but in brief, the production of oil by the US peaked in 1970 and started to decrease, leading to them importing more and more oil from the Middle East. As a result of this, oil prices rose slowly between 1971 and 1973, then very quickly towards the end of 1973 as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict that year. As vinyl is made of oil, suddenly producing records became much more expensive, and in this period a lot of labels decided not to release already-completed albums, until what they hoped would be a brief period of shortages passed. Both Denny and Thompson recorded albums at this point that got put to one side by Island. In the case of Thompson, it was the first album by Richard and Linda as a duo, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”] Today, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, and as one of the two masterpieces that bookended Richard and Linda’s career as a duo and their marriage. But when they recorded the album, full of Richard’s dark songs, it was the opposite of commercial. Even a song that’s more or less a boy-girl song, like “Has He Got a Friend for Me?” has lyrics like “He wouldn’t notice me passing by/I could be in the gutter, or dangling down from a tree” [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “Has He got a Friend For Me?”] While something like “The Calvary Cross” is oblique and haunted, and seems to cast a pall over the entire album: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “The Calvary Cross”] The album itself had been cheap to make — it had been recorded in only a week, with Thompson bringing in musicians he knew well and had worked with a lot previously to cut the tracks as-live in only a handful of takes — but Island didn’t think it was worth releasing. The record stayed on the shelf for nearly a year after recording, until Island got a new head of A&R, Richard Williams. Williams said of the album’s release “Muff Winwood had been doing A&R, but he was more interested in production… I had a conversation with Muff as soon as I got there, and he said there are a few hangovers, some outstanding problems. And one of them was Richard Thompson. He said there’s this album we gave him the money to make — which was I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight — and nobody’s very interested in it. Henry the Human Fly had been a bit of a commercial disappointment, and although Island was altruistic and independent and known for only recording good stuff, success was important… Either a record had to do well or somebody had to believe in it a lot. And it seemed as if neither of those things were true at that point of Richard.” Williams, though, was hugely impressed when he listened to the album. He compared Richard Thompson’s guitar playing to John Coltrane’s sax, and called Thompson “the folk poet of the rainy streets”, but also said “Linda brightened it, made it more commercial. and I thought that “Bright Lights” itself seemed a really commercial song.” The rest of the management at Island got caught up in Williams’ enthusiasm, and even decided to release the title track as a single: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”] Neither single nor album charted — indeed it would not be until 1991 that Richard Thompson would make a record that made the top forty in the UK — but the album got enough critical respect that Richard and Linda released two albums the year after. The first of these, Hokey Pokey, is a much more upbeat record than their previous one — Richard Thompson has called it “quite a music-hall influenced record” and cited the influence of George Formby and Harry Lauder. For once, the claim of music hall influence is audible in the music. Usually when a British musician is claimed to have a music ha

The Exodus Way E10 — The Exodus story was core to the identity of ancient Israel. Inspired by the prophet Isaiah's words, 1st-century Israelites were awaiting a new exodus, where a new Moses-like figure would deliver them from Roman oppression. The gospels present Jesus as that figure, who saves people from sickness, hunger, spiritual oppression, and even death itself. And following Jesus' resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the early Jesus movement became known as “The Way,” carrying a message of salvation for all nations. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore how the new exodus people in the book of Acts embody the prophet Isaiah's vision.CHAPTERSRecap and Acts as an “Isaianic” New Exodus (0:00-9:44)Isaiah's New Exodus Language in Luke-Acts (9:44-26:18)Exodus and Acts' Shared Theme of the Victorious Creator God (26:18-35:03)A New Exodus for All Nations (35:03-45:24)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESActs and the Isaianic New Exodus by David W. PaoYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Nimbus” by Toonorth“Silk” by El Train“Wistful” by ToonorthBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.