Faith-based Earth stewardship in Utah may be undergoing a transition. The last few decades have been spent focusing on asking what our tradition has to say about how we can make it through the growing climate crisis. We have collected a robust foundation of statements from Church leaders and Scriptures on caring for the Earth. We have found leaders and created great content that reconnects us to the Earth and inspires us to live more simply. But is it enough? What do we do next? What do we build on this foundation?

Anna Thurston, a researcher from Yale University and a juggernaut in the field of interfaith work, chats with Madison about the past, present, and future of LDS Earth-centered activism. Madison airs some frustrations and observations he has made over the last three years working directly with Faith Communities. They are timid, slow-moving, far-sighted, and often don’t think big enough. Anna is able to bring much wisdom, nuance, and grounding to see the value of small steps but provides some direction for where we ought to go in the future.

Links:
LDS Earth Stewardship Resource Library
Adam S Miller on Bristlecone Firesides
Worldy Wonder by Mary Evelyn Tucker
Project Noah Religious Divestment
Yale’s Spotlight Podcast

Madison

Madison

Equal parts hippie-mystic, gastronomist, and comic-book nerd, Madison is not your average Mormon. By day he works to protect Utah's wildlands with Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. And by night he cooks, reads, and otherwise lives a pretty normal life. Madison takes great pride in being his niece’s and nephew’s favorite uncle, his three sister’s favorite brother, and his parent's favorite son (he has no brothers to compete with).