What does it really mean when scripture says that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever?

In this throwback solo episode, Megan Farner explores one of the most misunderstood phrases in scripture and challenges the common assumption that "the same" means "unchanging." Drawing from the King Follett Discourse, Lectures on Faith, the Book of Mormon, and broader spiritual principles, she examines how God's consistency may be rooted in perfect obedience to eternal law rather than the absence of growth or progression.

Topics include:

The true nature and character of God
Joseph Smith's teachings on eternal progression
The King Follett Discourse
Faith as a principle of power
The doctrine of Christ and spiritual transformation
Eternal laws, agency, miracles, and divine potential
What it means to become more like God
If you've ever wrestled with questions about God's nature, eternal progression, or the relationship between faith and spiritual growth, this episode offers a thought-provoking perspective.

Subscribe for more conversations on scripture, spiritual development, temple symbolism, and the path of discipleship.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:15 What Does "God Is the Same" Mean?
02:04 Why Understanding God's Nature Matters
06:00 The Problem with "Unchanging" Interpretations
07:05 Joseph Smith on God's Progression
10:47 God and Eternal Law
13:53 The Law of Gender & Divine Partnership
15:31 Polarity, Opposition, and Creation
19:25 Symbolism and the Law of Correspondence
21:59 Thoughts, Agency, and the Law of Attraction
24:40 Faith as a Principle of Power
27:27 Cause and Effect: The Law of the Harvest
29:01 Rhythm, Cycles, and the Doctrine of Christ
29:59 Consecration and the Law of Abundance
31:36 Oneness, Zion, and Atonement
33:03 Scriptural Evidence for God's Consistency
38:25 God as a God of Miracles
43:00 Faith, Repentance, and Spiritual Alignment
44:47 No Variableness, Neither Shadow of Changing
47:42 The Counterfeits of Eternal Law
55:51 Learning to Become Like God
58:16 Divine Potential and Co-Equality with God
01:00:28 Temple Covenants and Eternal Laws
01:01:24 Final Thoughts

If you feel called to better understand and embody your divine femininity, consider if our next cohort of Return to the Garden is for you! We gather starting September 28th.

Hidden Wisdom initiates truth-seekers into the Mysteries, guiding listeners toward a lived experience of the Divine that awakens and transforms faith—without dismantling family or community.

Pursue your Journey:
✨ Hidden Wisdom App – Join for FREE and enjoy pathway programs, community, expansive library, and more!
🌱 Return to the Garden, + the Priestess Path Programs
🪷 Connect with Meghan

Was Joseph Smith restoring more than early Christianity? In this episode, Maxine Hanks explores Mormonism as a wisdom tradition—one rooted in revelation, spiritual vision, Sophia wisdom, apocryphal texts, and direct connection with the divine.

Together, Meghan and Maxine discuss Gnostic Christianity, the role of women in early Christianity and early Mormonism, Joseph Smith’s engagement with wisdom literature, the First Vision as a wisdom-seeking event, and why many of the truths people search for outside Mormonism may already exist within the Restoration.

If you're interested in Mormon mysticism, esoteric Christianity, Sophia, Mary Magdalene, continuing revelation, and the deeper dimensions of the Restoration, this conversation offers a compelling framework for reexamining LDS origins.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro & Pentecost Themes
02:40 Why Maxine Calls Mormonism a Wisdom Tradition
08:30 Early Christianity & LDS Restoration Parallels
18:00 Women, Priesthood & the Elect Lady
27:00 What Is a Wisdom Tradition?
37:00 Vision Traditions, Mysticism & Revelation
48:00 Esoteric vs. Exoteric Religion
58:00 Apocrypha, Wisdom Literature & Sacred Texts
1:08:00 Joseph Smith, Wisdom of Solomon & the First Vision
1:16:00 Nested Levels of Spiritual Truth
1:20:00 Gnostic Themes in Mormon Theology
1:28:00 Hugh Nibley & Rediscovering Ancient Wisdom

Maxine Hanks is a Mormon theologian, historian, author, and researcher known for her work on women in Mormonism, early Christianity, mysticism, Gnostic traditions, and Mormon theology. Her scholarship frequently explores the intersections of restoration theology, spiritual experience, the divine feminine, and religious history.

Links Mentioned

• Hidden Wisdom App
• Wayfair Festival (Faith Matters) - July 11th, Heber UT
• The Way of Healing: Restoring Wholeness to the Soul

If you feel called to better understand and embody your divine femininity, consider if our next cohort of Return to the Garden is for you! We gather starting September 28th.

Hidden Wisdom initiates truth-seekers into the Mysteries, guiding listeners toward a lived experience of the Divine that awakens and transforms faith—without dismantling family or community.

Pursue your Journey:
✨ Hidden Wisdom App – Join for FREE and enjoy pathway programs, community, expansive library, and more!
🌱 Return to the Garden, + the Priestess Path Programs
🪷 Connect with Meghan

What if a faith crisis isn’t the end of belief — but the beginning of spiritual transformation?

In this profound conversation, Megan Farner sits down with Tucker Boyle, founder of Harmony Road Retreats and former LDS Seminary teacher, to explore faith deconstruction, nervous system regulation, meditation, spiritual awakening, and the deeper path of inner harmony. Tucker shares his deeply personal story of questioning long-held beliefs while pursuing a PhD focused on Joseph Smith, and how that painful process ultimately opened the door to spiritual rebirth, embodied faith, and direct experiences with God.

00:00 – Introduction
02:23 – Tucker's Faith Journey
09:49 – Mystical experiences, divine love & inner peace
12:00 – Meditation, harmony & healing
13:10 – Why faith crises can become spiritual rebirths
15:04 – Fear, doubt, and inherited religious conditioning
17:38 – Stages of faith
20:10 – Suffering, transformation & the gift inside discomfort
22:50 – “Christ at the edge of the map”
25:47 – Triggers, repentance & emotional healing
28:06 – How to navigate a faith crisis in a healthy way
32:00 – The Nervous System's Role in Faith Expansion
41:11 – Panic attacks, conditioning & Internal Family Systems (IFS)
44:17 – “You are not your thoughts” and witnessing consciousness
46:31 – Meditation & grounding practices for nervous system regulation
51:05 – Guided embodiment exercise for processing emotional triggers
55:53 – Healing through awareness, curiosity & surrender
58:05 – Descending before ascending: spiritual death and rebirth
01:00:34 – Final reflections

Tucker Boyle is a former LDS Seminary and Institute teacher with more than two decades of experience teaching Christian scripture and supporting spiritual development. He is the founder of Harmony Road Retreats, a nonprofit organization that creates compassionate spaces for individuals navigating faith shifts, spiritual awakening, and personal transformation. Through meditation, retreat experiences, nervous system regulation practices, and community dialogue, Tucker helps people move through faith crisis toward greater inner harmony, spiritual maturity, and embodied connection with God. He lives in Utah with his wife Katie and their five children.

• Harmony Road Retreats: https://harmonyroadretreats.com

Resources & References

• Thomas McConkie — Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis
• David Ostler — Bridges
• Eckhart Tolle — The Power of Now
• Richard Schwartz — No Bad Parts
• Richard Schwartz — You Are the One You’ve Been Waiting For
• All Together You (Christian IFS resource mentioned in discussion)

If you feel called to better understand and embody your divine femininity, consider if our next cohort of Return to the Garden is for you! We gather starting September 28th.

Hidden Wisdom initiates truth-seekers into the Mysteries, guiding listeners toward a lived experience of the Divine that awakens and transforms faith—without dismantling family or community.

Pursue your Journey:
✨ Hidden Wisdom App – Join for FREE and enjoy pathway programs, community, expansive library, and more!
🌱 Return to the Garden, + the Priestess Path Programs
🪷 Connect with Meghan