The Cricket and Seagull Fireside Chat

Can you fill in the blanks? LDS Singer/songwriter Cherie Call looks and sounds like she was born holding a guitar, so it's surprising she didn't even learn to play it until ____. Her best-known song was written about a ride on an ____, and one of her personal favorites was inspired by her husband's discovery that, among other things, Heavenly Father is really good at being a ____ _____. You can find all of that and more in this interview with the delightful Cherie Call. With this album she inaugurates the new "Most Requested" series from Deseret Book, plus she grabs a guitar and gives us an exclusive in-studio preview of two new songs from her upcoming CD "Grace," slated for a Fall release. It's all great musical and storytelling fun. That's this week on the Cricket and Seagull...

Online and satellite radio are coming of age as people around the globe are figuring out how to listen and discovering what’s available. Now Mormon Channel makes its debut as the new radio service from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this edition Program Manager Rob Boshard talks about the beginnings of the new station, how content is developed, how the church station is different from commercial radio, and the various ways you can listen—both now, and in the future. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

I'm sure I can't be only one who has ever wished for just one day in the City of Enoch, or in any of the other short-lived Zion societies we find in the scriptures, but if Zion is really a state of the heart, of a relationship, or even of a society, then I can "dwell in Zion" anytime and anywhere I am ready to open my heart and let it in. In his ground-breaking new 5-book series, "The Three Pillars of Zion," Larry Barkdull walks us through years of study and personal searching, resulting in one of the most definitive and useful books ever wr itten on the subject. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Have you ever heard the "Bullet-Proof Washington" story? Known about the spiritual epiphany of young John Adams? If not, you're not alone -- they're omitted from nearly all school texts today even though they once were common knowledge. If you've missed out on those stories, like I had, if you've wondered where the idea of "separation of church and state" came from, or wondered what the writers of the Declaration of Independence really meant when they speak of "the God of Nature," then you'll enjoy this interview with lawyer and educator Grant Beckwith. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

The Mormon Miracle Pageant takes place on a temple hill chosen by prophecy, and the yearly gathering of thousands on those grounds was foreseen by a former temple president more than a decade before the presentation was conceived. It's an old-style pageant with touches of melodrama in the script and hints of Cecil B. de Mille in the music and mass movement, all performed by a cast of nearly a thousand which can completely fill the dramatic hillside stage. Join Manti, Utah, native and pageant President Doug Barton for behind-the-scenes information and the spiritual history of The Mormon Miracle pageant, which plays to over 90,000 viewers each June. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In her 30 plus years at the LDS Church History Library, Christine Cox has had the chance to explore not only the most famous items in the collection, but also to learn about her own family's history and even to contribute some history of her own. With the public open house for the new building coming up on June 12th and 13th, Christine describes the history of the Church's record-keeping, what you'll see when you visit, the wide variety of resources soon to be available to professional researcher and layman alike, and why history is about connecting with the people, not just the facts. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

While it's no secret that nearly every couple has some degree of difficulty and adjustment in their marriage relationship, the solutions to those challenges often seem elusive and out of reach.  Drawing on their expertise as a marriage counselor and as marriage workshop leaders, Gary and Joy Lundberg reveal what they call "fourteen secrets every spouse should know to keep marriage joyful, passionate, and fulfilling. Covering everything from finances and parenting to communication and intimacy, the Lundbergs address the differing needs of men and women with sensitive, real istic, and easy-to-understand examples that can increase the likelihood of making any marriage a Love That Lasts. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

He started out on Banjo and has worked his way through all kinds of stringed instruments--including the bass he plays on tour with Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band, but Ryan Tilby feels he's found a new kind of voice in the acoustic guitar. On "Guitar Hymns," his new CD of reverent hymn solos, he combines arrangements begun as a missionary in Madrid, Spain, on a hand-made classical guitar (you can hear that guitar on this CD), with more recent interpretations. It's as simple and basic as can be--meaning no overdubs--just like Ryan Tilby walked into your home, sat down, and played a lit tle personal concert for you. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull..

Most parents agree that "Why?" is one of the first and most-asked questions by their children and while there are times when "Because the Lord said so" really is the reason, there is power when we can also supply a "Why." From their years of teaching youth and young adults in the church, authors and EFY speakers John Hilton III and Anthony Sweat have compiled many of the most important answers for LDS youth 12-18 into one book.  With quotes from Church leaders, real-life stories, and colorful graphics, this is a book you can read even a bite-sized chunk at a time and still get great answers to the "Why" of dating, friends, media, commandments, fasting, etc. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

For most members of the LDS church, David Hyrum Smith, the youngest of Joseph and Emma Smith's children—born after Joseph's martyrdom—is an unknown. Given by nature to painting and poetry, he was in some ways the most unprepared of the Smith children for the eventual tug-of-war between various Mormon factions hoping to claim the Smith legacy in the years after the main body of the saints moved West. In "The Fading Flower," his new work for the stage premiering this month, Latter-day Saint playwright Mahonri Stewart explores a fascinating part of the Smith family history during the time of David's courtship and Emma's struggles to protect and hold together her maturing family. Mahonri and actress Kathryn Laycock Little, who plays Emma Smith, talk about the play, the characters, and share excerpts recorded during rehearsal. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Does anything hurt more than seeing the child you love and have taught making choices you know will bring them spiritual pain? If your child has gone astray, perhaps there is some comfort in knowing you are not alone! In fact, you are in good company. Some of the best parents who have ever lived have struggled with wayward children. Author Larry Barkdull talks about the unique conditions that affect latter-day parenting and shares the gospel tools that that infuse parents with spiritual power, and gives hope to all those whose loved ones have wandered. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Whether it's dinnertime, dealing with arguments, chores, having "the talk," or any other part of family life, every mother has discovered a few little secrets—ways of doing things that make everything a little smoother, more enjoyable, or even possible! World-renowned family expert Linda Eyre is joined by her daughter Shawni Eyre Pothier, herself a mother of 5, to share those little bits of wisdom and know-how that can transform a moment, a day, even the life of a family. In "A Mother's Book of Secrets," readers will find these useful nuggets organized into bite-sized pieces under 5 main headings. Plus, there's even a way you can share your own "secrets" and add to the wisdom of the world of mothering. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Maria Covey Cole had always hoped to be a mother, even when she was earning degrees and teaching on the University level; so why, when this dream came true, did she find herself feeling bored, isolated, and unsatisfied? With compassion born of experience, Maria shares her inspiring journey to finding contentment in one of the most challenging and rewarding roles on earth. From entrusting yourself to God's care to shunning comparison and finally allowing your very nature to be changed through the Grace of Christ, she assures mothers everywhere that it's okay to feel how you feel and that the journey to contentment is not one you have to travel alone. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

From the opening shout of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on "Saints Bound for Heaven" you can hear the millennial fervor and frontier optimism of 19th century America leaping right out of this marvelous collection of time-tested hymns, as well as the hopeful harmony of the spirituals which comforted a people waiting for deliverance— including the heartbreaking beautiful "I Want Jesus to Walk With Me," featuring soloist Alex Boyé. Sharing highlights from a pipe-and-drums "Amazing Grace" to the new signature tune in their repertoire, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," Tabernacle Choir Music Director Dr. Mack Wilberg, talks about what defines a folk hymn, choosing these particular pieces, and why they resonate with us still today. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In a world which isn't even sure anymore how to define words like "marriage" and "family," here come the Scripture Scouts celebrating the biggest, most basic concepts in the entire universe with songs both sweet and silly. Scripture Scout writers Roger and Melanie Hoffman, Marvin Payne, and Steven Kapp Perry (plus Boo the Dog) share stories and songs from this new sing-along CD, which takes 29 songs from the "Family Proclamation" edition of the Scripture Scouts series and creates a joyful musical journey through our Father's plan of happiness with the most important people in the world -- our families! That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...