The Cricket and Seagull Fireside Chat

It's been years in the making, but Dawn Pheysey, Curator of Religious Art for the BYU Museum of Art, can still hardly believe they are all displayed here together for the first time in history; five of the eight huge Carl Bloch masterpieces which have graced churches across Denmark and Sweden for over a hundred years. In this walk-through of the exhibit we'll hear the history of the pieces, learn about the other Bloch paintings and etchings in the show which have been beloved by Latter-day Saints for half a century, and try to answer the question Danish priests have asked for years, "What is it the Utah Mormons see in these paintings?"   That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

If you've ever had a New Year's Eve where all you wanted to do was warm up some enchiladas for dinner and then go to bed, then you can relate to Beth, the protagonist of "Promise Me."  After a year when tragedy seems to have moved in as a permanent companion, an unusual meeting at a 7-Eleven starts a whole new relationship that will change everything in her life and present her with a choice she never could have imagined. With 16 books in a row on the New York Times Best Seller lists, you could either play it safe and stick to a formula, or you could do what author Richard Paul Evans has done and take the risk of giving your readers something new and unexpected.  The fact that "Promise Me" is currently number four on the Best-seller list seems to show it was a risk worth taking. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Singer and entertainer Alex Boyé takes you back to your childhood (if you're old enough to remember music on vinyl) with crooner-style Christmas standards, plus puts his own stamp on "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and the original title track. You'll love his smooth take on holiday favorites like "Christmas Time is Here" from the Charlie Brown Christmas special and the interview features the added bonus of Christmas remembrances and testimonies, including a remarkable "Christmas of Two-Hundred Haircuts." That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In this interview, recorded in Jerusalem, Asher Ashkenazi talks about the country he loves, why he became a tour guide, and why he thinks it's important for people of all faiths to visit the Holy Land. You'll discover right away why most LDS groups he works with quickly name themselves "The Tribe of Asher" as they come to love Israel, and you might be surprised to hear him quote Nephi and Orson Hyde about the fulfillment of prophecy that has gathered a people and made the desert "blossom as a rose."  Plus if you live in Utah, jot down the details of how you can meet Asher in person this coming January at the annual Travel Expo. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

You've got a choir, you've got an orchestra, you've got inspiring live speakers and film segments to touch any feeling heart; sounds like a celebration, and it is!  Shipley Munson, the Global Marketing Director for the LDS Church's Family History Department, shares stories from this new DVD and how it can be used in many different settings. In addition, I hope you'll listen to his final comments on the 5 main reasons people of all faiths get involved in family history research; what do you think they are? That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Blair Van Dyke, one of the authors of "Holy Lands," shares some of the inspiring events and key moments in the amazing, but mostly unknown history of the church in the lands at the center of human and religious history. From dedicatory prayers to missionaries sent across the miles to reach a single person, we just begin to scratch the surface of the stories which show the hand of the Lord moving powerfully in modern times in these ancient places still so relevant to our lives today, and to the future of the whole human race. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

This fourth in a series of moving, meditative hymns by violinist April Moriarty and pianist Todd McCabe completes the arc of the Savior's life begun with their previous albums "Bethlehem," "Galilee," and "Calvary." Todd & April talk about their hymn choices, why they feel this "Gethsemane" is hopeful, rather than sorrowful, and about the amazing gift of communicating through instrumental music in general. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In this 8th annual Book of Mormon Lands Conference in Salt Lake City, to be held Saturday, Oct 23, 2010, scholars and researchers will discuss topics from DNA, the "Heartland Model" vs. the "Mesoamerica Model," and comparisons between the Olmecs and the Jaredites. See the full day's schedule online at BMAF.org and listen to hear Dr. Stephen Carr discuss the various presentations and the presenters, including keynote speaker Richard Bushman on "The Gold Plates in Mormon thought and Culture," and DNA expert Ugo Perego. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Their live performances and previous recordings have made them best know for their dancing and boy-band harmonies, but Abe, Justin, Bret, and Dave--the guys of Jericho Road--have always felt there was a missing album in their discography; a collection of hymns. With "Day of Rest," you'll hear more solo pieces than usual, learn how a college performing group set them on their current path as a group, find out who has the best/worst golf swing, and most importantly, discover why every song chosen for this new CD is a testimony of Jesus. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

John Yves Bizimana may have been one of thousands who graduated from BYU this year, but his story of survival through genocide in Rwanda, through refugee camps and orphanages in Zaire and Zimbabwe, adoption to Belgium, and finally fulfilling his dream of going to the US, is unquestionably unique. Even through the unthinkable extremes of violence and loss of his parents, John Bizimana's story is one to inspire readers to trust the all-knowing love of God, even through discouragement and apparent loss of dreams, to work for the good of each of his children. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

We know you couldn't all just hop in the car and head over to the recent Sam Payne/Cherie Call concert, so we decided to record it live and bring you some excerpts of the stories and songs, no matter where you live! While they've recorded and performed on their own to great success through the years, there is a little extra something good in this concert where instead of trading off numbers, they played and sang together on nearly every song.  Take a listen, you'll be glad you did. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Written from real-life experience both painful and joyful, this new book by husband and wife writing team Colleen and Phil Harrison fills a gaping need as a resource for spouses and other loved ones of those dealing with sexual addiction.  In a frank and conversational style, the authors write together and then separately from their differing perspectives as man and woman, husband and wife, addict and spouse. In chapters ranging from "What Is Addiction" and "I Didn't Ask for This!" to "Rebuilding," spouses will find spiritual advice on how to turn to the only one who can heal their hearts, how not to take on responsibility that isn't theirs, and how to know if the addict is moving forward in recovery.  It's a book full of hope for those who may be feeling both helpless and hopeless. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

It only launched in November of 2008, but yourLDSradio.com has been shooting up the ratings charts for online stations since the day it went live, including reaching it's one-millionth stream.  And that's not the only surprising thing about the station; the Lord must move in mysterious ways--that's the only way production manager David Dalley can explain how a choral conducting degree, a stint as a producer for Glenn Beck, and a case of ADD all coalesced into the perfect job for him behind the scenes at yourLDSradio.com That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Ever wondered how St. George, Utah, got its name?  Heard the story of the "stumpy steeple" and wondered if Brother Brigham really used lightning to get his way?  And just how did they use a cannon of mysterious origin to help build the temple? You'll get the scoop on all of these stories and more, including a remarkable vision of the US founding fathers and a revelation on tithing, from historian, author, storyteller, and former Dixie College president Doug Alder. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

While he's sung everything from boy band to musical theater and pop since he first became the lead singer of The Osmond Boys at age four, this is David Osmond's first inspirational album release.  And what's more, it's full of contemporary Christian songs he's co-written from his own life experience. In this interview you'll hear the background of the songs, some of the hymns from the 5-song bonus CD included in the new release, and some lessons learned from a difficult period after a diagnosis of MS seemed like it would sideline his musical plans. Plus, there's a cameo vocal appearance on one of the tracks by David's father, Alan, on a remake of a favorite Osmond song David grew up hearing. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...