The Wight family has a long history of serving the church, and Estella Wight was no exception.  A prolific author who got her start by submitting a story to Marietta Walker at a young age, and then going on to work for Herald Publishing for many years, Estella filled the minds and hearts of the…

No one in their right mind would sign up to go it alone on the frontier … raising a family, tending a farm, and everything else that goes with it.  Well, no one except the women who were part of the early Reorganization. Women whose husbands served as missionaries and were gone for long periods…

We don’t have to look too closely to find things in our past that may have been progressive at the time, but are considered embarrassing by many in today’s context. In those cases, we must ask, “Face it or erase it?” In this episode of Cuppa Joe, host Robin Linkhart talks with Lach Mackay about…

How is it that someone with so much influence on the church has gotten so little attention? Join host Karin Peter for an insightful discussion on the life and legacy of William Marks, a prominent figure in Mormon history. Historians John Dinger and Cheryl Bruno share their in-depth research and upcoming book release, shedding light…

Physical places have always played an important role in preserving history. Much more important for a church called to Christ’s mission is how we integrate it into our lives, learn from it, and carry it forward by becoming the storytellers that keep it alive. In this episode of Cuppa Joe, Apostle Lach Mackay (also Director…

You don’t have to be a church leader to make church history. Bertha Greer made her mark by using her gifts and vocation as a doctor to serve the church.  In this fascinating conversation with host Karin Peter, historian and cemetery enthusiast, Wendy Eaton, explores not only Bertha’s life and contributions but many of her…

We’ve all heard it before … there’s no sense in re-creating the wheel.  All we have to do is make a couple of adjustments.  Not everyone rides a bike after all.  We need wheels adapted for cars, trains, wagons, etc. You get the idea! In this episode of Cuppa Joe, Robin Linkhart and Karin Peter…

Fred M. is most often associated with the briefly held church policy known as Supreme Directional Control, but there’s more to Fred than a single policy.  In her recent lecture for the Historic Sites Foundation, Christin Mackay takes a look at Fred’s more personal side by sharing stories and anecdotes from his family’s time in…

It’s never too early or too late to stand up for what’s right… or to stand against what’s wrong. Though it took revelation from Wallace B. Smith to make the necessary change, women, and their advocates, started fighting for equality in the church for many years before that revelation arrived. Thanks to the work of…

Long before the ordination of women in Community of Christ, women were leading and contributing to the church in critical ways. Take the Sunday School Association and development of study curriculum for children, youth and young adults for instance.  Did you know that two of the major players in that development were un-ordained women?  And…