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Going through a faith crisis can be a lonely and isolating experience, especially in a believing family, so imagine the relief to find someone else is going through the same thing! Join John & Margi as they interview Chris Lee and Mitch Hadfield about their Mormon Story, their struggles with the faith, their relief to find understanding, support & solidarity with each other, and where their lives are now. In Part 2 of 2, Chris and Mitch explain the sources of their individual faith crises and how they processed it. Chris’ was a slow burn with a long amount of time spent in progressive Mormonism, while Mitch went from fairly conservative to a nonbeliever overnight. They explain the results of sharing their faith loss with each other, their wives, and other believing family members and where Chris and Mitch find themselves today.  Chris Lee: Facebook Instagram Tiktok Episode Show Notes Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: O

Going through a faith crisis can be a lonely and isolating experience, especially in a believing family, so imagine the relief to find someone else is going through the same thing! Join John & Margi as they interview Chris Lee and Mitch Hadfield about their Mormon Story, their struggles with the faith, their relief to find understanding, support & solidarity with each other, and where their lives are now. In Part 1 of 2, Chris and Mitch tell their respective stories growing up in Mormon families and share their individual struggles serving missions for the Church. Chris struggles deeply with depression and anxiety resulting in going home early though at the cost of guilt that will last for years. Mitch experiences shame over “unrepented sins,” difficulties of the mission, and deals with suicidal ideation, though his does finish the full two-year term. Chris Lee: Facebook Instagram Tiktok Episode Show Notes   Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by b

Mike and John discuss the timeline and cultural context surrounding Joseph Smith at the time he claims to receive the revelation on polygamy which became canonized and is still considered scripture for many modern Mormon branches, some who still practice it today, and even ones who don't, like the largest Mormon branch headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. LDS Discussion Essay on Polygamy Episode Show Notes   LDS Discussions 6-Part Series on Polygamy: Part 2: D&C 132 – Joseph Smith’s Polygamy “Revelation” - 25 Part 3: Joseph Smith’s Plural Marriage Proposals Pt 1 – 26 Part 4: Joseph Smith’s Plural Marriage Proposals Pt 2 – 27 Part 5: The Happiness Letter (Joseph Smith’s Proposition to Nancy Rigdon) – 28 Part 6: Polygamy Apologetics, Spiritual Wifery, etc – 29 _________________________ LDS Discussions is made possible by generous donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon Pick “Mormon Stories” a

Content Warning: Mention of sexual acts, suicide, & suicidal ideation Join us for a very special episode & guest, Daniel Spencer (@DanBamBam on Social Media) to share his heartwarming story with us. From growing up as a closeted gay Mormon teenager in a country where being gay isn't just illegal, but dangerous, to his mission experiences and discovering his talent not just for comedy but for starting important conversations at BYU and beyond! Daniel Spencer (@DanBanBam) TikTok: @danbanbam Dry Bar Special: Accents Make You Hotter. Daniel Spencer Insta: @danbanbam Trigger Warning: Suicides & Suicidal Ideation In this part 2 of 2, Daniel returns to share what the remainder of his mission was like, his studies at BYU, dealing with his homosexuality, learning more about the Church's history and truth claims, and his attempts to learn to speak his truth out loud after decades of hiding who he was. Daniel attempts to use social media to bring attention to important issues as well as give people a chanc

Content Warning: Mention of sexual acts, suicide, & suicidal ideation Join us for a very special episode & guest, Daniel Spencer (@DanBamBam on Social Media) to share his heartwarming story with us. From growing up as a closeted gay Mormon teenager in a country where being gay isn't just illegal, but dangerous, to his mission experiences and discovering his talent not just for comedy but for starting important conversations at BYU and beyond! Daniel Spencer (@DanBanBam) TikTok: @danbanbam Dry Bar Special: Accents Make You Hotter. Daniel Spencer Insta: @danbanbam Content Warning: Mention of sexual acts In Part 1 of 2, Dan tells us about his Mormon upbringing in Zimbabwe, from how his parents met each other, ended up in Zimbabwe, and what may be different for Zimbabwean Latter-day Saints from the more common US & Utah-based stories. We learn what his teens were like, including sexual mores and education where Dan grew up and he shares his own experiences. We also learn when and how Dan began to ga

Description: Join us for our very first General Conference Panel of Discussion on Mormon Stories Podcast. John, Samantha, Gerardo, Nemo, and John’s dad, David will analyze a few statements made during the October 2022 Mormon General Conference. You can't miss this one! Official Channel for General Conference Guest Panelists: Samantha Shelly Samantha Shelley Coaching   Zelph on the Shelf Nemo the Mormon Nemo the Mormon YouTube Channel Episode Show Notes Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon Pick “Mormon Stories” as your charity on Amazon Smile or through the Amazon App  Our Platforms: Mormon Stories Blog Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com  Mormon Stories Podcast PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117  Social Media: Insta: @mormstories Tiktok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord --- Send in a voice message: http

Join Mike and John as they discuss Mormonism’s early connection with Masonry through Joseph Smith and the unique problems it creates for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to grapple with today. Covered topics include the timeline of Joseph becoming a Master Mason before introducing the similarly-themed rituals of the Temple Endowment Ceremony, why many members and apologists claim Masonry to be of ancient origin despite evidence to the contrary, the many parallels between the secret rituals of both organizations, and whether or the Temple Endowment involved false doctrines. LDS Discussions Essay on the Temple & Masonry  Episode Show Notes _________________________ LDS Discussions is made possible by generous donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon Pick “Mormon Stories” as your charity on Amazon Smile or through the Amazon App LDS Discussions Platforms: LDS Discussions We

Trigger Warning: Suicidal Ideation   Evan Smith rose through the ranks of Mormon leadership ultimately becoming a Stake Presidency member. While serving as an LDS Bishop, Evan struggled with the Church’s positions on LGBTQ+ issues and later found out that his son Weston was gay. Even after coming out, Weston decided to serve an LDS Mission as an openly gay man, leading him to high levels of depression and heartbreaking experiences during and after coming back early from his mission.   Evan became an advocate for LGBTQ people in the Church. His position as a Stake Presidency Counselor led him to a few confrontations/discussions with General Authorities and a later meeting at Church Headquarters where they discussed Evan’s progressive beliefs on LGBTQ matters.   In Part 3 of 3, Evan describes getting called as a Stake Counselor, his attempts to be an ally for LGBTQ individuals and his subsequent faith crisis. Evan has a few debates/confrontations with Area Seventy Elder McCune (higher than Stake Presidency i

Trigger Warning: Suicidal Ideation Evan Smith rose through the ranks of Mormon leadership ultimately becoming a Stake Presidency member. While serving as an LDS Bishop, Evan struggled with the Church’s positions on LGBTQ+ issues and later found out that his son Weston was gay. Even after coming out, Weston decided to serve an LDS Mission as an openly gay man, leading him to high levels of depression and heartbreaking experiences during and after coming back early from his mission.   Evan became an advocate for LGBTQ people in the Church. His position as a Stake Presidency Counselor led him to a few confrontations/discussions with General Authorities and a later meeting at Church Headquarters where they discussed Evan’s progressive beliefs on LGBTQ matters.   In Part 2 of 3, we start off where we left with Weston’s story growing up as a gay Mormon kid, discovering his sexuality, his suicidal ideation, and his decision to serve a mission as an “out” gay Mormon. Upon experiencing suicidality again on his miss

Evan Smith rose through the ranks of Mormon leadership ultimately becoming a Stake Presidency member. While serving as an LDS Bishop, Evan struggled with the Church’s positions on LGBTQ+ issues and later found out that his son Weston was gay. Even after coming out, Weston decided to serve an LDS Mission as an openly gay man, leading him to high levels of depression and heartbreaking experiences during and after coming back early from his mission. Evan became an advocate for LGBTQ people in the Church. His position as a Stake Presidency Counselor led him to a few confrontations/discussions with General Authorities and a later meeting at Church Headquarters where they discussed Evan’s progressive beliefs on LGBTQ matters. Join John and Gerardo as they interview Evan and his son Weston about their fascinating Mormon Story.  In Part 1 of 3, we learn of Evan’s relatively normal LDS (Mormon) upbringing in Utah, early testimony-building experiences, and troubling issues on his mission regarding difficult Church top

Join us for Part 2 of our discussion on Race and the Book of Mormon. Today Mike and John go over the various apologetics for the apparent racism in the Book of Mormon and early Church leaders, from denying those particular scriptures are literal, to saying “everyone was racist back then” and of course, breaking down the various problems each creates for a Church said to be built on the basis of revelation to modern prophets. 1663: Race and Mormon Scripture Pt 1 w/ LDS Discussions - 21 LDSdiscussions.com Essay on Race Episode Show Notes _________________________ LDS Discussions is made possible by generous donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon Pick “Mormon Stories” as your charity on Amazon Smile or through the Amazon App LDS Discussions Platforms: LDS Discussions Website LDS Discussions Playlist on YouTube Contact LDS Discussions: Twitter: @ldsdicussions Facebook: @ldsdiscussion Insta: @ldsdiscu

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of Sexual Assault, Rape, Child Abuse Tim Kosnoff is back to share an update about the Boy Scouts of America Bankruptcy Filing and urgent deadline at the end of 2022 for anyone in California who was abused by a Boy Scout Leader outside of official BSA activities to be able to join a class-action lawsuit before the window is closed forever. Anyone with questions or think this might apply to themselves or someone they love are encouraged to contact an attorney (ideally one with experience with child abuse claims) to learn more. Tim Kosnoff is a US attorney who has spent the last two decades representing victims of abuse and has graciously volunteered to talk with anyone who may have questions about this case. Contact info provided below. Free BSA Consult Hotline: 206-785-7326   Tim Kosnoff: https://kosnoff.com  https://twitter.com/SexAbuseAttys  Abused In Scouting Website     Recent Episodes: 1639: The Mormon Church Abuse Hot Line with Attorney Tim Kosnoff 1640: Boy Scout Abuse and t

Join Mike from LDSdiscussions.com and John as they discuss race and Mormon scripture. This is part 1 of a 2-part series. We are also grateful to have a few call-in guests for this episode. Today’s episode covers: Personal stories from black members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) of the racist things said to them and ways they were treated, and how psychologically harmful the racist doctrines have been for them The most problematic verses and teaching of past prophets from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that specifically highlight dark or black skin as a curse directly from God Context and proof showing the belief literally meant dark skin and was not an idiom or euphemism for anything else The early belief that the skin color of Indigenous North Americans could/did actually change to become lighter when converting to Mormonism and living more “righteously” The Book of Abraham as evidence of Joseph Smith’s racism, codifying racism into scripture for ALL black peo

Join us for Part 2 of our 2-part interview with pilot Greg Gerritsen Join us for Part 2 of our 2-part interview with pilot Greg Gerritsen - grandson of the late and much believed Mormon or LDS Church apostle Joseph B. Wirthlin. In this series, Greg shares with us more of his own journey in the Church including: Greg's mission experiences, many made more difficult by knowledge of his relationship with Elder Wirthlin What Greg learned at Weber that began affecting his testimony How often General Authorities miss out on family activities and events in service to the Church How the Church deals with aging apostles once they begin to lose lucidity How Greg lost his LDS testimony in spite of descending from the Mormon "elite," and what led him to want to tell his story. Also, Greg shares his opinion on whether his grandfather actually "saw" Jesus Christ as an LDS apostle. We hope you enjoy!!! Episode Show Notes   ===== Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors!   Help us continue to deliver quality content by bec

Join us for Part 1 of our 2-part interview with pilot Greg Gerritsen - grandson of the late and much believed Mormon or LDS Church apostle Joseph B. Wirthlin. In this series, Greg shares with us many fascinating stories about his experiences with his grandfather including: The tendency of LDS church members to overly worship General Authorities, along with the unhealthy obsession some Mormons have with "access" to General Authorities. The undying love Elder Wirthlin had for his wife (Elisa), his family, and for football. The extent to which nepotism, cronyism, and patronage play a part in the selection of LDS church General Authorities. The downsides/sacrifices of being an LDS church Apostle/General Authority. The existence of divisions and "cliques" in the LDS church quorum of the 12 Apostles. The unhealthy pressures and expectations put on the children and grandchildren of LDS General Authorities, that often lead to a familial emphasis on "public appearance" over healthy relationships. The "code" that exis

[TW] Abuse, suicide Carah B, John L, and John D go over the tropes and stereotypes of "hateful" ex-Mormons. Episode Show Notes ________ Donate to support John/Carah Show for Mormon Expressions Mormon Expressions Podcast on Spotify Nuancehoe/Carah Burrell’s Channel John Larsen’s Channel =====   Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors!   Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon Pick “Mormon Stories” as your charity on Amazon Smile or through the Amazon App    Our Platforms: Mormon Stories Blog Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts   Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com    Mormon Stories Podcast PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117   Social Media: Insta: @mormstories Tiktok: @mormstories Join the Discord   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mormonstories/message

John and Mike discuss the origins and influences around Joseph Smith and the Creation of the Word of Wisdom. Episode Show Notes =====   Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors!   Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon Pick “Mormon Stories” as your charity on Amazon Smile or through the Amazon App  Our Platforms: Mormon Stories Blog Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts   Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com    Mormon Stories Podcast PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117   Social Media: Insta: @mormstories Tiktok: @mormstories Join the Discord --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mormonstories/message

Patrick Mason returns to flip the script and put John under scrutiny! Patrick Q. Mason holds the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at USU. He has written or edited several books, including Proclaim Peace: The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict (Maxwell Institute and Deseret Book, 2021); Mormonism and Violence: The Battles of Zion (Cambridge University Press, 2019); What Is Mormonism? A Student's Introduction (Routledge, 2017); Out of Obscurity: Mormonism since 1945, co-edited with John Turner (Oxford University Press, 2016); Directions for Mormon Studies in the Twenty-First Century (University of Utah Press, 2016); and The Mormon Menace: Violence and Anti-Mormonism in the Postbellum South (Oxford University Press, 2011). He was a Fulbright Scholar in Romania in 2015 and is a past president of the Mormon History Association. Professor Mason is frequently consulted by the national and international media on stories related to Mormon culture and history. He teaches courses on Mormo

Join us today for part 2 of our interview with faithful Mormon scholar Dr. Patrick Mason. In part 2 John and Margi discuss with Patrick his approach to thoughtful, faithful Mormonism as a scholar of Mormon Studies. Patrick Q. Mason holds the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at USU. He has written or edited several books, including Proclaim Peace: The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict (Maxwell Institute and Deseret Book, 2021); Mormonism and Violence: The Battles of Zion (Cambridge University Press, 2019); What Is Mormonism? A Student's Introduction (Routledge, 2017); Out of Obscurity: Mormonism since 1945, co-edited with John Turner (Oxford University Press, 2016); Directions for Mormon Studies in the Twenty-First Century (University of Utah Press, 2016); and The Mormon Menace: Violence and Anti-Mormonism in the Postbellum South (Oxford University Press, 2011). He was a Fulbright Scholar in Romania in 2015 and is a past president of the Mormon History Association. Professor Ma

LDS Scholar, author & apologist, Patrick Mason, shares his (brief) Mormon Story, including his childhood & teenage years before serving a Mission in Seattle, Washington. Patrick studies history at BYU, then Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution at Notre Dame. Patrick explains how became nuanced and how he navigates difficult issues with the Mormon Church. He currently holds the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University. 1656-1658: A Scholarly Defense of Mormonism - Patrick Mason Patrick Mason Patrick Mason (@patrickqmason) / Twitter Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt  Proclaim Peace: The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict  Restoration: God’s Call to the 21st Century World  Patrick Mason’s other books ===== Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon Pick “Mormon Stories” as your charity on Amazon Smi