Church History

422-423: John Hamer on Returning to Mormonism Through the Community of Christ

June 14, 2013

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In today’s episode we interview John Hamer, who left Mormonism and religion/belief altogether with no intent to return (after graduating from BYU). We explore how John’s relationship with his partner, Mike, helped him to discover his love for Mormon history, the Mormon historians community, and the John Whitmer Historical Association. This path ultimately led John to become baptized in the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) on April 6, 2010 — the 150th anniversary of the Reorganization and the 180th anniversary of the organization of the church. How does an ex-Mormon who…

406-407: James McConkie: Family, Faith, Bruce R. McConkie, and the Historical Christ

March 15, 2013

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Jay Griffith and Sarah Collett (of A Thoughtful Faith Podcast) sit with James W. McConkie to speak with him about his personal history and family. As a nephew of Bruce R. McConkie and Joseph B. Wirthlin, Jim has a unique perspective of the Church and the brethren and a valuable approach to the Gospel. Speaking about his faith, parenting, and his views on the historical Christ, Jim explains his approach to doubt and difficult questions.

405: Brian Hales Pt. 4 – Reconciling Belief with Polygamy

March 14, 2013

In part 4 of a series on Joseph Smith’s polygamy, Brian Hales explains the foundations of his LDS beliefs, and how he maintains belief in the face of detailed knowledge regarding Joseph Smith’s polygamy.

403: Brian Hales Pt. 2 – 12 Myths Regarding Joseph Smith’s Polygamy

February 21, 2013

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In this episode Dr. Brian C. Hales discusses 12 myths regarding Joseph Smith’s practice of polygamy. Joseph Smith had a reputation as a womanizer. The Joseph Smith – Fanny Alger relationship was not a plural marriage. Joseph Smith’s polygamy was all about sex, in other words, “multiply and replenish the earth.” Joseph Smith had no children by his plural wives. Joseph Smith had sexual relations with 14 year olds. John C. Bennett was a polygamy insider in Nauvoo. None of Joseph Smith’s plural marriages were non-sexual “eternity-only” sealings. Joseph Smith’s teachings allow sexual polyandry. Some of Joseph Smith’s marriages included…

402: Brian Hales Pt. 1 – A Refutation of Grant Palmer’s Treatment of Sexual Allegations Against Joseph Smith

February 21, 2013

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In this episode Dr. Brian C. Hales refutes Grant Palmer’s podcast and article on sexual allegations against Joseph Smith. Click here to obtain the PowerPoint presentation for this podcast. Click here to listen to Grant Palmer’s podcast outlining his interpretation of sexual allegations against Joseph Smith. Click here to read Grant Palmer’s discussion of these allegations. Click here to purchase Brian’s new books entitled “Joseph Smith’s Polygamy Vols. 1-3″ Click here to check out Brian’s website called “MormonFundamentalism.com” Click here to check out Brian’s website called “JosephSmithsPolygamy.com” Also, Brian C.Hales will be speaking about his research and signing copies at Benchmark Books (3269 S Main…

384: Falling in Love with Joseph Smith and Jane Barnes

November 14, 2012

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As the 3rd feature of our Mormon Stories Book Club series (organized by Heather Olson Beal), we feature Jane Barnes and her new book Falling in Love with Joseph Smith,accompanied by the following readers: Rob Lauer, Erin Hill, Cheryl Bruno, John Dehlin, and Dayna Patterson. Please click on the link to purchase your book through Amazon. A small amount of the proceeds go to help support Mormon Stories. ============== Title: Falling in Love with Joseph Smith Author: Jane Barnes Publisher: Tarcher Genre: Non-fiction Year: 2012 Pages: 304 Binding: Hardcover ISBN-13: 1585429252 Price: $16.85 Support Mormon Stories by purchasing Falling in Love…

379: 2012 New York City Conference Featuring Richard Bushman, Andrew Kimball and the Sabre Rattlers

October 21, 2012

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Richard Bushman and Andrew Kimball speak, and the Sabre Rattlers perform at the 2012 New York Mormon Stories conference.

377-378: Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet with John G. Turner

October 10, 2012

As the 2nd feature of our Mormon Stories Book Club series (organized by the brilliant Heather Olsen Beal), we feature John G. Turner and his new book “Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet, accompanied by Dialogue Foundation chair elect Morris Thurston. Please click on the image to the right to purchase your book through Amazon. A small amount of the proceed go to help support Mormon Stories. ============== Title: Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet Author: John G. Turner Publisher: Harvard University Press Genre: Biography Year: 2012 Pages: 352 Binding: Hardcover ISBN-13: 0674049675 Price: $26.00 Support Mormon Stories by purchasing Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet through…

376: Margaret Young – Race and Gender Dynamics in Modern Mormonism

October 8, 2012

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A Thoughtful Faith’s Kylan Rice presents an interview with LDS author, filmmaker, and playwright Margaret Young. In this interview Margaret shares her story of how she became enthralled with Mormon Race Dynamics, and how she has spent her life as an advocate for Black Mormon issues in LDS culture. Margaret also discusses how gender dynamics present challenges to her and other LDS women, and how she reconciles these issues with her faith in the Gospel. Guest host Kylan Rice is a producer for BYU Radio, a poet, and a student of English literature. He also contributes, as a guest writer,…

370-371: Philip Barlow and A Thoughtful Faith

September 9, 2012

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Philip Barlow is editor of the book “A Thoughtful Faith,” which was pivotal in my faith transition as a BYU student and beyond. He currently sits in the Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, at Utah State University. He earned a B. A. from Weber State College and an M.T.S. and Ph.D. (1988, with an emphasis on Religion and American Culture and on the History of Christianity) from Harvard University. He spent two years as a Mellon Fellow at the University of Rochester after which he became professor of Theological Studies at Hanover College in Indiana. In addition to…

346-347: Boston 2012 Conference with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, John Dehlin, Joanna Brooks and Open-Mic Story Sharing

May 9, 2012

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Speakers at the 2012 Boston Regional Mormon Stories conference were asked to address the topic of: Using personal narratives to create spaces where Mormons of all levels of orthodoxy can interact authentically. Part 1: Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich discusses the importance and of history and personal narrative within religious traditions and John Dehlin discusses the evolution of Mormon Stories and the role it plays in the lives of listeners and community members. Part 2: Joanna Brooks talks about changes in spiritual narrative scripts over time and how telling personal stories affects community development. Conference attendees share their personal stories in an open-mic…

337: Utah Democratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis

April 23, 2012

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The grandson of Greek immigrants, Jim Dabakis moved to Utah when he was 17 to attend school at Brigham Young University. After college, Jim worked for 13 years as a Radio and TV talk-show host. He became known as the “Voice of Utah Democrats” as he defended the Party’s values against the continual onslaught of the Ronald Reagan-era Republicans. Jim also began his own company in the art dealership world, and has worked primarily with Russia for the past 20 years. During that time he also founded the Jim Dabakis Educational Foundation which has helped bright students from all over…

Grant Palmer on Sexual Allegations Against Joseph Smith, William and Jane Law, and His Resignation

February 26, 2012

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In this episode Grant Palmer, author of “An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins,” returns to Mormon Stories to discuss: Sexual allegations made against Joseph Smith during his early years The story of William and Jane Law, and An update on Grant’s resignation from the LDS church Warning: The material on this podcast is very sensitive and will likely be considered offensive by traditional LDS church believers. Please do not listen if your faith is tender, or if you are seeking to avoid any critical discussion of Joseph Smith or the LDS church. Finally, to listen to our original interview with…

321-322: Denver Snuffer – A Progressive, Fundamentalist, Non-Polygamist Mormon Lawyer Who Claims to Have Seen Christ

February 12, 2012

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In this episode John Dehlin interviews Denver Snuffer: a progressive, fundamentalist, non-polygamist Mormon lawyer who claims to have seen Christ. Denver is the author of several books including The Second Comforter: Conversing With the Lord Through the Veil and Passing the Heavenly Gift.

320: Changing Demographics in the Worldwide LDS Church with Matt Martinich of the Cumorah Foundation

February 3, 2012

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In this episode Scott H. interviews Matt Martinich of the Cumorah Foundation. Matt takes us on a tour of the triumphs and challenges of Mormonism throughout the world. Matt’s blog can be found at: LDS Church Growth.

319: Changing Mormon Demographics in the U.S. with Dr. Ryan Cragun

January 29, 2012

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In this episode Scott H. and I interview sociologist Dr. Ryan Cragun about his newly published report called, “Mormons in the United States 1990-2008: Socio-demographic Trends and Regional Differences.” Some of the findings of the report include: Mormons were 1.4% of the U.S. adult population in 2008, a proportion unchanged since 1990. The Mormons of Utah are the only religious group in the U.S. today that comprises a numerical majority of a state‘s population (57% of Utah). Mormons remain the most geographically isolated and uniquely distributed American religious group (only 19% are found east of the Mississippi River). The Mormon population increase…

317-318: BYU Professor Charles Harrell and the Evolution of Mormon Doctrine

January 25, 2012

317-318: BYU Professor Charles Harrell and the Evolution of Mormon Doctrine

In this episode, BYU Professor Charles Harrell discusses his new book entitled: “This Is My Doctrine: The Development of Mormon Theology.” Please remember that you can purchase this book at a discount using the code: MSTORIES. Proceeds will go to Mormon Stories. “In this first-of-its-kind comprehensive treatment of the development of Mormon theology, Charles Harrell traces the history of Latter-day Saint doctrines from the times of the Old Testament to the present. He describes how Mormonism has carried on the tradition of the biblical authors, early Christians, and later Protestants in reinterpreting scripture to accommodate new theological ideas while attempting…

307-311: Translating the Book of Mormon with Brant Gardner

December 28, 2011

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In our 5-part conversation with Brant Gardner about his new book entitled “The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon,” we discuss most of the major issues with the Book of Mormon including: Joseph Smith’s use of folk magic, the Book of Mormon translation process (including the peep stone in the hat), Book of Mormon anachronisms, DNA and race. This interview attempts to address many of the issues discussed in our interviews with Grant Palmer and Dr. Michael Coe. For a limited time Greg Kofford Books is offering The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon at a 20%…

295: Greg Prince on “Big Tent Mormonism”

October 20, 2011

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On October 15th, the 2011 Washington D.C. Mormon Stories Conference was held in the home of Greg and JaLynn Prince. Eighty splendid community members were in attendance. In this presentation, Greg Prince discussed his perspectives on “Big Tent Mormonism.”

289-293: Terryl Givens — An Approach to Thoughtful, Honest and Faithful Mormonism

September 28, 2011

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Terryl Givens did graduate work at Cornell University in Intellectual History and UNC Chapel Hill where he received his PhD in Comparative Literature. He holds the James A. Bostwick chair of English, and is Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond, where he teaches courses in 19th century studies, and the Bible’s influence on western literature. As a commentator on Mormon religion and culture, he has appeared on PBS, NPR, and CNN. Author of ten books, his writing has been praised by the New York Times as “provocative reading,” and includes, most recently, When Souls had Wings,…

285-287: D. Michael Quinn – 21st Century Mormon Enigma

September 17, 2011

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On August 12th, 2011 Mormon Stories held an event in honor and celebration of Mormon Historian D. Michael Quinn. Michael Quinn is undoubtedly one of the most important historical figures in 20th and 21st century Mormonism. Michael Quinn has a Ph.D. in history from Yale University and worked as an LDS church historian (under Davis Bitton and Leonard Arrington) and as a BYU history professor for many years. Several of his books, including The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, and Early Mormonism and the Magical World View have literally changed the face of Mormon…

271-274: LDS Apologist – Dr. Daniel C. Peterson

August 19, 2011

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Daniel C. Peterson is a professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University and currently serves as editor-in-chief of BYU’s Middle Eastern Texts Initiative. He is a member of the executive council of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. Peterson is known for his work as an apologist and scholar on subjects dealing with claims of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), of which he is a member. He has served as the editor of the FARMS Review, a periodical…

267: Michael Quinn, History and the Mormon World View

August 6, 2011

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This episode is a rebroadcast from the 1995 Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium. Entitled, “The Church Years: Michael Quinn, History, and the Mormon World View,” it includes Dr. Martha Sonntag Bradley interviewing D. Michael Quinn about his life as a Mormon church historian.

255: Greg Prince on 21st Century Lessons from Three 20th Century Men: David O. McKay, Leonard Arrington and Paul H. Dunn

May 20, 2011

255: Greg Prince on 21st Century Lessons from Three 20th Century Men: David O. McKay, Leonard Arrington and Paul H. Dunn

As a part of the March 2011 Mormon Stories Conference in New York City, author Greg Prince spoke on the topic of 21st Century Lessons from Three 20th Century Men: David O. McKay, Leonard Arrington and Paul H. Dunn. Greg Prince is the author of David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. He is currently working on biographies of both LDS Church Historian Leonard Arrington and deceased LDS General Authority Paul H. Dunn.

164-167: Richard Packham and How the LDS Church Creates Unnecessary Enemies

June 28, 2010

164-167: Richard Packham and How the LDS Church Creates Unnecessary Enemies

(Note: Segment 3 of this interview has been removed from the podcast feed — out of respect for the family members involved, and due to legal and other concerns). In this 4-part series, we interview Richard Packham — co-founder of the Ex-Mormon foundation. Throughout the interview and via Richard’s own personal story, we explore 3 ways in which the LDS Church creates unnecessary enemies: Episode 1: By not being honest about its own history (e.g. teaching accurate history) Episode 2: By breaking up families (when one no longer believes) Episode 3: By harming the loved ones of those who have…

149-152: LDS Anthropologist Daymon Smith on Post-Manifesto Polygamy, Correlation, the Corporate LDS Church, and Mammon

May 13, 2010

149-152: LDS Anthropologist Daymon Smith on Post-Manifesto Polygamy, Correlation, the Corporate LDS Church, and Mammon

In this incredibly fascinating 4-part series, long-time Mormon Stories supporter Andrew Ainsworth interviews Daymon Smith Ph.D., a Mormon anthropologist and the author of a new book called: The Book of Mammon: A Book About A Book About The Corporation That Owns The Mormons (Paperback). In this interview they discuss: Episode 1: Federal Prosecution, Post-Manifesto Polygamy and the Rise of Mormon Fundamentalism Episode 2: The Life and Death of the Mormon Speculative Tradition, and the Rise and Costs of Correlation Episode 3: The LDS Church as a Corporation and the Corporation as a Church Episode 4: Is the LDS Church Serving God,…

137-138: Edward Kimball, Son of Spencer W. Kimball Parts 1 & 2

March 31, 2010

137-138: Edward Kimball, Son of Spencer W. Kimball Parts 1 & 2

In this 2-part interview (audio and video), I speak with Edward L. Kimball: son of the late LDS Prophet Spencer W. Kimball. Edward Kimball is a retired law professor from Brigham Young University, and author of two biographies on Spencer W. Kimball: Spencer W. Kimball and Lengthen Your Stride, the Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball. Edward has also been an active supporter over the years of both Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought and Sunstone magazine. In this interview, we discuss: What it’s like to grow up the son of an LDS Prophet An intimate look at Edward’s impressions of…

117: John Hamer Pt. 2 — From RLDS to the Community of Christ

January 27, 2010

117: John Hamer Pt. 2 — From RLDS to the Community of Christ

In part 2 of my interview with John Hamer, we discuss the transformation of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (RLDS) towards a more Christ-centered church, including the decision to build a temple in Independence, Missouri, and change its name to “The Community of Christ.” We also discuss its transition away from prophetic succession based on blood line, and its decision to ordain women to the priesthood.

116: John Hamer Pt. 1 — The LDS Succession Crisis of 1844 and the Beginnings of the RLDS Church

January 24, 2010

116: John Hamer Pt. 1 — The LDS Succession Crisis of 1844 and the Beginnings of the RLDS Church

In this episode, John Hamer discusses the LDS Succession Crisis after Joseph Smith’s death, and the ground that it laid for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (or Community of Christ). (Music provided courtesy of Clayton Pixton and Skype Pixton. If you can, please email them and thank them for the music…better yet…email them and then buy an album!!!!)

Bonus: 2 Mormon Mavericks — William D. Russell and Richard D. Poll

January 7, 2008

I wanted to share with you the testimonies of 2 heroes of mine….one new, and one old. William D. Russell: For over 40 years, William D. Russell has been a progressive voice among the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (now the Community of Christ). This is his story — from a 1993 Sunstone Symposium presentation called, “Pillars of my faith”. Richard D. Poll: In early 1994 the distinguished career of Richard D. Poll, historian, professor, writer, husband and friend, came full circle. His Liahona/Iron-rod dichotomy, borrowed from the Book of Mormon, had entered the lexicon of Mormon…

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