John Dehlin answers listener questions via Facebook Live! This episode was recorded July 20th, 2016.
John Dehlin answers listener questions via Facebook Live! This episode was recorded July 20th, 2016.
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16 Responses
Want to know what authenticity sounds like? Watch or listen to this podcast. Realtime questions. Realtime answers. No newsroom press staff needed. This was informative and fun to listen to John. You should do this once a quarter as long as you keep getting thoughtful questions. Also impressed with the financial transparency. Well done!
Some more questions:
1. How do I find out in advance the next time you’re doing one of these?
2. I’m curious about whether you have any insight about the extent to which Salt Lake has been involved in the various high profile cases of church discpline in the last 2 years. Is this truly just local stake presidents and bishops doing what they think is their job? Are they getting direction from Salt Lake? Is it a particular individual or group within church leadership that’s pushing this? Is it a combination of the above?
John,
You may have already touched this in another podcast, but when you first were having doubts about the church, how did you talk to your wife and family about it? Was it difficult, did you meet a lot of push back from the family? How do the TBM side treat you?
Even though I love my wife with all my heart, I’m really nervous about how she will react when I tell her I don’t believe. I feel like I can’t be honest with her about my beliefs, for fear of what she’ll think. And then there’s the TBM family and extended family on both sides…
Love your honesty John. NEVER quit. We need you to keep the GA’s on guard and force them to be more open. Your podcasts really has opened my eyes.
I am from Norway and we are fairely good in English but there is a lot of europeans who isn’t and that creates a huge problem to obtain the new information from the church. Do you think the Essay’s will be translated to all languages wich can bring everyone to know the “real” history of the church? It is really unfair to all of them.
Good point about translating the Essays into other languages, Roger.
My opinion is that since The Brethren were virtually FORCED by the Information Age to cook up the Essays in the first place, I will be very surprised if they EVER translate them to enable non-English speakers to read them.
It might happen eventually, but it’s more likely that ex-members will do the translating . . . not the Church.
Keep in mind that MOST of the new-convert growth in the Church is non-native-English speakers. The Church relies on the ignorance of new converts regarding the topics covered . . . er . . . obfuscated, actually . . . in the Essays.
Thanks Gary.
Spot on. I fear the Bretheren will neglect to translate the Essays as long as they can. Untill they are FORCED to do it. See a pattern here?
Hi, John,
Great idea to do an open-facebook live session!
I really enjoyed my experience watching the playback.
Cudos to you for not skipping over the “boxers or briefs” question. It’s kinda hilarious to acknowledge that such a question would be idiotic in any other forum, but makes total sense for ex-Mormons to ask. “What is your new underwear solution?”
Actually, the reason I am posting here, John, is to express my gut response to hearing you, once again, disclose your uncertainty about whether there is a God, and whether there is Life after death. I felt a bit of sadness to hear of your ongoing disconnection from the non-physical reality.
I am totally on the same page with you regarding the anthropomorphic, white bearded God dude with anger management issues. If there ever was a no-brainer . . .
What does make more and more sense to me after my 36 years of post-Mormonism is the HotDogGod.
Lemme explain. The Dalai Lama stopped for lunch at a hot dog stand on the sidewalk. “How would you like your hot dog today, Your Holiness.” “Why, thank you so much for asking, my fine Sir. Please make me one with everything.”
The more I poke on it, John, the closer I get to the concept that the physical and energetic substrate source of all that exists is actually, naturally, intrinsically Conscious and Aware in ways we cannot comprehend, and that all of us human being critters are connected and interconnected. I am sure you have bumped into these concepts all of your life. I am inviting you to not dismiss this stuff casually.
You won’t disagree that “God” might be the most-ruined word in all languages. “Do you believe in God?” is a nonsense question . . . without paragraphs of clarification.
Regardless of God or Not, the other burning question is Life After Death? This one is easier to figure out, with more and more data appearing on this topic all of the time. In fact, I have some fresh, personal, first-hand data for you John.
Just yesterday, I wrote about my recent, personal experience on that topic . . . posted on the Richard Bushman podcast comments. You may have read it already if you are doing the moderating, but I wanted to point you there in case you have not checked it out yet. Here are tags if you want to find my post:
Gary
July 20, 2016 at 4:37 pm
Hi, Rick,
If you have not read Michael Newton yet, John, I strongly encourage you to sample his work. In fact, if you email me your snail mail address, I will have Amazon send you a gift copy of “Journey of Souls”. It may turn out to be one of the most eye-opening reads of your life. And if you resonate, there are two later titles on the same topic that paint an even more complete and cohesive picture of the Spirit Realm, our True Home. In case it makes a difference, Michael Newton is also a PhD psychologist.
To follow up after Michael Newton with my own personal experience . . . making undeniable contact with my closest brother who died two Christmases ago . . . was confirmation to me that as near as I can tell, the man doth seemeth to speaketh the truth.
That’s fine and cool if you are not resonating with any of this, John. But perhaps others reading this might take an interest.
Thanks again for your personal Facebook appearance. All the Best to you and yours!
Gary,
You left off the other half of the joke about the hot dog vendor. After he gave the vendor, $20.00, for the hot dog, he patiently waited for his change, that wasn’t forthcoming, and finally, he asked the maker of his lunch, for the change. He was then told, “don’t you know, that change comes from within”!
I must give credit to Christopher Hitchens, an athiest, for sharing this joke with so many, in a number of his debates that can be enjoyed on youtube…., where many of us probably heard this joke for the first time.
Ha!
I had never heard The Rest of the Story about that joke. Perfect!
Thanks, EET, for the completion, and for the attribution.
You are very welcome Gary. Enjoy the here and now, while you continue to figure it all out.
John,
Thank you very much for your work, which focuses first on individuals rather than the concern of protecting the organization, while still recognizing the good that it does and respectful of those who still choose to follow it.
In the recent episode about Richard Bushman, he recognized the serious problems of “the dominant narrative” not being true, and that it needed to be reconstructed, “for the Church to remain strong”. Your work and efforts have truly helped in this reconstruction of the narrative, that is just getting started.
EET
John- I don’t think the true believing listeners left because you were excommunicated. It’s because the podcast offers very little for us believers anymore. It used to be a place where actual intelligent Pro-church perspectives were put forth and then challenged and discussed. It was fascinating and Mormon Stories was the only place you could find such a thing. Nowadays, it’s mostly mocking and condescension by people who don’t really participate in church anymore. The only semblance of balance is the silly outlandish TBM caricatures that you and your guests build up and knock down unopposed. Closer to ex Mormon Reddit than anything. Maybe your excommunication prevents you from getting the types of guests you used to have. And if so, that’s a shame. Because there’s currently nothing out there even close to the old MS. That said, enjoyed this Q&A. It seems like you are trying, but maybe it’s just not possible anymore given the direction your beliefs have gone.
Yeah, seems to now cater more to those already outside the church than those on the fringes or deeply questioning.
Hi John,
If you need any help with translating any material into Portuguese, please do not hesitate to count on me.
Keep up the good work.
JA
Ye old King James and his (their) bible…thanks to Guttenberg… https://truthischrist.com/7-patterns-only-in-the-kjb/
John…go to Psalm 46 in the King James Bible and count into that verse 46 ords…take note. then, go to the end of that psalm, count 46 words backward, and retake no note.
what the??????
see myu forthcoming book “The Church. Must be Born Again”. chock full of revelations…(or heavy revvies as we used to say back in the day in the charismatic renewal as “Jesus freaks”
SCHOOL 0F PROPHETS
(?) What verses are the School of the Prophets?
There were schools of the prophets in Gibeah (1 Samuel 10:5), Ramah (1 Samuel 19:18-24), Bethel (2 Kings 2:3), Jericho (2 Kings 2:15), and Gilgal (2 Kings 4:38). McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia places this Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin (1 Samuel 13:15).
King James Bible and perfection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS78mFJcvhQ
A Christian Approach to Solar contemplation, introduced to the world by His revelation in the New Testament, ‘On the Mount of Transfiguration”. by His further revelation of His second coming, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb…” “The Bride of Christ”, where she is found in chapter twelve of the Book of Revelation(s.
A Restoration of the original and authentic New Testament church, as found in the New Testament, as well as the restoration of the Lost Teachings of Jesus because the real church was hijacked and driven underground by the fourth century and has never recovered.
by Robert DeFord

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings, and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4. , King James Version
So, what does this title “the Sun of Righteousness” of Jesus mean? What does the sun have to do with Jesus Christ? Here is a sample of the True Jesus in His fullness as the only “begotten son and the Holy and Resplendent sun above.
Matthew 17:1-13
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led thereupon a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly
afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them,saying,
“Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
(KEEP THIS A SECRET. UNTIL AFTER I AM RESURRECTED”)
And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.
But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
The Philokalia… (ancient Greek Orthodox manuscripts from early church fathers), has this to say about that awesome event.
“ Jesus Christ was transfigured at the Mount of Transfiguration, not by the
addition of something, He was not, nor by the transformation into something He
was not, but by the manifestation to His disciples of what He was. He
opened their eyes so that instead of being blind they could see. While He
remained the same, they could now see Him as other than He appeared to them
formerly. For He is the “true” light (John 1:9), the beauty of divine glory, and He
shone forth like the sun-though His image is imperfect since what is created can-
not be imaged in creation without some diminution.
FROM “THE PHILOKALIA”, , a compilation of early teachings of the early church before it got so radically compromised and essentially hijacked by the unenlightened traditions bound false leaders promulgating irrelevant and false doctrines that have hijacked the original Holy Spirit guided, with the living reigning Jesus Christ as the One and only Head of His body, His true “members” and true believers.
insights from the early church fathers found in the “Eastern” church, the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, in their monastic tradition. That tradition is named “The Hesychast Tradition”, and has to do with the awakening of our inner light, distinct from the outer world and its demands on us daily, hourly, and minute-by-minute. That outer world is our entirely programmed “reality principle” that Jesus removes as a veil when we are truly “born again”and “Baptized in the Holy Spirit and “fire”. and begin our growth and maturity and “conversion” into sons and daughters of our Father. That process of conversion, growth, and maturity is entirely an inner reality having nothing to do with the outside world we are programmed response to from birth. The “born again” experience shocks us into a new reality with Christ as our teacher and the Holy Spirit as our perfect guide, comforter, teacher, and “corrector” as we learn to recognize its activity within, as we wean ourselves from this world, the fallen world under the dominion of Satan who rules it, and gradually transform ourselves into true “followers” of Jesus…TRUE CHRISTIANS. as the New Testament as our only reliable instructional manual…our Emmanuel
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