Radio Free Mormon

Moroni 7:27 asks Has the day of Miracles Ceased? The answer in the scriptures is nay. Yet What happens when we take a look at what LDS Leaders suggest as the miracles that are happening. We use two Sound clips at the backdrop of todays discussion. One is David Bednar’s recent BYU devotional where Elder Bednar imposes that miracles are happening today just as in days of old and gives us 8 quotes that are supposed to be evidence of the miracles except there aren’t any…. unless you are counting smiles, hours served, phones answered, and a person was were they were supposed to be.  The second clip revolves around Wendy Nelson informing us that President Nelson was prompted prior to Covid in 2020 to cancel all of their bookings for the year.  But when this “miracle” is examined it seems to contain deep factual problems and negative theological ramifications. RESOURCES: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/7?lang=eng https://youtu.be/Az6-7yzZOLs?t=1 https://www.thechurchnews.com/podcast/2021-01-05/sister-wendy-nelson-sheri-dew-president-nelson-prophet-three-years-201007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3yRp2C7BN8&fbclid=IwAR07EbuLdC4cgIibxrFlAruDHq7TuvqkinwLO3eKB_Th6reMy-GHct93fd8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAt4Od0teNg&fbclid=IwAR35-eQ-732TcFVmpQeXAceXtYTZ6MycK378lzYfqqiOBow4Vq7M-70DwWc www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJZ4JaCOIL8&fbclid=IwAR27aNOPG308McVU-E5-TaaZiizQddoIXCh3h6cA6kp0QVQlzRJ9HND8HdQ

We once again develop this weeks episode around Director of the Church History Library, Keith Erekson. Except this time we address his expertise as a hoax expert. No Seriously, this guy is one of the worlds experts on discerning hoaxes. He has written articles, given presentations, and taught in academia about such helping people for years to to discern and deconstruct hoaxes. But catch this….. he has been unable to apply those same tools to his religious beliefs and that is the topic for tonight’s episodeRESOURCES: https://www.keitherekson.com/2020/03/how-to-detect-a-hoax/https://www.keitherekson.com/2020/03/how-to-analyze-a-hoax/https://www.keitherekson.com/2021/01/how-to-talk-about-rumors-and-conspiracy-theories/

Tonight RFM and Bill Reel take a look at how Director of the Church History Library, Keith A. Erekson, frames apologetics, inoculation, and publicly frames the criticisms of the Church. What tone does he use? What approach does he take with the critic and their criticisms? What approach does he take with the issues? How does he interact with the members of the Church in terms of transparency? Vulnerability? Honesty? and Forthrightness? Is this an improvement or is it a deeper layer of deception? We do this by examining his recent Fireside w/ multiple stakes published on the Fredrickson Stake Youtube ChannelKeith Erekson is the head of the vaults where historical items are saved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He and his two assistants are the only folks with unfettered access to these archives and storage.

John Dehlin and I discuss the history and merits of the ongoing class action lawsuit against the LDS Church.  As a special bonus, the lawyer suing the LDS Church phones in and shares some startling behind-the-scenes information on how the LDS Church used strong arm tactics to try to get her to drop the case!

RFM and Bill Reel take a look at the December 2020 Changes to the General Handbook of Instruction within the LDS Church. This Second part starts with a special Guest, Wendi Wilcock Jensen, as we dive into the handbook section on Energy Work. From there we discuss the changes involving Transgender people, changes on the church’s approach to abuse, a new section on prejudice, and then we conclude with the new section on seeking reliable information and use a soundbite from a Mormonland Podcast interview to show that it is actually the LDS Church that is unreliable, non-credible, and deceptive. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/title-page?lang=eng Soundbite parody in the voice of Gordon Bitner Hinckley at the beginning is from the TikTok artist Mitch Shira also under the name “genie man”. Please Check out his work !!!

Join Sue as she tells the rest of her harrowing tale; how she escaped from the polygamy compound in Mexico, made her way back to the United States, and finally made her way back into the good graces of the LDS Church.  As it turns out, all the hoops the LDS Church made her jump through in order to be rebaptized and have her temple blessings restored ended up pushing her out of the Church . . . again!

RFM and Bill Reel take a look at the December 2020 Changes to the General Handbook of Instruction within the LDS Church. There is a major bombshell in this episode dealing with the hierarchy of doctrine when comparing the handbook with the teachings of the living prophets and the holy scriptures. Which takes precedence?  The answer may surprise you!https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/title-page?lang=eng

Tonight I have the distinct honor of interviewing Dr. Simon Southerton, whose 2004 book, “Losing a Lost Tribe,” made headlines around the world and sent shockwaves through the Mormon Community!  The reason this book made such a splash is because it demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that a Semitic tribe such as depicted in the Book of Mormon did not exist in the New World.  And it was all right there in the DNA! Dr. Southerton talks about his early years that led up to his writing, “Losing a Lost Tribe,” and how advances in DNA studies since that time continue to corroborate the original conclusion. We even take a crack at the LDS Gospel Topics essay on DNA and the Book of Mormon!  Come along for the ride!

Mormon Apologists have long pointed out that one criticism of the Book of Mormon is its use of the female name Alma for a male’s name.   After citing the criticism, Mormon Apologists immediately follow up with evidence of Alma’s use as a Male name in the ancient eastern world. But is this really an argument being made that deserves a rebuttal? Was Alma really only a female name in Joseph Smith’s day? Did he know any male Alma’s? And are LDS Leaders and Apologists honest around this issue? That and more and your phone calls on this episode of Mormonism LIVE !

Using the recent Atlantic Magazine Article about Mormonism which includes an interview with Russel M. Nelson, President of The LDS Church as a springboard, RFM and Bill talk about Mormonism’s endless quest for acceptance by the outside world, and why Mormonism seems to be going about it all wrong. Atlantic Magazine Article Linkhttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/the-most-american-religion/617263/