Mormon Discussion Podcast

Today we interview Krista Whipple, managing director of Youth Futures St. George Utah.   Youth Futures provides housing along with tools, resources, and education to both prevent and help Youth Homelessness in Utah and the St. George area specifically.  Mormon Discussion has teamed up with Youth Futures to help them raise money.  Mormon Discussion has donated $100 to the cause and will donate an additional $10 for every $100 donated by a listener.  You can donate today by visiting https://www.classy.org/give/106969/#!/donation/checkout   Once there enter “Bill Reel” on the line that says “Would you like to credit this donation to a specific fundraiser or team (optional)?” and Mormon Discussion will appear.  Then continue to fill out the donation information, click “Make Your Doantion” and wahlah…. you have contributed to a great cause.  If you live in Southern Utah and want to donate your time to helping prevent Youth Homelessness please click http://www.youthfuturesutah.org/index.php/get-involved/volunteer These kids need our help.  Thanks for your support!!! The post Mormon Discussion: 311: Youth Homelessness in Utah and What is Being Done – Youth Futures appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today on Mormon Discussion we take a collective look at Joseph Smith Productions via Translation – The Kinderhook plates – The Book of Abraham – The Book of Moses – The Inspired Translation of the Bible – The Book of Mormon Once we see that in every case the production is not what the Church claimed it was, we are left to redefine translation and to make space for less than historic relationship between us and the sacred texts of our faith. The post Mormon Discussion: 310: Translate, You Keep using that Word appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Radio Free Mormon and Bill Reel get together for a special Episode discussion on Elder Quentin L. Cook’s Face To Face On Church History.   While Elder Cook and Church Historians Matt Grow and Kate Holbrook attempt to tell the audience that Church history is faith building and that it can withstand scrutiny, a simple look at what they say and more importantly what they don’t say seems to deeply indicate otherwise.  There is even cameo Appearances by Elder Ballard, Church historian Steven Harper, and even a sound blip from the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Sit back and buckle up as we learn that when it comes to Church leaders and the Church’s historians that “Nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothin'”. The post Special Episode: The Dissection of Elder Quentin L Cook’s Face To Face On Church History appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we dissect the Mormon Channel’s video titled “How to Answer Questions about Church History” hosted by  Amy Iverson where she interviews Steven Harper on how he as a Church Historian deals with tough issues within Church history. You might expect a Church historian who is on such a program due to his immersion and professional understanding of LDS Church History to use Church history to show that the tough questions have solid answers.  You might expect him to encourage members who come across a tough issue to dive deeper, to find original sources, or refer them to the Gospel Topic Essays, or at least the Joseph Smith Papers Project as he had a major hand in it.  You might expect him pick out a few tough issues and then show how a more informed understanding of Church history helps to sort these issues out.  BUT……  As you will see he does anything but this. – Notice his hesitancy to discuss the specifics of Church history.  He seems to, as a Church historian, not want to talk about Church history, and it feels his reason is he senses there is little there to build faith on. – Notice when asked if Church history has built faith and has resolved his questions he constantly deflects from answering such questions directly and imposes that his testimony is not based in Church history. – Notice his progression from A.) Questions always resolve themselves  B.) We have some questions that are yet unresolved but We have a lot of answers and I have faith the unresolved will yet be resolved.  C.) There are both several questions resolved as well as several questions unresolved.  D.) I have way more questions than answers and the more I learn Church history, the unresolved questions grow exponentially. and finally where he ends up E.) I hate to burst your bubble but dealing with the data causes us to reconstruct the Church in ways that have our faith in “what the Church is” being similar to how we reconcile Christmas after deconstructing the literalness of Santa Claus. While Amy imposes that Church history has been, to Steven Harper, “an illumination to his soul”.  Radio Free Mormon and Bill Reel’s analysis shows it to have been anything but. In the end it becomes obvious that not only does a Church historian avoid using Church history to resolve concerns, but also that he realizes avoiding Church history is the only way to tackle the difficult questions as to dive into the history is anything but faith promoting. The post How To Not Answer Questions On Church History With Steven Harper Part 2 appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we dissect the Mormon Channel’s video titled “How to Answer Questions about Church History” hosted by  Amy Iverson where she interviews Steven Harper on how he as a Church Historian deals with tough issues within Church history. You might expect a Church historian who is on such a program due to his immersion and professional understanding of LDS Church History to use Church history to show that the tough questions have solid answers.  You might expect him to encourage members who come across a tough issue to dive deeper, to find original sources, or refer them to the Gospel Topic Essays, or at least the Joseph Smith Papers Project as he had a major hand in it.  You might expect him pick out a few tough issues and then show how a more informed understanding of Church history helps to sort these issues out.  BUT……  As you will see he does anything but this. – Notice his hesitancy to discuss the specifics of Church history.  He seems to, as a Church historian, not want to talk about Church history, and it feels his reason is he senses there is little there to build faith on. – Notice when asked if Church history has built faith and has resolved his questions he constantly deflects from answering such questions directly and imposes that his testimony is not based in Church history. – Notice his progression from A.) Questions always resolve themselves  B.) We have some questions that are yet unresolved but We have a lot of answers and I have faith the unresolved will yet be resolved.  C.) There are both several questions resolved as well as several questions unresolved.  D.) I have way more questions than answers and the more I learn Church history, the unresolved questions grow exponentially. and finally where he ends up E.) I hate to burst your bubble but dealing with the data causes us to reconstruct the Church in ways that have our faith in “what the Church is” being similar to how we reconcile Christmas after deconstructing the literalness of Santa Claus. While Amy imposes that Church history has been, to Steven Harper, “an illumination to his soul”.  Radio Free Mormon and Bill Reel’s analysis shows it to have been anything but. In the end it becomes obvious that not only does a Church historian avoid using Church history to resolve concerns, but also that he realizes avoiding Church history is the only way to tackle the difficult questions as to dive into the history is anything but faith promoting. The post How To Not Answer Questions On Church History With Steven Harper Part 1 appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today We sit down with Spencer Wright, author of “How To Think”, and discuss how Faith and Rational thought are actually opposites.  That as soon as we have to make allowances for less likely answers and solutions or even the moment we say “its possible” we have now begun irrational thinking.  Spencer helps us put words and framing to something we have sensed for a long time.  Which is that none of us should have to tolerate harm and trauma caused irrational thinking and Spencer gives us the tools to know the very moment the conversation has entered the irrational arena.  People are free to believe what they want, but never should we as a society allow segments of our society to be hurt or have trauma inflicted by those who use irrational thinking as their reasons. RESOURCES: https://www.facebook.com/HowToThinkBook/ Free E-copy of the Book “How To Think” Book on Amazon Kerry Muhlstein admitting starting with the conclusion – https://www.fairmormon.org/conference/august-2014/book-abraham-unnoticed-assumptions Book of Abraham explained simply The post Mormon Discussion: 309: Spencer Wright – Rational Thought and Bat Shit Crazy appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

One of the coolest issues to dive into is Moroni’s Gold Plates.  This ancient mortal was the last to make engravings and to see them protected until he himself buried them only to as a post mortal being entrust them to the prophet Joseph Smith.  What do we know about these plates and whose testimony can we trust.  Numerous 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hand witnesses tell us much about these plates but in the end it may be Moroni himself who helps us solve this puzzle? RESOURCES: https://publications.mi.byu.edu/publications/jbms/10/1/S00003-50be4834f0ca03Henrichsen.pdf https://www.lds.org/new-era/2007/07/what-did-the-golden-plates-look-like?lang=eng https://publications.mi.byu.edu/publications/jbms/10/1/S00005-50be48520d86f5Sjodahl.pdf https://publications.mi.byu.edu/pdf-control.php/publications/jbms/10/1/S00003-How_Witnesses_Described_the_Gold_Plates.html https://history.lds.org/article/historic-sites/palmyra/smith-farm-life?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/church/news/artist-re-creates-the-golden-plates-for-museum-display-from-written-descriptions?lang=eng The post Mormon Discussion: 2018 Sunstone Symposium Gold Plates – Ancient or Modern Fabrication appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today with Sit down with Newell Bringhurst, Author of “Saints, Slaves, and Blacks: The Changing Place of Black People Within Mormonism”.  We discuss how the Priesthood ban came to be and how the false doctrines around it originated.  We talk about the 1978 removal of the ban and work up to present day discussing the Race & The Priesthood gospel topic essay and the lack of vulnerability within the Church all the way throughout.  We also hit deeply on how LDS leaders can be deeply wrong and how seemingly God allows them to believe and teach false doctrine for over a hundred years in spite of those false doctrine hurting and marginalizing and causing trauma to a segment of Church membership. Purchase the Book by clicking here The post Mormon Discussion: 307: Newell Bringhurst: Saints, Slaves, & Blacks appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

WHAT IS LEFT??????? 1.) The Church has distanced itself from power of the Priesthood every conference talk about a priesthood blessing taking place ends with the person blessed dying We have now shifted to “faith not to be healed” being greater than faith to be healed The supernatural god-magic miracles of of the past have seemingly vanished.  Once we entered an age of verifiable history and as history becomes more historically verifiable, God-magic has slowly disappeared to the point, where today, essentially nothing happens. 2.) The Church has distanced itself from leaders speaking directly to God. Elder Oaks Boise Rescue imposed that to be a special witness has nothing to do with a visitation from Christ or other heavenly messengers Youth Fireside – Elder Oaks imposes to a young lady that the experience of Alma the younger is not an experience we should expect to have. We have gone from couching revelation today as simply impressions that come from feelings.  Meanwhile the Church in Joseph smith’s day imposed that we should seek and expect bigger spiritual experiences.   3.) The Information Age has imposed that most of our faith promoting miracle stories are problematic or false Elder Holland’s story about the missionary and his brother The conference talks on the tsunami in Japan The saved art in the fire struck building Sweetwater crossing, Brigham Young transfiguration, John Taylor’s watch saving his life, Lorenzo Snow seeing Christ, Jesus born on April 6th, etc…. Manuals are full of problematic stories told to increase faith. (Marsh and Ryder along with about 18 problematic stories in the primary manual) 4.) The Church’s historical truth claims are deeply problematic and it seemingly has failed to interpret its own history so miserably that it has an increasing lost trust in its ability to interpret itself. first vision, book of Abraham, priesthood restoration, large chunks of 19th century in the book of Mormon, the three witnesses, 8 witnesses, the extensive practice of treasure digging, the unhealthy mechanisms in implementing polygamy, the deceptiveness in putting forth a certain narrative that seems to be inaccurate at every turn. 5.) The Church has essentially disavowed the majority of things that make it unique and peculiar. The Mormonism of Joseph Fielding smith and Bruce R McConkie that was the foundation of the growth the Church experienced in the 1980’s and 90’s is now in an information age now considered so absurd that much of it has been swept under a rug or disavowed. (gulf of Mexico – City of Enoch, Quetzalcoatl, evolution, age of earth, death before the fall, global flood, tower of babel and jaredite barges. Once one values the data and the science and is willing to go where the data leads rather than find support for their beliefs in order to maintain them all of these things become absurd.) Race and Priesthood 6.) Mormonism has killed all creativity by membership and its leadership – Elder Oaks has stated in the recent ysa broadcast that if you get a revelation that is different than what the leaders have taught you can know that your revelation comes from the wrong source. (hold mike accountable to answering how he reconciles his views on race and priesthood with that?). This rhetoric kills creativity as this pushes members into a corner where they sense that anything new. – The leadership is so threatened by both the progressive voices like John Dehlin, pointing out contradictions on one side and voices like Denver Snuffer on the other, they they are paralyzed and unable to move in any direction and hence must impose that membership too stay in lockstep with them. This has created a religious institution afraid it will mis-step with any move it makes and afraid of the risk of allowing members room to do anything differently. It senses to allow creativity and new ideas simply welcomes new Dehlins and new Snuffers Once you throw out most of the miracle stories …. Once you throw out all the doctrines and theories imposed by a MConkie/Fielding Smith Mormonism and their books…… Once you acknowledge the problematic data against our historical truth claims …….. What you throw out the power of the Priesthood……   Once you throw out God-Magic…..  Once you throw out real Revelatory experiences….  Once you throw out creativity…… What is left? I mean this sincerely. What is Mormonism in 100 years once it works through all of this and all within its walls recognize all that has been sacrificed on the altar due to an internet age?   Resources: https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/face-to-face/oaks-ballard?lang=eng https://mormondiscussions.org/mdpodcast/2017/09/radio-free-mormon-018-faith-not-healed/ mdpodcast.org/2017/11/mormon-awakenings-episode-023-god-magic-spiritual-experiences-paranormal/ https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https://zeios.blob.core.windows.net/jtz-article-images/Boise%20Rescue-Transcript.docx reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/42obsk/audio_and_outline_of_elder_oaks_youth_fireside_in/ mdpodcast.org/2017/04/extra-radio-free-mormon-april-2017-conference-autopsy-report/ reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/7ku7lq/top_ten_errors_in_the_church_history_primary/ https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/approaching-mormon-doctrine mormonstories.org/how-the-lds-q12-think/ The post Mormon Discussion: 306: What Is Left? appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Bill Reel examines within the pain of a faith transition the development from Sympathy to Empathy.  We look at what each of these look like and how they express themselves within our faith and within our faith transitions. The post 305: Empathy vs Sympathy appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.