Mormon Discussion Podcast

PT 2 Bill Reel is widely known within the Mormon podcast world as a fellow traveler on the road many of us have found ourselves on—often quite reluctantly. At one time, we have thrived within Mormonism. It contributes greatly to our identity, and provides our primary social group. It helps shape our thinking and character in ways we don’t often reflect upon. We have everything figured out. Our religious worldview tells us what’s of foremost importance, and where various traps are that might lead us from the path God says we should follow. And then . . . a bump . . . a hiccup . . . a fact that shakes us or an idea that once we truly examine it leaves us scratching our head. Things accelerate. If this practice or that idea are showing themselves to be something less that purely divine in origins, to have changed over the centuries, to have human fingerprints all over them, we move into what many call a “faith crisis.” And, now it dawns on us that we will have to decide things for ourselves. Those values we were taught and believe—were they truly the best ones (or the best ones for me), the ones that my spirit or temperament tells me I’m truly meant to hold above other ones? What about this particular religious path? I see others traveling down different ones, should I explore those? And on and on it goes … Bill and I, and so many of you, know this territory well. We’ve lived it. And we’ve faced it in different ways according to our experiences, temperaments, needs. But via our moving into this complexity, for some of us, our continuing to live or push through the tensions and difficult processes of choosing (very reflectively) our own values have ultimately led to a newfound peace. It’s not a “tensionless” peace, but we end up coming to find those places where ideas and personalities and practices rub against each other (and never fully come to make perfect “sense” according to our rational minds) to be important catalysts for growth and creativity and a discovering a new sense of purpose—and peace. One much sturdier and less susceptible to discouragement and despair when life does its “life-ing” and humans do their “human-ing” and leaders and family members and friends shift, or fail to shift, in the directions we’d like them to. I’m grateful that I got the chance to interview and have a great conversation with Bill. I know you’ll find him very insightful, as well as relatable, vulnerable, and good-hearted. He shares his journey with us—so far!—and reflects on faith development and shifts from ego-centrism and tribal thinking to our centering in a wider cosmos and valuing the gifts of every religious tradition, every person. Finally, in addition to talking about Mormonism as a wonderful workshop in which to all tensions to do their refining and expanding work, we discuss how he now views and “holds” his Mormonism (including addressing a shift—that many have noticed and talked about—in his podcast’s tone beginning about two years ago) and how new understandings of myth and ritual and practice have helped him become re-centered in Mormonism, but far more “on his own terms.” Bill is a wonderful teacher and person, and I trust you will all very much enjoy this episode! _____ Links: Mormon Discussion Podcast homepage Links to hear or read more of Bill’s story Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Harper, 2015) Dan Wotherspoon, “A Real Fight,” Sunstone (May 2004) The post SPECIAL: Mormon Matters: 442: LIVING IN (AND GROWING THROUGH) TENSION: AN INTERVIEW WITH BILL REEL appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

PT 1 Bill Reel is widely known within the Mormon podcast world as a fellow traveler on the road many of us have found ourselves on—often quite reluctantly. At one time, we have thrived within Mormonism. It contributes greatly to our identity, and provides our primary social group. It helps shape our thinking and character in ways we don’t often reflect upon. We have everything figured out. Our religious worldview tells us what’s of foremost importance, and where various traps are that might lead us from the path God says we should follow. And then . . . a bump . . . a hiccup . . . a fact that shakes us or an idea that once we truly examine it leaves us scratching our head. Things accelerate. If this practice or that idea are showing themselves to be something less that purely divine in origins, to have changed over the centuries, to have human fingerprints all over them, we move into what many call a “faith crisis.” And, now it dawns on us that we will have to decide things for ourselves. Those values we were taught and believe—were they truly the best ones (or the best ones for me), the ones that my spirit or temperament tells me I’m truly meant to hold above other ones? What about this particular religious path? I see others traveling down different ones, should I explore those? And on and on it goes … Bill and I, and so many of you, know this territory well. We’ve lived it. And we’ve faced it in different ways according to our experiences, temperaments, needs. But via our moving into this complexity, for some of us, our continuing to live or push through the tensions and difficult processes of choosing (very reflectively) our own values have ultimately led to a newfound peace. It’s not a “tensionless” peace, but we end up coming to find those places where ideas and personalities and practices rub against each other (and never fully come to make perfect “sense” according to our rational minds) to be important catalysts for growth and creativity and a discovering a new sense of purpose—and peace. One much sturdier and less susceptible to discouragement and despair when life does its “life-ing” and humans do their “human-ing” and leaders and family members and friends shift, or fail to shift, in the directions we’d like them to. I’m grateful that I got the chance to interview and have a great conversation with Bill. I know you’ll find him very insightful, as well as relatable, vulnerable, and good-hearted. He shares his journey with us—so far!—and reflects on faith development and shifts from ego-centrism and tribal thinking to our centering in a wider cosmos and valuing the gifts of every religious tradition, every person. Finally, in addition to talking about Mormonism as a wonderful workshop in which to all tensions to do their refining and expanding work, we discuss how he now views and “holds” his Mormonism (including addressing a shift—that many have noticed and talked about—in his podcast’s tone beginning about two years ago) and how new understandings of myth and ritual and practice have helped him become re-centered in Mormonism, but far more “on his own terms.” Bill is a wonderful teacher and person, and I trust you will all very much enjoy this episode! _____ Links: Mormon Discussion Podcast homepage Links to hear or read more of Bill’s story Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Harper, 2015) Dan Wotherspoon, “A Real Fight,” Sunstone (May 2004) The post SPECIAL: Mormon Matters: 441: LIVING IN (AND GROWING THROUGH) TENSION: AN INTERVIEW WITH BILL REEL appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we tell the story of Lucy Walker, plural wife of the prophet Joseph Smith.  We tell her story and then spend time exploring who has spiritual experiences, whether they can be trusted specifically when one us under stress, pressure, and sleep deprivation.  Then we explore the spiritual experiences of those of other faiths and in the end speak to a theological conundrum regardless of which way you come down in the Lucy Walker story. The post 288: Lucy Walker and Spiritual Experiences appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

This is a audio recording of Bill Reel’s presentation and Q&A to a Post Mormon group in Southern Utah on December 10th 2017.  It includes me spending approximately 35 minutes telling my story, how I have reconciled the messiness, and why development is so important to the human experience.  Then the last hour and ten minutes I try my best to be vulnerable to the questions, concerns, and comments of the group. The post 287: Conversation with a Southern Utah Post-Mormon Group 12.10.17 appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today’s Episode is split into three segments.  In segment #1 Bill Reel addresses guilt and shame and shares an experience from his personal life.  In segment #2 Bill makes a plea on behalf the Mormon Discussion team in order to keep this work going.  And Bill concludes by addressing the criticism that he no longer leads with faith Liturgists Podcast on Shame  Brene Brown on Vulnerability Brene Brown on Shame   The post 286: Guilt Shame And Leading With Faith appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

A good friend of mine.  Smart, informed, wise, and just so happens to be a woman.  She makes this connection in the scriptures.  She sees how the women of the New Testament are operating differently from the men in regards to how they treat the mortal body of Jesus.  What is the degree of care and concern they have for the Savior, How do the disciples react to such interaction, and most importantly how does Jesus regard their behavior.  In one such instance Jesus taught his disciples that wherever the gospel is taught, her story should be told as a memorial to her.  Today we honor that story and ask if perhaps in the very here and now if there is room for more of a role for the daughters of our Heavenly Father. The post 285: Women And Their Care & Concern for the Mortal Jesus appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today I sit with my friend Chris Bloxham and using the recent Elder Holland retraction as a springboard to discuss just how much of Mormonism’s faith promoting narrative is untrue and deeply built on myth and fable. We tackle stories like the Brigham Young transfiguration, Lorenzo Snow seeing Jesus in the Temple, Seagulls and Crickets, the Sweetwater crossing, elevators in the Salt Lake Temple, Moroni blessing Manti, John Taylor’s bullet stopping watch, and several more. Once you see Elder Hollands story in the context of all the other just how many faith promoting stories we have in Mormonism and how the far and wide majority of them are problematic or downright untrue then you can begin to connect dots. Dots such as how miracle stories get started, why they take hold, and why there will be so many less “so-called” miracles going forward in a age of verifiable history. In the end is uncomfortable truth more valued by you then comfortable myths held as true that are not?   What stories are demonstrably problematic that we left out?   The post 284: Our Heritage – Fabricated Faith Promoting Stories appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Mormon Discussion Halloween Edition.  Today we sit down with Zach Derr and discuss ghost and spirit stories within Mormonism.  We talk about how some of these are explainable but that others seem to be beyond explanation.  We talk of myth and our need to give explanations for things we otherwise can’t explain.  We talk about how the information age has in only a few decades made us much less superstitious and much more cynical when it comes to the supernatural.  After all that we conclude that even in an information age, some of these stories are still creepy and can’t be dismissed out of hand. The post 283: Special Halloween Edition 2017 appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

The Family: A Proclamation To The World – How was it created?  Why was it created?  What is the timeline for its creation?  Today in a special joint episode Radio Free Mormon and Bill Reel from Mormon Discussion tackle these questions and more.  Want to know the backdrop and context of the creation of the LDS Proclamation on the family?  Well here it is and we hope you enjoy!!!!! RESOURCES: https://mormondiscussions.org/mdpodcast/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/10/oaks_paper1984.pdf http://rationalfaiths.com/from-amici-to-ohana/ https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/the-plan-and-the-proclamation?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/archive/worldwide-leadership-training/2008/02?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/cleansing-the-inner-vessel?lang=eng http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/interview-oaks-wickman-same-gender-attraction www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFCWUoXr1Dg https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V45N01_CO.pdf https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng&old=true https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/10/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/01/16-273-amicus-petitioner-major_religious_organizations.pdf The post SPECIAL EPISODE: The Backdrop and Context of The Family A Proclamation to the World appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we take the phrase “The Lord will not permit the prophet to lead the Church astray” and dissect it.  What do orthodox members believe that means?  What does history tell us?  What have leaders said?  And in the end Can we have confidence and trust in the answers we get from Prophets, from our own revelation, and lastly… how can we have any confidence in what we perceive is the Holy Ghost The post 283: The Prophet Will Not Lead The Church Astray appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.