Mormon Stories Podcast

Mormon Stories is proud to welcome our first Mormon convert from Zimbabwe, Gerald Benzi, and his wife Makenzie Benzi to the podcast for an epic three part series of their story. In part one, we discuss Gerarld’s life being raised in Zimbabwe, what it was like moving to the US, and deciding to take religion seriously and taking the missionary discussions. Among some of the topics we cover are gender roles, racism, and whether or not missionaries target immigrants. Please join us for this three part series to also learn about Makenzie and how their faith as a couple progressed through the years. Show Notes: Talking with the Benzis podcast by Makenzie and Gerald Makenzie's Instagram Makenzie's lifecoaching and speech therapy The CES Letter The Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis Untamed by Glennon Doyle Brene Brown ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Join John and Carah at 10am mst for a special live interview with Austin Archer as we discuss the Mormon to alcoholic pipeline, sobriety, and his success on TikTok. Follow Austin @yourpal_austin on TikTok ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— Show Notes: Mindhunter on Netflix AA “the big book” AA website Alanon “The Night Clerk” movie Me and Me Comedy Instagram channel  TikTok Cringe subreddit London Laz on TikTok Austin video about vaccines and “the test answers” “The Righteous Mind” book

Join John and Carah for a special live interview with Austin Archer as we discuss the Mormon to alcoholic pipeline, sobriety, and his success on TikTok. Follow Austin @yourpal_austin on TikTok ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— Show Notes: Clark Johnsen MS Interview Nan McCulloch MS interview Tyler Glenn MS interview Wayne Sermon MS interview Jebediah Springfield Simpsons episode King Richard Prophet’s Prey documentary “Doubt your doubts” conference talk "Anti-mormon Literature: Essays They Warned You About" by Christopher Shenefelt Turtleneck and Blazer tiktok from Austin

Chandler Roberson was raised as a devout Mormon, and always wanted to be the best Mormon she could be.  In her teenage years Chandler had a few abusive relationships with Mormon boys, where she felt forced to “repent” for “sins” she never committed. Her senior year Chandler felt pressured to break up with a non-LDS boy whom she genuinely loved, and to attend BYU-Idaho to follow the ideal Mormon path. While at BYU-Idaho Chandler was sexually assaulted by her Family Home Evening “brother,” which led to her leaving BYU-Idaho early, ultimately attempting to serve an LDS mission with untreated PTSD (returning home early). Chandler eventually became a nationally-known fashion blogger at “Days of Chandler.”  Later, Chandler attempted two young LDS temple marriages, both of which ended in divorce.  In her view, she was too young to attempt marriage, but felt intense pressure from LDS Church members to marry young. This is Chandler’s story.  Major themes include: - Pressure to be a “good Mormon girl” (all on women’s shoulders) - BYU-Idaho (dating/sexism, sexual assault problem at BYU schools) - Fashion Blogging (similar pressure to be a certain way – inauthentic/beautiful) - Personal impacts of being raised in the church ( codependency, sexual shame, etc) - Pressure to get married (twice). We are super grateful to have Samantha Shelley (Zelph on the Shelf) as co-host for this interview. Show Notes: Days of Chandler website Chandler’s TikTok Chandler’s Instagram Zelph on the Shelf youtube Going Clear documentary CES Letter Testimonies and Spiritual Experiences Across Religions - Emotions are Not Reliable to Discern Truth No Man Knows My History book Secret Mormon Meetings of 1922 MS interview Robert Ritner MS interview Newell Bringhurst MS interview Lena and Sal interview - Mormon Lesbians Natasha Helfer’s excommunication Tom Phillips MS episode Year of Polygamy podcast with Lindsay Hansen Park The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle Hail Satan documentary Hailey Devine YouTube ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Chandler Roberson was raised as a devout Mormon, and always wanted to be the best Mormon she could be. In her teenage years Chandler had a few abusive relationships with Mormon boys, where she felt forced to “repent” for “sins” she never committed. Her senior year Chandler felt pressured to break up with a non-LDS boy whom she genuinely loved, and to attend BYU-Idaho to follow the ideal Mormon path. While at BYU-Idaho Chandler was sexually assaulted by her Family Home Evening “brother,” which led to her leaving BYU-Idaho early, ultimately attempting to serve an LDS mission with untreated PTSD (returning home early). Chandler eventually became a nationally-known fashion blogger at “Days of Chandler.” Later, Chandler attempted two young LDS temple marriages, both of which ended in divorce. In her view, she was too young to attempt marriage, but felt intense pressure from LDS Church members to marry young. This is Chandler’s story. Major themes include: - Pressure to be a “good Mormon girl” (all on women’s shoulders) - BYU-Idaho (dating/sexism, sexual assault problem at BYU schools) - Fashion Blogging (similar pressure to be a certain way – inauthentic/beautiful) - Personal impacts of being raised in the church ( codependency, sexual shame, etc) - Pressure to get married (twice). We are super grateful to have Samantha Shelley (Zelph on the Shelf) as co-host for this interview. Show Notes: Days of Chandler website Chandler’s TikTok Chandler’s Instagram Zelph on the Shelf youtube Going Clear documentary CES Letter Testimonies and Spiritual Experiences Across Religions - Emotions are Not Reliable to Discern Truth No Man Knows My History book Secret Mormon Meetings of 1922 MS interview Robert Ritner MS interview Newell Bringhurst MS interview Lena and Sal interview - Mormon Lesbians Natasha Helfer’s excommunication Tom Phillips MS episode Year of Polygamy podcast with Lindsay Hansen Park The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle Hail Satan documentary Hailey Devine YouTube ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In part two of our interview, Matt and Stephanie Purcell dive into the effects infertility and postpartum depression took on them, the wheels that started turning in their heads after the 2015 exclusion policy, and much, much more. We are so lucky to get to hear Matt and Stephanie's journey and hope you enjoy Carah Burrell as your host on this epic two-part Mormon Story! Show Notes: Matt and Stephanie’s Instagram Letter for my Wife Brother Jake’s youtube channel Elder Holland on the BBC 50 Problems with the Mormon church 50 More Problems with the Mormon church Books by Spencer Palmer Tom Phillips Mormon Stories interview on second anointing HANS AND BIRGITTA MATTSSON Mormon Stories Patriarchal blessing website: “Educated” Tara Westover book ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

BYU professor of religion, mission president, temple president, LDS church area authority, personal friend of Mormon prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, and likely recipient of the top secret Mormon church Second Anointing ritual. In today's episode Matt tells his story of being one of several victims of sexual abuse by his grandfather - who served at some of the highest levels of Mormon church leadership. Matt is joined by Stephanie, his wife. Both share their Mormon stories, which include their faith journeys after discovering problematic Mormon church history. **Trigger warning on this episode*** Show Notes: Matt and Stephanie’s Instagram Letter for my Wife Brother Jake’s youtube channel Elder Holland on the BBC 50 Problems with the Mormon church 50 More Problems with the Mormon church Books by Spencer Palmer Tom Phillips Mormon Stories interview on second anointing HANS AND BIRGITTA MATTSSON Mormon Stories Patriarchal blessing website: “Educated” Tara Westover book ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Join John Dehlin and Radio Free Mormon as we speak with Dan Vogel about his new book, “ Book of Abraham Apologetics: A Review and Critique” published by Signature Books. Said to have been dictated by Joseph Smith as a translation of an ancient Egyptian scroll purchased in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835, the Book of Abraham may be Mormonism’s most controversial scripture. Decades of impassioned discussion began when about a dozen fragments of Smith’s Egyptian papyri, including a facsimile from the Book of Abraham, were found in the New York Metropolitan Museum in 1966. The discovery solved a mystery about the origin of the Egyptian characters that appear in the various manuscript copies of the Book of Abraham from 1835, reproduced from one of the fragments. Some LDS scholars devised arguments to explain what seemed to be clear evidence of Smith’s inability to translate Egyptian. In this book, Dan Vogel not only highlights the problems with these apologetic arguments but explains the underlying source documents in revealing detail and clarity. ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— Show Notes: Book of Abraham Apologetics: A Review and Critique by Dan Vogel Mormon Stories' interviews with Dan Vogel Mormon Stories' interviews with Dan Vogel on Book of Mormon origins Mormon Stories' interviews with Dan Vogel on Book of Mormon authorship "Mormon Origins Explained," Dan Vogel's YouTube channel Mormonism Live with Radio Free Mormon and Bill Reel Mormon Stories discussion with Radio Free Mormon about Book of Abraham scholarship Mormon Stories interview with Dr. Robert Ritner A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri by John Gee An Introduction to the Book of Abraham by John Gee Illustrations of Freemasonry by Capt. William Morgan A Reason for Faith: The Explanation-Defying Book of Abraham by Kerry Muhlstein

Join John Dehlin and Carah Burrell as they speak with John Larsen about the Gospel of Mark. In this episode we have John pull back the cover on the bible, what we can learn from the oldest gospels, and ask if the Mormon church as it currently stands is any different than the Pharisees of Christ’s day. ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— Links and show notes:  Mormon Expressions links: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/mormonexpression Thrive Unite links: https://www.thrivebeyondreligion.com/event/thrive-unite/ David Bokovoy on Mormon Stories: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/david-bokovoy/ Bart Ehrman on Mormon Stories: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/bart-ehrman/ Life of Brian: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/

Mark your calendars!  THRIVE is coming to a city near you!  On January 22, 2022 up to 22 cities will be holding regional THRIVE events - dedicated to providing healing, support, and community for post-Mormons and post-religious people.   Participating cities currently include: Alberta, Canada, Phoenix, AZ, Provo, UT, Lehi, UT, Bristol, UK, Seattle, WA, Costa Mesa, CA, Houston, TX, Sacramento, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Idaho Falls, ID, Atlanta, GA, Portland, OR, and Albuquerque, NM. Please join this brief episode to learn about each of the planned events, and how you can organize your own local THRIVE UNITE event in your city. You can register for THRIVE UNITE here: https://www.thrivebeyondreligion.com/event/thrive-unite/ To organize your own local THRIVE UNITE event, email: thrivebeyondreligion@gmail.com. ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 —————