Mormon Stories Podcast

On August 23, 2021 Mormon apostle Jeffrey R. Holland spoke to staff at Brigham Young University during the first day of the institution's 2021 university conference.  During his speech Elder Holland condemned: 1) a recent BYU valedictorian for "coming out" as gay during his graduation commencement address, 2) a recent uptick in LGBTQ-affirming demonstrations at BYU, and 3) a recent surge in LGBTQ support by BYU students and faculty.  His comments appear to be in response to a corresponding surge in concerns expressed by orthodox ultra conservative/Deznat-affirming LDS church adults who are concerned that BYU is becoming to LGBTQ affirming (descending into "Babylon").  During his speech Elder Holland invoked war metaphors, including the statement, "I am grateful we have scholars today who can handle, as it were, both trowels and muskets.” Today we will talk with Kyle Ashworth (host of Latter-Gay Stories Podcast) and Gerardo Sumano about the recent events.  The main topic will be: is the LDS Church losing control over LGBTQ support at BYU and church-wide? Show notes:  Kyle's Mormon Stories interview: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/when-a-gay-mormon-man-marries-a-woman-kyle-ashworth-pt-1/ Gerardo's Mormon Stories interview: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/a-mexican-mormon-story-gerardo/ Latter Gay Stories: https://lattergaystories.org/ Color the Campus: https://www.instagram.com/colorthecampus/?hl=en Encircle: https://encircletogether.org/ Affirmation: https://affirmation.org/ ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 —————

Today Mormon Stories is lucky enough to be joined by the wonderful Jessie Funk! For anyone familiar with the music of the youth seminars held by the LDS church known as “EFY”, singer Jessie Funk’s name should ring a bell. After Jessie’s career touring with the broadway musical “Footloose”, releasing several studio albums and books, starting her organization “The Ivy Foundation”, and raising her two children, she recently changed tunes, choosing to leave the Mormon church. We are excited to speak with Jessie about her Mormon upbringing, career (in and outside of the church), her faith crisis, and her new venture “Especially for Truth”, a week-long summer seminar for post-Mormon teens. Wrapping up her first “EFT” event last week where John and Carah were invited as guest speakers, we hope powerhouse Jessie Funk joining the post-Mormon activist space will be music to your ears! Show Notes: Especially for Truth website: Jessie’s Especially for Truth TikTok Jessie’s Especially for Truth Instagram Top Youth Speakers Clark Johnson Mormon Stories interview Whitney Houston Documentary Poverty Inc Tom Phillips Mormon Stories interview Leah and Cody Young Mormon Stories interview Marriage on a Tightrope Allan and Kattie Mount Encircle 7 Cups Counseling Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis website Mormon Enlightenment FB Mormon Stories FB group Faith Journey Meetups FB ————— 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 Friday's Mormon Stories Podcast episode, beloved podcaster Radio Free Mormon shares with us his reflections on how he transitioned from a Mormon apologist to a non-believer and critic of the LDS Church. Please join us with your questions and comments! Show Notes: Radio Free Mormon  Mormonism Live, co-hosted with Bill Reel Mormon Stories episode featuring Radio Free Mormon Mormon Stories episode featuring Gerardo Sumano Mormon Stories episode featuring Bart Ehrman  RFM's interview with Kerry Shirts  Bill Moyers' series Genesis: A Living Conversation  Bart Ehrman's New Testament course Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment by Hugh Nibley The Book of Mormon on Trial by Andrew Knaupp and J. Milton Rich  Sustaining and Defending the Faith by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet  Louis Midgley's review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet in the journal Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Alma 34:34, with surrounding textual context  Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It Into the New Testament by Bart D. Ehrman Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew by Bart D. Ehrman The Lost Books of the Bible: Being All the Gospels, Epistles and Other Pieces Now Extant Attributed in the First Four Centuries to Jesus Christ by Solomon J. Schepps ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

Geneticist Simon Southerton was serving as an Australian Mormon bishop when he discovered through DNA research that Native Americans were not descendants of Israelites (as the Book of Mormon teaches), but instead were descendants of Asians via the Bering Strait. This researched caused Simon to lose his faith in Mormonism. He is the author of a book on the subject called “Losing a Lost Tribe.” Recently Simon has been studying the declining growth in the worldwide LDS or Mormon church. Simon will join us on Mormon Stories Podcast to discuss his research into Mormon church decline. ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

Join us today for a conversation with Dr. Robert P. Mildenhall, MD (an ICU pulmonary physician from Nashville, Tennessee) as he answers questions about his experience with Covid-19 and the vaccine. --------------- We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ---------------

Over the past few days the Intensive Care Units in Utah hospitals and around the U.S. began to overflow with COVID patients. Reports began to emerge that as high as 99% of the ICU patients and deceased were not vaccinated from COVID. In addition, the LDS Church First Presidency released a new announcement a few days ago urging members to be vaccinated. This announcement has caused many vaccine-hesitant LDS church members to question their faith in the LDS church, and/or in LDS Church president Russell M. Nelson. The announcement also has spurned several interesting conspiracy theories. There has also been a variety of responses from local LDS bishops, stake presidents, and members - from supportive to unsupportive. On August 17th between 9am and 10am mountain time please join us as we assemble a panel of physicians and experts to discuss the status of the COVID vaccine in the U.S., in Utah, and in the LDS Church. The conversation will avoid politics, will be science-based, and we will take questions from the viewing audience. Please join us, and please spread the word. --------------- We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ---------------

Is there a double standard at BYU when divvying out punishments to athletes vs students who break the honor code? Mormon Stories producer and co-host Carah Burrell takes the reins on this intense episode as lead interviewer of our guest Kelly Trust as we take a deep dive into answering that question! Finally feeling freed from the constraints that kept her quiet for too long, Kelly describes the confusing, unhealthy sexual messages around her body that plagued her youth, the relationship with a star BYU athlete that led to her expulsion from the school while the player stayed, and the faith crisis that ensued after reading the CES Letter.  Content warning on this episode for strong sexual themes and profanity.  We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate! Links and show notes:  Honor Code Stories Instagram:  CES Letter:  “Leaving the Saints” by Marth Beck:  “Braving the Wilderness”  by Brene Brown:  Instagram:

One of our most popular Mormon Stories guests is back with wonderfully salient advice for post-Mormon growth! Leah, along with her husband Cody and daughter Brinley, told their story to John during an epic multi-part Mormon Stories series on their faith transition and excommunication in 2019. In this episode, Leah shares seven lessons she’s learned while rebuilding a meaningful life for herself and her family. So many good takeaways in this episode! We hope you’ll find it valuable, share it, come back to it more than once during different life stages, and comment on what lessons you’ve learned along your journey as well.  We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate! Links and show notes: Mormon Stories #1044: Leah, Cody, and Brinley Young - From Fear Into Joy (Part 1) Pt. 1: Mormon Stories #1098: The Excommunication of Leah and Cody Young Pt. 1: Mormon Stories #1048: Leah, Cody, and Brinley Young - A Teen's Perspective on Faith Transition Pt. 1: Balanced Living with Leah website: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma: “She Let It Go” poem: Email Leah: balancedlivingwithleah@gmail.com Active Listening the Kids Perspectives: Leah’s courses: Leah’s instagram:

Our guest today is Brinley Young, daughter of Leah and Cody young, a family famous for telling their story to John during an epic multi-part Mormon Stories series on their faith transition and excommunication back in 2019 when Brinley was just 15 years old. Now 18, post-faith crisis, and with wisdom beyond her years, Brinley joins John and Margi in studio for 7 lessons she’s learned after leaving the church on topics ranging from communication, owning her sexuality, and following her intuition. This is a special one you won’t want to miss! We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate! Links and show notes: Mormon Stories 1044: Leah, Cody, and Brinley Young - From Fear Into Joy (Part 1) Pt. 1 Mormon Stories 1098: The Excommunication of Leah and Cody Young Pt. 1 Mormon Stories 1048: Leah, Cody, and Brinley Young - A Teen's Perspective on Faith Transition Pt. 1 "Untamed" by Glennon Doyle

Please join us as three Native American women, Sarah, Ann, and Monika who were raised in the Mormon church, discuss the following: - What they were taught about the "Lamanite doctrine" as Native American Mormon women. - How the Mormon Lamanite doctrine impacted their lives, especially while finding a partner. - How their perspectives have changed regarding the Mormon Lamanite doctrine. We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate! Links and show notes: Lamanitetruth.com  Monika's article in The Exponent "My Apology for My Complicity" For anyone that wants to be a part of Native American/Indigenous exMormon monthly group chat on Zoom, contact Sarah Newcomb through the Lamantie Truth page on Facebook. Sarah's essay is contained in this book entitled "Where Grandmother Walked" BYU Devotional Sarah referenced calling Polynesians more blessed (20:36) Ann's facebook video Monika's TikTok Donate to the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition Donate to Navajo Strong Donate to Eve's Place Donate to Collective Medicine Donate to The Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home