Mormon Stories Podcast

Join us with Australian geneticist Simon Southerton as we break down with Australian geneticist Simon Southerton the Heartland model of Book of Mormon geography which proposes that the events described in the Book of Mormon took place, primarily, in the heartland of North America. The main proponent of this model, Rodney Meldrum, and his followers have been described as a "movement" that could transform the LDS Church. Simon will explain how one of the main pieces of "evidence" that the FIRM enterprise promotes is built on a single questionable claim which Meldrum has been making for over 15 years even after being corrected by several non-Mormon scientists, Simon himself, FairMormon, and LDS scholars at BYU, including Ugo Perego. Show Notes: "The fight over Book of Mormon Geography," by Michael DeGroote, Deseret News, May 27, 2010 “An Outsider’s View of Mormon Archaeology with Dr. Michael Coe” on Mormon Stories “LIDAR, Response to John Sorenson, and the Book of Mormon with MesoAmerican Archaeologist Dr. Michael Coe” on Mormon Stories Dean Sessions' Universal Model Rod Meldrum's FIRM Foundation (Foundation for Indigenous Research and Mormonism) "How Heartland Began and Continues," by Rod Meldrum with input from Rian Nelson "Civilizations Lost and Found: Fabricating History," by Deborah A. Bolnick, et. al., Book of Mormon Archeological Foundation, 2012 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Kennewick Man: The Scientific Investigation of an Ancient American Skeleton by Douglas W. Owsley Face of a Nephite: DNA Studies and the Book of Mormon by David Read Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church by Simon G. Southerton ————— 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 us today for an important discussion! In this special Mormon Stories live stream, Carah Burrell is honored to talk with excommunicated Mormon sex therapist Natasha Helfer to discuss the criticism of her found in Cwic Media’s video about her disciplinary council. Natasha and Carah plan to go point by point to address various accusations about her intentions and hopefully foster a better understanding of what constitutes healthy sexuality for people in and out of the LDS church. Show Notes: GetMormonHelp.com/Symmetry Solutions Mormon Sex Info podcast, hosted by Natasha Helfer  Six Principles of Sexual Health Greg Matsen's YouTube video, "Natasha Helfer Disciplinary Council Explained" Natasha Helfer's writings on masturbation: "My Official Stance on Masturbation," Patheos, August 6, 2012  "Neither a Sin nor a Transgression," Sunstone Magazine, November 28, 2015  "A Parent's Guide," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Anti-pornography campaign “Fight the New Drug” The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists The Mormon Mental Health Association (secular, but LDS culturally competent) The Association of Latter-day Saint Counselors and Psychotherapists (practitioners must agree to follow the Church's teachings) ————— 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 Margi, John, and Carah as Margi discusses the Conscious Parenting model, and how it can help with parenting “when all else fails.” ————— 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 and links: The Conscious Parent book The Awakened Family: How to Raise Empowered, Resilient, and Conscious Children book Out of Control book Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis – Conscious Parenting After a Religious Faith Transition Staying Grounded Mormon Stories episode with Margi Untamed by Glennon Doyle Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr Eckhart Tolle podcast series with Oprah

Please join us as John and Gerardo respond to a recent interview on the Mayim Bialik's Breakdown podcast where David Archuleta shared his experience being Mormon and gay. ————— 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: David's interview with Mayim Bialik A Little Book of Ace by Clara Dehlin Let’s learn about asexuality and aromanticism with Clara Dehlin David Talks about Elder Holland’s comments Tabernacles of Clay Matt Easton MS Interview Centennial Commons Petition "On The Record" from Latter Gay Stories THRIVEDAY

McKay ‘Spartacus’ Johnson is our guest today for this fantastic two-part Mormon Stories interview. Carah Burrell takes the reins again as lead interviewer as we talk to McKay about battling a “Nephi complex” growing up, early exposure to pornography, and his mission to Brasil where he describes being groomed by his mission companion and sexually assaulted. It’s an intense and undercover topic and we thank McKay for coming on the podcast to share his experience being a male sexual assault survivor. In part two, McKay tells us about what it was like to heal from his mission and deconstruct the homophobic ideas he carried with him after his assault. Eventually getting married and divorced, we discuss with McKay what happened the night he confessed to his wife he had been occasionally viewing pornography and what can be done in Mormon culture to shift the unhelpful and counterproductive labeling of men like McKay. McKay is also a talented TikToker and musician, so we are happy he could find time to take a break from playing rock god to join us on Mormon Stories and we hope you’ll support him wherever his talents take him!  Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault. ————— 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:  @Spartacus_Unchained on TikTok Healthier approaches to porn and masturbation @ExMoLex on TikTok @ExMormonMindy on TikTok @NuanceHoe on TikTok SuitUpSoldier.com

McKay ‘Spartacus’ Johnson is our guest today for this fantastic two-part Mormon Stories interview. Carah Burrell takes the reins again as lead interviewer as we talk to McKay about battling a “Nephi complex” growing up, early exposure to pornography, and his mission to Brasil where he describes being groomed by his mission companion and sexually assaulted. It’s an intense and undercover topic and we thank McKay for coming on the podcast to share his experience being a male sexual assault survivor. In part two, McKay tells us about what it was like to heal from his mission and deconstruct the homophobic ideas he carried with him after his assault. Eventually getting married and divorced, we discuss with McKay what happened the night he confessed to his wife he had been occasionally viewing pornography and what can be done in Mormon culture to shift the unhelpful and counterproductive labeling of men like McKay. McKay is also a talented TikToker and musician, so we are happy he could find time to take a break from playing rock god to join us on Mormon Stories and we hope you’ll support him wherever his talents take him!  Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault. ————— 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:  @Spartacus_Unchained on TikTok Healthier approaches to porn and masturbation @ExMoLex on TikTok @ExMormonMindy on TikTok @NuanceHoe on TikTok SuitUpSoldier.com

Today we discuss Mormon Temples, the prosperity gospel, and the Mormon church's use of social media influencers to promote its temple work. Feel free to post your comments, experiences, and questions below! Show Notes: Graph showing temple growth under Russell M. Nelson Racially insensitive murals inside the Mesa, Arizona, temple Mormon Stories' interview with Laura Schnell Jenny Komenda's Instagram ————— 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

What questions are on your mind this week? Do you have something you've been wanting to ask? What queries have you, our dear Mormon Stories listeners? Tell us! Join John and Carah for a live stream as we chat, answer your questions, and hit the hot topics of the week in the Mormon/post-Mormon realm. Show notes: Register for upcoming Thrive events Mormon Stories' interview with Marc Oslund Mormon Stories' interview with Paul Toscano Mormon Stories' interview with Margaret Toscano Mormon Stories' interview with Steven Hassan Mormon Stories' interview with Luna Corbden New York Post article about "soaking" Allan Mount's TikTok Mormonism Live ————— 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

On September 12 Franklin Richards, a member of the 12 and his travel companions caught up with the Willie handcart company. They held a conference in which they insulted and ridiculed the company for their lack of faith. The GAs then said they wanted fresh meat. They made the company slaughter their "fattest calf" which they did and the GAs took the meat with them. A member of the 12 literally took provisions from the Willie handcart company. In the podcast we will give the basic background of the handcart trek, how the Lord's anointed were absolutely trash, and then discuss how the worst failure of Mormon History is celebrated widely every year. ————— 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: "Devil's Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy" by David Roberts John Larsen's Reddit Thread

As Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow face indictments and/or allegations for multiple murders (e.g., Chad's wife Tammy, Lori's husband Charles, Lori's brother Alex, Lori's children JJ and Tylee) - many believing LDS church members (i.e. "Mormons") have taken issue with the suggestion that Mormon beliefs played any role in these murders.   Today we conclude our 2-part series exploring the Mormon influences on Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow.  Our guests for today are Lauren and John Matthias - co-hosts of the Hidden True Crime podcast.  I am also super happy to be joined today by my dear, brilliant friend Mindy Caldwell, who has followed the Daybell/Vallow case very closely over the past few years.   Please join us with your questions and comments. Hidden: A True Crime Podcast explores the hidden motives behind unimaginable crimes, while examining our deepest fears along the way. Join us on a journey into the darkest recesses of the human mind and the unconscious motivations that drive human behaviors, both good and bad, in order to understand the world and ourselves. Pull up a chair at our dinner table as the husband and wife team of Dr. John Matthias, a forensic psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, a journalist, delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes. What are you hiding? What are you hiding from? What remains hidden? Hidden True Crime YouTube channel  Hidden True Crime's Patreon Tips, clues, or other contact Show Notes: The Second Comforter: Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil by Denver Snuffer  A Greater Tomorrow: My Journey Beyond the Veil by Julie Rowe  Lauren's full interview with "Girl on Fire"  Visions of Glory: One Man's Astonishing Account of the Last Days by John Pontius Mormon Stories' interview with Matt Harris about the rise of the Mormon right-wing Early Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn ————— 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