Mormon Stories Podcast

As most Mormons are just now beginning to learn, Joseph Smith left multiple and varied First Vision accounts that changed dramatically over time. Joseph Smith's 1st handwritten First Vision account was produced in 1832, and was intentionally hidden from LDS Church members for over a century and a half - primarily because of the many problems it presented to orthodox belief. The "official" First Vision account that the LDS Church ended up adopting is the 1838 version, which varies in several significant ways from the previous versions - primarily reflecting Joseph Smith's evolving theological beliefs. Join us today as John Larsen analyzes Joseph Smith's FIRST (1832) handwritten First Vision account, and explores the many difficulties this version presents to modern Mormon faith. Show notes: Joseph Smith Papers MormonThink IRR.org Mormon Infographics Letter for my Wife Mormon Stories Really good comparison chart Wilford Wood museum ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 —————

Wrapping up our epic three part interview with the Laing family, Heather and Kelly detail the path of love and acceptance they took while deconstructing their faith in the Mormon god’s plan for families. We hope you’ll resonate with their description of uncovering troubling Mormon history, growing closer as a family, and realizing none of them are broken, least of which their two gay sons. Show notes: Kelly’s TikTok channel Mark E Petersen Chastity pamphlet Church News Article on Laing family ————— 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 happens when two sons in a Mormon military family come out as gay? In part two of our interview with the Laing family, we talk with Britton and Mason Laing about the unique struggles they faced, what it was like coming out, and their advice for other gay teens. Show notes: Kelly’s TikTok channel Mark E Petersen Chastity pamphlet Church News Article on Laing family ————— 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

Batten down the hatches and prepare for an epic Mormon Stories interview like you’ve never heard before! Part of what is often called “the Silent Service”, former nuclear submarine commander, Kelly Laing and his family, finally speak out. We dive deep in this three part interview and hear from Heather and Kelly Laing, followed by two of their four children, Britton and Mason, in part 2. In this episode, we discuss Heather and Kelly’s courtship as teens, the road Kelly took into the military, and the ways they kept their family and love life afloat.  Show notes: Kelly’s TikTok channel Mark E Petersen Chastity pamphlet Church News Article on Laing family ————— 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 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 ---------------