Derren Klein didn't know a split-second decision to examine a document headed for the trash would blow open not just a family secret, but one of the Mormon Church's most-guarded, controversial, and exclusive rituals: the Second Anointing. This discovery set Klein on a transformative journey as he confronted unsettling truths about his faith, family history, and the very foundations of Mormonism. ⁠Show Notes⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

Join with us today as we discuss the priesthood and temple ban with historian Matt Harris. Joseph F. Smith and Joseph Fielding Smith, both Mormon leaders, could not find any doctrinal bases for the priesthood and temple ban and yet it still remained for decades. Members of the church performed blackface and wrote racist poems published in church periodicals. Many of the Mormon leaders did not agree with the ban and some were even removed from their callings because of their different opinions. We are thrilled to announce that we have reached our donation goal to compensate Dr. Matt Harris for his contributions to this series. We sincerely thank everyone who supported this effort. While the goal to pay Matt has been met, producing this series incurred significant costs for the Open Stories Foundation. If you find value in this content and want to help cover these expenses and support future productions, we encourage you to donate at https://www.mormonstories.org/donate/ Your generosity makes a difference—thank you! Show Notes Purchase Matt Harris’ book, Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

A former Mormon Temple Presidency member from the U.K., Martin Lock, candidly discusses his disillusionment with the LDS Church after learning troubling historical facts. He reveals shocking details about temple rituals, the Second Anointing ceremony granting eternal life, and how polygamy drove the creation of temple sealings. Lock's journey from devout believer to critic exposes the deep schism between the Church's teachings and its origins. Show Notes YouTube Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

Shrouded in secrecy, the Second Anointing ritual promises the highest blessings of exaltation and godhood to worthy Mormons. But with its history steeped in polygamy and secret combinations, this ceremonial rite has sparked intense debate. Uncover the veiled truths of this sacred ordinance as we delve into accounts from former members, historical documents, and the church's tight-lipped stance on this most enigmatic of Mormon mysteries. Show Notes YouTube Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

John Dehlin is in the hot seat again, this time with Graham Martin’s podcast, The Cross Examiner. Graham takes on the case of Rationality vs Religion using his experience as a lawyer to examine claims, making his listeners the “jury.” The Cross Examiner (youtube.com) Show Notes YouTube Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

In this new series on Mormon Leadership, historian Matt Harris discusses Mormonism's early racism, focusing on the priesthood and temple ban for Black members. He explores the church's opposition to civil rights, the experiences of Black Latter-day Saints like Jane Manning James and Elijah Abel, and the evolving theology around race. Harris challenges misconceptions about prophetic revelation and the origins of the ban, shedding light on this complex and painful history. We are thrilled to announce that we have reached our donation goal to compensate Dr. Matt Harris for his contributions to this series. We sincerely thank everyone who supported this effort. While the goal to pay Matt has been met, producing this series incurred significant costs for the Open Stories Foundation. If you find value in this content and want to help cover these expenses and support future productions, we encourage you to donate at https://www.mormonstories.org/donate/ Your generosity makes a difference—thank you! Show Notes Purchase Matt Harris’ book, Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

Julia joins the team again to examine the fates of the alleged witnesses to the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, revealing a trail of broken testimonies, apostasies and bizarre offshoots. Nearly all the witnesses later followed eccentric claimants like James Strang, raising serious credibility issues. By scrutinizing discrepancies in accounts, shifting narratives around Joseph Smith's "translating power," and the rich local history of buried plate legends, Julia builds a powerful case challenging the orthodox story behind Mormonism's foundational scripture. Nemo the Mormon - YouTube Nemo the Mormon - TikTok Nemo the Mormon - Instagram Analyzing Mormonism - YouTube Analyzing Mormonism - Website Analyzing Mormonism - Instagram Analyzing Mormonism - TikTok Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: Youtube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com  PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117  Social Media: Insta: @mormstories Tiktok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

Rebecca and Landon from Mormonish Podcast is joined by Radio Free Mormon and Randy Bell to reveal the Mormon church's aggressive tactics to circumvent local building codes for new temples - from funneling money through law firms to influence city councils, to privily threatening opposition that they'll "turn up the heat" and "win" regardless of opposition. Despite publicly preaching being "good neighbors," they privately tell concerned citizens groups “We have so much money, we don't care what you think" while touting lavish spires as vital symbols to "draw eyes heavenward." Show Notes YouTube Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

We are super excited to announce a new tv project in development - led by ex-Mormon Heather Gay of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. In my opinion, this project has the potential to move the needle in our goal to bring more transparency to Mormon church. Heather's plea is included below. Please email her production company if you are interested. "To all my Bad Mormons – The last few years have brought me so many incredible experiences and opportunities, but by far the most formative has been being able to work through my faith transition with the church amongst a community of people who understood and support my experiences. We are exploring a television project that I hope will extend this opportunity to more people who might be struggling with similar issues. If you think you might be interested, please reach out to me at newproject@slausonproductions.com and tell me a little about your story and why you think it could be valuable to share." - Heather Gay Show Notes YouTube Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

In a gripping interview, Megan Conner unpacks the chilling details surrounding Chad Daybell's guilty verdict for murdering his wife and children, tying it to the dangerous offshoots of Mormon teachings. With raw emotion, Conner condemns the LDS Church's silence which enabled Daybell's doomsday cult beliefs like "blood atonement" and gathering the 144,000. She issues an impassioned call for the church to explicitly denounce these doctrines before others are radicalized, arguing its past condoning of violence has harmed thousands and its current silence harms both sides. Megan Connor: ThirdVerse Community Megan Conner - YouTube Show Notes Youtube Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord