Mormon Stories Podcast

Marlena Smith’s parents joined the Mormon church as black converts after the priesthood ban was lifted (1978). After her parents moved to Utah, Marlena was born in 1989 in Provo, Utah. Marlena was raised as a devout Mormon in Lindon and Pleasant Grove - as the only black family in her ward and stake. Later Marlena attended BYU and married in the Payson temple. This is Marlena’s story of growing up as a black Mormon woman in Utah

Marlena Smith’s parents joined the Mormon church as black converts after the priesthood ban was lifted (1978). After her parents moved to Utah, Marlena was born in 1989 in Provo, Utah. Marlena was raised as a devout Mormon in Lindon and Pleasant Grove - as the only black family in her ward and stake. Later Marlena attended BYU and married in the Payson temple. This is Marlena’s story of growing up as a black Mormon woman in Utah

Marlena Smith’s parents joined the Mormon church as black converts after the priesthood ban was lifted (1978). After her parents moved to Utah, Marlena was born in 1989 in Provo, Utah. Marlena was raised as a devout Mormon in Lindon and Pleasant Grove - as the only black family in her ward and stake. Later Marlena attended BYU and married in the Payson temple. This is Marlena’s story of growing up as a black Mormon woman in Utah

Join us now on Mormon Stories Podcast as we do an all-day, live-streamed series of interviews on "How to Survive BYU as an Unorthodox or Non-Believing Student." Please share your questions, comments, and stories here so we can use them in the show.  This segment focuses on the BYU Survival Guide, created by our panel of guests today. And please share this info with anyone who you think might benefit from it, including any past, present, or future Brigham Young University-Provo or Brigham Young University–Idaho students. Thanks in advance.

Join us now for Part 4 of our Mormon Stories Podcast series on “How to Survive BYU as an Unorthodox or Non-Believing Student.” We will be interviewing Andrew, one of the co-founders of the “BYU Survival Guide” - a survival guide for unorthodox and non-believing BYU students.  http://www.byusurvivalguide.com Please share your questions, comments, and stories here so we can use them in the show. And please share this info with anyone who you think might benefit from it, including any past, present, or future BYU-Provo or Brigham Young University–Idaho students.

Join us now for Part 3 of our Mormon Stories Podcast series on “How to Survive BYU as an Unorthodox or Non-Believing Student.” We will be interviewing Jared Brinton, brother of dear friend and Mormon Stories Podcast listener Janelle Brinton. Please share your questions, comments, and stories here so we can use them in the show. And please share this info with anyone who you think might benefit from it, including any past, present, or future BYU-Provo or Brigham Young University–Idaho students. Thanks in advance.

Join us now on Mormon Stories Podcast as we do an all-day, live-streamed series of interviews on "How to Survive BYU as an Unorthodox or Non-Believing Student." Please share your questions, comments, and stories here so we can use them in the show.  And please share this info with anyone who you think might benefit from it, including any past, present, or future Brigham Young University-Provo or Brigham Young University–Idaho students. Thanks in advance.

Join us now on Mormon Stories Podcast as we do an all-day, live-streamed series of interviews on "How to Survive BYU as an Unorthodox or Non-Believing Student."  And please share this info with anyone who you think might benefit from it, including any past, present, or future Brigham Young University-Provo or Brigham Young University–Idaho students. Thanks in advance.

SUMMARY: While I am pleased to finally see extensive news coverage of Mormon Bishop/Stake High Councilman Steven Murdock’s voyeurism story, I feel strongly that the reporters are missing the most important part of this story: basically, that Mormon church leadership explicitly knew of Bishop Murdock’s history of sexual harassment as early as 2017, but chose to ignore the reports, kept him in as bishop for several months after the firing, and eventually “promoted” Steven Murdock to the Stake High Council in spite of at least three different direct reports regarding his pattern of behavior. The following report comes from personal interviews with over 20 individuals who have personal relationships with Steven Murdock, either as friends, co-workers, neighbors, or ward/stake members.

Presented at the June 2019 THRIVE Conference in Salt Lake City, UT