Mormon Land

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a standard crossing-the-Plains narrative: Pioneers traversed the Mississippi River on the ice led by Brigham Young. Everything was well organized, and everyone was well behaved. They trekked hard by day and prayed together at night. They sang “Come, Come, Ye Saints” around the campfire and then delighted in dancing to the tunes of fiddles. Sure, there was hardship, so the story goes, but all the suffering was mostly ennobling. The names varied but the stories for these religious migrants were pretty much interchangeable. For Latter-day Saint historian Ardis Parshall, however, the pioneer saga is so much wider, richer and, at times, even more entertaining when members search for and honor experiences that differ from the oft-repeated accounts. Parshall, who revels in being a historical sleuth, seeks out the little-known and unexpected episodes in the faith’s past. In advance of Utah’s Pioneer Day on Thursday, July 24, she shares some of the gems she has discovered about the Latter-day Saints’ epic 19th-century pilgrimage.

The latest word from the IRS is that, contrary to popular belief, churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates from the pulpit without threatening their tax-exempt status. When asked to comment on the tax agency’s stance, a spokesperson for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pointed, perhaps tellingly, to the faith’s official policy of political neutrality, which states matter-of-factly that that the church “does not endorse, promote or oppose political parties and their platforms or candidates for political office.” But could that change someday? Might the time come when President So-and-So, sporting a red tie, or apostle Such-and-Such, donning a blue one, gets up in General Conference and urges members to vote for a Republican presidential candidate or a Democrat seeking the White House? Is the IRS’ position really revolutionary? Could it dramatically alter the delicate balance between church and state? Will most clergy even want to wade into partisan politics from pulpit? On this week’s podcast, Sam Brunson, a Latter-day Saint tax law professor at Loyola University Chicago and author of the recently released “Between the Temple and the Tax Collector: The Intersection of Mormonism and the State," discusses those questions and more.

This nonpartisan Latter-day Saint group has called out President Donald Trump for continuing to spread the false narrative that the 2020 election was rigged and for targeting those who have reported the truth about his electoral defeat that year. It has denounced the present federal administration’s quest for greater power and Congress’ unwillingness to act as a constitutional check against such executive overreach. It has opposed Trump’s push for mass deportations. It has pleaded with Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a fellow member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to cease his online bullying. It has encouraged reasonable reforms to reduce gun violence. It has even sued the Utah Legislature, accusing lawmakers of gerrymandering and undermining the will of voters in approving new congressional districts for the Beehive State. Given all that activity, to say that Mormon Women for Ethical Government has been quietly sitting on the sidelines would miss the mark. So what does this grassroots group, with thousands of Latter-day Saint followers and with the stated goal of “building a more peaceful, just and ethical world,” hope to accomplish during this time of U.S. political upheaval? On this week’s show, Laura Lewis Eyi, the organization’s public relations manager, addresses that question and more.

On the third crossover episode between ‘Mormon Land’ and ‘Mormons in Media, ’ Rebbie and Nicole are joined by Meg Walter, host of the ‘Hive Mind’ podcast. After watching the ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ reunion, the three talk about the heaviness of it. Nicole asks the question: If faith is so important to these women, why stay in the LDS Church where they don’t follow the rules versus choosing a different denomination? We also talk about the “Mormon Hacks” Nick Viall brought up.

On Sept. 28, 2017, The Salt Lake Tribune premiered a new podcast, “Mormon Land,” and its first guest was Tom Christofferson, a prominent LGBTQ+ member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a brother of apostle D. Todd Christofferson. Deseret Book had just published Tom’s memoir, “That We May Be One: A Gay Mormon’s Perspective on Faith and Family.” As hosts, we were definitely neophytes, but the power of Tom’s narrative and his openness carried the moment. Now, as “Mormon Land” approaches its 400th episode — and a decade after the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage the law of the land and the Utah-based church enacted a policy (later rescinded) labeling same-sex married couples “apostates” and barring their kids from baptism — we caught up with Tom Christofferson, who was in Utah for the Gather Conference in Provo, to explore how far the church has come, in his eyes, on LGBTQ+ issues and and how far it has yet to go.

Stassi D. Cramm did not spend her childhood fantasizing about becoming the first female prophet-president in the Community of Christ’s 165-year history. Indeed, Cramm did not originally plan for a life of ministry in the church, which, like the much-larger Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, traces its origins to Joseph Smith. But sometimes, Cramm says, God has other plans for you. Earlier this month, Cramm was ordained to the highest office in the Community of Christ after nearly a quarter century of full-time ministry. She is ready to help the faith, formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, move forward boldly into an even more inclusive, global church. On this week’s show, Cramm discusses her background; the challenges her church faces; its position on a number of issues, including climate change; the faith’s finances and its relationship with the Utah-based religion, especially after selling the historic Kirtland Temple; and her hopes for the future.

To many liberal members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, apostle Hugh B. Brown was an ecclesiastical icon, a fierce warrior for social justice and a passionate proponent of ending the faith’s former temple/priesthood exclusion of Black members. Still, Brown was not without his critics, including some strong opponents among the church’s highest leadership ranks. As a member of the governing First Presidency from 1961 to 1970, for example, Brown wrangled with future church Presidents Harold B. Lee and Ezra Taft Benson, as well as other apostles. “For a generation of Latter-day Saints, he represented the kind of pulpit magic associated with names like Orson F. Whitney, Brigham H. Roberts and Melvin J. Ballard from an earlier day,” wrote scholar Richard D. Poll in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. “For thousands of individuals with questions and problems, he represented the kind of understanding and counsel associated earlier with John A. Widtsoe, James E. Talmage and Joseph F. Merrill.”To Poll “and many others who knew him personally,” the historian wrote, Brown “was a multifaceted, magnificent human being.” Yet, the outspoken Democrat eventually was dropped from the First Presidency, which left him bitter and sad. On this week’s podcast. Matthew Harris, a history professor at Colorado State University Pueblo and author of “Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality” who is working on a Brown biography, explains some of the controversies surrounding the beloved leader.

Critics often say that there is no place in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for LGBTQ+ members. After all, they rightly point out, the faith’s policy is that having same-sex attraction is not a sin but acting on it is. That can put those who are in a same-sex marriage or advocating for it in a tough position. It also has led to self-loathing among LGBTQ+ members and serious conflicts with those who believe everyone has a right to love whomever they choose. In 2012, members of the then-newly formed Mormons Building Bridges donned their Sunday best and marched en masse to wide applause in a Utah pride parade. Their simple yet potent gesture echoed around the globe, setting an example for fellow believers who then took up the style, if not the name, in other pride parades. This year, there were no Latter-day Saint marchers under that banner. Indeed, the parade had few if any entries with a strong Latter-day Saint identity. Instead, LGBTQ+ members are finding homes in a variety of organizations including a relative newcomer, Lift + Love. On this week’s show, Allison Dayton, who founded the group, updates listeners on the current LGBTQ-LDS landscape and to discusses the Gather Conference taking place later this month.

In 2012, scholar John Turner published an award-winning biography of Brigham Young, a mountain of a man in Western Americana. But there remained a bigger fish to pursue, namely Joseph Smith, the “white whale” of Mormon history, the religious icon who gave birth to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Turner’s voyage is now complete and the resulting book, “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet,” is available this month. Infused with the latest scholarship, the volume reveals a Brother Joseph who is sometimes playful, sometimes reckless, sometimes incensed, often inspired, but always enterprising and forever fascinating. The book appears certain to go down as the most significant and up-to-date biography of the Mormon founder since Richard Bushman’s “Rough Stone Rolling.” On this week’s show, Turner, professor of religious studies and history at George Mason University, discusses what he discovered about Joseph Smith — the husband, the father, the book publisher, the community organizer, the city builder, the religious innovator, the polygamist, the visionary, and, above all, the prophet to millions of followers.

In the second monthly bonus episode brought to you by a collaboration of “Mormon Land” and “Mormons in Media,” Latter-day Saint Rebbie Brassfield and non-Latter-day Saint Nicole Weaver recap season two of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” From discussing maternity garments and Gen-Z Latter-day Saints bringing back cross necklaces, the pair talks about all the things you may have been wondering. You might even learn the Young Women Theme.