Mormon Land

Embedded in the oft-cited Articles of Faith, written by church founder Joseph Smith, is this statement: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.” To the minds of many, even most, English-speaking members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this has long meant one thing and one thing only — the King James Version, including some of Smith’s edits, collectively known as the Joseph Smith Translation. That is changing. Although still officially the “preferred” edition, the 1611 KJV is now one of several that church leaders have listed as approved for use. On this week’s show, Latter-day Saint scholar Dan McClellan, author of “The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues," talks about the significance and potential ramifications of this announcement, including how the newer translations could boost members’ understanding of the Bible, shift their views of the Book of Mormon and strengthen — or challenge — their faith. If nothing else, the inclusion of more modern Bible editions promises to make for more interesting, informed and meaningful Sunday school discussions.

For a decade, Latter-day Saint female officers in the San Francisco Bay Area had joined male leaders in sitting on the stand, facing members, during Sunday services. In the wake of the Ordain Women movement of 2013, it was seen as a small, visible step toward equality and inclusion. Two years ago, an area president, whose jurisdiction included Northern California, abruptly discontinued the practice. In response, members in at least three stakes, or regional clusters of congregations, surrounding San Francisco have expressed their concerns to lay bishops and stake presidents, while also conducting surveys and launching a letter-writing campaign to church headquarters in Salt Lake City to return the women to the stand — all to no avail. Now The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a new prophet-president, Dallin H. Oaks, and he recently said in an interview that the Utah-based faith has “work left to do” on gender equity. Amy Watkins Jensen, who served as a Young Women leader in Lafayette, California, has been leading a Women on the Stand Instagram account since the letter-writing campaign failed. On this week’s show, she explores what positive moves for Latter-day Saint women have happened in the past 24 months and what “work” she thinks remains.

Content warning: We touch lightly on the topic of sexual assault. Please take care while listening. On the December crossover episode between ‘Mormon Land’ and ‘Mormons in Media,' Rebbie and Nicole break down all that has happened over the last month in the realm of Utah reality television. You've got an entire new season of 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,' a docuseries from 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star Heather Gay, 'Dancing With The Stars,' 'The Bachelorette,' and so much more. Let's get caught up and let's discuss.

Sports writer Kevin Reynolds and Tribune columnist Gordon Monson dive into the intriguing choice of BYU recruits Ryder Lyons and Brock Harris to serve one-year missions. They discuss how faith and the new NIL landscape influence this decision and the church's expectations around mission terms. The conversation touches on the physical and mental toll of missions on athletes and the potential benefits for BYU's football program. The duo also examines public reactions, perceptions of privilege, and the implications for future athletes.

If you ask members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints if they know about the “Three Nephites,” chances are most will know the allusion. The story comes from the Book of Mormon in chapters where the risen Christ visits the Americas and chooses 12 apostles. Of those, three ask to linger in mortality until Jesus comes again, ministering to the people. From the time when the book of scripture was first published until today, members have reported encounters with these shape-shifting strangers, who seem to pop up randomly angelic visitors of sorts sent to help people. For decades, Brigham Young University professor William A. “Bert” Wilson, seen as “the father of Mormon folklore,” gathered these accounts. After he died in 2016, the collection went to one of his students, Julie Swallow, a teaching and learning consultant at the church-owned Provo school. The collection now forms the nucleus of a new book, “The Three Nephites: Saints, Service, and Supernatural Legend,” from Swallow and co-authors Christopher Blythe, Eric Eliason and Jill Terry Rudy. On this week’s show, Swallow and Blythe, an assistant professor of folklore at BYU and co-host of the “Angels and Seerstones” podcast, discuss these stories, what they mean spiritually and communally, and why the “Three Nephites” continue to engage and entertain believers.

Quin Monson, a political scientist and professor at Brigham Young University, delves into the significant influence LDS leaders have on member opinions. He highlights a grassroots movement that successfully opposed the MX missile project in the '80s, aided by then-church president Spencer W. Kimball. Monson discusses how the timing and messaging of church leaders can sway public perspectives on hot-button issues like vaccines and immigration. With a look at the evolving relationship between faith and politics, he assesses the potential for future church interventions.

Independent researcher Matt Martinich, known for tracking LDS Church data, joins to discuss the recent announcement of 55 new missions. He expresses surprise at both the quantity and geographic distribution, highlighting a shift away from traditional hubs like Utah. The discussion covers logistical challenges, the rapid missionary growth in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and how new missions will enhance outreach in the Philippines. Martinich also explores emerging trends in Europe, the strategic focus on U.S. population centers, and missed opportunities for language-specific missions.

The heroic tale of Helmuth Hübener, a teenage Latter-day Saint activist who was executed in 1942 for trying to warn Germans about Hitler’s lies, is familiar to many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States and abroad. He has been the subject of plays, articles, books and a documentary. For those who still don’t know it, though, there is now a feature film, “Truth & Treason,” that recounts Hübener’s harrowing experience of faith and courage. What is fact and what is fiction in the film? More important, what is its message to modern believers? Discussing those questions and more on this week’s show is Alan Keele, an emeritus professor of German language and literature at Brigham Young University, who first publicized the story.

Eli McCann, a humor columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune and savvy media commentator, joins the conversation to dissect 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.' Eli hilariously contrasts the vibrant, comedic tone of RHOSLC with the heavier, more vulnerable narratives found in 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.' He dives into how the show's portrayal of Mormonism shifts from intriguing hook to backseat storyline. The panel also explores the complexities of cast members' wealth, parenting styles, and authenticity, making for a captivating discussion on culture and reality TV.

If there is a constant in the history of Latter-day Saint temple worship, it is change. Language used, covenants made, clothing worn and meaning ascribed to all of it — each has evolved since the early 1830s, when Joseph Smith introduced the idea of sacred rituals beyond baptism and confirmation. In his newly published book, “Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship,” historian Jonathan Stapley explores those changes in greater detail than any other work to date. Those changes have not only practical but also theological implications, he argues, for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the past and the present.