Mormon Land

The 195th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints looked much like any other in recent years. There were talks by apostles and general authority Seventies, along with three women, punctuated by music by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and other Utah choirs. But it might be remembered mostly for what didn’t happen. It was presided over by the Dallin Oaks-led Quorum of the Twelve Apostles rather than by a church president and a reconstituted First Presidency. That’s because President Russell M. Nelson died just a week before the two-day meetings and, by tradition, the three-man presidency is not reorganized until after the previous president’s funeral. On top of that Oaks broke with conference tradition and announced no new temples. Nelson’s presumed successor said that Nelson “loved to announce new temples at the conclusion of each General Conference, and we all rejoiced with him.” Not this time, Oaks said. Due to the “large number of temples now in the very earliest phases of planning and construction, it is appropriate that we slow down the announcement of new temples.” On this week’s show, Emily Jensen, web editor for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, and Patrick Mason, chair of Mormon history and culture at Utah State University, discuss what did — and didn’t — happen at the just-completed meeting, plus which speakers were standouts, and what an Oaks’ presidency might look like.

As accolades and adoration continue to pour in after the death of President Russell M. Nelson, it could be time to assess the historical perspective and place of the oldest prophet-president in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What will be his legacy? How did his leadership and innovations impact the global faith? Then there’s the question of how his presumed successor, Dallin H. Oaks, will be “chosen,” how he might lead, how he will navigate the contemporary political landscape and how that relates to other religious groups. In this week’s show, Latter-day Saint historian Benjamin Park, author of “American Zion: A New History of Mormonism," explores those questions and more.

Passion. Intimacy. Eroticism. Arousal. Sex. These terms are as much a part of God’s plan in the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as agency, repentance and baptism. Yet they are rarely discussed or even mentioned — save for in hushed, almost apologetic, tones — among members. Such hesitancy is not found in Latter-day Saint therapist Jennifer Finlayson-Fife’s new book, “That We Might Have Joy: Desire, Divinity & Intimate Love.” In it, she writes, for instance, that “the best sex is never hard work. Good sex is easy” and “the turn-on for most women is being the turn-on” and, finally, “our bodies and sensual natures are not obstacles to holiness, but essential components of it.” By setting aside cultural taboos, Finlayson-Fife shows that the bedroom is a bedrock not just in marriage but also in Mormonism. On this week’s podcast, she sheds light on how “soulful sex” can bring couples closer to each other and closer to God.

On the September crossover episode between ‘Mormon Land’ and ‘Mormons in Media, ’ Rebbie and Nicole are both newcomers to 'Dancing With The Stars.' Who knew the show, and dance in general, had so many ties to Utah? Rebbie gives an update on those sleeveless garments and Heather Gay from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City spills the beans on the underground distribution of those garments.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issuing two news releases condemning violence and calling for greater kindness and love, we are reprising this 2023 “Mormon Land” podcast. Recorded a few days after church President Russell M. Nelson delivered his widely praised General Conference address on peacemaking, it is as timely now — if not more so — than when it originally aired. Latter-day Saint scholars Patrick Mason and David Pulsipher, authors of “Proclaim Peace: The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict,” explain how “peace is possible” and explore how the Mormon message — along with writings from other faiths and other thinkers — can bring help, healing and harmony to the world, nations, communities, homes and individual hearts. They also discuss Nelson’s speech, those of other church leaders, and how true Christian discipleship can end political polarization and cultural conflicts, and convey peace to one soul and all souls.

Kathleen Flake, a Latter-day Saint historian and emeritus Bushman professor at the University of Virginia, reflects on Russell M. Nelson's impactful leadership as he turns 101. She discusses his recent Time magazine essay advocating for peacemaking in a divided world. The conversation highlights Nelson's transformative approach, inclusive temple practices, and the church's response to contemporary issues like COVID-19. Flake also examines his efforts to combat racism and how he’s reshaped the Church’s identity, focusing on women's roles and community engagement.

A new nine-part video series about Mormonism, titled “An Inconvenient Faith,” was recently uploaded to YouTube. It tackles the thorniest issues — LGBTQ relations, feminism, church history, race, polygamy, Book of Mormon historicity and divine revelation — currently faced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The ultimate approach seems to be to defend the church and help explain how members can wrestle honestly with these topics rather than deny their existence. The effort was funded, directed and produced by Latter-day Saint businessman Robert Reynolds, with Jim Bennett, as co-producer. On this week’s show, Bennett, the son of the late Utah Sen. Bob Bennett and a Latter-day Saint blogger and writer, discusses the project.

Join Taylor Kerby, a popular blogger from By Common Consent, as he dives into the intriguing discussion about artificial intelligence and its role within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He questions whether AI could serve as a valuable tool or a detrimental crutch during sacrament meetings. The conversation touches on the importance of personal expression versus technological shortcuts, the delicate balance between spiritual growth and machine assistance, and the ethical ramifications of rapid advancements in AI.

The mission statement of Brigham Young University, the flagship school of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, says nothing about pursuing spots in the College Football Playoff or the Final Four. It does say that BYU graduates “should be capable of competing with the best in their fields.” So, in this era of “name, image and likeness,” with athletic budgets soaring into the mega-millions, does that mean the Cougars are correct to play this spending game in order to compete with the best on the field, in the gym, on the court and on the diamond? Some boosters “rise and shout” an emphatic yes. Others worry that the school risks putting, in essence, football before faith, and veering from its principal purpose: following in the footsteps of Jesus. On this week’s show, Salt Lake Tribune reporter Kevin Reynolds, who covers BYU athletics and wrote a cover story recently on the topic, discusses this balancing act.

For many early Utah pioneers, James Brown Jr. was a hero of sorts. He led a Mormon Battalion company into the Salt Lake Valley just days after Brigham Young. He and his family settled Ogden, which became known for a time as Brownsville, and he served as a Latter-day Saint bishop. As a prominent leader, he married 13 women — all sealed to him in temple rites — and fathered 28 children. What most church members didn’t know was that James Jr. had Black grandparents — and that carries significance, given that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a policy barring Black members from holding the priesthood or entering temples from 1852 to 1978. On this week’s show, Brigham Young University history professor Jenny Hale Pulsipher, a descendant of Brown, discovered his racial ancestry, and W. Paul Reeve, who is head of Mormon studies at the University of Utah and has done the most scholarly research on African Americans in the church, discuss this finding and how it helps modern believers understand the messiness of the past and the “impossibility of policing racial boundaries” through profiling.