Saints Unscripted

Brooklyn was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ (otherwise known as the Mormon Church). She has fond memories of her childhood, though recognizes how many things could have been experienced more positively. Today she shares how she eventually learned some difficult church history and had poor experiences with church leaders, She felt the need to separate herself from the church which would come with repercussions. Brooklyn talks about how she wishes she was treated by members of the church when she decided to leave. May we all do a better job at respecting and loving our friends and family who choose a different life path than our own!

Dave Dollahite, a good friend of Saints Unscripted, joins us today to talk about his most recent scholarly project, the American Families of Faith Project. David, along with his colleague Loren Marks, have conducted extensive research in the field of families of faith. Their research includes the study of many different families of different religions. Today on Saints Unscripted, Dave specifically answers questions about raising a family in faith, exposing children to different religions, and how to develop holy envy. Thanks so much for joining us, Dave!!

Ben Spackman, a historian and member of the Church of Jesus Christ, discusses the importance of understanding content to understand context in scriptures. He explores the Babylonian context in the Book of Ether, the dual nature of water in Genesis, and the significance of Jesus calming the storm. Understanding cultural background enhances our understanding of scripture.

Charles knew he had the very best conversion story so he reached out to share with our Saints Unscripted family!! Charles didn't grow up in the church and was actually cautioned from joining the church when he announced his decision to move to Utah. He wasn't planning on joining any religion but quickly began learning more about the gospel and finding friendship in the church. He felt humbled that God would care so much about the details of his life and he found himself seeking Jesus Christ more and more. Thank you so much for joining us, Charles!!

Ben talks about starting with assumptions. He says, “The positions we take follow from the assumptions we make.” Often when we tweak our assumptions first, we’re able to address difficult information with greater understanding. He talks about how we interpret “what scripture says” based on many assumptions, a few of which we would do well to remove or reevaluate. Ben illustrates examples from the Bible and discusses how we might improve our study of scripture and of revelation by focusing on the assumptions we have formulated.

How do I know if I have fully repented? How do I know if God has forgiven me of my sins? In this episode, David and Allex share their thoughts on repentance and about the process of forgiveness. While this topic is complex, we share a basic overview and hope it provides some clarity. But please research do some additional research on your own, as needed!!

Every April and October, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church) holds a conference meant for the entire world! The conference is known as General Conference and is cherished by many members of the Church, as it is a time when the prophets and other authorities of the Church share sermons and give prayers. In this episode, we give a recap of our favorite sermons from the General Conference held in April of 2023.

Nicole grew up in Northern Ireland and was raised in the protestant faith. She was discouraged from engaging with people of the catholic faith, as their beliefs contrasted the beliefs she was taught. But she quickly learned that there was goodness everywhere. Around 12 years old, Nicole stopped attending church and prayed infrequently. At age 15, she began to pray more frequently as she was being exposed to many religions but she wasn’t ready to attend any one organized religion. Nicole had many heart wrenching events in her life that caused her to search for God. One of Nicole’s friends had been talking to the Mormons, something that was very surprising to Nicole. So she met the missionaries!!

In this episode, Stephen continues to share his story of leaving the Church of Jesus Christ, determining not to return the Church, and then coming back to the Church. In this episode, he talks about meeting his wife and going through quarantine with an additional faith crisis. His obstacles didn't end with his renewed faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Every 6 months (usually the first weekends in April and October), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church) holds a conference for the entire world. It is broadcast all over the internet and accessible to anyone who can access YouTube and LDS.org. In this episode, a host attempts to guess a word written on each card as described by the other host. The words are all General Conference themed! While this episode was meant to be light-hearted, I think you'll all agree that Sabrina was the winner of this General Conference challenge! Let us know how you did on the quiz in the comments below!!