796: LDS Church Purchases Printer's Manuscript of Book of Mormon for $35M Pt. 1

With dueling “breaking news” events on September 21 within Mormondom, John tackles both topics with guests John Hamer and Wesley Monahan.

At a hefty price tag of $35M, the LDS Church purchased the original printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon from the Community of Christ who held it in possession for over 100 years.  To understand the implications of the purchase, we interview one of Mormon Stories’ favorites—John Hamer—pastor of the Community of Christ in Toronto.  We discuss what the manuscript is and its history, as well as the possible CoC motivations for the sell.

In another surprising twist, Brigham Young University announced that it would begin to sell caffeinated beverages on its campus, ending a ban on the sale of traditional colas that dated back to the 1950’s.  We discuss the original reasons for the ban, and how those explanations for the ban evolved over time to become solely an economic decision.  Wesley Monahan of Caffeine Corner, a current BYU student who is the proprietor of a service that delivers caffeinated beverages to students on campus, gives his take on the revelation and how it may (or may not) affect his business.