Mormon Discussion Podcast

This audio program is hosted by Bill Reel, an active faithful Latter-day Saint who has himself gone through a difficult and painful faith transition and has remained active in the Church.  This program is for the loved ones of those struggling in hopes for understanding and a safe space to have conversations. You likely received this audio program from someone you love who is going through a hard time.  They need you as a trusted friend and they treasure your relationship and are hopeful you will listen to this episode in hopes that you can better understand their struggle of faith.   In the end the real solutions to a crisis of faith is love, empathy, compassion, and support and most importantly validation.  May this be one step to such things. WEB RESOURCES: paulien stages of faith Keeley Stages of Faith Perry’s Scheme of Development Fowler’s Stages of faith   BOOKS: The Critical Journey Faith Shift Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis The post Stages of Faith & Building Bridges appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we have a vulnerable discussion about Miracles vs Myths.  We tackle what is the reality in our present day with verifiable history vs the magical supernatural that God did when history wasn’t verifiable.  We talk about  what that means and where that takes us.  We end talking about deconstruction and taking control of what is left that has value to you and being comfortable discarding that which hold no value or is unhealthy. The post 277: Myths, Fables, and Verifiable History appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we read  an incredible blog post written by “Thinker of Thoughts“. Faith crises are all the rage. Everybody’s talking about them. Okay, well not everybody. Mainly the people who have gone through them. Most other people are probably wishing that the people who keep bringing them up would just go away. They are like the Debbie Downer of religious circles, or your local family reunion. Be that as it may, chances are that at some point in your life you (or someone you love) will be faced with a crisis of faith. Depending on what faith your crisis originates from, the experience can be quite devastating. This post is going to give you a single simple trick to fix a crisis of faith – but, before I reveal this trick to you, there is some groundwork that must be laid involving what it means to “fix” a faith crisis. As I read this blog post it struck me that Apologetics in Mormonism at its core is no different than the apologetics of the false High Demand religions out there and that STEEL tools are rarely encouraged and seen as valid to one in crisis.  As the author here points out, if the apologetic strategy would work in true religions as much as false ones than the strategy is too imperfect to be utilized by a true truth seeker.  The end goal of WOOD tools is to keep the doubter in the Church and also minimize his doubts to others.  Since the methods have been shown to be just as useful in false religions as in Mormonism, these WOOD tools are useless for real truthseeking! The use of the blog post was done with the permission of “Thinker of Thoughts” RESOURCES: thoughtsonthingsandstuff.com/fix-your-faith-crisis-with-this-one-weird-trick/ https://carm.org/logical-fallacies-or-fallacies-argumentation https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/how-to-make-sound-arguments-for-the-faith http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/pa208.htm   The post 276: Fix your faith crisis with this one weird trick! – WOOD vs STEEL Tools appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we delve into the theological conundrum of Satan.  We show that it is LDS theology that Satan is the opposition in the Plan of Salvation.  That he could thwart the plan simply by ceasing his participation.  The Apologetic response would argue that Satan is so pride driven that he can’t help himself but to stay involved despite his actually helping fulfill God’s plan or Satan is unnecessary and that opposition exists even if Satan steps aside.  Either way Satan either is illogical or non-essential.  We finish showing that in light of either Satan being illogical or inessential, it becomes non-essential to believe in him. Resources : https://www.lds.org/topics/satan?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1987/10/the-great-imitator?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/lucifer https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/devil?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/ensign/1986/06/i-have-a-question?lang=eng https://www.mormonwiki.com/Satan https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/o-that-cunning-plan-of-the-evil-one?lang=eng   The post 275: Satan The Opposition In All Things appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we hit on Boundaries.  Healthy boundaries and more specifically unhealthy boundaries.  We use the example of a Bishop’s interview with a youth.  We directly talk about the distorted boundaries in this interaction but we also speak about how distorted boundaries travel with us through life and set up a relaxed and blind trust in later situations when we should be on guard.  Does Mormonism as a culture break down healthy boundaries to the point that as adults we have lost the ability to know what safe boundaries are and to even know where these boundaries should be and why they should be? We talk about the abuse rates in Utah and end asking if there is something in Mormonism that is unhealthy?  And if there is can we be vulnerable enough to deal with it? The post 274: Safe and Unsafe Boundaries in Mormonism appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today We cover the general topic of ascertaining God’s will both from our perspective and all the way to the top of how leaders have done it.  We use the specific issue of theology surrounding valiancy in the Pre-mortal life to make the point.  The question is simply this.  If Church leaders have taught theology and even labeled some as doctrine believing that they had attained some deeper knowledge from God …. and that members of their day held and sustained those teachings as true……  only to have later leaders disavow those teachings and teach contrary to them….  and for todays members to know today’s leaders are right and have worked out the theological kinks, then what chance do any of us have in attaining and real understanding of what God is trying to reveal to the extent that in any given moment we know for sure we have it right?   Today we show that what leaders taught in the past on valiance in the Pre-mortal life was not only offensive, and shameful, and hurtful but it runs counter to what the Church teaches on some of those issues today…. and perhaps there could be room to see us doing the same damaging behavior today in over reaching …. just on other things. Thanks to Jonathon Streeter for his Blog Post on this subject of which with his permission I borrow heavily from! Resource: http://thoughtsonthingsandstuff.com/mormon-handicaps/   The post 273: Valiancy in the Pre-mortal Life and False Doctrine appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today The Walker Family join in a round-table discussion over LGBT issues and their personal journeys in this arena.   Today you get to take some time to “walk a mile in their shoes” and see how this incredible family dealt with growth, change, and understanding.  They are vulnerable.  They are honest.  And they lay their lives on the table for you and I to gain insight and perspective not only into their faith transition but also into our own. The post Walk a Mile In Our Shoes: 002: LGBTQA Plus appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

We reached out to the listeners a few months back and asked the listeners if they could ask me (Bill Reel) anything, what would it be.  This is part 2 of a series titled “Ask Me Anything”.  Chris Bloxham is the host today and I am the one fielding the questions.  Please check out part two which is also hosted by Chris as well as part three which will have a surprise guest host.  Also please feel free to continue to send in your questions and thoughts regarding the podcast or me personally.  I love the feedback and I love the questions.  This podcast is about you the listener and what all of us in this space need to in order to hold this space faithfully.  Thank you and may the Lord warm your shoulders. – Bill Reel The post 272B: Bill Reel: Ask Me Anything Pt 2 appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

We reached out to the listeners a few months back and asked the listeners if they could ask me (Bill Reel) anything, what would it be.  Today is part 1 of a series titled “Ask Me Anything”.  Chris Bloxham is the host today and I am the one fielding the questions.  Please check out part two which is also hosted by Chris as well as part three which will have a surprise guest host.  Also please feel free to continue to send in your questions and thoughts regarding the podcast or me personally.  I love the feedback and I love the questions.  This podcast is about you the listener and what all of us in this space need to in order to hold this space faithfully.  Thank you and may the Lord warm your shoulders. – Bill Reel The post 272A: Bill Reel: Ask Me Anything Pt 1 appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Today we tackle lesson 24 out of the current D&C and Church History manual.  We tackle how blatant and demonstrably inaccurate this lesson is.   We hit on a tribes need to diminish and marginalize those who distance themselves from the tribe.  The need to diminish the substance of their reasons whittling them down to petty and weak.   We also hit on the idea of blaming symptoms as if they are the cause when they are not.  Today is about shining a light on the unethical tribal mechanisms we use to keep those in the tribe safe but at the expense of bearing false witness against those who have stepped away.  If we are a “True Church” then we must be open to correcting such behaviors.   https://www.google.com/amp/s/bycommonconsent.com/2009/07/01/the-milk-strippings-story-thomas-b-marsh-and-brigham-young/amp/ http://juvenileinstructor.org/thomas-b-marshs-reconciliation-with-george-w-harris/ http://www.mormonmatters.org/2010/04/15/symonds-ryder-and-a-crisis-of-faith/ http://www.churchistrue.com/blog/why-are-people-leaving-the-mormon-church/ https://mormondiscussions.org/mdpodcast/2017/03/post-alternative-voices-issues-ideas-lead-people-away/ http://www.whymormonsleave.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2014/02/Why-Mormons-Leave-Comprehensive-List-February-2014.pdf The post 271: Be Not Deceived – An Oversimplification appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.