Mormon Stories Podcast

Join us now for this Mormon Stories Podcast episode, wherein John Hamer offers his theory as to how the Book of Mormon was created.

After over 1,000 hours of interviews, it is fitting to finally feature the story of Nan Parkinson McCulloch—John’s Mom. In Part 1 of our time with Nan, we learn about her mother’s experience growing up as the daughter in a polygamous family, and we discover the Mormon Church of her youth and her life growing up in Preston and Franklin, Idaho. We also reminisce on her love of the culture and arts that her Mormon community brought into her life, including and especially road shows and plays that she wrote and directed for her local community. In Parts 2 and 3 of this interview with Nan, John and Nan discuss her eventual divorce and remarriage, her faith evolution, her reflections on John’s podcast and on his excommunication, and on her beliefs about life after death.

After over 1,000 hours of interviews, it is fitting to finally feature the story of Nan Parkinson McCulloch—John’s Mom. In Part 1 of our time with Nan, we learn about her mother’s experience growing up as the daughter in a polygamous family, and we discover the Mormon Church of her youth and her life growing up in Preston and Franklin, Idaho. We also reminisce on her love of the culture and arts that her Mormon community brought into her life, including and especially road shows and plays that she wrote and directed for her local community. In Parts 2 and 3 of this interview with Nan, John and Nan discuss her eventual divorce and remarriage, her faith evolution, her reflections on John’s podcast and on his excommunication, and on her beliefs about life after death.

After over 1,000 hours of interviews, it is fitting to finally feature the story of Nan Parkinson McCulloch—John’s Mom. In Part 1 of our time with Nan, we learn about her mother’s experience growing up as the daughter in a polygamous family, and we discover the Mormon Church of her youth and her life growing up in Preston and Franklin, Idaho. We also reminisce on her love of the culture and arts that her Mormon community brought into her life, including and especially road shows and plays that she wrote and directed for her local community. In Parts 2 and 3 of this interview with Nan, John and Nan discuss her eventual divorce and remarriage, her faith evolution, her reflections on John’s podcast and on his excommunication, and on her beliefs about life after death.

In this episode we will interview Don Casias Anderson regarding the 12+ years he worked as Sr Vice President of Patron & Partner Services for FamilySearch for the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Topics we will discuss today include:  - The process for name extraction, and the challenge to find enough names for temple work.  - The use and occasional re-use of ordinance names for temple work.  - The tendency to harvest names of famous people to do their temple work. - The controversy around the performance of ordinances for holocaust victims.  - Concerns around the ability to prevent temple work from being done for those who do not desire the work.  - The Mormon genealogy industry. - How FamilySearch handles the history of deceased church leaders.  - His interactions with LDS apostles during his work there.  - His own story/faith journey.  - And much, much more! 

In this episode we will interview Don Casias Anderson regarding the 12+ years he worked as Sr Vice President of Patron & Partner Services for FamilySearch for the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Topics we will discuss today include:  - The process for name extraction, and the challenge to find enough names for temple work.  - The use and occasional re-use of ordinance names for temple work.  - The tendency to harvest names of famous people to do their temple work. - The controversy around the performance of ordinances for holocaust victims.  - Concerns around the ability to prevent temple work from being done for those who do not desire the work.  - The Mormon genealogy industry. - How FamilySearch handles the history of deceased church leaders.  - His interactions with LDS apostles during his work there.  - His own story/faith journey.  - And much, much more! 

In this episode we will interview Don Casias Anderson regarding the 12+ years he worked as Sr Vice President of Patron & Partner Services for FamilySearch for the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Topics we will discuss today include:  - The process for name extraction, and the challenge to find enough names for temple work.  - The use and occasional re-use of ordinance names for temple work.  - The tendency to harvest names of famous people to do their temple work. - The controversy around the performance of ordinances for holocaust victims.  - Concerns around the ability to prevent temple work from being done for those who do not desire the work.  - The Mormon genealogy industry. - How FamilySearch handles the history of deceased church leaders.  - His interactions with LDS apostles during his work there.  - His own story/faith journey.  - And much, much more! 

In this episode we will interview Don Casias Anderson regarding the 12+ years he worked as Sr Vice President of Patron & Partner Services for FamilySearch for the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Topics we will discuss today include:  - The process for name extraction, and the challenge to find enough names for temple work.  - The use and occasional re-use of ordinance names for temple work.  - The tendency to harvest names of famous people to do their temple work. - The controversy around the performance of ordinances for holocaust victims.  - Concerns around the ability to prevent temple work from being done for those who do not desire the work.  - The Mormon genealogy industry. - How FamilySearch handles the history of deceased church leaders.  - His interactions with LDS apostles during his work there.  - His own story/faith journey.  - And much, much more! 

As part of the Mormon Stories "Truth Claims" initiative, today I will be reading the essay on Joseph Smith's involvement in Folk Magic and Treasure digging. This is the first of several essays we will be releasing, with an accompanying billboard and series of interviews with historians.

We recently visited Provo, Utah and were treated with a live interview and performance featuring Mindy Gledhill, including acoustic renditions of many songs from her brand new album "Rabbit Hole." Listeners of Mormon Stories Podcast may remember our earlier interviews with Mindy and we were very excited to get an update on her faith journey, and to hear the inspiration behind her latest project. Her new album, appropriately entitled "Rabbit Hole", is the breathy confessional of a rapt soul who slipped down the curious tunnel of experience, landed in a hall of locked doors, and refused to be contained. In "Rabbit Hole," Mindy confronts the challenges of life—all its unfulfilled expectations, sudden detours, and existential wounds—and presents us with a silver lining through bouncy rhythms and ballads of unabashed optimism. In spite of life’s crucibles and crises, she reassures us that everything is going to be alright, and that “To be upside down is a fine way to be.”