Mormon Stories Podcast

In Part 5 of our interview with Brent Metcalfe, one of the foremost Mormon scholars, we explore the history surrounding Joseph Smith and the Book of Abraham (one of the primary scriptural texts for the LDS Church). We also talk about the concept of translation, Joseph Smith's views on his "translations," the traditional apologetic responses concerning the Book of Abraham (Hugh Nibley, John Gee, and Kerry Muhlestein), as well as the LDS Church's recent essay on the Book of Abraham.

In the highly anticipated follow up to our first interview, Brent Metcalfe continues his story. In Part 4, Brent examines some of the issues surrounding traditional approaches to the Book of Mormon.

In the highly anticipated follow up to our first interview, Brent Metcalfe continues his story. In Part 3, Brent discusses the aftermath of the Hofmann murders, including the trial and Hoffman's eventual plea deal. He also discusses the events leading up to, and including, his excommunication.

In their latest book, The Crucible of Doubt, published by Deseret Book, Fiona and Terryl Givens tackle perhaps their most daunting -- and important -- subject to date: doubt in the context of Mormon faith. In Part 2, Terryl and Fiona take us through the book as we discuss the elements of Mormonism that cause some of the biggest doubts and how to approach them with new paradigms.

In their latest book, The Crucible of Doubt, published by Deseret Book, Fiona and Terryl Givens tackle perhaps their most daunting -- and important -- subject to date: doubt in the context of Mormon faith. In Part 1, we interview a Mormon Stories listener and contributer, James Patterson, about his struggles with doubt and how the book helped him.

Few people had more of a front-row seat to the goings-on surrounding Mark Hofmann, the "Salamander Letter," and the tragic events of October 1985, what would be dubbed as the "Mormon Murders."As a personal friend and research assistant for both Steve Christensen and Mark Hofmann, Brent Metcalfe watched the whole episode unfold before his eyes. In Part 2, Brent describes working for and with Steve Christensen and Mark Hofmann, the Salamander Letter episode, and the bombings that took the lives of Steve and Kathy Sheets.

Few people had more of a front-row seat to the goings-on surrounding Mark Hofmann and the tragic events of October 1985, what would be dubbed as the "Mormon Murders."As a personal friend and research assistant for both Steve Christensen and Mark Hofmann, Brent Metcalfe watched the whole episode unfold before his eyes. In Part 1, Brent talks about his early days in the Church and his time working for Church security. He also talks about his early forays into Mormon studies.

Since 2011, Mara and Danny Koefed have been blogging about their positive approach to life, even in the face of the sometimes heartbreaking circumstances life seems to have thrown their way. A Blog About Love stands as a the Koefed’s testimony of the human spirit’s ability to transcend despair and difficulty and view life for the positive, uplifting, even loving experience it can be. In this two-part series, they talk about their lives in Mormonism, meeting each other, starting the blog and their experiences dealing with issues such as infertility, infidelity, divorce and more, and how they keep a loving attitude through it all.

Since 2011, Mara and Danny Koefed have been blogging about their positive approach to life, even in the face of the sometimes heartbreaking circumstances life seems to have thrown their way. A Blog About Love stands as a the Koefed’s testimony of the human spirit’s ability to transcend despair and difficulty and view life for the positive, uplifting, even loving experience it can be. In this two-part series, they talk about their lives in Mormonism, meeting each other, starting the blog and their experiences dealing with issues such as infertility, infidelity, divorce and more, and how they keep a loving attitude through it all.

In this three-part series we interview Neil Ransom (Kate Kelly's husband, and Ph.D. candidate in anthropology) and we speak with Kate about her excommunication and the aftermath. Some of the fascinating tidbits we explore: Neil's early years growing up in Africa How Neil's mission, along with his attending BYU-Idaho, actually turned him into a progressive Mormon How Kate and Neil met (their love story), and what Neil loves most about Kate What Neil is researching for his Ph.D. (hint....it's super cool) Has Neil experienced a faith crisis? Who "wears the pants" in Kate/Neil's marriage...also what are the traits of a "real man" according to Neil and Kate  :) Are Kate/Neil planning to have kiddos? Kate's detailed account of her interactions with church leaders prior to her excommunication (in response to allegations of dishonesty on her part) A deep dive into Kate's beliefs re: Mormonism, Book of Mormon historicity, etc. Kate's plans for Ordain Women post-excommunication And most importantly....Why does Neil wear that funky hat?  :)