Mormon Stories Podcast

Mike (LDS Discussions), creator of an evidence-focused Mormon research site, explores Joseph Smith’s early treasure-digging and use of seer stones. He connects scrying rituals, guardian-spirit tales, and translation methods to the Book of Mormon story. Short, clear takes examine trials, rituals, and how folk magic shaped later narratives.

Join us for part 5 of our interview with Steven Pynakker, host of Mormon Book Reviews. Show notes: Steven Pynakker Podcast: Mormon Book Reviews Ryan White - AIDS Aids Quilt at Washington Monument Exodus International - The Downfall of the Ex-Gay Movement New Evidence That Demands Verdict MS Podcast episode with David Bokovoy MS Podcast episode with Bart Ehrman A letter to a Christian nation book Shawn McCraney Podcast MS Podcast episode with Shawn McCraney MS Podcast episode with Chris Thomas ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Join us for part 4 of our interview with Steven Pynakker, host of Mormon Book Reviews. Show notes: Steven Pynakker Podcast: Mormon Book Reviews David Hall Chris Thomas ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Join us for part 3 of our interview with Steven Pynakker, host of Mormon Book Reviews. Show notes: Steven Pynakker Podcast: Mormon Book Reviews John Hamer BH Roberts Dan McClellan TikTok A Pentecostal reads the Book of Mormon MS Paul H. Dunn Episode (Lynn Packer) Steven’s episode on reviewing BH Roberts on Mormon Book Reviews MS Episodes with Thomas Murphy MS Brent Metcalfe Episode MS Fawn Brodie episode with Newell Bringhurst ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Have you ever wanted a credible explanation for how the Book of Mormon was created? Steven Pynakker knows more about Mormonism and Mormon history than 99.9% of all Mormons…. combined. Join us today as Steven shares his views on how the Book of Mormon was created. Show notes: Steven Pynakker Podcast: Mormon Book Reviews Kathlene Melanocus - Secret Combinations: Evidence of Early Mormon Counterfeiting Alexander Campbell review of the Book of Mormon Thomas Payne Grant Palmer Johnathan Edwards “Natural Man is an enemy to God” Adam Clarke: Biblical translation William Morgan - Wrote exposé of Masons Thomas Murphy - Interview Dan Vogel CES Letter The Late War 1812 Ethan Smith - View of the Hebrews The Glass Looker - Mark Elwood Benny Hinn Sally Chase Luman Walters John Hamer William Davis’ Theory Visions in the Seer Stone - William L. Davis Mormon Think timeline Letter for my wife Mike Brown Essays & Timeline ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Steven Pynakker, host of the Mormon Book Reviews YouTube channel, shares with us his story of how he gained an avid interest in Mormonism growing up as an Evangelical Christian. Show notes: Steven Pynakker Podcast: Mormon Book Reviews Gospel Tangents Podcast A Pentecostal reads the Book of Mormon MS Chris Thomas Episode Full Gospel Business Men Association The late great planet earth: (1988)  Godmakers Cartoon Ed Decker MS Interview No Man Knows My History Martha Beck - Leaving the Saints Encyclopedia of Mormonism Gospel Tangents Don Bradley: Lost 116 pages Palmer: The incomparable Christ Richard Bushman ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Since the founding of Mormonism in 1830 there has been a core belief in the imminent 2nd coming of Jesus Christ (thus the "Latter-day Saints" portion of the Mormon church's official name). Within modern Mormonism over the past few decades there has been an increasing trend towards "end times" preparedness - wherein ultra-orthodox Mormons begin preparing for the 2nd coming of Jesus by selling their 401k's and retirement plans, moving to rural areas, attending "Prepper" conferences like "Preparing a People," building fortresses, stockpiling food/weapons/ammunition/tents/trailers, denying traditional health care to children, etc., and preparing (i.e., "prepping") for the arrival of Jesus. This movement has been at best benign (for a few), but for many has led to extreme behaviors, divided families, financial ruin, a host of emerging "prophets" (e.g., charlatans) who prey on this mentality (e.g., Julie Rowe), and in some cases murder (e.g., Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow story). Emma was raised in a Mormon Prepper household. In Part 3 of our 3-part series with Emma, she discusses "coming out" as lesbian while as BYU student, and how her emerging LGBTQ identity, along with family rejection and problems with her family's "Prepper" beliefs, led her to lose faith in the Mormon church, and to become alienated from her orthodox Mormon family. Show Notes: "LGBTQ students at BYU light up the 'Y' in rainbow colors," by Courtney Tanner, Salt Lake Tribune, March 5, 2021 "A Bishop's Family Questions Mormonism," Kelly and Kayla Mikesell on Mormon Stories Cultish podcast "Coming Out as a Non-Believer to Family Members," Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis Encircle: Utah Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth "Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Urges BYU to Embraces Its Uniqueness, Stay True to the Savior," the August 2021 speech at BYU, in which Holland urges "musket fire" in defense of the school's current standards under pressure for equal rights for LGBTQ+ students and staff The Out Foundation "Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus," Quentin L. Cook, General Conference October 2016, in which he warns against the "stumbling block" of "expensive preparation for end-of-days scenarios" Upcoming Events with the Open Stories Foundation ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In Part 2 of our 3-part interview with Emma about being raised as a Mormon "prepper," Emma discusses what it was like to serve an LDS mission in the Philippines, which included a corrupt wherein missionaries were encouraged to baptize impoverished Filipinos at any cost and by any  means necessary, largely out of a desire to inflate mission statistics. See Parts 1 and 3 of this series with Emma to learn about the Mormon "Prepper" movement. Show Notes: "I-Thou vs I-It Conversions: The Mormon 'Baseball Baptism' Era," by D. Michael Quinn, Sunstone Magazine, December 1993 "Dr. Ted Lyon on LDS Church Change, Latin American Missions, LDS Membership Statistics, and Thoughtful Faith" on Mormon Stories "Kiddie Baptisms? My Mission Experience in Guatemala," John Dehlin on Mormon Stories "Stories from a CES Director, Mission President, and Trustee for Deseret Trust Company," Roger Hendrix on Mormon Stories "How a Mormon Mission President Lost His Testimony," Roger Hendrix on Mormon Stories "Tithing and the LDS/Mormon Church," Understanding Mormonism Church Membership Information for the Philippines "New Temples Veil Mormonism's Decline," Simon Southerton on Mormon Stories ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Since the founding of Mormonism in 1830 there has been a core belief in the imminent 2nd coming of Jesus Christ (thus the "Latter-day Saints" portion of the Mormon church's official name).  Within modern Mormonism over the past few decades there has been an increasing trend towards "end times" preparedness - wherein ultra-orthodox Mormons begin preparing for the 2nd coming of Jesus by selling their 401k's and retirement plans, moving to rural areas, attending "Prepper" conferences like "Preparing a People," building fortresses, stockpiling food/weapons/ammunition/tents/trailers, denying traditional health care to children, etc., and preparing (i.e., "prepping") for the arrival of Jesus.  This movement has been at best benign (for a few), but for many has led to extreme behaviors, divided families, financial ruin, a host of emerging "prophets" (e.g., charlatans) who prey on this mentality (e.g., Julie Rowe), and in some cases murder (e.g., Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow story). Emma was raised in a Mormon Prepper household.  In Part 1 of our 3 part series with Emma, she discusses what it was like to grow up in a Mormon Prepper household. Show Notes: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover "Tara Westover, Author of Educated: A Memoir" on Mormon Stories "Ezra Taft Benson and the Making of the Mormon Right" with Matt Harris on Mormon Stories Part 1 Part 2 "The Mormon Influences on Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow" on Mormon Stories Visions of Glory: One Man's Astonishing Account of the Last Days by John Pontius Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie Doctrines of Salvation: Sermons and Writings of Joseph Fielding Smith by Bruce R. McConkie "Is the Mormon Church in Decline? An Insider Report" on Mormon Stories "Rodney Meldrum: Founder of the Book of Mormon Heartland Model" on Mormon Stories "Rodney Meldrum and the Book of Mormon Heartland Model" on Mormon Stories Saturday's Warrior "Examining Mormon Mind Control with Luna Lindsey Corbden" on Mormon Stories "Entrata founder who accused 'Jews' of Covid-19 vaccine conspiracy steps down from software company's board," by Bryan Schott, Salt Lake Tribune, January 4, 2020 ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Join Margi, John, and Gerardo for our next episode of Thrive Stories this coming Tuesday at noon (MST). Come listen and participate in the conversation as we talk to Jake Bellenfant. Find out how Jake has processed the damaging experiences of his youth and young adulthood growing up gay in the church and how he has reclaimed his own mental health. In addition, listen to how Jake has navigated grief and loss in witnessing both the death of his mother and the loss of his community. Jake is now a mental health advocate, studying at the #1 ranked Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Vanderbilt University. He aspires to improve the mental health of populations across the lifespan and in marginalized groups that are struggling with mental illness-- particularly those who have suffered the mental health effects of undue influence, high demand belief systems, abusive family dynamics, and religious trauma. Thrive Stories is a new podcast series where Margi (alongside John and Carah) will be interviewing a member of the community twice per month. The interviews will be shorter (1-2 hours), story-based, but will be focused on a particular aspect of healing and growth AFTER a Mormon faith crisis (thus the THRIVE name). They will happen on Tuesdays at noon (MST). Some examples of areas of thriving include: Family Relationships, Healthy Boundaries, Finding Community, Finding Meaning/Purpose, Dealing with Grief/Death, Religion after Mormonism, Health Sexuality, Parenting, Improving Physical Health, Identity, Health Marriage/Relationships, Secular Spirituality, Word of Wisdom 2.0, and Women Finding Their Own Voice after Mormonism. If you would like to nominate someone you know who would be a great candidate for a THRIVE interview, please nominate them (or yourself) HERE. Show Notes: THRIVE story application form link Prop 8 Podcast (icarly) Jennette McCurdy Empty Inside Podcast Kolby Sorensen MS Episode Combating Cult Mind Control Steven Hassan website Mind Over Mood Utah Crisis Line Mindfulness Meditation Steven Hassan - Influence Continuum Podcast Recovering Agency Documentaries on cult control and mental control: Bad Vegan - Netflix Wild Wild Country - Netflix The Matrix - HBO Max, Peacock TV & Redbox Pleasantville - Prime Video, Vudu Movie & TV Store, Redbox., Apple TV Tangled - Disney + Holy Hell - Amazon Prime The Invention of Lying - Prime Video, Vudu Movie & TV Store, VUDU, Apple TV or Redbox Smallfoot - Prime Video, VUDU, Vudu Movie & TV Store or Redbox The Vow - Hulu ————— We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50 ————— MSP on Spotify MSP on Apple Podcasts MSP Blog Instagram Patreon TikTok Discord   Contact Us! *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085 Salt Lake City, UT 84117