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.”

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.”

Continuing our discussion with preeminent Joseph Smith historian Dan Vogel, we dive deep into explaining the authorship of the Book of Mormon including these topics:

• The credibility of the Book of Mormon Witnesses
• Theories around Entheogens (Hallucinogenic substances) and the founding of Mormonism
• Kinderhook Plates

Continuing our discussion with preeminent Joseph Smith historian Dan Vogel, we dive deep into explaining the authorship of the Book of Mormon including these topics:

• The credibility of the Book of Mormon Witnesses
• Theories around Entheogens (Hallucinogenic substances) and the founding of Mormonism
• Kinderhook Plates

Continuing our discussion with preeminent Joseph Smith historian Dan Vogel, we dive deep into explaining the authorship of the Book of Mormon including these topics:

• Nephi/Moroni confusion
• Book of Mormon Geography and the Hill Cumorah
• Limited Geography Theory
• The Nahom apologetic defense of The Book of Mormon
• Instances of Chiasmus
• Blake Ostler’s “Loose Translation” or Expansion Theory
• The Movement of the modern Mormon church in 2019 to refer to The Book of Mormon as a “revelation” instead of a “translation”
• Joseph’s motivations and pious fraud theory
• Dan's theory on Joseph Smith’s polygamy

Continuing our discussion with preeminent Joseph Smith historian Dan Vogel, we dive deep into explaining the authorship of the Book of Mormon including these topics:

• Nephi/Moroni confusion
• Book of Mormon Geography and the Hill Cumorah
• Limited Geography Theory
• The Nahom apologetic defense of The Book of Mormon
• Instances of Chiasmus
• Blake Ostler’s “Loose Translation” or Expansion Theory
• The Movement of the modern Mormon church in 2019 to refer to The Book of Mormon as a “revelation” instead of a “translation”
• Joseph’s motivations and pious fraud theory
• Dan's theory on Joseph Smith’s polygamy

We are excited to welcome back preeminent Joseph Smith historian Dan Vogel to Mormon Stories Podcast.  In these episodes, we continue our deep dive into explaining the authorship of the Book of Mormon including these topics:

• The Solomon Spaulding manuscript theory of Book of Mormon authorship
• The Dartmouth university connections to The Book of Mormon
• The View of the Hebrews theory of Book of Mormon authorship
• The Sidney Rigdon theory of Book of Mormon authorship.
• Timeline and mechanics for dictating The Book of Mormon

We are excited to welcome back preeminent Joseph Smith historian Dan Vogel to Mormon Stories Podcast.  In these episodes, we continue our deep dive into explaining the authorship of the Book of Mormon including these topics:

• The Solomon Spaulding manuscript theory of Book of Mormon authorship
• The Dartmouth university connections to The Book of Mormon
• The View of the Hebrews theory of Book of Mormon authorship
• The Sidney Rigdon theory of Book of Mormon authorship.
• Timeline and mechanics for dictating The Book of Mormon

Friends - If you or someone you love is in need of support during a Mormon Faith Crisis, I am SUPER excited to announce our Mormon Faith Crisis event calendar for the first part of 2019. Dates/locations are:

- 2/13: Salt Lake City (Free!)
- 2/15-2/16: Orem, UT
- 2/22-2/23: Las Vegas, NV
- 3/8-3/9: Ogden/Davis County, UT
- 4/12-4/13: Mixed Faith Marriage (SLC)
- 5/3-5/5: Gilbert, AZ
- 6/7-6/9: Salt Lake City Conference
- 6/21-6/23: Europe/Switzerland
- 8/9-8/11: Ft. Collins, Colorado
- 9/20-9/22: Orange County, CA
- 10/4-10/6: TBD
- 11/1-11/2: Mixed Faith Marriage (SLC)

To register for any of these events, go to: http://mormonfaithcrisis.com/events

If you cannot afford to pay the registration fee for these events but want to attend, please fill out our scholarship application form and we will do our best to find a donor to fund your attendance. PLEASE don't let $$$ keep you from attending these events!

Hope to see you all soon!

John Dehlin

In this Mormon Stories episode, historian John Hamer discusses the 19th century historical and cultural context -- largely forgotten today -- that informed the composition of the Book of Mormon.

In this Mormon Stories episode, historian John Hamer discusses the 19th century historical and cultural context -- largely forgotten today -- that informed the composition of the Book of Mormon.

In this Mormon Stories episode, historian John Hamer discusses the 19th century historical and cultural context -- largely forgotten today -- that informed the composition of the Book of Mormon.