In 2003, Matt Elggren and I met while working at Microsoft.  Together, along with others, we discovered troubling things about LDS Church history.

For most of the past thirteen years, Matt has not attended church and has more or less quietly supported his believing wife and children. For fear of losing his family, Matt chose silence....as did his extended family. It was basically thirteen years of "don't ask don't tell" with no hope of resolution for Matt.

This changed in October of 2015 when Matt's brother-in-law, Clay Christensen, began a 6-week slide into total disbelief after 51 years of devout membership, which included 7 years as a high-level LDS Church employee. After losing his faith, Clay didn't choose silence.

This is Matt and Clay's story of family, faith, doubt, and hope.

In 2003, Matt Elggren and I met while working at Microsoft.  Together, along with others, we discovered troubling things about LDS Church history.

For most of the past thirteen years, Matt has not attended church and has more or less quietly supported his believing wife and children. For fear of losing his family, Matt chose silence....as did his extended family. It was basically thirteen years of "don't ask don't tell" with no hope of resolution for Matt.

This changed in October of 2015 when Matt's brother-in-law, Clay Christensen, began a 6-week slide into total disbelief after 51 years of devout membership, which included 7 years as a high-level LDS Church employee. After losing his faith, Clay didn't choose silence.

This is Matt and Clay's story.

On Home of the Brave podcast, Peabody Award winning producer Scott Carrier interviews Brand Thornton, a believing LDC church member and a member of the Bundy militia, who explains the Mormon/religious/spiritual justifications for the occupation.  Brand says, "Absolutely, God told us to do this," and quotes from the Doctrine and Covenants in his justifications.

As parts 3 and 4 in our series reviewing the events of Mormonism in 2015, we assemble another all-star panel including Lindsay Hansen Park, Dr. Gina Colvin, Dr. Kristy Money, and Sean Carter.  Some of the topics discussed included:

• The state of the Mormon Internet (blogs, podcast, social media)
• Social group formations in progressive and post-Mormonism
• The state of Mormon Feminism
• The impact of disciplinary councils and excommunication on modern Mormonism (hint: it isn't good)
• The state of Progressive Mormonism
• Issues of race and multi-culturalism within modern Mormon culture (LDS and post-Mormon)
• The state of Mormon Studies
• Retrenchment/leadership crisis/corporatism in the modern LDS Church

We hope you enjoy it!!!!

As parts 3 and 4 in our series reviewing the events of Mormonism in 2015, we assemble another all-star panel including Lindsay Hansen Park, Dr. Gina Colvin, Dr. Kristy Money, and Sean Carter.  Some of the topics discussed included:

• The state of the Mormon Internet (blogs, podcast, social media)
• Social group formations in progressive and post-Mormonism
• The state of Mormon Feminism
• The impact of disciplinary councils and excommunication on modern Mormonism (hint: it isn't good)
• The state of Progressive Mormonism
• Issues of race and multi-culturalism within modern Mormon culture (LDS and post-Mormon)
• The state of Mormon Studies
• Retrenchment/leadership crisis/corporatism in the modern LDS Church

We hope you enjoy it!!!!

In this episode we assemble an all-star panel to discuss the events of Mormonism in 2015.  Panelists include Dr. J. Nelson Seawright, John Hamer, Jamie Hanis-Handy, and Marisa Calderwood.

Topics discussed include:

• The impact of Kate Kelly's excommunication on Mormon feminism and the events of 2015.
• The increase of excommunications for apostasy, including those of John Dehlin, Rock Waterman, and Marisa and Carson Calderwood.
• The death of three LDS apostles, including Boyd K. Packer.
• The November 2015 LDS policy change naming same-sex married individuals as mandatory apostates, and preventing their children from membership in the church.
• The release of the LDS Gospel Topics essays, and their impact on LDS activity/inactivity/apostasy
• The status of Mormon apologetics
• The status of progressive Mormonism

In this episode we assemble an all-star panel to discuss the events of Mormonism in 2015.  Panelists include Dr. J. Nelson Seawright, John Hamer, Jamie Hanis-Handy, and Marisa Calderwood.

Topics discussed include:

• The impact of Kate Kelly's excommunication on Mormon feminism and the events of 2015.
• The increase of excommunications for apostasy, including those of John Dehlin, Rock Waterman, and Marisa and Carson Calderwood.
• The death of three LDS apostles, including Boyd K. Packer.
• The November 2015 LDS policy change naming same-sex married individuals as mandatory apostates, and preventing their children from membership in the church.
• The release of the LDS Gospel Topics essays, and their impact on LDS activity/inactivity/apostasy
• The status of Mormon apologetics
• The status of progressive Mormonism

In December of 2015 Jake Ricks was informed that he would be facing an LDS disciplinary council for apostasy, based on a series of benign Facebook posts he made during the previous year.  On January 3rd, 2016 the disciplinary council was held (with Jake and his wife, Hannah, in attendance), and the decision of “no action” was determined by his stake president.  This is Jake and Hannah’s Story.  (audio version to come)

Part 1: Jake and Hannah’s LDS background, and the events leading up to Jake’s disciplinary council for apostasy held on January 3rd, 2016.

Part 2: Jake and Hannah Discuss the Outcome of Jake’s January 3rd, 2016 LDS Disciplinary Council for apostasy.

In December of 2015 Jake Ricks was informed that he would be facing an LDS disciplinary council for apostasy, based on a series of benign Facebook posts he made during the previous year.  On January 3rd, 2016 the disciplinary council was held (with Jake and his wife, Hannah, in attendance), and the decision of “no action” was determined by his stake president.  This is Jake and Hannah’s Story.  (audio version to come)

Part 1: Jake and Hannah’s LDS background, and the events leading up to Jake’s disciplinary council for apostasy held on January 3rd, 2016.

Part 2: Jake and Hannah Discuss the Outcome of Jake’s January 3rd, 2016 LDS Disciplinary Council for apostasy.