Mormon Stories - LDS

Concluding our interview with Lloyd Evans, we focus on his journey from devout Witness youth to outspoken ex-Witness activist and atheist. Lloyd shares the circumstances leading to his "awakening" with startling honesty and reveals how the heartbreaking loss of his mother played a profound role in keeping long-held doubts suppressed.

Lloyd is the founder and senior editor of JWsurvey.org—a website that promotes freeness of thought among Jehovah’s Witnesses. He is also author of “The Reluctant Apostate,” a book that chronicles his experiences growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness and his journey to freedom from Watchtower indoctrination. His wildly popular Youtube channel “John Cedars” hosts a range of videos aimed at dissecting the various teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as new developments in the religion.

Direct download: MormonStories-1087-LloydEvansPt4.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:30am MDT

Concluding our interview with Lloyd Evans, we focus on his journey from devout Witness youth to outspoken ex-Witness activist and atheist. Lloyd shares the circumstances leading to his "awakening" with startling honesty and reveals how the heartbreaking loss of his mother played a profound role in keeping long-held doubts suppressed.

Lloyd is the founder and senior editor of JWsurvey.org—a website that promotes freeness of thought among Jehovah’s Witnesses. He is also author of “The Reluctant Apostate,” a book that chronicles his experiences growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness and his journey to freedom from Watchtower indoctrination. His wildly popular Youtube channel “John Cedars” hosts a range of videos aimed at dissecting the various teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as new developments in the religion.

Direct download: MormonStories-1086-LloydEvansPt3.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:00am MDT

Continuing our interview with Lloyd Evans, we focus this portion of the interview on Lloyd’s experience living as a Jehovah’s Witness—drawing occasional parallels between those living life as Mormons and those who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Lloyd is the founder and senior editor of JWsurvey.org—a website that promotes freeness of thought among Jehovah’s Witnesses. He is also author of “The Reluctant Apostate,” a book that chronicles his experiences growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness and his journey to freedom from Watchtower indoctrination. His wildly popular Youtube channel “John Cedars” hosts a range of videos aimed at dissecting the various teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as new developments in the religion.

Direct download: MormonStories-1085-LloydEvansPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:30am MDT

Mormon Stories Podcast is excited to interview Lloyd Evans—founder and senior editor of JWsurvey.org—a website that promotes freeness of thought among Jehovah’s Witnesses. He is also author of “The Reluctant Apostate,” a book that chronicles his experiences growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness and his journey to freedom from Watchtower indoctrination. His wildly popular Youtube channel “John Cedars” hosts a range of videos aimed at dissecting the various teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as new developments in the religion.

In this portion of our time with Lloyd, we focus on the history of the Jehovah Witness movement to provide a foundation for our future discussion on what it is like to be a Jehovah’s Witness as well as his experience leaving the religion behind.

Direct download: MormonStories-1084-LloydEvansPt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

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

Direct download: MormonStories-1083-JohnHamerBOMPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:30am MDT

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

Direct download: MormonStories-1082-JohnHamerBOMPt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

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.

Direct download: MormonStories-1081-NanParkinsonMcCullochPt3.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:00am MDT

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.

Direct download: MormonStories-1080-NanParkinsonMcCullochPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:30am MDT

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.

Direct download: MormonStories-1079-NanParkinsonMcCullochPt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

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! 

Direct download: MormonStories-1078-DonAndersonCasiasPt4.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:30am MDT

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! 

Direct download: MormonStories-1077-DonAndersonCasiasPt3.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:00am MDT

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! 

Direct download: MormonStories-1076-DonAndersonCasiasPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:30am MDT

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! 

Direct download: MormonStories-1075-DonAndersonCasiasPt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

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