Mormon Stories - LDS

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:

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Direct download: MormonStories-1569-EmmaPt3.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 12:24pm MDT

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:

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Direct download: MormonStories-1568-EmmaPrepperPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 10:00am MDT

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:

—————

We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-1567-EmmathePrepperpt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:08pm MDT

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:

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Direct download: MormonStories-1566-JakeBellenfantsTHRIVEStory.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 12:20pm MDT

We've whipped up another epic episode discussing the context left out of LDS church curriculum around early Mormon polygamy. Sandra Tanner joins Mormon Stories as a special guest to address comments made on the followHIM podcast by church historian Kate Holbrook. Join John, Sandra, and Gerardo live Monday at 4:30pm MT.

Show Notes:

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We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

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Direct download: MormonStories-1565-SandraTannerPolygamyPt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:54pm MDT

Join us for Part 3 of our interview with Rodney Meldrum, wherein we discuss his beliefs regarding the Book of Mormon Heartland model.

Show Notes:

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Direct download: MormonStories-1564-RodMeldrumPt3.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:21pm MDT

Join Margi, John, and Carah for our next episode of Thrive Stories this coming Tuesday at noon (MST). Come listen and participate in the conversation as we discuss sexuality, body confidence, and owning our own stories from this minute forward. Faith has found deeper meaning and exhilaration in celebrating sexuality and body autonomy in her life after Mormonism.

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:

—————

We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

—————

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*PO Box 171085

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Direct download: MormonStories-1563-FaithErickson.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:59pm MDT

Join us for Part 1 of a multi-part series where John Larsen discusses Mormonism and logical fallacies. We talk about how fallacious arguments are natural to the human brain and how people in and outside of the Mormon church use bad reasons to keep their line of thinking alive.

Please support this content and having John Larsen on by donating to the Mormon Expressions fund HERE!

Show Notes:

—————

We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Direct download: MormonStories-1562-LogicalFallacies.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:26pm MDT

Join hosts John Dehlin and Gerardo Sumano as they explore what happens when a Mormon missionary reads the CES Letter.

Kolby Sorensen was raised a devout Mormon in West Valley and West Jordan, Utah. In 2020, he was called to serve a mission as the COVID pandemic began, when missionaries were encouraged to use social media to proselytize.  

Show Notes:

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We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

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*PO Box 171085

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Direct download: MormonStories-1561-KolbySorensen.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 7:58am MDT

Welcome back Lizzy and Spencer Bean for the third and final part to their delightful, authentic, hilarious Mormon Stories interview! We dive in head-on in this episode hearing about how marriage for these two young Mormons was not what they expected. But with an interesting reframe to spirituality from an LDS therapist, Lizzy and Spencer’s autonomous spirituality began to emerge like never before. After having enough of spiritual gatekeeping and finding a way to make marriage finally work from them, Spencer describes almost being kicked out of BYU and the situation he was put in by a bishop telling him he had one week to read the Book of Mormon or lose his ecclesiastical endorsement. There are too many topics to list that we cover in this epic final episode with Lizzy and Spencer, but among them are: How and why some Mormons decide to supplement LDS church teachings with New Age spirituality, how wearing garments and Mormon body standards affect women, how empathizing with friends in the LGBTQ community can wake a person up to the realities and harms of Mormon doctrine, and so many other great insights and analogies that help describe why a couple would love Mormonism and choose to leave it!

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Direct download: MormonStories-1560-LizzieSpencerBeanpt3.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 11:50am MDT

Welcome back Lizzy and Spencer Bean for part 2 of their delightful Mormon Stories interview! In part two, we have Spencer tell us about his upbringing in Orem, Utah as the son of the bishop and what led him to develop a testimony of the church. We hope you like our chat as we let it take us into discussions on missionary work in the developing world, undue influence, death, and the Plan of Salvation. Stick around for some interesting insights from Spencer’s mission to Sweden and even a story about Midsummer with Hans Maddsen’s brother, Leif.

We named this series “Loving and Leaving Mormonism” to allow our guests to speak authentically to their all-around good experiences being raised members of the LDS faith and hope you’ll stick around to listen to part three as Lizzy and Spencer describe the events and information that made them think twice about their membership in the religion they love.

Part 2 show notes:

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-1559-LizzieSpencerBeanpt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 10:05am MDT

Mormon Stories viewers are in for a treat with this series of episodes as we interview married couple Lizzy and Spencer Bean. In part one, we dive into Lizzy’s story and unique upbringing as just one of two siblings in a Mormon family with convert parents in Upstate New York. We discuss the influence of her involvement with the Palmyra Pageant on her developing testimony as well as the Mormon propensity towards music and theater. Other topics include the culture shock after arriving in Provo when her dad’s career led him to teach music education at BYU, and acclimating to the very LDS saturated environment as she developed her musical and theatrical talents. We named this series “Loving and Leaving Mormonism” to allow our guests to speak authentically to their all-around good experiences being raised members of the LDS faith and hope you’ll stick around to listen to part three as Lizzy and Spencer describe the events and information that made them think twice about their membership in the religion they love.

Show notes:

—————

We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-1558-LizzieSpencerBeanpt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 9:00am MDT

Join Jenn as she introduces a new addition to Open Stories Foundation. The Open Arms Collective is a group of women and gender non-binary individuals meeting monthly along the Wasatch Front, with open arms, to embrace our family and friends wherever they are on their faith journey!

We hold monthly events to empower, learn, create and build community together.

Please click here to register for upcoming events.

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We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-OpenArmAnnouncement.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 7:45am MDT

Join us Monday afternoon for a special episode with Ksenia Andrukhiv Everton from Ukraine. Get ready for a fascinating story about her family's journey in the Mormon Church. She will also talk to us about Russia’s war on Ukraine.

European defenders are in huge need of military-grade Helmets and Armory Vests for Territorial Defense Battalions. The Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (financial coordinator), Razom for Ukraine (media partner), and International Charitable Foundation “Come back alive” (end user) with CO Foundation Serhiy Prytula (end user) are uniting their efforts to purchase this necessary equipment. Please consider a donation here.

Show notes: 

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We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-1557-KseniaUkrainianMormonStory.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 9:01pm MDT

Recently the THRIVE Beyond Religion Foundation has been under attack by the Mormon church’s apologists, the Salt Lake Tribune, some vocal TikTokkers, and a few other Ex-Mormons.  Such attacks have taken a heavy toll on many in the THRIVE Board, and on the THRIVE Community overall.

Please join members of the THRIVE Foundation board of directors this Monday at 9am (mountain) as we ask ourselves and the post-Mormon community whether or not we should allow the THRIVE Foundation to die.

Note: Our heartfelt support goes out to the people of Ukraine.  Please join us Monday afternoon for a special Mormon Stories Podcast episode about Russia’s war on Ukraine.

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We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-ShouldTHRIVEDie.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:32pm MDT

Did a single first pair of humans (Adam and Eve) ever exist? Join us this Friday at 4:00 pm MT for an epic discussion with Dr. Simon Southerton about Mormonism’s core doctrine of Adam and Eve. We will analyze the conflicts between the undisputed fact of human evolution and the belief that all humans descended from a single couple of humans in Jackson County, Missouri. We will break down the different ways in which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its apologists have responded to conflicting scientific evidence and the ongoing debate regarding the existence of pre-Adamites. In addition, Dr. Michael Westaway will be joining us to speak about his groundbreaking research regarding the Mungo Man, the oldest and most famous human skeleton in Australia dated at 42,000 years, which was voted in the top 10 papers of the year by Science magazine in 2016.

Show Notes: 

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We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-1556-SimonSouthertonPreAdamites.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:26pm MDT

The one and only Sandra Tanner joins Mormon Scoops as a special guest to address comments recently made on the Follow Him podcast by church historian Kate Holbrook. Join Carah, John, Gerardo and Sandra for this epic episode starting Thursday at 4:30pm mountain time!

Show Notes:

—————

We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-1555-SandraTannerDC132pt.1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 9:57am MDT

Join us for our interview with Rod Meldrum, founder of the Book of Mormon Heartland Model. In this episode we explore Rod's Mormon faith.

Show notes:

—————

We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-1554-RedMeldrumHeartlandModelpt2.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:35pm MDT

Join us for our interview with Rod Meldrum, founder of the Book of Mormon Heartland Model.

Show Notes:

—————

We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

—————

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*PO Box 171085

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Direct download: MormonStories-1553-RodMeldrumHeartlandModelpt1.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 3:30pm MDT

We are super excited to announce our next THRIVE Day for Women, which will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2022 in Orem, Utah. The event will be emceed buy Julienna Viegas, and speakers will include:

  • Tiffany Roe
  • Natasha Helfer
  • Leah Young
  • Donna Kelly
  • Suzy Benson

The purpose of all THRIVE events is to promote healing, growth, and community for post-Mormons. THRIVE is a non-profit, and is priced only to cover the event costs, which includes lunch.

Click here to Register!

—————

We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming!

Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50

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*PO Box 171085

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Direct download: MormonStories-THRIVEforWomen2022.mp3
Category:Religion -- posted at: 2:28pm MDT

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