The Book of Mormon is a fascinating work of literature, teeming with stories of prophets, kings, and warriors on the pre-Columbian American continent. Is it a holy writ of ancient history and Christian theology, or did it come from a more recent source. On this podcast, we aim to find out if there are books out there similar to the Book of Mormon that were produced prior to 1830 when the Book of Mormon was released.
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Today is Imposition Paper #2 - Scripture and Canonization. What is scripture and what is its role in Mormonism? This Imposition Paper seeks to reform the cultural perspective on revelation and canonization in hopes of creating a more healthy relationship with scripture and allowing necessary revisions as society progresses. Then we jump into the second book of Dallin Oaks, his most recent Learning…
It's our annual Sunstone week and we recorded in the same space again! From The Dragon Lair 2.0, we give you Bryce's session from Sunstone titled " Bachelor Delight: Entheogens, Soporifics, Abortifacients, and STI Treatment in Nauvoo Polygamy". Content warning: some of these topics are kinda rough, but we feel the information should be out there in Mormon academia nonetheless. Following that, we…
Today we're talking about white supremacy and how attractive the movement is to members of high control religions. We also discuss what we can do to combat the white supremacist movement. Then we discuss the 2024 movie The Order, a true story about the violent white supremacist movement started by Robert Mathews in the mid 1980's. Following that, we cover some excellent news about NYC Mayor Zohran…
What were the Position Papers and what were they for? We go over a brief overview of the Reorganized Latter Day Saints (RLDS) organizing a committee to deal with some major flaws in policy and doctrine. The committee circulated some ideas to RLDS leadership in the form of Position Papers. They were leaked before the ideas could be fully fleshed out, but that set off a chain of events that led to…
Happy PRIDE Month! That's the whole bit today, PRIDE media! We brought a few pieces to discuss in order to celebrate all forms of experience and love. Along the way we have a few artists to showcase as well as lists for further exploration into this beautiful world of diverse media. Show Notes : LGBTQ+ Reads: https://lgbtqreads.com/ History : 11 LGBTQ+ Women Who Shaped the Course of History:…
Exclusion of evidence and habeas corpus? Who needs us? It's a Dallin Oaks episode and we go over two law review articles (pub. 1966 & 70) he wrote focusing on the rights of criminals. How we handle evidence consistent with the constitution is a complicated issue and Hoaks has a hot take. Plus, he thinks habeas corpus has gotten a bit out of hand with how many death row convicts it was helping.…
Books and movies after religion! We've taken a listener-suggested-topic and run with it. Instead of pointing out individual pieces of media that are useful after religion, we talk about how various religions deal with information control. From banned-books lists to devil's music, various Abrahamic religions have varying levels of prohibition against non-religious material. We go through a bunch of…
Our next Hoaks episode! But, before that! We go through a few select scriptures to see what the passages have to say about the modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But that's not all! What do the scriptures have to say about the MAGA movement and our modern politics? We conclude that a person cannot be a believing Christian while supporting the Mormon Church or MAGA. The Bible…
What do Disney, Ferrari, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have in common? They're rather litigious when people do things they don't like. We go through the history of copyright and trademark to provide background for some notable recent lawsuits involving these companies. That launches us into a discussion about the recent lawsuit filed by the Mormon Church against John Dehlin,…
General Conference for Apr 2026 is here. We watched the whole thing so you don't have to. This is our breakdown and hyperfocus on what slipped through what slipped through the cracks! Sunday Afternoon: Christofferson Q12 - The end is coming, be outward bigots Chi Hong (Sam) Wong Q70 - Remember, Remember BoM lesson Aaron T. Hall Q70 - Names of Jesus from BoM Susan H. Porter Primary GP - Baby-talk…
General Conference for Apr 2026 is here. We watched the whole thing so you don't have to. This is our breakdown and hyperfocus on what slipped through what slipped through the cracks! Sunday Morning: Ucthdorf Acting Pres of Q12 - Happy Easter, I guess? Emily Bell Freeman YW GP - Best of days, worst of days Pedro X. Larreal Q70 - Happy easter Edward B Rowe Q70 - I didn't get blown up by a landmine,…
General Conference for Apr 2026 is here. We watched the whole thing so you don't have to. This is our breakdown and hyperfocus on what slipped through what slipped through the cracks! Saturday Afternoon: Gary Stevenson Q12 - Lost luggage Edwardo Ortega Q70 - To new members Wan-Liang Wu Q70 - More diversity through assimilation David J. Wunderli FC YM GP - Youth carry too many rocks Gerald Causse…
General Conference for Apr 2026 is here. We watched the whole thing so you don't have to. This is our breakdown and hyperfocus on what slipped through what slipped through the cracks! Saturday Morning: Oaks POTLDS Patrick Kearon Q12 - Callings Kristen M. Yee SC RS GP - assignments and ministering David A. Bednar Q12 - endure, you whiny little shits Michael John U. Teh Q70 - diversity through…
Bryce attended the Journal of Mormon Polygamy Conference and snagged a few interviews from attendees, organizers, and presenters. It was a fantastic experience! The first issues are printed and ready for purchase at the link below and it's a great conference as well. Come next year! After that we discuss Sense & Sensibilities by Jane Austen to round out the third episode of Women's History Month.…
It's Women's History Month! We first talk about a few women in history who dared to stand out because representation matters. These are women in science, medicine, and even espionage who did amazing things to further scientific advances, to help heal people, etc and they deserve to be recognized. For the media segment, we talk about the 1993 movie Orlando , starring the amazing Tilda Swinton.…
The time has come for a new apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Clark G. Gilbert; time for your podcast hosts to rise to the occasion with another Apostolic Profile episode. He escaped the religious persecution Mormons often suffer growing up in Scottsdale, AZ, to go to BYU. Then off to Harvard for business, to acquire more useful skills for his forthcoming career in the…
It's February and that means it is Black History Month. And since we are in the middle of the 2026 Winter Olympics, we are going to talk about one of THE most famous African-American Olympic athletes of all time, Jesse Owens. We then discuss the movie 42, the story of Jackie Robinson's first year in the white baseball league in 1947. After that, we'll round out the episode with happy news about a…
Ready for more Dallin Oaks stuff? First we talk about a letter Joseph Smith wrote to W.W. Phelps. Then we discuss the law review article "Ethics, Mortality, and Professional Responsibility", by Dallin Oaks published October 1975 in the BYU Law Review. For the Sword of Laman, we take a look at the first two chapters of Oaks' book Pure In Heart. We finish it off with some happy news about a judge…
Well, it's time. Let's talk about President Dallin Harris Oaks, the Hoaks man, the Mormon Gollum. First, we cover the biography In the Hands of the Lord: The Life of Dallin H. Oaks by Richard Turley. Then we take a look at Hoaks' book The Carthage Conspiracy, as well as a presentation from 2021 where he actually uttered a prophecy! And after all that, we share some amazing science news.…
Welcome to 2026! We start out the year talking to an interesting person — Chris Mitsch — a Professor of Computer Science, whose focus has been on AI ethics. We discuss a variety of technologies known as AI, the limitations, costs, potential uses, who stands to benefit, and a litany of related issues. This leads to our MOGP segment, where we watched A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, of course! And we…
As per tradition, we're talking all media to round out the year! Our theme is past, present, future; we're discussing what influenced both of us the most in each category. Thanks for hanging out with us this past year! Shan : Past: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare Present: The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore. A Woman of No Importance: The…
Yes, the CIA tortured inmates suspected of terrorism in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Two of the primary men involved with creating this program are Mormon, one was called to be a Bishop after taking $81mn from the government to torture people. We discuss the report, how it came to light, some of the key figures along the way, and the fight over the FOIA release of the report in the courts.…
The new apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taken his seat at the table. Gerald Caussé spent his life in corporate business before his call to the Presiding Bishopric in 2012. In 2015 he ascended to Presiding Bishop and has been the money manager of the church since then. During his tenure, numerous scandals have hit the church related to finances, including a fine from…
Spring of 1842 was a world-shaping event, the introduction of the endowment ceremony by Joseph Smith to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We've talked about it and a few of the more recent changes to the endowment a few times, but this is the overview. What it was when it was introduced, how it changed under Brigham Young, and many of the changes that have happened since his death,…
At long last Shannon gets to talk about the book she's been planning on since the last Halloween episode — The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. We first discuss the Aesthetic Movement of the 19th century and a tiny bit of the life of Oscar Wilde before we jump into the book itself. Then Bryce gifts you with an abbreviated history of metal music. Get a notepad ready to take notes because he…
It's that time of year! 195th Semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We see what slipped through the cracks! David Bednar Q12 – Moral Agency means doing what you were coerced to agree to do B. Corey Cuvleier Q70 – The correct name Matthew S. Holland Q70 – Jonah, Adam and Eve, and Biblical literalism Carlos A Godoy Q70 – He's helping impoverished Africans…
It's that time of year! 195th Semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We see what slipped through the cracks! Jeffrey R. Holland – Book of Mormon is miraculous and stop being so mean to me about it James E Evanson Q70 – Go on your mission, even if you have to settle for a service mission Ulisses Soares Q12 – Temperance and quoting MLK Jr. Peter M. Johnson…
It's that time of year! 195th Semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We see what slipped through the cracks! Ronald Rasband Q12 – Family: A Proclamation to the World is 'doctrine' Chad Webb FC SS GP – Gospel not a 'list of demands' Jeremy Jaggi Q70 – Chaplain's altar is Mormon symbol Kevin Brown Q70 – Moral agency; we are agents Gerrit Gong Q12 – Fortune…
It's that time of year! 195th Semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We see what slipped through the cracks! Saturday Morning talks: Gary A. Stevenson Q12 – Be peacemakers no matter what Tracy Y. Browning SC PGP – Primary songs are the key to cult mind-control Ronald Barcellos Q70 – Morals of David v. Eliab Brik V. Eyre Q70 – Comfort then Convert Kelly…
We invite back Chris Shelton MSc from his YouTube channel by the same name to talk all about cults. He's here to share his model of human behavior, the REM (Reason/Rationalization, Emotion, Morality) and we get lost deep into the weeds discussing it and related cult topics. After that, we wrap up the Givens with the final installment of The Christ Who Heals. We go through the entire part 2 of the…
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released 3 new Gospel Topics Essays in July. We go through each of them, discuss the information that's missing, chat about the propaganda woven into every line, and speculate as to the impetus behind the new essays. For ease of listening, the Book of Mormon Translation starts at 13:31, the Plural Marriage starts at 1:01:24, and Joseph Smith's…
Are Mormons Christian? According to most Christians, no. According to them, Jesus Christ is literally in the name of the church! We dig into the bedrock on this issue to see what does or does not qualify as "Christian". After that, we dive into the final of the Givens trilogy, The Christ Who Heals. It's more or less a 130-page missionary discussion with a few dribbles of ancient theologian…
You asked for it and you got it! We interviewed Belle Holsinger who we talked about last episode in our Sunstone recap. She gave us the absolutely riveting information from her presentation at Sunstone titled "Bearing witness: The castration and murder of Henry Jones and his mother, Hannah Jones Gailey Hatch." Following our time with Belle, we watched The Godfather because what OTHER movie is as…
We went to Sunstone Symposium in SLC, like we try to do every year! It was fantastic and a great place to meet good folks, visit old friends, and learn new things along the way. We discuss some of our favorite sessions and experiences from this year's Mormon conference. Check out Sunstone and consider attending next year! https://sunstone.org/ Other appearances : Chris Shelton interviewed us in…
Your two favorite long winded podcasters are talking about word vomit and verbosity today, which is particularly fitting since today's Sword of Laman segment covers the last part of the 2nd Givens book, The Crucible of Doubt . We then cleanse your palette with some good news out of Illinois. Enjoy! Sword of Laman : https://freshairarchive.org/segments/richard-dawkins-argument-atheism Happy News :…
The Church History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just dropped a revelatory bomb on the Mormon history community and we're gunna talk about it. John Taylor (prophet 1880-1887) wrote a revelation saying that the new and everlasting covenant is actually "everlasting" and cannot be revoked or abrogated. However, the prophet after Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, wrote the First…
Let's talk leaders. What qualities does a great leader have? What's the difference between a good and great leader? And we talk about three leaders in history. In our Sword of Laman segment, we cover the next few chapters of the Givens' book. And to clear your palette, we share a news article about a charitable move Bill Gates is making. Enjoy! Show Notes : What is Ethical Leadership and Why is it…
Not only is it Pride month but it's also been almost 10 years since the Mormon church issued their policy against the children of LGBTQIA+ parents. We take a look at the effects that policy had, the increasingly draconian measures the government is taking, and we read between the lines of Mormon church policies. We also look at the measures people are taking to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+. For…
We're talking about the bane of the Q15's existence! Doubts of the members. We discuss the terrible way they are dealt with which leads into the second installment of the Givens' trilogy — The Crucible of Doubt — Reflections on the Quest for Faith . Following that we have some good news out of El Paso where the Consulate General of Mexico gave out free measles vaccines to children and adults in El…
Fasting! In all its forms and purposes. We take a wander through world religions to see how fasting plays a part in almost all of them. Mormon fasting is far less peculiar than we thought. Then a few episodes of South Park that provide wonderful commentary on fasting, the economy, and witch hunts. We round out with happy news about land being returned to Indigenous people and burn through listener…
We're finishing The God Who Weeps by Terryl Givens and Fiona Givens. This is the first book in a trilogy of Mormon theology and we want to leave room in the year to get through it all. What does today hold for us? We start with a long discussion on the pre-mortal existence, transitioning into existence, then ascending to perfection thanks to Mormon beliefs. We didn't realize until pretty late in…
April 2025 General Conference Sunday Afternoon session. Patrons of the show get the appendix of Saturday Evening session at the end of the record. Ulisses Soares – Reverence; Moses and the burning bush; you-damn-kids talk; pray for guidance from the Holy Ghost for AI, don't weaken your connection to God with AI!!! Michael Strong Q70 – Killed a kid on a bike during his mission, was really sad that…
April 2025 General Conference Sunday Morning session. David A Bednar – Joseph Smith totally restored the one true church; and other sundry sacrament meeting talking points Steven Shumway Q70 – Do your callings, no matter how demanding they may be Tamara Runia FC YW GP – Cry for repentance; Jesus is excited every time he sees us on our knees Gerald Causse PB – Dude who controls the church's wealth…
April 2025 General Conference Saturday Afternoon session. Niel Anderson – Heinous abortion is evil diatribe, the church is extreme Conservative Steven Lund YM GP – Priesthood is awesome, men run everything in the church S Mark Palmer Q70 – Willow tree, cut up the fallen ones Sandino Roman Q70 – Drowning story Dale Renlund – A dumb 6-year-old thought the second coming was real Hans T Boom Q70 –…
April 2025 General Conference Saturday Morning session. Jeffrey R. Holland – Little boy bites a little girl, better teach her to forgive! Camille Johnson RS GP – Waiting to be healed filling spiritual holes Ronald Rasband – Church is DOING GREAT! Don't check our numbers… Quentin L. Cook – Handcart companies and tragedy Ricardo Gemenez Q70 – Checklist Mormonism Henry Eyring – Zombie Jesus Other…
It's time to examine Joseph-Smith-polygamy skepticism. After the recent Journal of Mormon Polygamy conference, we decided to seriously consider the evidences used by this cohort of Mormon studies, leading us to understand that polygamy was a creation of Brigham Young and the Utah Mormon movement. After that we discuss O Brother, Where Art Thou? An Oddessy movie interweaving many storytelling…
We have a guest for our main segment this time. Chris Shelton is a cult expert content creator who eats, breathes, and sleeps high-demand, coercive groups. We discuss everything from what makes a group a cult, how to identify them, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a cult, and proper ways to approach conversations about high-demand groups. Be sure to check out our series…
It's time for part 2 of our Death Penalty series! Since this is a Mormon podcast, we first look into the history of Mormons and the death penalty. Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both ordered assassinations and fostered environments where random acts of violence became inevitable. The State of Deseret, Utah, has a comparatively bloody, theocratic history. Then we take a broader view of religion and…
We begin our next series, this time on Capital Punishment. We start with the history of crimes throughout written history that justified the death penalty. Then we get into colonial history and how the death penalty was built into the foundations of racist America. Multiple Supreme Court rulings have shifted the landscape. We end with the recent EO attempting to expand the powers of the death…
3 lawsuits against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We discuss the class action suit, Judson et al v. LDS, the recently tossed case of Huntsman v. LDS, and the civil RICO suit Gaddy v. LDS. Where do they stand? How likely are they to prevail? What are the next steps? We go over them and discuss the implications and steps forward. Then we chat about the 2015 movie Spotlight about…
