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Mormon Stories Podcast

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Mormon Stories Podcast is the longest-running and most successful podcast in Mormonism. At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormon Stories is a product of the Open Stories Foundation - a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to supporting Mormons in religious transition. Mormon Stories is not affiliated with or sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Episodes

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Lowell Bennion is without a doubt one of the most important Mormon figures in the 20th century. Along with T. Edgar Lyon, Lowell Bennion founded the University of Utah LDS Institute, and taught and inspired many of the great Mormon minds of the 20th century, including Eugene England, and many of the founders of Dialogue and Sunstone. Lowell Bennion was also commissioned to author several sunday school and priesthood manuals for the church in the 1950s. His ability to combine spirituality with intellect has been, in many ways, unsurpassed to this day. This interview was produced by Stirling Adams of Provo, UT--and centers around Mary Lythgoe Bradford--a close friend of Brother Bennion, as well as his biographer.
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Deseret Book recently decided to acquire Seagull Book and Tape and Covenant Communications — 2 of Deseret Book’s top competitors in the LDS book publishing and retail market. In part 2 in a series on this topic, LDS book publisher Kent Larsen discusses the history of the LDS book industry, and his views on the implications of this acquisition.
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Deseret Book recently decided to acquire Seagull Book and Tape and Covenant Communications — 2 of Deseret Book’s top competitors in the LDS book publishing and retail market. In part 1 of a series on this topic, LDS book publisher Kent Larsen discusses the history of the LDS book industry, and his views on the implications of this acquisition.
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In episode 1 of a 3 part series, we meet James W. Parkinson--a high profile personal injury lawyer, and a member of the LDS Church. In this episode we discuss Jim's early years in Indio, CA, his early career as a law student and lawyer, his involvement in the"Big Tobacco" settlement, and his introduction to Harold Poole--LDS member and survivor of the Bataan Death March.
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Grant Palmer served as a CES Institute Director and Seminary/Institute Teacher for over 30 years. In part 4 of this 4 part series, Grant discusses the early reactions to his book, his trial with the LDS Church for apostacy (which ultimately led to his disfellowship), his thoughts about how the LDS Church might constructively deal with these tough historical issues, and his testimony of how focusing on Christ could benefit all sides of these issues.
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Grant Palmer served as a CES Institute Director and Seminary/Institute Teacher for over 30 years. In part 3 of this 4 part series, Grant takes us through a deep dive into his 1st book--An Insider's View of Mormon Origins. During this episode we cover Joseph Smith's treasure seeking and usage of peep stones, the actual mechanics of the Book of Mormon Process, the actual accounts of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, the multiple versions of Joseph Smith's First Vision story, and the evolution of the LDS Priesthood accounts.
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Grant Palmer served as a CES Institute Director and Seminary/Institute Teacher for over 30 years. In part 2 of this 4 part series, Grant talks about his move from California to Salt Lake City, how the Mark Hofman bombings affected him and his colleagues, and his subsequent deep dive into LDS History. Grant also discusses his arrival at the decision to write his book--An Insider's View of Mormon Origins.
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At least once each week a listener will ask me (John Dehlin) about my testimony in the LDS Church. Liberals or ex-Mormons call me an apologist. Conservatives accuse me of being a"wolf in sheep's clothing." So, to dispel the speculation--and in response to lots and lots of requests, I reluctantly share my story within the Mormon context. In this episode, I discuss aspects of the LDS Faith that I do and don't believe. I also provide around 13 reasons for why I choose to remain a Mormon.
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At least once each week a listener will ask me (John Dehlin) about my testimony in the LDS Church. Liberals or ex-Mormons call me an apologist. Conservatives accuse me of being a"wolf in sheep's clothing." So, to dispel the speculation--and in response to lots and lots of requests, I reluctantly share my story within the Mormon context. In this episode, I discuss my marriage, the importance of the church to my family, and the experiences I had as a seminary teacher in Seattle that led to the dissolution of my testimony in the LDS Church (as I knew it). I also discuss how the writings of Eugene England, Lowell Bennion, T. Edgar Lyon, Leonard Arrington, and others (in Sunstone and Dialogue) helped me to reconstruct my faith.
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Published 2006-05-07

027: My Story Part 1--Mormon to the Bone

65 min
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At least once each week a listener will ask me (John Dehlin) about my testimony in the LDS Church. Liberals or ex-Mormons call me an apologist. Conservatives accuse me of being a"wolf in sheep's clothing." So, to dispel the speculation--and in response to lots and lots of requests, I reluctantly share my story within the Mormon context. In this episode, I discuss my childhood, youth, and missionary experiences within the Mormon church, through the end of my university years at BYU.
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Recently, Brigham Young University invited Darius Gray--one of the founders of the LDS Genesis Group, and a black Mormon for over 30 years--to make a presentation entitled,"Blacks and the LDS Priesthood." In this interview, Darius re-delivers this presentation, along with Margaret Young. Darius and Margaret are co-authors of a trilogy dealing with black Mormon history entitled: Standing on the Promises.
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Published 2006-04-09

025: New Order Mormons Pt. 2: Ann's Story

85 min
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In part 2 of a 2 part series, we interview Ann--a pleasant, yet forceful presence in the bloggernacle, and leader within New Order Mormonism. According to the New Order Mormon Website,"New Order Mormons are those who no longer believe some (or much) of the dogma or doctrines of the LDS church, but who want to maintain membership for cultural and social reasons."
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In part 3 of a 3 part series, we interview Darron Smith--a black man who joined the LDS church as a teenager in Tennessee. After serving a mission for the LDS Church and graduating from the University of Utah, Darron began a 10 year teaching career at church-owned Brigham Young University. After 10 years of teaching at BYU, Darron's employment was terminated in response to (according to Darron) his public writings and speaking--wherein Darron openly called for the LDS Church to apologize for, and renounce the racists statements of past Church leaders. In this series, Darron discusses his upbringing in the Church, provides a brief history of Blacks within the Church, discusses his termination from BYU, and his hopes for the LDS Church in the future with regard to these issues.
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In part 2 of a 3 part series, we interview Darron Smith--a black man who joined the LDS church as a teenager in Tennessee. After serving a mission for the LDS Church and graduating from the University of Utah, Darron began a 10 year teaching career at church-owned Brigham Young University. After 10 years of teaching at BYU, Darron's employment was terminated in response to (according to Darron) his public writings and speaking--wherein Darron openly called for the LDS Church to apologize for, and renounce the racists statements of past Church leaders. In this series, Darron discusses his upbringing in the Church, provides a brief history of Blacks within the Church, discusses his termination from BYU, and his hopes for the LDS Church in the future with regard to these issues.
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In part 1 of a 3 part series, we interview Darron Smith--a black man who joined the LDS church as a teenager in Tennessee. After serving a mission for the LDS Church and graduating from the University of Utah, Darron began a 10 year teaching career at church-owned Brigham Young University. After 10 years of teaching at BYU, Darron's employment was terminated in response to (according to Darron) his public writings and speaking--wherein Darron openly called for the LDS Church to apologize for, and renounce the racists statements of past Church leaders. In this series, Darron discusses his upbringing in the Church, provides a brief history of Blacks within the Church, discusses his termination from BYU, and his hopes for the LDS Church in the future with regard to these issues.
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In part 3 of a 3 part interview, we interview Buckley Jeppson. Buckley, 57, says he's been informed verbally by a senior church leader that his life is incompatible with the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that a disciplinary council will soon address the matter. Jeppson, of Washington, D.C., married Mike Kessler in Toronto on Aug. 27, 2004. It is believed that if Jeppson is excommunicated, it would be the first time a Mormon in a legal, same-sex marriage was punished by the church. Jeppson claims that over the past five months Nolan Archibald, his Stake President and CEO of Black and Decker, has encouraged him to resign his church membership, which would avoid disciplinary action.
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In part 2 of a 3 part interview, we interview Buckley Jeppson. Buckley, 57, says he's been informed verbally by a senior church leader that his life is incompatible with the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that a disciplinary council will soon address the matter. Jeppson, of Washington, D.C., married Mike Kessler in Toronto on Aug. 27, 2004. It is believed that if Jeppson is excommunicated, it would be the first time a Mormon in a legal, same-sex marriage was punished by the church. Jeppson claims that over the past five months Nolan Archibald, his Stake President and CEO of Black and Decker, has encouraged him to resign his church membership, which would avoid disciplinary action.
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In part 1 of a 3 part interview, we interview Buckley Jeppson. Buckley, 57, says he's been informed verbally by a senior church leader that his life is incompatible with the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that a disciplinary council will soon address the matter. Jeppson, of Washington, D.C., married Mike Kessler in Toronto on Aug. 27, 2004. It is believed that if Jeppson is excommunicated, it would be the first time a Mormon in a legal, same-sex marriage was punished by the church. Jeppson claims that over the past five months Nolan Archibald, his Stake President and CEO of Black and Decker, has encouraged him to resign his church membership, which would avoid disciplinary action.
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Published 2006-02-13

018: New Order Mormons Pt. 1: Ann's Story

55 min
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In part 1 of a 2 part series, we interview Ann--a pleasant, yet forceful presence in the bloggernacle, and leader within New Order Mormonism. According to the New Order Mormon Website,"New Order Mormons are those who no longer believe some (or much) of the dogma or doctrines of the LDS church, but who want to maintain membership for cultural and social reasons."
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Published 2005-11-17

011: Finding our Way Back Home Pt. 2

45 min
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In part 2 of this interview, we continue our conversation with Serenity Valley and Roasted Tomatoes-a young LDS couple living in the San Francisco Bay area, and creators of the LDS Blog Latter-Day Saint Liberation Front. In this episode, Serenity and RT discuss her ultimate return to Mormonism, the impact it has had on their marriage and family, and conclude with a very candid and somewhat courageous discussion of their testimonies-some of which can safely be considered non-mainstream or alternative within the LDS paradigm.
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Published 2005-11-17

010: Finding our Way Back Home Pt. 1

52 min
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Over the past few months, I’ve developed a friendship with several members of the LDS Bloggernacle-including a young couple known as Serenity Valley and Roasted Tomatoes. This husband/wife pair live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and run a blog called, Latter-Day Saint Liberation Front. Serenity and RT are interesting and inspirational for many reasons one of which being the spiritual journeys that each of them traveled on their way towards being sealed in the LDS Temple (RT being a former atheist turned LDS missionary, and Serenity having left the church to become an Episcopalian, only to return later). In part 1 of this 2 part series, we learn about their early years within the LDS church, and their journeys away from, and back to, faith.
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In this concluding episode (part 3 of 3), we interview with John Lynch, Chairman of FAIR–-the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research. Within the segement, John Lynch discusses the most common issues faced by FAIR, and assesses (in his view) which issues do and do not have merit. John also discusses how members of the Church should treat those struggling in their faith. Finally, John Lynch provides some thoughts/insight into some of President Hinckley’s more controversial responses in his media interviews over the past several years (including Larry King Live, L.A. Times, etc.).
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In part 2 of this 3 part series, we continue our interview with John Lynch, Chairman of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR), a volunteer group dedicated to Mormon Apologetics. In this episode, John Lynch discusses the top issues bubbling up to FAIR these days, the realities of LDS leadership, the distinction between"good" and"bad" apologetics, the growing problem of"Internet Mormonism", and answers the question as to whether or not Mormon apologetics is a gateway to apostacy.
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In part 1 of a 3 part series, we interview John Lynch, Chairman of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR), a volunteer group dedicated to Mormon Apologetics. In this episode, John Lynch discusses his conversion to the church, his journey into apologetics, and some of the basics about FAIR.
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Over the past 2-3 years, LDS-themed blogs have literally erupted with activity. Today, there is an entire ecosystem of LDS bloggers, and literally hundreds of LDS blogs in the Internet. In this 2005 Sunstone Seattle presentation (to which I was invited to speak), I review the LDS Bloggernacle (past and present), and then discuss my vision for what might be possible in the future, including podcasts, wikis, screencasts, and multimedia content. I also discuss the importance of Sunstone and Dialogue reaching out to these communities.
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The Mason/Mormon connection consistently ranks as a top 10 issues for those who are struggling with, or who have left the LDS Church. Greg Kearney, a lifelong, multi-generational Mormon and Master Mason, discusses the history of Masonry, how it became associated with the LDS Church, and why this association is a positive, and not a negative one.

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David O. McKay presented a dramatic contrast to his predecessors: an athletic, movie-star-handsome, clean-shaven figure who often wore a white double-breasted suit; contrasted to the dark-suited, bearded polygamists (or, in the case of George Albert Smith, son of a polygamist) who preceded him as Church President ever since Joseph Smith. In an age prior to professional image-makers, he instinctively grasped the importance of appearance, and coupled it to the substance of a professional educator to become an icon of Mormonism whose persona did much to change the negative image of the Church in much of the world.

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I served an LDS mission in Guatemala in the late 1980s. As my mission progressed, we began to average over 700 baptisms per month, with some companionships baptizing over 40 in one month. When I tried to talk with my mission president about the issue--it got messy. Today we claim 12+ million in the Church, but truth be told, less than 1/2 of them actually consider themselves Mormon....and thus the reason why activity rates are so closely guarded.
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