Mormon Stories Podcast

Carol Lynn Pearson – Mormon Author, Poet, Playwright, & Feminist | Ep. 2121 (Re-Broadcast)

Today, we are thrilled to kick off Carol Lynn Pearson week on Mormon Stories Podcast! Join us for the re-broadcast of two very important interviews with a one-of-a-kind Mormon woman. Then, we will close out the week by welcoming Carol Lynn Pearson back on the podcast to celebrate the release of her new book, The Diaries of Carol Lynn Pearson, where we will also be joined by the director of Signature Books, Barbara Jones Brown. Carol Lynn Pearson is the author of a 1986 memoir, Goodbye, I Love You, about the death of her gay husband from AIDS. Her musical, My Turn on Earth, is among the most successful Mormon musicals of all time. Carol Lynn is an advocate for women and LGBTQ+ Mormons. Her 2007 book, “No More Goodbyes,” tells the stories of gay Mormons (and those of other faiths), coping with family, religion, and, occasionally, suicide. Today's interview was filmed in 2010, and was originally broken into four parts and released as episodes 173-177. We have compiled them into a singular episode in order to re-introduce it to our listeners. CONTENT WARNING: This series contains discussion of suicide and suicidal ideation. Please listen responsibly. ___________________ YouTube [https://youtu.be/uy5iH09pYDg] 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 as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories  Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes  🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1  🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772  🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories  📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast  🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF  Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Mormons Meet Bible Scholar - Bart Ehrman | Ep. 2120

Today, we are very excited to have back on the podcast Bible scholar and best selling author, Bart Ehrman! Bart has very recently retired as a professor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he is here with us today to “meet the Mormons” and answer questions on the Old Testament, New Testament, and even offers his professional opinions on Book of Mormon History. Bart and the panel will also discuss his brand new book, Love Thy Stranger, and some of his other works that we believe our audience would love. We are truly privileged to have Bart with us today to share his thoughts on the history of Jesus and the Bible, and hope you find this conversation as engaging as we did.  You can pre-order Love They Stranger here [https://www.amazon.com/Love-Thy-Stranger-Transformed-Conscience/dp/1668025035]. ___________________ YouTube [https://youtu.be/c5ojTGrL_94] Show Notes [https://www.mormonstories.org/mormons-meet-bible-scholar-bart-ehrman/] 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 as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories  Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes  🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1  🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772  🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories  📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast  🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF  Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Another Mormon Bishop Told NOT to Report Abuser - Christopher Jenkins | Ep. 2119

In this episode of Mormon Stories Podcast, we speak with Christopher Jenkins, a former LDS bishop, about his personal experience with the Church’s abuse hotline. While serving as bishop in Washington, a ward member confessed abuse to him. When Christopher called the Church’s hotline for guidance, he says he was told he was not a mandatory reporter and felt pressured not to report the abuse to authorities. Christopher walks us through both calls he made to the hotline, the legal framing of the guidance he received, and the lack of follow-up afterward. He also discusses broader issues surrounding clergy confidentiality, how reporting requirements vary by jurisdiction, and what he perceived as the Church’s focus on institutional liability rather than victim care. We also explore how he now views mandatory reporting laws, the Church’s opposition to certain reporting requirements in Washington, and larger questions about abuse prevention, bishop training, and accountability. Christopher shares how this experience, along with navigating life as the father of LGBTQ+ children, contributed to significant shifts in his faith. This conversation centers on leadership responsibility, ethical decision-making, and what happens when institutional guidance conflicts with personal conscience. ___________________ YouTube [https://youtu.be/ujG0sNi7KbE] 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 as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories  Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes  🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1  🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772  🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories  📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast  🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF  Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

How Joseph Smith Smeared Honest Critics - John Turner Pt. 33 | Ep. 2118

Welcome to Part 33 of our series with historian John G. Turner, based on his landmark biography Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. In this episode, we dive into Chapter 26 (titled “David”) and explore one of the most controversial patterns in Joseph Smith’s leadership: how he responded when trusted insiders became vocal critics. As pressure mounted from Missouri over the attempted assassination of Lilburn Boggs, Joseph faced internal dissent from figures like John C. Bennett and Orson Pratt. We examine the fallout surrounding Sarah Pratt, the publication of the so-called “Happiness Letter,” and the devastating public denunciation that followed. Was Joseph defending himself from slander? Or was he fighting dirty in the press? Today we discuss the allegations surrounding Nancy Rigdon and Sarah Pratt, Joseph’s public rebukes and “Judas” comparisons, the (embarrassing) re-baptism of the Pratts, the role of Brigham Young in publicly acknowledging plural marriage, the publication of John C. Bennett, Joseph’s legal maneuvers to avoid extradition, his complicated and evolving stance on slavery, and the larger pattern of character assassination within early Mormonism. We also explore Joseph’s interaction with Illinois Governor Thomas Ford, the power of the Nauvoo Charter, and the increasingly emboldened posture of the church leadership as dissent intensified. This is a complex and uncomfortable chapter –one that forces us to wrestle with competing testimonies, public smears, loyalty under pressure, and the high cost of dissent. If you’d like to help keep this project going, please consider donating to support this series here [https://donorbox.org/josephsmith]. Your support makes long-form, in-depth historical discussion like this possible! Purchase John Turner’s book here [https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300255164/joseph-smith/]. ___________________ YouTube [https://youtu.be/lyjzwhBBPtQ] Show Notes [https://www.mormonstories.org/how-joseph-smith-smeared-honest-critics/] 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 as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories  Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes  🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1  🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772  🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories  📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast  🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF  Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Mormon Church Hides Abuse of Wade Christofferson, Enabling More Abuse - Edward Nachel | Ep. 2117

In today's episode, Edward Nachel shares his firsthand account of serving on the High Council that excommunicated Wade Christofferson –and the guilt, questions, and reckoning that followed. Edward served in the same ward as Wade and knew him for over twenty-years. We begin with the recent arrest of Wade Christofferson and the allegations that have surfaced, including sexually coded letters and reported searches found on his phone. These are allegations until proven guilty in a court of law. But Edward’s story focuses on something broader: how church disciplinary systems operate, how secrecy functions, and what happens when there are no advocates for victims inside the room. Edward describes being selected for the Disciplinary Council, drawing lots to see who represented the abuser and who represented the church, being sworn to secrecy, the absence of witnesses and the victims, how the final decision was made by the Stake Presidency, and how ward members were never warned. At the time, Edward believed he was “on the church’s side.” Years later, he sees the system differently. This episode is not about attacking faith. It’s about transparency, accountability, and protecting children. Edward openly asks: What could I have done? Why didn’t I do more? And what must change to ensure this never happens again? If you or someone you know has been affected by abuse in a religious setting, you are not alone. ___________________ YouTube [https://youtu.be/0E3unhsxgDo] 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 as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories  Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes  🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1  🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772  🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories  📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast  🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF  Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117