Study Faith with AI

Send us a text! Smart notebooks and pithy podcasts - that's what I wished I had when I started my deep dive into the Church. Study Faith With AI invites you to think critically using diverse sources and your own judgment. Whether strengthening testimony, working through doubts, or helping others navigate faith, these tools meet you wherever you are. With so much at stake, I wish you the best...

Send us a text! In this finale of Study Faith With AI, Brother Buzz answers the three main questions his children will one-day ask: What did you know? When did you know it? What did you do about it? He then examines the challenges Churches and believers face when new information technology democratizes information and disrupts closely held beliefs. Explore the LDS faith crisis from a fresh perspec...

Send us a text! Episode 17 of Apostates explores the widespread phenomenon of LDS faith crises affecting dedicated church members across all demographics. We examine how easy internet access to uncorrelated church history creates intense spiritual distress when traditional narratives clash with historical facts. We discuss the emotional toll, relationship impacts, and stages people experience, whi...

Send us a text! Episode 18 of Apostates explores Church membership councils in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, examining their stated purposes, procedures, and recent terminology changes. We discuss when councils are mandatory versus discretionary, the four possible outcomes, and the appeals process. We also address significant critiques about fairness, confidentiality, and the ga...

Send us a text! Episode 19 of Apostates explores whether excommunication effectively serves the LDS Church's goals by examining Margaret Tuscano's insights from Gospel Tangents. We analyze how church discipline impacts movements like September Six, Ordain Women, and Mormons for ERA, questioning whether silencing prominent voices truly stops dissent or simply pushes conversations elsewher...

Send us a text! Episode 20 of Apostates explores why some Latter-day Saints choose to stay in the Church despite significant challenges to their traditional beliefs. We examine the complex reasons people remain connected—from identity and family bonds to community and spiritual nourishment—even when facing difficult church history, doctrinal concerns, or personal spiritual struggles. We discuss pr...

Send us a text! Episode 6 of Apostates explores Sarah M. Pratt's complex journey from devoted member to vocal critic of early Mormonism. We examine her alleged encounter with Joseph Smith's polygamous proposal, her steadfast refusal, and the subsequent campaign to discredit her. We trace how the introduction of plural marriage created impossible choices between institutional loyalty and...

Send us a text! Episode 7 of Apostates explores the complex reasons why Emma Hale Smith chose to remain in Nauvoo, Illinois after Joseph Smith's death instead of traveling west with Brigham Young and the main body of Saints. We examine her incredible resilience through years of persecution and loss, her fundamental opposition to plural marriage, the financial crisis she faced as a widow, and...

Send us a text! Episode 8 of Apostates explores the dramatic rise and fall of Oliver Cowdery, one of the most foundational figures in early Latter-day Saint history. From serving as principal scribe for the Book of Mormon and receiving priesthood authority alongside Joseph Smith, Oliver became second-in-command of the Church. We examine how financial pressures from the Kirtland banking crisis, leg...

Send us a text! Episode 9 of Apostates explores the complex life of Martin Harris, one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon plates. Despite his powerful spiritual experience seeing the plates and hearing God's voice, Harris eventually broke away from Joseph Smith's leadership due to financial pressures, personality conflicts, and disagreements over Church direction. We examine hi...

Send us a text! Episode 10 of Apostates explores David Whitmer's journey from foundational witness to Church critic. Despite never wavering on his Book of Mormon testimony, Whitmer left the Church in 1838, arguing it departed from the "written word" standard established in scripture. We examine his specific objections: Joseph Smith's prophetic role, new priesthood offices, the...

Send us a text! Episode 11 of Apostates explores the remarkable story of Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith's first counselor and early partner in leading the Latter-day Saint movement. From his beginnings as a Baptist preacher to his crucial role in establishing early Mormon doctrine and organization, we examine how Rigdon's influence shaped the Church's foundation. We also investigate th...

Send us a text! Episode 12 of Apostates explores the chaotic succession crisis following Joseph Smith's 1844 martyrdom. We examine how multiple claimants—Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young's Twelve Apostles, James Strang, and the Smith family—competed for leadership. We trace the dramatic August 1844 Nauvoo meetings, including Young's transfiguration experience, and follow the resulting f...

Send us a text! Episode 13 of Apostates explores the complex world of groups that trace their origins to Joseph Smith but diverged from the mainstream LDS Church. From the liberal Community of Christ to fundamentalist polygamous sects like the FLDS, we examine how different interpretations of prophecy, scripture, and apostasy created hundreds of distinct religious movements. We analyze succession...

Send us a text! Episode 14 of Apostates explores the September 1993 disciplinary actions against six prominent LDS intellectuals known as the "September Six." We examine the Church context of the early 1990s, including leadership dynamics and growing tensions between institutional authority and intellectual inquiry. We profile each individual—Lavina Fielding Anderson, Avraham Gileadi, Ma...

Send us a text! Episode 15 of Apostates explores three prominent LDS activists who challenged Church policies: Sonia Johnson (Equal Rights Amendment), Kate Kelly (women's ordination), and Sam Young (child protection). We examine their motivations, methods, and the institutional responses they faced, including excommunication. Through these stories, we analyze patterns of dissent, authority, a...

Send us a text! Episode 16 of Apostates examines the disciplinary actions taken by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints against prominent online voices including John Dehlin, Jeremy Runnells, Bill Reel, and Nemo the Mormon. We explore how the internet age has created new challenges for institutional control, analyzing the tension between truth-seeking and institutional loyalty. We discu...

Send us a text! In this prologue to Season 11: Apostates , Brother Buzz explores the concept of apostasy through the lens of "material non-disclosure" - examining what happens when crucial information is withheld before making sacred covenants. He discusses prominent figures who left the early Church, including Book of Mormon Witnesses and Apostles, questioning whether their departures r...

Send us a text! Episode 2 of Apostates discusses Alan D. Roberts' groundbreaking analysis of apostasy in Mormonism, challenging traditional stereotypes of those labeled "apostate." We examine how 61% of Joseph Smith's closest associates faced severe discipline, analyze definitions of apostasy from Brigham Young to modern handbooks, and review case studies including Jesus, Marti...

Send us a text! Episode 3 of Apostates explores the Kirtland Crisis of 1837, the largest mass departure in early Church history when 10-15% of members left. We examine how Joseph Smith's expanding role from spiritual leader to business leader created tension, leading to failed ventures like the Kirtland Safety Society bank. We analyze why prominent members including Book of Mormon witnesses l...

Send us a text! Episode 4 of Apostates explores three of Joseph Smith's Counselors who roke from the Church: Jesse Gause, John C. Bennett, and William Law. Sources Video_Rise and Fall of John C Bennet_1848, 1854, 1858_MS Video_John C Benentt_Gospel Tangents Essay_John C Bennett Extradition Event_BYU RSC Essay_John Cook Bennett_BYU RSC Essay_John C Bennet Prior to Nauvoo_FAIR Video_Insights in...

Send us a text! Episode 5 of Apostates explores the original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called in 1835, examining how only three remained faithful throughout their lives while eight faced Church discipline (one died in a battle). Through detailed stories of Thomas B. Marsh, John F. Boynton, and Orson Pratt, we uncover the human struggles behind early church leadership—pride, financial crises, p...

Send us a text! Episode 22 of Challenges explores the complex relationship between Mormon culture and financial fraud. Our discussion examines the "soft prosperity gospel" in Mormon theology, the strong emphasis on self-reliance, and how these cultural values intersect with affinity fraud targeting the community. We analyze real cases of financial scams within Mormon circles, identify wa...

Send us a text! Episode 23 of Challenges explores the financial evolution of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from early communal living principles in Kirtland to today's $200+ billion investment portfolio.  Sources Essay: tithing and money_Mormon Stories Essay: LDS Church Hid $32B in Assets_Time Essay: What is Tithing?_LDS.org Essay_Tithing, The Higher Law_Nauvoo Times Essay_...

Send us a text! Episode 24 of Challenges explores the complex financial structure of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, examining its vast wealth estimated at around $240 billion in total assets as of 2024.   Sources Essay: tithing and money_Mormon Stories Essay: LDS Church Hid $32B in Assets_Time Essay: What is Tithing?_LDS.org Essay_Tithing, The Higher Law_Nauvoo Times Essay_Law of...