Gospel Tangents Podcast

Big Money, Big Changes, and Why AJ Dybantsa Picked BYU AJ Dybantsa and just declared for the NBA draft.  We discuss why AJ Dybantsa picked BYU. He’s likely top NBA prospect, and he is reportedly earning millions to play in Provo. Dr. Matthew Bowman, author of Game Changers , dives into the modern reality of college sports and its collision with BYU’s historical values. We explore the m...

If you think college basketball has changed drastically, wait until you hear about the Global Evolution of LDS Basketball. This happened before the introduction of millions of dollars in NIL deals. Wait until you hear the history of how the sport evolved at BYU and around the world. Dr. Matthew Bowman, co-author of “ Game Changers: AJ Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the Soul of Basketbal...

If you’ve ever stepped inside a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse, you likely noticed almost every LDS Church has basketball court. But have you ever wondered why basketball became the unofficial sport of the church? Dr. Matthew Bowman, the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University discussed his new book, Game Changers: AJ Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the S...

Orthodox Easter this year was a week later than Western Christianity. I was able to take a unique journey into Orthodox Easter traditions and the historical resilience of early Christianity. https://youtu.be/h8xYSNU9e6o It was a fascinating experience to visit St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Clearfield, Utah, after meeting a California member named Daniel Michalski. Unlike Western traditions,...

Did Early Temple Sealings Guarantee Heaven? Dr. Jonathan Stapley, an award-winning historian—and surprisingly, a PhD in carbohydrate chemistry  discusses his Mormon History Association Best Book Award-winner, “ The Power of Godliness: Mormon Liturgy and Cosmology .” This is a fascinating deep dive into how early Latter-day Saints understood priesthood, the lost history of female ritual...

Dr. Jonathan Stapley tackles a tough topic: race & LDS Temples as we conclude his deep dive into Stapley’s award-winning book, Holiness to the Lord. We tackles some of the most complex historical topics surrounding Latter-day Saint temple worship, including the ideological shift away from plural marriage, the history of racial restrictions, and the profound religious work of caring for the dea...

Dr. Jonathan Stapley, author of Holiness to the Lord , dives deep into the complex history of women & temple sealings, the historical evolution of the sealing ceremony, the persistent changes to the endowment, and the shifting architectural purposes of Latter-day Saint temples . https://youtu.be/9GLMfnUxqdU Don’t miss our other discussions with Jonathan.  https://gospeltangents.com/people/jona...

Dr Jonathan Stapley takes us inside LDS temple ceremonies, including the Initiatory, Endowment, and Sealing ceremony changes over the years. Was the sealing ceremony more egalitarian under Joseph Smith than Brigham Young? Check out our conversation…. https://youtu.be/uOdluwXxYVQ Don’t miss our other discussions with Jonathan. https://gospeltangents.com/people/jonathan_stapley Copyright © 202...

Chapter 1 is the best temple prep book ever. I sat down with Jonathan Stapley, an award-winning historian to discuss his newest book, Holiness to the Lord: Latter Day Saint Temple Worship . During the show, Stapley was even surprised he won the “ Best Temple Book of 2025 ” award ! I thi https://youtu.be/1bBMcqgKKdY 0:00 Award Winning Author on LDS Temple Worship 3:20 Is Temple Worship...

Journal of Mormon Polygamy Conference Here is a recap of the major highlights, controversies, and presentations. https://youtu.be/IekJUmx5qK4 The 1886 John Taylor Revelation I was part of a panel discussing the 1886 John Taylor revelation, which was recently released by the Church History Library . This revelation was received around September 27, 1886, while President Taylor was in hiding from U....

Janice Allred was excommunicated just over 30 years ago, but still attends the LDS Church!!! Why? She will talk about why she stays, and offer advice to others on how to stay if they want to. We’ll discuss how it affects her family, her testimony, and we’ll even dive into why current polygamy revisionists are getting into trouble with LDS Church leaders. Check out our conversation! htt...

LDS-Temple Lot Differences: Unique Priesthood Structure We’re going to discuss LDS-Temple Lot differences. Unlike the LDS Church, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) does not divide its priesthood into Aaronic and Melchizedek branches . Furthermore, they do not have the office of High Priest, believing that Jesus Christ was and remains the last High Priest . https://youtu.be/WvM-kU-YDsI Don’t...

We focus heavily on the turbulent history of the physical temple lot in Independence, Missouri, and the controversial figure of apostle Otto Fetting . Daniel Malone, a Sunday school teacher for the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) gives his insights. https://youtu.be/xqRZPoyaUqk Don’t miss our other conversations on Hedrickites:  https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/Hedrickites/ Copyright © 2026...

I was able to get a rare interview with a member of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot .) Daniel Malone is an adult Sunday school teacher for the church in Independence, Missouri. He provides a candid look into the history and theology of the organization, often historically referred to as the “Hedrickites.” https://youtu.be/pe4r4P3PkQ0 Don’t miss our other conversations on Hedrickites:...

What are the questions you should ask your polygamy theories, both traditional and skeptic/revisionist? Dr Jesse James is a research psychologist and you’ll want to take notes! Check out our conversation… https://youtu.be/3b_VXU-hyZY Don’t miss our other conversations with Dr Jesse James: https://gospeltangents.com/people/jesse-james/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserve...

There is a seismic shift on the priesthood ban in Mormon fundamentalism. It’s happening within independent Mormon group. Justin Francom shares the inside story of how the independent fundamentalist group in Missouri recently made a historic decision to officially abandon the racial priesthood ban and open their temple to people of all racial backgrounds . https://youtu.be/oEltSUrBCQA Don’t m...

Ben Schilaty, a former BYU Honor Code administrator, is a social work professor and author who discusses his life as a  gay Latter-day Saint . He details his professional background, and his current work with the  Gather Conference . Schilaty shares his personal faith journey, explaining how he reconciles his  sexual orientation  with his commitment to the Church through  prayer and personal revel...

Inclusive Mormonism: Inside Mormon Legacy Ministries Justin Francom thinks every Mormon Church is the true church. He shares a vision of surprisingly inclusive Mormonism, challenging the rigid boundaries and schisms that usually divide the various Latter-day Saint factions. https://youtu.be/Px-PJVAdOHs Don’t miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism:  https://gospeltangents.com/denomin...

Spiritual Libertarians and the “Not Group”: Inside Independent Mormon Fundamentalism I sat down with Justin Francom for a deep dive into his “not group,” a unique, largely misunderstood faction of Mormon fundamentalism. Francom sheds light on a fiercely independent community of believers who have built their own temple and completely rejected traditional authoritarian hiera...

I sat down with Justin Francom , an independent Mormon fundamentalist living in Missouri, to discuss his journey from a traditional LDS background to an Independent Mormon fundamentalist. Francom’s story is a compelling look at how his search for deeper doctrine can lead a “Jack Mormon” turned missionary into the world of independent fundamentalist . https://youtu.be/6oY7DnOq2Ec Don’t...

Returning to Jackson County: A History of the Temple Lot Church Rick Bennett sat down down with historian R Jean Addams in 2020 to explore the fascinating history of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), often referred to as the “ Hedrickites .” Addams, whose wife is a descendant of the sect’s founder, Granville Hedrick, provides a deep dive into how this small group returned to Ind...

Jim Bennett’s idea for sustainable and honest faith includes a theological argument that recognizing the fallibility of religious leaders is not just a mistake to be acknowledged, but a central purpose of mortality and the plan of salvation. He suggests that a sustainable faith must be rooted in truth rather than the “demigod” status often assigned to prophets. Jim is the host of...

Rick B (host of Gospel Tangents and LDS Faith Journeys ) interviews Josh Gehly, an Evangelist for The Church of Jesus Christ (historically known as the Bickertonites), during Josh’s visit to Salt Lake City. Josh reveals that The Church of Jesus Christ has a small but growing domestic presence, including a mission in Salt Lake City. The church reports significant international growth, particu...

For decades, scholars have debated where the Book of Mormon took place. Could it be on the Baja Peninsula? Or in the narrow necks of Central America, or the heartland of the United States? But what if the internal map of the text—where ‘east’ is truly east and seeds from Jerusalem flourish—points to a location largely ignored by archaeologists? In this comprehensive interview, David Ro...

We’re talking about where faith & DNA collide. This is a throwback episode from my 2018 interview with Dr Simon Southerton. We’ll discuss how this former LDS bishop got excommunicated over his writings about DNA problems with the Book of Mormon and his book “Losing a Lost Tribe.” Check out our conversation… https://youtu.be/N0pD5jz01OA Chapters 0:00 Faith & DN...