Inside Out with Jim Bennett and Ian Wilks

Send us Fan Mail When President Dallin H. Oaks recently reaffirmed that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the "only true and living church," it sparked a fresh round of discussion among members and former members alike. What does that claim actually mean? And how should Latter-day Saints understand it in today's religious landscape? Ian and Jim welcome back historia...

Send us Fan Mail Is there a growing divide between the Trump administration and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? In this episode of Inside Out , Ian, Jim, and historian Greg Prince examine a recent Religion News Service article by Jana Riess arguing that the Church is quietly distancing itself from the MAGA movement—not through public denunciations, but through its actions. The con...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when faith becomes painful—but you still want to stay? In this episode of Inside Out , Jim Bennett and Ian Wilks welcome author, speaker, and host of the Listen, Learn & Love podcast Richard Ostler for a candid conversation about belonging, compassion, and the power of creating space for people whose experiences don't fit neatly into traditional expectations....

Send us Fan Mail For more than two years, the small town of Fairview, Texas has been at the center of one of the most closely watched temple disputes in recent Latter-day Saint history. What began as a proposal for a new LDS temple quickly grew into a controversy over steeple height, zoning laws, religious freedom, local governance, and what it means to be a good neighbor. In this episode of Insid...

Send us Fan Mail Ian and Jim sit down with renowned British investigative journalist John Sweeney, whose career has taken him from war zones and authoritarian regimes to some of the world's most controversial religious movements. John discusses his acclaimed BBC documentary The Mormon Candidate , produced during Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, and reflects on his now-infamous interv...

Send us Fan Mail Ian sits down with Jeff Strong, author of the groundbreaking book Torn: Why People We Love Are Leaving the Church and What Can We Learn from Them? Drawing on research involving more than 20,000 current and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jeff explores one of the most important and emotionally charged questions facing faith communities today: Why...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean to claim to be "the only true and living church on the face of the earth"? In this episode of Inside Out, Ian and Jim sit down with returning guest Greg Prince to wrestle with one of the boldest claims in Latter-day Saint theology — and the exclusive priesthood authority that underpins it.

Send us Fan Mail Ian, Jim, and historian Greg Prince explore the controversial history of the Nauvoo Expositor and its lasting implications for honesty, institutional transparency, and the modern LDS Church.  The discussion begins with a review of the Church’s official explanation for the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor printing press in 1844 and whether Joseph Smith’s actions as mayor of Nauv...

Send us Fan Mail Ian and Jim welcome back historian and author Greg Prince for a deep dive into one of the most controversial topics in Latter-day Saint history: the multiple accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. Together, they explore the historical record surrounding the First Vision, including the differences between Joseph Smith’s 1832, 1835, and 1838 accounts, the evolution of LDS teaching...

Send us Fan Mail Ian, Jim, and returning guest Greg Prince tackle one of the most urgent and sensitive issues facing the Latter-day Saint community today: faith crisis. Drawing on new research, personal experience, and candid discussion, the trio explores why so many members step away from the Church—and why common assumptions about sin, offense, or weakness often miss the mark. They examine the r...

Send us Fan Mail Ian and Jim explore a “tale of the unexpected” that turns out to be far more universal than dramatic. Jim shares the story of how he ended up serving a mission—not through a sudden, life-altering conversion, but through a lifetime of quieter spiritual experiences he once felt weren’t “enough.” Along the way, he opens up about growing up as an outsider, navigating identity across d...

Send us Fan Mail In this livestream, Ian and Jim are joined once again by historian and author Greg Prince for a candid, unfiltered conversation on one of the most talked-about developments in the Latter-day Saint world: the Church’s lawsuit against John Dehlin and Mormon Stories . The conversation also touches on broader themes, including the “Streisand Effect,” the challenges of faith transition...

Send us Fan Mail Ian shares one of the most disturbing—and unforgettable—experiences from his mission in Scotland. What begins as a routine visit with a potential convert quickly turns into something far stranger. A blessing. A voice that isn’t hers. A sudden, violent shift. And a moment that leaves two young missionaries questioning everything they thought they understood about faith, the superna...

Send us Fan Mail Ian and Jim are joined by returning guest Greg Prince to explore his updated Roadmap 2.0 for improving Mormonism. Building on earlier discussions, the conversation dives deeply into one central question: Is the Church still relevant in today’s world—and if so, how?

Send us Fan Mail Ian and Jim are joined once again by returning guest Greg Prince to explore the evolution of his influential “Roadmap” for improving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Building on more than 20 prior conversations, Greg introduces Roadmap 2.0 —a significantly expanded and refined version of his original work. Drawing on decades of research, personal experience, and de...

Send us Fan Mail Ian and Jim reunite for a wide-ranging, candid conversation sparked by a recent Church policy change allowing women to serve as ward Sunday School presidents. What begins as a discussion of a seemingly small shift quickly expands into a deeper exploration of authority, gender roles, and the nature of change within the Church. Jim and Ian examine whether this move represents meanin...

Send us Fan Mail This is audio from a livestream discussion that took place on March 10, 2026. You can watch the original video here .  Ian and Jim are joined once again by historian and author Greg Prince for a candid discussion on one of the most difficult and urgent issues facing the Church today: abuse, accountability, and institutional responsibility. Framed as “encouragement, not criticism,”...

Send us Fan Mail Ian and Jim welcome returning guest Michelle Brady Stone, along with historian Cheryl Bruno, co-founders of the Journal of Mormon Polygamy . Together, they explore the complex and often controversial history of polygamy in the early Church through the lens of scholarship, not soundbites.

Send us Fan Mail Ian and Jim welcome a longtime friend and Ian's former missionary companion, Byron Casper—the son of legendary golfer Billy Casper.  Byron shares what it was like growing up in the shadow of one of golf’s greatest champions, rebelling as a teenager, and eventually serving a mission in Scotland despite feeling completely unprepared for it. His story includes everything from PG...

Send us Fan Mail  Ian and Jim sit down with listener Chris Robinson to discuss faith, shame, addiction, and the long road toward self-acceptance. Chris shares his deeply personal story growing up in the Church, serving a mission, and quietly battling a pornography addiction that filled his life with secrecy, guilt, and spiritual turmoil. Chris’s courage in sharing his story opens an honest convers...

Send us Fan Mail In this deeply personal episode, Ian shares a story he’s never told publicly before about an experience that changed his life forever. Jim responds with a powerful mission story of his own, and together they reflect on what these sacred moments mean — inside faith, outside faith, and beyond religious boundaries. Does God show up only within organized religion? Or is divine love un...

Send us Fan Mail This is the audio version of a live discussion with Greg Prince that took place on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Greg Prince’s Roadmap for Improving Mormonism outlines how essential it is for the Church to adopt a positive philosophy of sex as it deals with the realities and the challenges of the modern world.  You can watch the video on YouTube by clicking here . 

Send us Fan Mail How much do we really know? And how much should we claim to know? Ian, Jim, and historian Greg Prince explore the role of mystery in faith. Beginning with a fascinating story about President David O. McKay’s reluctance to “paint Christ,” the conversation unfolds into a wide-ranging discussion about doctrine, certainty, humility, science, temple symbolism, and the danger of claimin...

Send us Fan Mail Ian shares a spontaneous with two young missionaries in a shopping mall — a conversation that quickly moved from small talk to polygamy, race and the priesthood, prophetic fallibility, and moral obedience. What happens when one missionary says he would follow the prophet “even if it was wrong,” and his companion quietly says he wouldn’t? Then the discussion turns to the recent cal...

Send us Fan Mail We're going to be one of the first podcasts out of the gate to discuss President Oaks's debut address as President of the Church, which he gave today at BYU!  Come be part of the discussion - it starts at 7:00 PM, about an hour from now! Click here or visit https://www.youtube.com/live/yCpgfxzximk?si=RrZBJySGSaH3qjxz