Mormon Book Reviews Podcast

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews John Hamer returns to continue his overview of Mormon history. The period discussed in this segment covers the period of 1830-1844. Needless to say a lot of things happened during this time period. From Kirtland to Missouri to Nauvoo. It was the most active period for the Church where new scripture, revelations, and theology were produced. We also discu...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews Jonathan Neville returns to discuss a unique piece of his collection, a replica of the controversal Kinderhook Plates. Jonathan describes how he acquired them. This serves as a catalyst to discuss the original plates and how a plausible argument can be made of their ancient origin within a Restorationist context. Joseph Smith claimed to have partially t...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews the work of Rebecca Janzen author of "Liminal Sovereignty: Mennonites and Mormons in Mexican Culture" is discussed. The book details the struggles Mennonites and Mormons have had with the Mexican government, post- Revolutionary land reform, the threat of drug cartels, how these communities are viewed and portrayed in the Mexican media, and some unusual...

On a very special episode of Mormon Book Reviews, Steven Pynakker interviews Lutheran theologian Dr. Jordan B. Cooper. Dr. Cooper recently released a YouTube video titled "Five Reasons I Am Not Mormon". After watching it, and realizing that he did his homework, I reached out to him and invited him to come on and discuss it. It was an engaging conversation. We discuss the history of Lutheranism in...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews, Steven Pynakker discusses a book written by the Rev. Katie Langston titled "Sealed: An Unexpected Journey into the Heart of Grace". Katie was raised LDS and suffered from a type of relgious OCD called scrupulosity. This is her story of her journey out of an entirely works based worldview and into one that embraces grace. Topics covered in the book incl...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews Brent Ashworth returns to "Show & Tell". In this segment we discuss a very rare book owned by George A. Smith about the history of Topsfield Massachusetts, a very unique document with Joseph Smith Sr.'s signature, how Brent is able to acquire items in his collection, and his close friendship with Gordon B. Hinckley. Patreon Show & Tell

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews, Steven Pynakker welcomes back John Hamer of the Community of Christ to the program! This interview is the first segment of a series we will be taping about the first 40 years of the Restoration. The focus of this episode will be the period of 1820-1830. We begin with the First Vision and the Born Again experience, then cover the treasure seeking period...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews, Steven Pynakker reviews two very different graphic novels about Joseph Smith. The first one is the critically acclaimed "The Glass Looker: Collected Tales of Joseph Smith" illustrated and written by Mark Elwood. It is a fantasticlly illustrated and written account about the folklore and mythology of Joseph's treasure digging days. Many members of the C...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews, Jonathan Neville returns to be a part of the "Tuesday Special Segments" rotation. Jonathan recently returned from the Middle East. He visited the site where he believes Lehi's camp built their boat for the long journey to the America's. He even gives us a bit of a slide show! We also discuss possible landing sites for Lehi's party. The topic of the Mus...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews Steven Pynakker has a delightful conversation with Anne Wilde. Anne is a widowed plural wife of Mormon Fundamentalist writer Ogden Kraut, one of the most important and influential polygamists of the 20th century. In the interview we discuss her role during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics of informing the world press about the modern practice of plura...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews I gives some "off the cuff" remarks about my book review philosophy, and I "call out" Evangelical critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a Christian I feel it's very important that when engaging outside groups it's important that it be done with a open heart and mind. It bothers me when I observe Evangelical "apologists" go after...

To conclude this special limited series on Mormon Book Reviews, Nathan Smith rejoins host Steven Pynakker to discuss one more book that has shaped Nathan personally. In a desire to become “acquainted with all good books” (LDS D&C 90:15) and to seek “out of the best books words of wisdom” (LDS D&C 88:118), Nathan takes us through The Ego Tunnel, by German philosopher Thomas Metzinger, which...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews Steven Pynakker interviews one of the most important scholars of Mormonism, Brent Metcalfe. In this fascinating conversation Brent details that while working for Church security he was working on scholarly endeavors that he hoped would help contribute to apologitic defenses of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All was going well until he...

On the latest "Show & Tell" with Brent Ashworth on Mormon Book Reviews, a very unique handwritten letter by Joseph Smith is discussed. When Joseph Smith was returning from his unsuccessful trip to Washington DC, where he tried to convince Martin Van Buren to intervene on behalf of the Saints, he made a stop in Philadelphia. There he made an address in a synagogue and it lead to many baptisms a...

On the latest Mormon Book Reviews, Rock Waterman of the Pure Mormonism Blog has a conversation with Evanglical Steven Pynakker. Topics covered include Rock finding out he was Jewish, his love of "The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim" version of the Book of Mormon, going on a mission to Independence Missouri, the gifts of the Spirit fully operational in the early church, why he thinks the WoW...

On the latest Mormon Book Reviews, a recently rediscovered 22-foot painted panorama by C. C. A. Christensen is discussed with Devan Jensen, the executive editor at the BYU Religious Studies Center. Devan told me how Steven Olsen at the Church History Department rediscovered and acquired a rare, early panorama painted by C. C. A. Christensen that was used to proselytize Native Americans in Utah. De...

In this special limited series of Mormon Book Reviews, Nathan Smith once again joins host Steven Pynakker to discuss another favorite book that has shaped Nathan personally. In a desire to become “acquainted with all good books” (LDS D&C 90:15) and to seek “out of the best books words of wisdom” (LDS D&C 88:118), Nathan takes us through The Puppet and the Dwarf, by Slovenian philosopher Sl...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews Steven Pynakker welcomes on Roger Launius who wrote the very important and definitive biography "Joseph Smith III: Pragmatic Prophet". Dr Launius, member of the Community of Christ, wrote his dissertation on Joseph Smith III and it was later published by University of Illinois Press. The book won the prestigious Evans Award for biography. This was a fas...

At the very last moment I was able to have a conversation with two Evangelical neighbors who recently attended a special Saturday night service of the Church of Jesus Christ. On this special episode of Mormon Book Reviews Tom Hulery and Edward Allison shared with me their thoughts and feeelings of attending this unique Church. We discuss some of the preaching and music we experienced. Both were ve...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews the book "Infinite Goodness: Joseph Smith, Jonathan Edwards, and the Book of Mormon" by Jonathan Neville​ is reviewed. A groundbreaking work that is attracting serious attention in the Book of Mormon Studies community. Jonathan is a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and used his original research to come up with this ver...

Welcome to the Season 2 premiere of my Book Review series! One of the most important books ever written about Mormonism and Joseph Smith, Richard Bushman's "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling" is reviewed by Evangelical Steven Pynakker. In this episode Steven gives his personal insights of the book and compares and contrasts it with Fawn Brodie's "No Man Know My History" and Dan Vogel's "Pious Frau...

On the latest Mormon Book Reviews the book "Obscure Mormon Doctrine" by Chris Jensen is discussed by Evangelical Steven Pynakker. The book covers lesser know beliefs and doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Topics covered in the book include Adam/God, Blood Atonement, Mother in Heaven, the Plan of Salvation, the nature of God, the Word of Wisdom, and many other unique topi...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews Steven Pynakker welcomes back on Brent Asworth for our continuing "Show and Tell" series. To herald the coming forth of the Book of Mormon a newspaer ad was purchased in the Wayne-Sentinal. Very few copies of this ad are in existence. Brent Ashworth discusses the history and preservation of the ad and how he was able to acquire it. We also discuss Bring...

On a special episode of Mormon Book Reviews Rick Bennett of Gospel Tangents guest hosts the 100th episode of the program. We are joined by our friend Dr. Christopher Thomas of the Pentecostal Theological Seminary and and author of the book "A Pentecostal Reads the Book of Mormon: A Literary and Theological Introduction". In this episode Rick, Chris, and Steven discuss some of the accomplishments,...

On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews Robin Jensen editor of the Revelations and Translations series of volumes for the Joseph Smith Papers Project joins me for a conversation. We discuss the latest volume of the of the Project, the recently released Facsimile Edition of the Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon. We discuss the history of the Joseph Smith Papers as well as the preservat...