Mormon Stories Podcast

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 attem...

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...

What happens when a devoted Mormon father and his daughter –who no longer believes –sit down for an honest, loving conversation? In this powerful "bridgebuilding" episode, Matt and Katie Todd share their story of faith, doubt, and family. Matt is a lifelong Latter-day Saint. Katie began questioning the Church while attending American Heritage School in Utah County –right across from the...

Welcome to Part 32 of our series with Dr. John G Turner, based on his new book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. In this episode, Dr. Turner response directly to modern claims denying Joseph Smith’s plural marriage to Sarah Ann Whitney. We revisit Chapter 26 of his book, carefully examining the historical record surrounding the 1842 letter often associated with Sarah Ann Whit...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, we sit down with David Archuleta to discuss his new memoir, Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself. David opens up about his life inside of Mormonism, his rise to fame on American Idol, his mission, his relationship with Church leaders, and the long, painful journey toward self-acceptance as a gay man. This conversation goes far beyond headlines. David...

In this special Valentine’s episode, we are joined by Kolby Reddish (a rando on the internet), Nemo the Mormon, Carah Burrell (from Nuancehoe), Julia Sanders from Analyzing Mormonism and John Dehlin for a conversation that might surprise you. Yes - We are critics of Mormonism. Yes - We’ve experienced pain, disillusionment, and deep deconstruction. And yet… we can hold two different truths at once....

Welcome to Part 31 in our ongoing series with Dr. John Turner, based on his new book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. Today we are diving into Chapter 31, “World on Fire,” and the explosive years 1842-1843 in Nauvoo –a period marked by scandal, secrecy, political pressure, and deep internal crisis. In this episode we cover the rise and fall of John C. Bennett and the “Spirit...

⚠️Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of violence, self-harm, suicide, and religious trauma. In this deeply vulnerable and wide-ranging conversation, Kyson Dana shares his story of growing up Mormon, serving a mission in Russia, and the lifelong psychological, spiritual, and physical consequences that followed. What was supposed to be the “best two years” of his life became the most...

Welcome to Episode 30 of our series The Joseph Smith Podcast with Dr. John Turner where we discuss chapters from his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” In this episode, we dive further into Chapter 24 (“Upper Rooms”) from John Turner’s work and unpack the origins of the LDS Relief Society in May of 1842 –right in the middle of Joseph Smith’s secret practice of polyg...

A new Netflix documentary on the 2002 kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart in Salt Lake City by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee (all Mormons) has been released.  To what extent was this kidnapping influenced by Joseph Smith and/or Mormonism?  Join John, Samantha, Alyssa, and Taylor as they explore the Mormon connections to Elizbeth Smart's kidnapping. ___________________ YouTube Show Notes At Mormo...

Welcome back to our Joseph Smith Podcast series with historian Dr. John Turner! This is Episode 29, where we dive into Chapter 24, titled “Upper Rooms,” from John Turner’s new book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. In this episode, we focus on Nauvoo in 1842 –a pivotal year when Freemasonry, the Relief Society, secrecy, and the earliest forms of the Nauvoo Endowment ceremony...

On today’s episode, we welcome two very special guests! Leopoldo Larcher and Emily Guincho are a father–daughter duo here to share their Italian Mormon story as the first family to join the LDS Church in Italy. Leopoldo details his experience of quickly being placed into leadership roles and bearing the responsibility of helping establish the structure of the Church in Italy. Over the years, he wo...

Welcome to Episode 70 of our LDS Discussions series! In this episode, our panel takes a deep dive into one of the most debated questions surrounding the Book of Mormon: were ancient metal plates a known concept in Joseph Smith’s world, and are they truly comparable to the golden plates he described? We examine historical sources from the 18th and 19th centuries that reference metal records –brass,...

In this episode of Mormon Stories Podcast, we talk with Jean Daniel about his journey from a devoted Mormon convert to a Christian pastor. Growing up in Boston, Jean discovered Mormonism as a teenager and found in it a strong sense of structure, identity, and belonging. He served a mission in San Diego, CA and was later married in the Newport beach temple. While studying at Harvard and Yale Divini...

Welcome to Part 28 of our John G. Turner series of the Joseph Smith Podcast! Today we continue our deep dive into the Egyptian Materials, the Book of Abraham, and how its theology shaped Mormonism’s most distinctive doctrines –including premortal existence, exaltation, intelligences, and the idea of God becoming God. This episode explores how Joseph Smith resumed work on the papyri in Nauvoo, publ...

In this episode of Mormon Stories Podcast, we sit down with Ceci Hendrickson, who shares her story of growing up in the FLDS Church before the rise of Warren Jeffs and witnessing how the church transformed under his leadership. Warren Jeffs was once her high school principal, long before he became the self-proclaimed prophet of the FLDS Church. Ceci walks us through her upbringing in a large polyg...

Welcome to episode 27 of the Joseph Smith Podcast with Dr. John G. Turner!  In this episode, we take a deep dive into Joseph Smith’s early practice of polygamy in Nauvoo, tracing how it began, how it expanded so rapidly, and what it reveals about power, belief, and risk. We examine the first plural marriages, the people Joseph trusted to introduce the practice, and the recurring patterns that emer...

What happens when a Mormon woman becomes the primary provider for her family –inside a religion that teaches her highest purpose is in the home? In this deeply personal and honest conversation, Cate Smith shares her journey growing up Mormon, internalizing the Family Proclamation, and believing her eternal destiny was marriage, motherhood, and supporting her husband. From being voted “most likely...

Welcome to Part 26 of our Joseph Smith Podcast series! In this episode, we continue our deep dive into Chapter 22 of John Turner’s new biography, Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet, as the story moves to the founding of Nauvoo, Illinois in 1840 –a fresh start for the Latter-day Saints and a turning point in Joseph Smith’s theology and authority. We explore the emergence of bapt...

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Appio Hunter, whose early life as a Portuguese-speaking Mormon kid, his journey through conversion therapy, and his eventual path to love, self-acceptance, and healing make for one of the most profound LGBTQ+ Mormon Stories ever shared on this channel. Raised between Southern California and Utah by a Brazilian mother and a father with deep pioneer-era lin...

Please join us for a live episode with Roger Hendrix - one of the highest ranking Latter-day Saints ever interviewed on Mormon Stories Podcast. Roger served as CES Director, Bishop, Stake Presidency Member, Mission President, and served for 18 years as a Trustee on the board of the Deseret Trust Company (called to the position by President Gordon B. Hinckley). Today we are discussing the Church’s...

In today’s episode, we dive into Chapter 21 titled “Keys” from Dr. John Turner’s new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” This chapter cover the pivotal years of 1839-1840, as the Saints leave behind the trauma of Missouri and begin building a new gathering place in Commerce (soon to be Nauvoo), Illinois. We pick up the story right after Joseph Smith escapes Liberty Jail,...

In this in-depth conversation, John sits down with Karen Hyatt to explore her lifelong faith journey in the LDS Church and the research that ultimately led to her excommunication. Karen shares her background as a devoted member -convert parents, mission service, leadership roles, and decades without doubt –before explaining what prompted her to closely examine Doctrine and Covenants 132 and the hi...

Join Kolby, Nemo, Julia, and Dr. John Dehlin for one of our most in-depth LDS Discussions episodes yet as we unpack “The Other Isaiah Problem” and what it means for the historicity of the Book of Mormon. In this episode, we explore why scholars overwhelmingly view isaiah as a multi-author work, how the Great Isaiah Scroll challenges the Book of Mormon’s use of Isaiah, and why the text consistently...

Today we welcome Greg Matsen, a believing member of the LDS Church, to talk about what the Church means to him and how he tries to live out a healthy, thoughtful approach to Mormonism. Host of the podcast Cwic Show, Greg joins us today to share his Mormon story–from growing up in a “practical” orthodox family in Southern California and serving a mission in Mexico City, to navigating marriage, pare...