Mormon Stories Podcast

Welcome back to Part 17 of our Joseph Smith Podcast series covering Dr. John Turner’s new biography on Joseph Smith titled: Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. In this episode, we begin part one of our deep dive into the Book of Abraham –a controversial and fascinating text within Latter-day Saint history. We’ll trace its origins in 1835 Kirtland, explore Joseph Smith’s acquisi...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has been in the news lately in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the murderous attack on an LDS chapel in Michigan.  As Americans have rushed to find the "cause" of these attacks, several groups have been blamed including: Latter-day Saints, Political Conservatives/Republicans, Political Liberals/Democrats, Eva...

Welcome back to part 16 of our Joseph Smith Podcast with Dr. John G. Turner! In this episode, we cover chapter fifteen of John Turner’s new book titled “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet” which covers 1834-1835 in Kirtland, Ohio and parts of Missouri. We discuss the rise of patriarchal blessings, the creation of new church offices –like the Twelve and the Seventy. We also disc...

In Part Two of our conversation with Claire and Marc Headley, we dive into the details of how they finally escaped the Sea Organization and the events that led up to that decision. We will also discuss other topics such as the FBI's investigation into Scientology, why they have spoken out against the church since leaving, and how Scientology responds to critics. Claire and Marc also open up ab...

Prepare yourself for an EPIC non-Mormon story! This week we are introducing Claire and Marc Headley, who were born into the Church of Scientology and have a remarkable escape story that we are excited to share with you. Both Claire and Marc were members of the Sea Organization within Scientology, where the church’s elite-level leaders work and are required to sign a billion-year contract of servit...

We are back again with Dr. John Turner in part 15 of the Joseph Smith Podcast, covering his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” Join us as we explore the dramatic events of 1834 when Joseph Smith led Zion’s Camp, from Kirtland, Ohio to Clay County, Missouri. This episode dives deep into the historical and spiritual implications of Zion’s Camp –including Joseph Smith’...

We are thrilled to have Sandra Tanner as a guest on our LDS Discussions series this week! Along with John, Julia, and Nemo, Sandra is here to offer commentary on three new essays recently released by the LDS Church, addressing the issues of Book of Mormon translation, polygamy, and Joseph Smith’s character. In part one of this two-part episode, we will focus on Joseph Smith’s “translation” of the...

This week, we’re sitting down with Benson Lawson, who made the bold decision to decline his Mormon mission call. In the LDS community, serving a mission is often seen as non-negotiable—an expectation placed on nearly every young man. For those who choose differently, the backlash can be overwhelming. Benson is bravely sharing his story with us, opening up about the pressure, the stigma, and why a...

We are back today for part two of our examination of the CES Letter vs. the Book of Mormon. The CES Letter is perhaps one of the most influential documents in Mormon studies, and for years the LDS Church has criticized it and its author, Jeremy Runnells. Is this a fair treatment by the Church, or are Jeremy's questions on church doctrine valid? In this series, we are going point by point through t...

Today we are very excited to welcome Danny Rensch to the podcast! Lovers of chess may know Danny as an international chess champion and co-founder of Chess.com—but did you know he was also raised in a cult? In this interview, Danny discusses the release of his new book, Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life , which tells the story of his upbringing in the Church of Immortal Consciousness. Groomed...

We are here today with part fourteen of our Joseph Smith: The Podcast series with Dr. John Turner. Today we are continuing on with chapter thirteen of his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” The chapter is titled “Zion is Fled” and covers the years 1883-1834 in Missouri. In this episode we explore one of the most turbulent periods in early Mormon history. We dive int...

Recently a documentary series entitled "An Inconvenient Faith" appeared on YouTube, produced by Robert Reynolds and Jim Bennett (among others). The documentary seeks to promote progressive Mormonism within LDS church membership. The documentary is groundbreaking in the sense that it includes both Ex-Mormons (e.g. Jeremy Runnells, Sandra Tanner, John Dehlin, Bill Reel) and faithful Mormon scholars...

This week we continue our series of non-Mormon stories with Camille Lewis. Raised as an Independent Fundamental Baptist, Camille attended and later taught at Bob Jones University—an Evangelical college in Greenville, NC, known for its strict rules and staunch conservatism. The university also has a troubling history of discrimination, including once forbidding interracial dating. While serving as...

Welcome to another episode with Dr. John Turner as we cover his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” Today we are covering chapter thirteen titled “Zion is Fled” that covers 1833-1834 in Kirtland, Ohio. We answer important questions like: What is the importance of scriptures and what does that mean for this religious movement? Is Joseph Smith credible as a prophet, se...

We are super excited to announce that a new docuseries entitled "Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence" is set to be released on September 1st and 2nd on Investigation Discovery and HBO Max.  This four part series provides unparalleled context behind the Ruby Franke / 8 Passengers / Jodi Hildebrandt saga. Several Ex-Mormon influencers were included in the series including Lauren a...

Today we are continuing our series of interviews with LDS Church Education System employees. Today’s guest is extra special, as he resigned from his seminary teaching position just days before the filming of this episode! Riley Davis was born into the church and grew up in a very traditional Mormon family in Utah. As the son of an LDS bishop, Riley struggled with depression due to religious scrupu...

We are back with Chapter Twelve of John Turner’s new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” Today we are covering Chapter Twelve which is titled: “Olive Leaves” that covers the years 1832-1833 in Kirtland, Ohio. We tackle topics like the excommunication of Jesse Gause, one of the first General Authorities and other conflicts between the Mormon leaders. We also answer questi...

Join us live today as we welcome back Ganesh Cherian who is here to discuss the aspects of the Book of Mormon that clearly show its 19th century origins. What influences did Joseph Smith use to write the Book of Mormon? Do unique aspects of his life show up in the text? From American patriotism and Native American policy to slippery treasure and evolving doctrines, this deep dive challenges the tr...

We are very excited this week to release a first-of-its-kind Mormon Stories episode! Born and raised in Hyderabad, India, Sirisha Shumway converted to Mormonism at the age of 14, against the wishes of her family. She quickly became a very devout member of her LDS community, served a mission, and even worked for the church as a translator. After moving to the US to completer her education, Sirisha...

We are back again with historian Dr. John Turner to explore Chapter Eleven of his new book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. The chapter is titled “Pure Language” and covers the years 1831-1832 in Kirtland, Ohio. Turner discusses the stories of healing on the part of Joseph Smith, the controversy surrounding the publishing of the Book of Commandments as well as some of the me...

What happens when a Mormon woman questions her faith—but doesn’t walk away entirely? In this week's interview, Olivia Calvert shares her journey of embracing doubts and shifts in belief. Choosing to live Mormonism in her own way, Olivia’s path leads her to what she calls “casual discipleship.” While we have explored stories like this before from men in the church, it is rare for an LDS woman to op...

Welcome to part ten of the Joseph Smith Podcast! We welcome back Dr. John Turner who is here to discuss chapter ten of his new book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. Chapter ten covers the 1832 time frame in Independence, Missouri.  Turner answers questions like: Where did Joseph Smith get the idea of a New Jerusalem? Where did Joseph Smith get the idea of temples? Did Joseph...

Join us today for a unique Mormon Stories episode that is the first of its kind. Myndee Tollefson was born in Bountiful, Utah to an orthodox Mormon family. At just 19, she became pregnant and, feeling immense pressure from the Church and her family, gave her baby up for adoption through LDS Family Services—only to later discover that her child's life in the adoptive family was not what the Church...

Welcome to another episode with Dr. John Turner! Today we are covering Chapter Nine of his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet." Chapter nine is titled “Flying High” and covers the year 1831 which mostly took place in Kirtland, Ohio for Joseph Smith and the early Saints. Topics include: -Comments from listeners on this podcast series -Why Joseph Smith didn’t preach fro...

Join us today as we resurface another classic Mormon Stories episode! Originally filmed in 2007, this interview is with Elbert Peck who was the editor of Sunstone Magazine from 1986-2001. Topics will include: -His early years in Washington D.C. -His time at BYU with the Seventh East Press publication -What led to him taking over Sunstone Magazine -Interactions with other key Sunstone members -Even...