Study Faith with AI

Send us a text! Episode 7 of Polygamy examines Joseph Smith's methods of proposing plural marriage to women, revealing troubling patterns of manipulation and coercion. We analyze specific cases involving young women like 14-year-old Helen Mar Kimball and Lucy Walker, exploring how Smith used religious authority, divine threats, and family connections to secure these marriages. We discuss his...

Send us a text! Episode 3 of Polygamy presents the official LDS Church perspective on Joseph Smith's practice of plural marriage . We explore theological justifications, including eternal marriage and divine commandment, while acknowledging Joseph's reported reluctance and Emma's mixed feelings. We discuss different types of sealings, the role of personal revelation, and how early m...

Send us a text! In this Prologue to Season 8: Polygamy , Brother Buzz shares how negotiating a church calling while caring for a newborn led him to question the nature of obedience. He connects this experience to early Mormon polygamy, exploring how unquestioning compliance to religious authority affects individuals and families.  Season 8: Polygamy explores when Saints were asked by a revered pro...

Send us a text! Episode 2 of Polygamy summarizes Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy. Sources Essay: JS and Plural Marriage_LDS Essay: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo_LDS Lesson: Plural Marriage_LDS Institute Essay: Difficult Topics_BYU RSC Video: An Intro to Mormon Polygamy_MS 1673 Essay: CES Letter Essay: Letter for my wife Video: CES Letter is Right_MS 1950 Essay: Polygamy_MS Essay:...

Send us a text! In this Prologue to Season 7: The Book of Abraham , Brother Buzz explores the tension between institutional perfection and human suffering within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He reflects on members' struggles despite faithful observance, challenging the notion that problems lie solely with individuals rather than systems. He introduces the Book of Abraham a...

Send us a text! Episode 2 of The Book of Abraham explores the theological significance of the Book of Abraham in Mormon doctrine, examining its unique cosmology and teachings about pre-mortal existence. We discuss how this text, claimed to be written by Abraham himself and translated by Joseph Smith, introduces concepts central to Mormon identity that aren't found in the Bible. We consider th...

Send us a text! Episode 3 of The Book of Abraham traces the journey of Egyptian papyri fragments from ancient tombs to Joseph Smith's hands, exploring their remarkable path through a traveling showman to Kirtland, Ohio, their disappearance after Smith's death, and eventual rediscovery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The hosts examine the disconnect between Smith's Book of Abraham...

Send us a text! Episode 4 of The Book of Abraham explores the work's controversy, examining Joseph Smith's translation claims versus modern Egyptological findings. We discuss the papyri identified as common Egyptian funerary texts rather than Abraham's writings, analyze discrepancies in Smith's interpretations of the facsimiles, and present various theories Latter-day Saints us...

Send us a text! Episode 5 of The Book of Abraham explores the controversial origins of this Mormon scripture, examining Joseph Smith's translation claims against modern Egyptological evidence. We discuss how the papyri Joseph Smith claimed to translate were actually common Egyptian funerary texts, analyze the misinterpretations of the facsimiles, and review various apologetic arguments used t...

Send us a text! Episode 6 of The Book of Abraham examines how the Mormon church has responded to criticisms of this book of scripture over three historical periods. We analyze the church's evolving strategies: from initial claims in the 1840s, to limited engagement and concealment from the 1930s to 1960s, to shifting narratives and limited disclosure from the late 1960s to present. The discus...

Send us a text! Episode 7 of The Book of Abhraham explores the controversial Kinderhook Plates incident from 1843, when Joseph Smith reportedly attempted to translate a set of metal plates that were later proven to be a deliberate hoax. The hosts examine the historical evidence, including William Clayton's journal entries, the 1980 scientific analysis confirming the forgery, and the theologic...

Send us a text! Episode 8 of The Book of Abraham examines six case studies of Joseph Smith's translation work, including the Book of Mormon, the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, the Book of Abraham, his claims about the Adamic language, the Kinderhook plates, and the lost writings of John. We methodically present historical and scholarly evidence challenging the authenticity of each tra...

Send us a text! Episode 18 of The Book of Mormon summarizes compelling evidence challenging traditional LDS narratives about its origins. From missing golden plates and inconsistent witness testimonies to absent archaeological evidence and contradictory DNA findings, we examine why these issues create faith crises for many Mormons. We discuss Elder Holland's powerful statement that leaving th...

Send us a text! Episode 16 of The Book of Mormon explores the evolution of the Book of Mormon text from its original dictation to recent digital editions in 2024. We discuss scribal errors, doctrinal shifts regarding Jesus Christ's nature, changes to racial language, structural formatting updates, and recent digital revisions. The conversation examines how these changes reflect shifting cultu...

Send us a text! Episode 17 of The Book of Mormon explores B.H. Roberts, a prominent early 20th century Mormon leader and scholar who began his career defending the Book of Mormon before encountering troubling historical and textual evidence. We discuss his pivotal 1922 presentation to church leadership about these issues, his research comparing the Book of Mormon with "View of the Hebrews,&qu...

Send us a text! Episode 14 of The Book of Mormon explores the fascinating journey of Thomas Stewart Ferguson, a lawyer who dedicated his life to proving the Book of Mormon's historical accuracy through archaeology. We trace his evolution from a staunch defender of Mormon historicity to someone who questioned its literal interpretation after discoveries like the Book of Abraham papyri translat...

Send us a text! Episode 14 of The Book of Mormon examines the geographical claims in the Book of Mormon and whether they align with archaeological findings in the Americas. Through a debate format, we explore John Sorenson's research about Mesoamerican connections, discuss specific locations like Zarahemla and Hill Cumorah, and consider challenging elements like Jaredite barges and metal work...

Send us a text! Episde 10 of The Book of Mormon explores the debate about whether the Book of Mormon should be understood as a literal translation of ancient golden plates or as a form of divine revelation filtered through Joseph Smith's 19th century worldview . The hosts discuss scholarly perspectives on the "loose translation" theory, examining evidence like anachronisms, name ori...

Send us a text! Episode 11 of The Book of Mormon presents a formal debate about whether Nephi and his family could realistically have built and sailed a ship across the ocean as described in the Book of Mormon. The hosts examine key challenges including shipbuilding expertise, materials acquisition, tool crafting, food storage, and navigation skills. While one host emphasizes the practical impossi...

Send us a text! Episode 12 of The Book of Mormon explores the complex relationship between archaeological evidence and the Book of Mormon's historical claims. Through a balanced debate format, we examine arguments from both perspectives - those supporting the Book of Mormon's historicity and those questioning it based on archaeological findings. We discuss anachronisms, population growth...

Send us a text! Episode 13 of The Book of Mormon explores the complex relationship between DNA evidence and the Book of Mormon's claims about the origins of indigenous peoples in the Americas. Through a structured debate format, we examine genetic evidence suggesting Asian ancestry for Native Americans alongside arguments about population bottlenecks, genetic drift, and limited migrations. We...

Send us a text! Episode 8 of The Book of Mormon presents a formal debate about whether Joseph Smith drew inspiration from existing publications when creating the Book of Mormon. The hosts examine parallels between the Book of Mormon and contemporary works like "View of the Hebrews," "The Late War," and "First Book of Napoleon," considering shared themes, writing style...

Send us a text! Episode 9 of The Book of Mormon explores scholarly perspectives on the Book of Mormon, examining complex questions about its origins, authenticity, and theological significance. The hosts discuss various academic approaches to the text, including its potential connections to 19th century religious thought, archaeological challenges, linguistic peculiarities, and theological develop...

Send us a text! Episode 7 of The Book of Mormon examines how modern biblical scholarship challenges the Book of Mormon's claims to be an ancient record. The hosts and expert explore issues including the documentary hypothesis, deutero-Isaiah passages appearing in the Book of Mormon, the mysterious "reformed Egyptian" language, and New Testament parallels in what's supposed to b...

Send us a text! Episode 3 of The Book of Mormon explores evidence for the Book of Mormon's authenticity by examining multiple scholarly approaches. We discuss the presence of Hebrew literary structures like chiasmus, statistical analyses suggesting multiple authors, archaeological evidence supporting Lehi's journey across Arabia, and comparisons to 19th-century American thought. While ac...