Sunstone Podcast

How do you grow spiritually? Do you move from being wrong to being right? Or from being right to being righter? Jaxon Washburn sees soul growth as expansion rather than as movement toward correctness. Jaxon will be a co-host for future episodes of the Sunstone Podcast. Come get a taste of his thinking, and learn how he will approach his episodes.

The concept of a faith crisis is a relatively new one, especially in LDS discourse. But Jeff Burton has been documenting cases of faith crises since the early 1980s. What has changed about the patterns of faith crises from then until now? Are there more people going through them, or are they just more willing to talk about it? What do Church leaders think about this phenomenon?

Rick Bennett has earned his place among LDS podcasters by hosting guests from across the belief spectrum, from Utah Lighthouse Ministry founder Sandra Tanner to official LDS Church historian Steven Snow. John Larsen talks with Rick about how in the world he does it.  

It’s not just the temple endowment ceremony that has deep roots in Freemasonry, you can find its lore in the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, too. John Larsen and Clair Von Barrus take a deep dive into the parallels in this episode.

Will all the promises of Christianity—immortality, god-like powers, etc.—actually be provided by science? Mormon theology has plenty of room for that idea! John Larsen talks with Blaire Ostler about the Mormon Transhumanist worldview.

Breaking news! Mormons and ex-Mormons could be having better sex! And they don’t even need Cosmopolitan’s hot tips! John Larsen and Natasha Helfer Parker dive into the Hows of enjoying sex, both in and out of the faith.

When individuals leave the Church they are often overwhelmed with negative emotions. Based on his many years working with individuals in faith transition, John Larsen will discuss ways to move on from the pain and embrace more peace and joy.

Join John Larsen and Lindsay Hansen Park on a road trip to the Manti Pageant where you’ll learn about the history of the pageant, the attitudes behind it, and the reasons for its demise.

Sex can get complicated after Mormonism. Fortunately, John Larsen and Mary Fisher are here to give you some tips on how explore (or not) safely and ethically.

An Introduction to Oasis. When people transition out of the LDS Church, they often look for a place to fill their need for community, and some of them end up in an Oasis group. John Larsen talks with some of the organizers of the Salt Lake City chapter.

Shelly was a Mormon mother of seven children before she realized that she was a lesbian. Now she and her partner Mary run the “Latter-day Lesbian” podcast. They came to Salt Lake City for the Pride Festival and stopped in the Sunstone studio to talk with John Larsen.

As the Sunstone Podcast hits its six-month mark, Lindsay Hansen Park and John Larsen discuss the podcast’s successes and difficulties and their vision for going forward.

When a child comes as as LGBTQIA+ what is a Mormon mother to do? John Larsen talks with some of the founding members of the Mama Dragons, a growing group of women who ferociously defend their queer children.

More than 20 years ago, Stephen Carter met Eugene England, starting a relationship that altered the course of his spiritual life. Now, Stephen is an award-winning author and editor in Mormon Studies, who attends both LDS and Unitarian Universalist congregations. In this episode John and Stephen talk about how Gene taught him the art of “a skillful faith transition.

For a long time, going into therapy has had a stigma attached to it in the LDS Church. In this episode, John Larsen and Jenny Marrow argue that that should change—both for Mormons and ex-Mormons. https://sunstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SLP-020-ex.mp3

John Larsen and Lindsay Hansen Park take the stand at the 2019 Sunstone Short Creek conference to talk about how various Mormon communities can better converse with one another.    

Mormons Building Bridges made national news headlines when they brought together 300 Mormons to march in the 2012 Salt Lake City Pride Parade. How did they get started and how has the organization grown since then? John Larsen interviews some of MBB’s leaders in this episode.

Gina Colvin and John Larsen are going on their faith journeys on different sides of the planet and in different cultures. What are the similarities? What are the differences? How are they trying to move from outrage to silence?

John Larsen and John Dehlin spent years publicly deconstructing the LDS Church. But now they’re wondering, what can they build “from the ashes?” What is their role in the post-Mormon community beyond the “addiction to anger” and toward doing the difficult work of community building?

In his new book “Confidence Amid Change: The Presidential Diaries of David O. Mckay, 1951-1970,” Harvard Heath presents an intimate portrait of one of the LDS Church’s most charismatic presidents. John Larsen interviews Heath about the lesser-known aspects of McKay’s life in this episode of the Sunstone Podcast.

Navigating a mixed-faith marriage is never easy, but that’s what Kattie and Allan Mount do on their podcast “Marriage on a Tightrope.” What’s it like to work through such sensitive topics so publicly? How have they changed since they began? John Larsen interviews Kattie and Allan in this fascinating episode.

What is life during the first few weeks, months, and years after leaving the LDS Church? What are the perks and the pitfalls? Join John Larsen, Lettie Rockwell, Wendi Remley, and Steve Holbrook as they remember their own journeys (complete with mis-steps) and give tips on how to navigate a healthy transition out of Mormonism.

Join John Larsen as he reviews the changes in the last month in Mormonism with guests Blaire Ostler, Lindsay Hansen Park, and Amylin Peterson.

Though LDS culture doesn’t currently embrace queerness, Blaire Ostler argues that LDS theology does. You’ll never see the creation story the same way after hearing this episode.

In January of 2019, Sunstone is launching a new family of podcasts, giving you a resource for unbiased information and thoughtful, accepting community. Donate to Sunstone now  to help us launch, and subscribe here in January 2019. Listen to this episode here.