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2.281 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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706: Women of a Certain Age (WOCA)
19 maart 2017 · 1 uur 48 min
We are a group of women 40+ with longer life experiences. We are grandmothers, mothers, aunts, single, divorced, widowed or married. We are LGBT friendly and feminists! Many of us are just learning feminism. Having felt the pain of patriarchy, but not having a “language” to describe our experiences, we are giving ourselves permission to flourish and grow with no limitations or constructs. Lees meer
Many of us are at the beginning of a life we never imagined. We have had to make tough decisions, been tried by our choices, and some of us have lost important connections along the way. Being of a “certain age” makes it harder to make friends and to find a community of like-minded souls with whom to move forward with love, joy and friendship. We realize that our decisions can affect many generations, so our time is spent fostering relationships with our loved ones and excelling in our careers, businesses, and at home, all of which leaves little time and opportunity to make new friends.
This group is for “women of a certain age” or lovingly called WOCA (Wah-kah). We also have a group for “women of a certain age” and under. This age group, affectionally known as the UNDERS is from 30-40. The final group under the umbrella of WOCA are the COCAs. These are “Couples of a Certain Age” for those wishing to participate as couples. And housed inside of COCA is the “men only” group which meet regularly in men-only events.
WOCA activities are NOT within the paradigm of our former religious background, although themes from our lived experiences may come up. We have transitioned from our former organized religious choices and wish to create wonderful spaces where ALL people with commonalities can come together, share and find community.
If you would like to join us, please contact, from the list below, the appropriate person from your geographical area by way of Facebook messenger.
Wasatch (The Mother Ship): Christine Elkington & Kim Turner
COCA: Brett Nord
UNDERS: Ruth Tyson
Phoenix: Am… -
705: Major Contraction of LDS Church in Europe and the Netherlands Beginning
16 maart 2017 · 1 uur 34 min
Marco Meiling, active and believing LDS church member in the Netherlands, reports on the beginning of a major contraction of the LDS Church in Europe. Lees meer
From Marco's original message to me:
Have you heard yet about a big push to consolidate the units in Europe.
We are having closing after closing being announced. Yesterday a closing was announced, and the Stake President stated there are 800 units in Europe which are considered too weak and would need to merge. We have 1163 units in Western Europe acc to Cumorah.com.Holland with 34 wards will close 5 at least this year. In Holland the Church is phasing out all wards which don´t have a purpose-built Chapel.
Temple-attendance here is down 60% compared to 2000. However the amount of recommendholders went up 200%. So what do we make of this: A Temple is a way for the Church to increase revenue. So even with less people, the Church can make a higher turnover.
The main reason given is that these units are too weak to run programmes aimed at the youth. and small units demand too much from the few members. Research has shown that people and families benefit form larger wards, and families are less burdened. That why the policy direction. Of course the longer travel will cause problems for some menbers. Assistance will be needed.
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704: Kim Sandberg Turner Pt. 4 - Creating and co-leading WOCA
6 maart 2017 · 56 min
Kim Sandberg Turner is the founder of Women of a Certain Age (WOCA) - a network of support groups for 40+ post-Mormon women. In this four part episode, Kim discusses: Lees meer
Part 1: Her years growing up as a faithful Mormon in Salt Lake City, meeting and marrying Terry (her childhood sweetheart and husband of 42 years), and the many years her family lived in Bolivia as devout Mormons (Terry serving as a Mormon bishop twice, and Kim in multiple Relief Society Presidencies).
Part 2: How Kim and Terry's Mormon faith began to unravel as their son Josh came out to them as gay, and as they began studying LDS church history in depth.
Part 3: Kim discusses how she and Terry navigated their faith transition as parents and grandparents, exploring topics such as how they dealt with their Draper ward once they decided to leave the church, how they have handled parenting and grandparenting through a faith transition, what they do and don't believe today, and the importance of community in their transition.
Part 4: Kim shares the story of how she founded WOCA, how WOCA operates, and what WOCA means to her and to the other WOCA women.
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703: Kim Sandberg Turner Pt. 3 - Navigating our Mormon faith transition as grandparents
6 maart 2017 · 1 uur 17 min
Kim Sandberg Turner is the founder of Women of a Certain Age (WOCA) - a network of support groups for 40+ post-Mormon women. In this four part episode, Kim discusses: Lees meer
Part 1: Her years growing up as a faithful Mormon in Salt Lake City, meeting and marrying Terry (her childhood sweetheart and husband of 42 years), and the many years her family lived in Bolivia as devout Mormons (Terry serving as a Mormon bishop twice, and Kim in multiple Relief Society Presidencies).
Part 2: How Kim and Terry's Mormon faith began to unravel as their son Josh came out to them as gay, and as they began studying LDS church history in depth.
Part 3: Kim discusses how she and Terry navigated their faith transition as parents and grandparents, exploring topics such as how they dealt with their Draper ward once they decided to leave the church, how they have handled parenting and grandparenting through a faith transition, what they do and don't believe today, and the importance of community in their transition.
Part 4: Kim shares the story of how she founded WOCA, how WOCA operates, and what WOCA means to her and to the other WOCA women.
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702: Kim Sandberg Turner Pt. 2 - The unraveling of our Mormon faith
6 maart 2017 · 1 uur 25 min
Kim Sandberg Turner is the founder of Women of a Certain Age (WOCA) - a network of support groups for 40+ post-Mormon women. In this four part episode, Kim discusses: Lees meer
Part 1: Her years growing up as a faithful Mormon in Salt Lake City, meeting and marrying Terry (her childhood sweetheart and husband of 42 years), and the many years her family lived in Bolivia as devout Mormons (Terry serving as a Mormon bishop twice, and Kim in multiple Relief Society Presidencies).
Part 2: How Kim and Terry's Mormon faith began to unravel as their son Josh came out to them as gay, and as they began studying LDS church history in depth.
Part 3: Kim discusses how she and Terry navigated their faith transition as parents and grandparents, exploring topics such as how they dealt with their Draper ward once they decided to leave the church, how they have handled parenting and grandparenting through a faith transition, what they do and don't believe today, and the importance of community in their transition.
Part 4: Kim shares the story of how she founded WOCA, how WOCA operates, and what WOCA means to her and to the other WOCA women.
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701: Kim Sandberg Turner Pt. 1 - The believing years, including our time in Bolivia
6 maart 2017 · 1 uur 5 min
Kim Sandberg Turner is the founder of Women of a Certain Age (WOCA) - a network of support groups for 40+ post-Mormon women. In this four part episode, Kim discusses: Lees meer
Part 1: Her years growing up as a faithful Mormon in Salt Lake City, meeting and marrying Terry (her childhood sweetheart and husband of 42 years), and the many years her family lived in Bolivia as devout Mormons (Terry serving as a Mormon bishop twice, and Kim in multiple Relief Society Presidencies).
Part 2: How Kim and Terry's Mormon faith began to unravel as their son Josh came out to them as gay, and as they began studying LDS church history in depth.
Part 3: Kim discusses how she and Terry navigated their faith transition as parents and grandparents, exploring topics such as how they dealt with their Draper, Utah ward once they decided to leave the church, how they have handled parenting and grandparenting through a faith transition, what they do and don't believe today, and the importance of community in their transition.
Part 4: Kim shares the story of how she founded WOCA, how WOCA operates, and what WOCA means to her and to the other WOCA women.
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700: How the LDS Quorum of Twelve Apostles Think - Enemies List and "Area Business Weekends"
28 februari 2017 · 1 uur 26 min
In this episode, an all-star panel reviews a recently leaked presentation created by the quorum of the twelve apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The presentation is entitled "Area Business Weekends," is dated December 8, 2015, and lays out the process for local LDS stakes and areas to request special training meetings from the LDS quorum of the 12 (e.g., Boise Rescue, Elder Ballard's Young Single Adult stake in Utah County). Lees meer
Within the presentation the LDS Q12 reveals its view on the external causes for people leaving the LDS church, which explicitly name individuals such as John Dehlin, Denver Snuffer, and Robert Norman, along with other broader trends, movements, and ideas such as secularism, Ordain Women, support for same-sex marriage (entitled "Disagree with current policies"), chastity, pornography, lack of commitment, failure to observe the sabbath, those fascinated with the "last days/end of world" (i.e., Preppers/Julie Rowe), "false prophets," and anyone who feels they need "something more" from the church.
In no instance does the Quorum of the 12 demonstrate introspection as to what they or the church might be doing to contribute to disaffection from the Mormon church.
Today's panel includes Dr. Gina Colvin (A Thoughtful Faith Podcast and KiwiMormon), Lindsay Hansen Park (Sunstone), Pastor John Hamer (Toronto Community of Christ), Jesse Stay, and Ryan McKnight (Mormon Leaks).
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699: Honoring Grant Palmer Pt. 3 - Honoring Grant Palmer
20 februari 2017 · 38 min
In this three-part interview, we honor Grant Palmer, former LDS seminary/institute instructor, and author of "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins" - which provides a plausible explanation for how the Book of Mormon was authored by Joseph Smith. Lees meer
This interview has three parts:
Part 1: Grant reflects on his experience authoring An Insider's View of Mormon origins, discusses his disfellowshipment and ultimate decision to resign from the LDS (after threats of excommunication). Grant also reflects upon the impact of An Insider's View on the LDS church.
Part 2: Grant discusses his new, yet-to-be-published book, "Restoring Christ." Within the book he discusses why he continues to believe, how he justifies belief in Christ and the Bible after losing faith in the LDS church and in the Book of Mormon, what the atonement does and doesn't mean to him, how he deals with the God of the Old Testament, etc. He also discusses in-depth his conversation with an LDS general authority who claims that modern LDS apostles receive $1 million once they become apostles, and that many of them do not believe the LDS church to be true (a claim that I challenge).
Part 3: Participants in the evening share with Grant what his work has meant to them. In addition, Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) sings two songs in honor of Grant from his new album, Excommunication.
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698: Honoring Grant Palmer Pt. 2 - Restoring Christ (Grant's New Book)
20 februari 2017 · 1 uur 14 min
In this three-part interview, we honor Grant Palmer, former LDS seminary/institute instructor, and author of "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins" - which provides a plausible explanation for how the Book of Mormon was authored by Joseph Smith. Lees meer
This interview has three parts:
Part 1: Grant reflects on his experience authoring An Insider's View of Mormon origins, discusses his disfellowshipment and ultimate decision to resign from the LDS (after threats of excommunication). Grant also reflects upon the impact of An Insider's View on the LDS church.
Part 2: Grant discusses his new, yet-to-be-published book, "Restoring Christ." Within the book he discusses why he continues to believe, how he justifies belief in Christ and the Bible after losing faith in the LDS church and in the Book of Mormon, what the atonement does and doesn't mean to him, how he deals with the God of the Old Testament, etc. He also discusses in-depth his conversation with an LDS general authority who claims that modern LDS apostles receive $1 million once they become apostles, and that many of them do not believe the LDS church to be true (a claim that I challenge).
Part 3: Participants in the evening share with Grant what his work has meant to them. In addition, Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) sings two songs in honor of Grant from his new album, Excommunication.
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697: Honoring Grant Palmer Pt. 1 - Reflecting on An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
20 februari 2017 · 44 min
In this three-part interview, we honor Grant Palmer, former LDS seminary/institute instructor, and author of "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins" - which provides a plausible explanation for how the Book of Mormon was authored by Joseph Smith. Lees meer
This interview has three parts:
Part 1: Grant reflects on his experience authoring An Insider's View of Mormon origins, discusses his disfellowshipment and ultimate decision to resign from the LDS (after threats of excommunication). Grant also reflects upon the impact of An Insider's View on the LDS church.
Part 2: Grant discusses his new, yet-to-be-published book, "Restoring Christ." Within the book he discusses why he continues to believe, how he justifies belief in Christ and the Bible after losing faith in the LDS church and in the Book of Mormon, what the atonement does and doesn't mean to him, how he deals with the God of the Old Testament, etc. He also discusses in-depth his conversation with an LDS general authority who claims that modern LDS apostles receive $1 million once they become apostles, and that many of them do not believe the LDS church to be true (a claim that I challenge).
Part 3: Participants in the evening share with Grant what his work has meant to them. In addition, Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) sings two songs in honor of Grant from his new album, Excommunication.
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696: Nadine McCombs Hansen - Progressive Mormon Pioneer Pt. 4 - Prop. 8, FLDS, and Final Thoughts
10 februari 2017 · 1 uur 25 min
Nadine McCombs Hansen has been championing progressive causes within Mormonism for over three decades. Some of her efforts include: Lees meer
Supporting the Equal Rights Amendment as a Mormon mother, including interactions with Sonia Johnson.
Speaking out in favor of female priesthood ordination within Mormonism.
Opposing Proposition 22 and Proposition 8 in California, in support of same-sex marriage.
Working as an attorney in support of children of FLDS families.
In this 4-part series, Nadine discusses her evolution and reflects on her life as a progressive Mormon pioneer.
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695: Nadine McCombs Hansen - Progressive Mormon Pioneer Pt. 3 - ERA and Same-Sex Marriage Activitism
10 februari 2017 · 1 uur 33 min
Nadine McCombs Hansen has been championing progressive causes within Mormonism for over three decades. Some of her efforts include: Lees meer
Supporting the Equal Rights Amendment as a Mormon mother, including interactions with Sonia Johnson.
Speaking out in favor of female priesthood ordination within Mormonism.
Opposing Proposition 22 and Proposition 8 in California, in support of same-sex marriage.
Working as an attorney in support of children of FLDS families.
In this 4-part series, Nadine discusses her evolution and reflects on her life as a progressive Mormon pioneer.
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694: Nadine McCombs Hansen - Progressive Mormon Pioneer Pt. 2 - Nadine's Progressive Mormon Awakening
10 februari 2017 · 1 uur 18 min
Nadine McCombs Hansen has been championing progressive causes within Mormonism for over three decades. Some of her efforts include: Lees meer
Supporting the Equal Rights Amendment as a Mormon mother, including interactions with Sonia Johnson.
Speaking out in favor of female priesthood ordination within Mormonism.
Opposing Proposition 22 and Proposition 8 in California, in support of same-sex marriage.
Working as an attorney in support of children of FLDS families.
In this 4-part series, Nadine discusses her evolution and reflects on her life as a progressive Mormon pioneer.
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693: Nadine McCombs Hansen - Progressive Mormon Pioneer Pt. 1 - Nadine's Early Years as a Mormon
10 februari 2017 · 1 uur 10 min
Nadine McCombs Hansen has been championing progressive causes within Mormonism for over three decades. Some of her efforts include: Lees meer
Supporting the Equal Rights Amendment as a Mormon mother, including interactions with Sonia Johnson.
Speaking out in favor of female priesthood ordination within Mormonism.
Opposing Proposition 22 and Proposition 8 in California, in support of same-sex marriage.
Working as an attorney in support of children of FLDS families.
In this 4-part series, Nadine discusses her evolution and reflects on her life as a progressive Mormon pioneer.
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Announcement: A Tribute to Grant Palmer, February 15, 2017
3 februari 2017 · 5 min
A bit of sad news, and a bit of happy news. First the sad. Lees meer
Grant Palmer, author of An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins – certainly one of the most important books in 20th/21st century Mormonism, is dying of cancer. I confirmed this with Grant yesterday – when he related to me that he likely only has weeks/months to live. This information moves many of us deeply, since Grant’s courageous scholarship over the years (which has come at a great personal cost to him) has been instrumental in helping tens of thousands of Mormons understand their church history more accurately. I dare say that projects like Mormon Stories Podcast, Mormon Think, Letter to a CES Director, and even the recent LDS Church Gospel Topics Essays would not exist without the courage and scholarship of Grant Palmer.
Now for the happy news. Mormon Stories Podcast and the Open Stories Foundation, along with a few supporters, will be holding a private event in Grant Palmer’s honor on the evening of February 15, 2017* in Utah – with the plan of live-streaming the event to all who are interested in showing support for Grant. The event will include:
An interview with Grant, wherein he will discuss his most recent book, along with reflections on his life.
A chance for some of those who are grateful for Grant’s work to express appreciation for him.
If you are interested in participating in this tribute/celebration, there are a few things you can do to participate:
Record a brief Facebook or Youtube video expressing your gratitude to Grant (and his positive impact on your life), and post the link as a comment here.
Write a text-based tribute to Grant in the comments section here.
Send an email to mormonstories@gmail.com with “Grant Pamer” in the subject line, wherein you express to Grant your gratitude for the positive impact that his work has had on your life.
Feel free to use the hash tag #grantpalmer for any of the tributes you share on social media. Finally, these emails, blog comments, and video…
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692: Noah Rasheta, Founder of SecularBuddhism.com Pt. 2 - An Introduction to Secular Buddhism
30 januari 2017 · 1 uur 53 min
Noah Rasheta is the CEO of iStabilizer, and the founder of Secular Buddhism podcast. Lees meer
Noah was raised in the LDS church with a U.S.-born father and a Mexican-born mother - living many years of his life both in Mexico and in the United States. Noah served an LDS mission and was married in an LDS temple to his wife, Giselle. Several years ago Noah experienced a major betrayal of trust by a loved one, which led to a deep exploration of Joseph Smith, LDS Church doctrine, and LDS Church history. By the end of his exploration, Noah lost his belief in fundamental LDS Church doctrine and truth claims, but found great solace and strength in the teachings of secular Buddhism.
Today Noah remains semi-active in the LDS church as part of a mixed-faith marriage, and teaches the principles of Secular Buddhism via his podcast, his new book, and occasional workshops. For those seeking to either supplement or replace LDS-based spirituality, or who are looking for a fabulous framework for positive mental health and well-being (before, during, or after a religious faith crisis) the teachings of Secular Buddhism can be extremely valuable for you.
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691: Noah Rasheta, Founder of SecularBuddhism.com Pt. 1 - Noah's Story
30 januari 2017 · 1 uur 32 min
Noah Rasheta is the CEO of iStabilizer, and the founder of Secular Buddhism podcast. Lees meer
Noah was raised in the LDS church with a U.S.-born father and a Mexican-born mother - living many years of his life both in Mexico and in the United States. Noah served an LDS mission and was married in an LDS temple to his wife, Giselle. Several years ago Noah experienced a major betrayal of trust by a loved one, which led to a deep exploration of Joseph Smith, LDS Church doctrine, and LDS Church history. By the end of his exploration, Noah lost his belief in fundamental LDS Church doctrine and truth claims, but found great solace and strength in the teachings of secular Buddhism.
Today Noah remains semi-active in the LDS church as part of a mixed-faith marriage, and teaches the principles of Secular Buddhism via his podcast, his new book, and occasional workshops. For those seeking to either supplement or replace LDS-based spirituality, or who are looking for a fabulous framework for positive mental health and well-being (before, during, or after a religious faith crisis) the teachings of Secular Buddhism can be extremely valuable for you.
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690: LDS Church Growth or Decline in 2016? Featuring Dr. Ryan Cragun and Dr. Rick Phillips Pt. 2
18 januari 2017 · 1 uur 1 min
Is the LDS Church in decline, or one of the fastest growing churches in the world? Please join us today at Noon (Mountain) as sociologists Ryan Cragun and Rick Phillips review LDS Church growth statistics for 2016. Lees meer
We will be reviewing Matt Martinich’s recent article entitled “Top 10 Encouraging and Discouraging LDS Growth and Missionary Developments in 2016.”
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689: LDS Church Growth or Decline in 2016? Featuring Dr. Ryan Cragun and Dr. Rick Phillips Pt. 1
18 januari 2017 · 57 min
Is the LDS Church in decline, or one of the fastest growing churches in the world? Please join us today at Noon (Mountain) as sociologists Ryan Cragun and Rick Phillips review LDS Church growth statistics for 2016. Lees meer
We will be reviewing Matt Martinich’s recent article entitled “Top 10 Encouraging and Discouraging LDS Growth and Missionary Developments in 2016.” (link below).
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688: How to Communicate with Orthodox/Believing Mormons
12 januari 2017 · 1 uur 51 min
In this episode, recorded January 11, 2017, we discuss tips on communicating with orthodox/believing Mormons. Co-hosts are John and Margi Dehlin. Panelists include Amy Grubbs, Shandi Hill, Brynne and Jared Grant, and Tanner Gilliland.
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687: Mormon Transitions Podcast Introduction
12 januari 2017 · 1 uur 14 min
An introduction to Mormon Transitions Live! podcast, hosted by John and Margi Dehlin. Panelists on today’s episode include Amy Grubbs, Shandi Hill, Marco Perez and Dan Wotherspoon.
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683: Sara Urquhart - Building a Successful Business (Altitude Summit) as a Stay-at-Home Mom Pt. 2
20 december 2016 · 41 min
Sara Stanley Urquhart was the founding director of Altitude Summit, the premiere conference for creative entrepreneurs, stylish social media influencers, and bloggers. Past speakers at the conference include Martha Stewart, Ben Silbermann (Pinterest founder), Jessica Alba, Jordan Ferney (Oh Happy Day!), Liz Stanley (Say Yes), and Heather Armstrong (Dooce). Lees meer
Sara created this successful business as a means to generate income when her husband, Stephen H. Urquhart, decided to run for the Utah State Legislature.
In this two-part interview, Sara discusses:
Part 1: How she created Altitude Summit as a stay-at-home Mom with four children. She also discusses the design blogging industry as a whole.
Part 2: Her Mormon faith transition.
Additional Bio: Sara runs an eponymous consulting business. She sits on the Salt Lake City Planning Commission and board of directors for the Women’s Resource Center at the University of Utah. She is the founding board president of the St. George Family Support Center (2007-09). She was a member and board chair of the St. George Art Around the Corner Foundation (1998-2009). Sara has her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and her Masters of Emergency Planning from Jacksonville State University. Sara and Stephen have four children.
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682: Sara Urquhart - Building a Successful Business (Altitude Summit) as a Stay-at-Home Mom Pt. 1
20 december 2016 · 1 uur 18 min
Sara Stanley Urquhart was the founding director of Altitude Summit, the premiere conference for creative entrepreneurs, stylish social media influencers, and bloggers. Past speakers at the conference include Martha Stewart, Ben Silbermann (Pinterest founder), Jessica Alba, Jordan Ferney (Oh Happy Day!), Liz Stanley (Say Yes), and Heather Armstrong (Dooce). Lees meer
Sara created this successful business as a means to generate income when her husband, Stephen H. Urquhart, decided to run for the Utah State Legislature.
In this two-part interview, Sara discusses:
Part 1: How she created Altitude Summit as a stay-at-home Mom with four children. She also discusses the design blogging industry as a whole.
Part 2: Her Mormon faith transition.
Additional Bio: Sara runs an eponymous consulting business. She sits on the Salt Lake City Planning Commission and board of directors for the Women’s Resource Center at the University of Utah. She is the founding board president of the St. George Family Support Center (2007-09). She was a member and board chair of the St. George Art Around the Corner Foundation (1998-2009). Sara has her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and her Masters of Emergency Planning from Jacksonville State University. Sara and Stephen have four children.
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681: Stephen Urquhart - Former Utah State Senator on LDS Church Influence in the Utah Legislature Pt. 2
12 december 2016 · 1 uur 52 min
Stephen Urquhart was raised in Houston, Texas, where he and his family converted to the LDS church after the suicide of his older brother. After serving an LDS mission in Brazil, Steve married Sara Stanley and graduated from BYU Law School -- ultimately settling in St. George, Utah. Lees meer
After developing a successful law career in St. George, Stephen served for 16 years in the Utah State Legislature, representing Washington County. In total, Stephen served 8 years in the Utah House of Representatives, and 8 years in the Utah Senate.
During this vast legislative career, Stephen championed legislation on several issues crucial to Utahns, including: public land use, water rights, death penalty, increasing citizen access to legal services, numerous initiatives to improve K-12 and higher education in Utah, and most recently -- anti-discrimination and hate crimes legislation (LGBT), as well as the legalization of medical marijuana.
In this two-part episode, Stephen discusses:
Part 1: His early years in the LDS Church, and his legal and legislative careers in Utah.
Part 2: His experiences and reflections on the powerful influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on the Utah legislative process, and his loss of LDS faith after witnessing the negative impact of LDS LGBT policies on several people close to him.
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680: Stephen Urquhart - Former Utah State Senator on LDS Church Influence in the Utah Legislature Pt. 1
12 december 2016 · 1 uur 11 min
Stephen Urquhart was raised in Houston, Texas, where he and his family converted to the LDS church after the suicide of his older brother. After serving an LDS mission in Brazil, Steve married Sara Stanley and graduated from BYU Law School -- ultimately settling in St. George, Utah. Lees meer
After developing a successful law career in St. George, Stephen served for 16 years in the Utah State Legislature, representing Washington County. In total, Stephen served 8 years in the Utah House of Representatives, and 8 years in the Utah Senate.
During this vast legislative career, Stephen championed legislation on several issues crucial to Utahns, including: public land use, water rights, death penalty, increasing citizen access to legal services, numerous initiatives to improve K-12 and higher education in Utah, and most recently -- anti-discrimination and hate crimes legislation (LGBT), as well as the legalization of medical marijuana.
In this two-part episode, Stephen discusses:
Part 1: His early years in the LDS Church, and his legal and legislative careers in Utah.
Part 2: His experiences and reflections on the powerful influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on the Utah legislative process, and his loss of LDS faith after witnessing the negative impact of LDS LGBT policies on several people close to him.
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679: Lance Allred - First Deaf Player in NBA Pt. 2
5 december 2016 · 2 uur 9 min
Lance Allred's Mormon story is fascinating for so many reasons. Lees meer
He is the grandson of assassinated Mormon fundamentalist prophet Rulon Allred.
He was born deaf, and stands 6'11" tall.
He was a star basketball player for East High school (SLC, Utah), and played college basketball both at the University of Utah and Weber State University.
Lance developed scrupulosity (religious OCD), at least partially as a result of both perfectionism, and guilt/shame relating to matters of sexuality.
NCAA legend Rick Marjerus was fired as University of Utah basketball coach because of his verbal abuse of Lance.
After college, Lance went on to play 10 years of professional basketball (mostly overseas), including playing a year for the Cleveland Cavaliers with Lebron James (pre-Miami), amongst other teams (he even met Larry Bird!).
Lance become a popular public speaker, perhaps most recently known for his "What is Your Polygamy" TEDx talk.
Lance has fascinating insights on faith, doubt, and disbelief.
Lance's web site can be found here: http://www.lanceallred41.com
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678: Lance Allred - First Deaf Player in NBA Pt. 1
5 december 2016 · 1 uur 33 min
Lance Allred's Mormon story is fascinating for so many reasons. Lees meer
He is the grandson of assassinated Mormon fundamentalist prophet Rulon Allred.
He was born deaf, and stands 6'11" tall.
He was a star basketball player for East High school (SLC, Utah), and played college basketball both at the University of Utah and Weber State University.
Lance developed scrupulosity (religious OCD), at least partially as a result of both perfectionism, and guilt/shame relating to matters of sexuality.
NCAA legend Rick Marjerus was fired as University of Utah basketball coach because of his verbal abuse of Lance.
After college, Lance went on to play 10 years of professional basketball (mostly overseas), including playing a year for the Cleveland Cavaliers with Lebron James (pre-Miami), amongst other teams (he even met Larry Bird!).
Lance become a popular public speaker, perhaps most recently known for his "What is Your Polygamy" TEDx talk.
Lance has fascinating insights on faith, doubt, and disbelief.
Lance's web site can be found here: http://www.lanceallred41.com
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677: Vance Allred - Son of AUB Polygamist Prophet Rulon Allred Pt. 3
29 november 2016 · 1 uur 12 min
Rulon Clark Allred (March 29, 1906 – May 10, 1977) was a homeopath and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the founder/leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, Montana, and Arizona, United States. He was murdered on the orders of Ervil LeBaron, the head of a rival polygamous sect (Wikipedia). Lees meer
Vance Allred is Rulon's Allred's son, and at one point was a chief apologist for Mormon fundamentalist polygamy, and was being groomed to succeed his father as prophet of the AUB. In this three part series, Vance Allred discusses:
Part 1: His father's rise to power, via the founding of the Apostolic United Brethren, and Vance's early years as the son of a polygamist prophet.
Part 2: The events leading up to Rulon Allred's assassination, and Vance's candid critique of his father's work, and
Part 3: The sexual abuse in the AUB that led Vance to leave the AUB, and the events that led Vance to join the LDS church (requiring an interview with two LDS apostles). Finally, Vance discusses the factors that led to him becoming inactive LDS.
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676: Vance Allred - Son of AUB Polygamist Prophet Rulon Allred Pt. 2
29 november 2016 · 1 uur 27 min
Rulon Clark Allred (March 29, 1906 – May 10, 1977) was a homeopath and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the founder/leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, Montana, and Arizona, United States. He was murdered on the orders of Ervil LeBaron, the head of a rival polygamous sect (Wikipedia). Lees meer
Vance Allred is Rulon's Allred's son, and at one point was a chief apologist for Mormon fundamentalist polygamy, and was being groomed to succeed his father as prophet of the AUB. In this three part series, Vance Allred discusses:
Part 1: His father's rise to power, via the founding of the Apostolic United Brethren, and Vance's early years as the son of a polygamist prophet.
Part 2: The events leading up to Rulon Allred's assassination, and Vance's candid critique of his father's work, and
Part 3: The sexual abuse in the AUB that led Vance to leave the AUB, and the events that led Vance to join the LDS church (requiring an interview with two LDS apostles). Finally, Vance discusses the factors that led to him becoming inactive LDS.
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675: Vance Allred - Son of AUB Polygamist Prophet Rulon Allred Pt. 1
29 november 2016 · 1 uur 9 min
Rulon Clark Allred (March 29, 1906 – May 10, 1977) was a homeopath and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the founder/leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, Montana, and Arizona, United States. He was murdered on the orders of Ervil LeBaron, the head of a rival polygamous sect (Wikipedia). Lees meer
Vance Allred is Rulon's Allred's son, and at one point was a chief apologist for Mormon fundamentalist polygamy, and was being groomed to succeed his father as prophet of the AUB. In this three part series, Vance Allred discusses:
Part 1: His father's rise to power, via the founding of the Apostolic United Brethren, and Vance's early years as the son of a polygamist prophet.
Part 2: The events leading up to Rulon Allred's assassination, and Vance's candid critique of his father's work, and
Part 3: The sexual abuse in the AUB that led Vance to leave the AUB, and the events that led Vance to join the LDS church (requiring an interview with two LDS apostles). Finally, Vance discusses the factors that led to him becoming inactive LDS.
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674: Jesse Stay - Former LDS Church Social Media Lead - Part 2
21 november 2016 · 2 uur 16 min
Jesse Stay worked for three years as leader of the LDS Church's social media initiatives. He was the first LDS Church employee with the name "social media" in his title. His work primarily involved formulating the early Facebook and Twitter strategies for the church (including for LDS general authorities). Jesse also provided social media support to various LDS Church departments including the missionary department, public relations, genealogy, the Joseph Smith Papers project, and the "I'm a Mormon" PR campaign. Lees meer
In this two-part episode, Jesse discusses:
Part 1: The evolution of Jesse's LDS testimony, as he became aware of factual LDS history, saw the inner-workings of LDS Church headquarters, and as he struggled with the LDS church's November LGBT policy and its direct impact on family and friends.
Part 2: Jesse discusses in-depth his experiences working two years for the LDS church as Senior Advisor of Social Media, and for one year as Director of Social Media at Deseret Digital Media.
Currently, Jesse is the founder and principal of Stay N Alive, a social media advertising and marketing agency.
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673: Jesse Stay - Former LDS Church Social Media Lead - Part 1
21 november 2016 · 1 uur 8 min
Jesse Stay worked for three years as leader of the LDS Church's social media initiatives. He was the first LDS Church employee with the name "social media" in his title. His work primarily involved formulating the early Facebook and Twitter strategies for the church (including for LDS general authorities). Jesse also provided social media support to various LDS Church departments including the missionary department, public relations, genealogy, the Joseph Smith Papers project, and the "I'm a Mormon" PR campaign. Lees meer
In this two-part episode, Jesse discusses:
Part 1: The evolution of Jesse's LDS testimony, as he became aware of factual LDS history, saw the inner-workings of LDS Church headquarters, and as he struggled with the LDS church's November LGBT policy and its direct impact on family and friends.
Part 2: Jesse discusses in-depth his experiences working two years for the LDS church as Senior Advisor of Social Media, and for one year as Director of Social Media at Deseret Digital Media.
Currently, Jesse is the founder and principal of Stay N Alive, a social media advertising and marketing agency.
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672: Amy McPhie Allebest Pt. 2
20 november 2016 · 1 uur 59 min
Amy McPhie Allebest is a lifelong member of the Church, a returned missionary, a temple-married wife and mother of four, and a graduate student at Stanford University. Last month, her article "Dear Mormon Man..." went viral and caught Mormon Stories' attention as a unique voice in Mormon Feminism. Lees meer
In this episode, we discuss Amy's trajectory from her unquestioningly trusting childhood through her tumultuous, prolonged faith transition, brought on by the problematic language of the temple and a deep dive into Church History, to her current commitment to remain active in the Church despite her rejection of Patriarchy.
Check out more of Amy's writing in this month's Exponent II, and on http://mormondom.com, a publication on Medium.com.
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671: Amy McPhie Allebest Pt. 1
20 november 2016 · 1 uur 12 min
Amy McPhie Allebest is a lifelong member of the Church, a returned missionary, a temple-married wife and mother of four, and a graduate student at Stanford University. Last month, her article "Dear Mormon Man..." went viral and caught Mormon Stories' attention as a unique voice in Mormon Feminism. Lees meer
In this episode, we discuss Amy's trajectory from her unquestioningly trusting childhood through her tumultuous, prolonged faith transition, brought on by the problematic language of the temple and a deep dive into Church History, to her current commitment to remain active in the Church despite her rejection of Patriarchy.
Check out more of Amy's writing in this month's Exponent II, and on http://mormondom.com, a publication on Medium.com.
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670: How U.K./BBC TV Star Alex Winters (CBeebies) Lost his Mormon Faith Pt. 2
10 november 2016 · 1 uur 30 min
As part 3 in our series on Mormons in the U.K. we interview BBC TV Star Alex Winters - who worked for seven years as a presenter on the BBC Children's channel CBeebies (the U.K. equivalent to Nick Jr or Disney). Lees meer
Alex was raised as a devout Mormon in Wales, U.K., served an honorable mission, and was married in the London temple. Throughout his adult life Alex has served in several significant ward and stake callings including ward bishopric and stake high council. As his acting career developed, Alex was so popular as a media celebrity within the U.K. that the LDS Church offered him a major role in their "I'm a Mormon" PR campaign (which he declined for professional reasons).
Over the past year or two Alex developed questions and concerns about LDS church doctrine (e.g., November 2015 LGBT policy) and history (e.g., Joseph Smith's treasure digging, seer stone use, polygamy and polyandry) which led to his loss of faith in Mormonism.
This is Alex's story.
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669: How U.K./BBC TV Star Alex Winters (CBeebies) Lost his Mormon Faith Pt. 1
10 november 2016 · 1 uur 32 min
As part 3 in our series on Mormons in the U.K. we interview BBC TV Star Alex Winters - who worked for seven years as a presenter on the BBC Children's channel CBeebies (the U.K. equivalent to Nick Jr or Disney). Lees meer
Alex was raised as a devout Mormon in Wales, U.K., served an honorable mission, and was married in the London temple. Throughout his adult life Alex has served in several significant ward and stake callings including ward bishopric and stake high council. As his acting career developed, Alex was so popular as a media celebrity within the U.K. that the LDS Church offered him a major role in their "I'm a Mormon" PR campaign (which he declined for professional reasons).
Over the past year or two Alex developed questions and concerns about LDS church doctrine (e.g., November 2015 LGBT policy) and history (e.g., Joseph Smith's treasure digging, seer stone use, polygamy and polyandry) which led to his loss of faith in Mormonism.
This is Alex's story.
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668: Stephen Bloor Pt. 2 - Excommunicated without a Disciplinary Council
6 november 2016 · 1 uur 6 min
In this two-part episode we interview Stephen Bloor. Stephen discusses his experiences growing up as a Mormon in the U.K. including serving an LDS mission and being married in the Frankfurt, Germany temple. Eventually Stephen served as an LDS Bishop in the U.K. for 7 years. Lees meer
While serving as bishop Stephen learned of troubling issues with LDS Church history including Joseph Smith's polygamy, his marriage to other men's wives (polyandry), and his sexual relationships with underaged girls. Unable to reconcile these problems, Stephen eventually resigned from his position as LDS bishop.
After resigning as bishop, Stephen was told by his LDS leaders that he was not allowed to return to church, and would not be allowed to discuss any of his issues or concerns with other LDS church members (by threat of excommunication). Through these actions, Stephen was effectively cut off from the community he served for decades.
Over time, Stephen became involved in former U.K. Stake President Top Phillips's law suit against the LDS church for fraud. Within the past year Stephen was excommunicated from the LDS church without his knowledge/participation - in violation of the LDS church's own requirement to hold a disciplinary council prior to a member's excommunication.
Stephen's continued interest in the LDS Church is to raise awareness about issues in the LDS narrative and to promote openness, honesty, transparency and acceptance of those who question.
This is Stephen's story.
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667: Stephen Bloor Pt. 1 - The British Bishop who Lost his Faith as Bishop
6 november 2016 · 1 uur 25 min
In this two-part episode we interview Stephen Bloor. Stephen discusses his experiences growing up as a Mormon in the U.K. including serving an LDS mission and being married in the Frankfurt, Germany temple. Eventually Stephen served as an LDS Bishop in the U.K. for 7 years. Lees meer
While serving as bishop Stephen learned of troubling issues with LDS Church history including Joseph Smith's polygamy, his marriage to other men's wives (polyandry), and his sexual relationships with underaged girls. Unable to reconcile these problems, Stephen eventually resigned from his position as LDS bishop.
After resigning as bishop, Stephen was told by his LDS leaders that he was not allowed to return to church, and would not be allowed to discuss any of his issues or concerns with other LDS church members (by threat of excommunication). Through these actions, Stephen was effectively cut off from the community he served for decades.
Over time, Stephen became involved in former U.K. Stake President Top Phillips's law suit against the LDS church for fraud. Within the past year Stephen was excommunicated from the LDS church without his knowledge/participation - in violation of the LDS church's own requirement to hold a disciplinary council prior to a member's excommunication.
Stephen's continued interest in the LDS Church is to raise awareness about issues in the LDS narrative and to promote openness, honesty, transparency and acceptance of those who question.
This is Stephen's story.
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666: Nathan Lisgo - Navigating the "Middle Way" in the U.K. Pt. 2
4 november 2016 · 1 uur 9 min
For my first interview in our "Mormons in the U.K." series, I interview my dear friend Nathan Lisgo. In this two part series Nathan discusses: Lees meer
1) Growing up in Lancaster, England, serving a mission, getting married in the temple, etc.
2) His faith transition, largely caused by questions/concerns regarding the LDS Church's history regarding African Americans and the priesthood. And
3) How Nathan has navigated a nuanced testimony and a mixed-faith marriage with his wife and three children.
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665: Nathan Lisgo - Navigating the "Middle Way" in the U.K. Pt. 1
4 november 2016 · 55 min
For my first interview in our "Mormons in the U.K." series, I interview my dear friend Nathan Lisgo. In this two part series Nathan discusses: Lees meer
1) Growing up in Lancaster, England, serving a mission, getting married in the temple, etc.
2) His faith transition, largely caused by questions/concerns regarding the LDS Church's history regarding African Americans and the priesthood. And
3) How Nathan has navigated a nuanced testimony and a mixed-faith marriage with his wife and three children.
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664: The Excommunication of Amy and Jake Malouf Pt. 2 - The Verdict
21 oktober 2016 · 1 uur 45 min
In part two of my interview with Amy and Jake Malouf, we discuss the verdict from their October 11, 2016 Mormon Disciplinary Council on charges of Apostasy, along with their reactions to the verdict. Lees meer
This is a link to the recent article from the Anchorage Press about Amy and Jake's disciplinary council.
This is a link to the letter Amy and Jake read during their disciplinary council.
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663: A Very Rough, Unplanned, and Informal First Discussion about Mormon and Post-Mormon Polyamory and Consensual Non-Monogamy
20 oktober 2016 · 2 uur 4 min
On a recent trip from New Jersey to Vermont with Mormon Therapist Natasha Helfer Parker and Dr. Gina Colvin we decided to have a rough, unplanned, unrehearsed, and VERY informal first discussion about post-Mormon polyamory and non-monogamy. Lees meer
For those who care deeply about this issue, there are a few very important things we would like to emphasize:
This is a rough, free-form, first discussion about orthodox, transitioning, and post-Mormon non-monogamy and polyamory. This is not meant to be a pre-planned, comprehensive, uber-professional treatment of the topic. If you are looking for such a treatment, please do not listen.
For those of you who are very knowledgable about and/or experienced with polyamory and non-monogamy, we openly acknowledge that we likely (or most definitely) employed several incorrect or improper terms, stereotypes, and biases in this discussion. We do this partially on purpose - because it gives us/you a chance to explore and correct common mistakes or misperceptions used regarding these sensitive and important topics.
For those of you who are interested in this topic, or who were frustrated in any way by this first treatment/discussion - we hope that you will give us your thoughts, perspective, and respectful criticisms in the blog comments. Then, please know what we 100% plan to have at least a few future guests on Mormon Stories Podcast to explore this topic more in-depth, and in more serious ways. If you have participated in polyamory and/or non-monogamy as an active, transitioning, or post-Mormon, we invite you to contact us about appearing in a future episode. mormonstories@gmail.com
Thanks for your patience, understanding, support, participation, and good will as we begin to explore this important topic that affects many people in orthodox, transitioning, and post-Mormonism.
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662: Elna Baker's Mormon Transition
20 oktober 2016 · 1 uur 20 min
Elna Baker is the author of the highly acclaimed The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir. She is also a contributor to the podcast This American Life. Lees meer
As part of the 2016 New York City Mormon Transitions Retreat Elna shares experiences regarding her faith transition away from Mormonism.
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661: Abby Huntsman and Carrie Sheffield and their Transitions Out of Mormonism
19 oktober 2016 · 56 min
As part of the 2016 Mormon Transitions New York Retreat we interview journalists Abby Huntsman and Carrie Sheffield. In this interview they discuss their transitions out of Mormonism.
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Announcements: Hiring OSF DIrector of Operations, NYC Retreat October 14-16
4 oktober 2016 · 3 min
Announcements: Hiring OSF DIrector of Operations, NYC Retreat October 14-16.
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660: Dr. Greg Prince Pt. 3 - How to Maintain Faith in Mormonism as an Intellectual
4 oktober 2016 · 1 uur 32 min
Dr. Greg Prince is best known within Mormonism as the author of three books: Lees meer
- Power from on High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood
- David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism
- Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon HistoryIn this three-part series we discuss the following:
- Part 1: Greg's early years as a Mormon in the Los Angeles area, his graduate work as a dentist and as a pathologist, and his role in developing a cure for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection), which has saved tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of infant lives.
- Part 2: Greg discusses the challenges of raising a son (Madison) with autism, then discusses how he developed a gospel framework that allowed him to avoid a faith crisis, which led to his entree into Mormon history authorship. We focus on his Priesthood book.
- Part 3: Greg goes deep into how he maintains faith/belief and activity in God/Christ/the LDS Church as a scientist, and after knowing so much troubling LDS history. He also lays out in detail his nuanced LDS testimony.
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659: Dr. Greg Prince Pt. 2 - On Autism, Mormon History, and LDS Priesthood
4 oktober 2016 · 1 uur 24 min
Dr. Greg Prince is best known within Mormonism as the author of three books: Lees meer
- Power from on High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood
- David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism
- Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon HistoryIn this three-part series we discuss the following:
- Part 1: Greg's early years as a Mormon in the Los Angeles area, his graduate work as a dentist and as a pathologist, and his role in developing a cure for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection), which has saved tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of infant lives.
- Part 2: Greg discusses the challenges of raising a son (Madison) with autism, then discusses how he developed a gospel framework that allowed him to avoid a faith crisis, which led to his entree into Mormon history authorship. We focus on his Priesthood book.
- Part 3: Greg goes deep into how he maintains faith/belief and activity in God/Christ/the LDS Church as a scientist, and after knowing so much troubling LDS history. He also lays out in detail his nuanced LDS testimony.
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658: Dr. Greg Prince Pt. 1 - Early Years, Developing a Cure for RSV
4 oktober 2016 · 1 uur 10 min
Dr. Greg Prince is best known within Mormonism as the author of three books: Lees meer
- Power from on High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood
- David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism
- Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon HistoryIn this three-part series we discuss the following:
- Part 1: Greg's early years as a Mormon in the Los Angeles area, his graduate work as a dentist and as a pathologist, and his role in developing a cure for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection), which has saved tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of infant lives.
- Part 2: Greg discusses the challenges of raising a son (Madison) with autism, then discusses how he developed a gospel framework that allowed him to avoid a faith crisis, which led to his entree into Mormon history authorship. We focus on his Priesthood book.
- Part 3: Greg goes deep into how he maintains faith/belief and activity in God/Christ/the LDS Church as a scientist, and after knowing so much troubling LDS history. He also lays out in detail his nuanced LDS testimony.
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657: Apostasy in Anchorage, Alaska – The Excommunication of Amy and Jake Malouf
28 september 2016 · 1 uur 36 min
Amy and Jake Malouf have been devout LDS church members for their entire lives – living the past 14+ years in Anchorage, Alaska. They have served in high-level callings in their Anchorage ward, and are very well-respected and well-liked in their Alaska LDS community. Lees meer
Two years ago Amy and Jake began to have doubts about the truthfulness of the LDS Church. As they began to share their questions/doubts/concerns about LDS doctrine and policy on Facebook (e.g., the November 2015 policy against LGBT Mormons and their children), their posts were monitored by ward and stake members and reported to the stake leadership. When they were directly asked by their stake president to remain silent about their questions/concerns/doubts/disbelief – they declined as a matter of conscience. Recently when they spoke out publicly on Facebook against the November, 2015 LGBT policy (out of concern for LDS LGBT youth suicides) they were informed by their LDS stake president that they will soon be excommunicated. The date/time of their disciplinary council is October 11, 2016 at 9pm Utah time.
This is their story.
P.S. Amy is a fabulous artist. Her artwork can be found here! www.amymalouf.com
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656: Omar and Nancy Kader - The Journey of a Palestinian Boy Raised in Utah and His Amazing Wife Pt. 4
25 september 2016 · 59 min
Dr. Omar Kader was born in Provo, Utah to Palestinian immigrants. HIs father was a devout Muslim and a disabled World War I vet who owned a successful Provo fruit farm. During Omar's childhood he and his family were called the n-word by fellow Provoans, but fought to earn the respect of his community. Omar and his father were close friends of Dr. Hugh Nibley, who liked to practice his Arabic skills with Omar's dad. Lees meer
In this epic multi-part series, we hear several inspiring stories, including:
How Omar escaped Palestine after being sent back there by his father to prevent him from marrying a Utah woman.
How Dr. Hugh Nibley fought to help Omar enroll in Brigham Young University.
How Omar met, courted, and married his amazing wife Nancy - a brilliant Mormon girl from Ogden, UT (this courtship included his conversion to the LDS faith). We also touch on what it was like to enter into a multi-cultural marriage in Utah during the 1960s.
Omar's draft into the Vietnam War (serving in Germany)
How Omar and Nancy risked expulsion from BYU for fighting against the Vietnam war and for supporting the BYU Student Democratic Party during the Earnest L. Wilkinson administration -- and how Hugh Nibley came to their rescue.
Omar's experiences obtaining a Ph.D. in International Relations at USC, along with his 10 year career at BYU wherein he faced both considerable racism and heroic support from certain BYU faculty and administrators.
Nancy's work with the Democratic party in Utah, which included interactions with actor Robert Redford.
Omar's decision to leave BYU and move to Washington D.C.
Omar's work as a lobbyist for Arab-Americans, which included meetings with Yasser Arafat and King Hussein of Jordan.
The part Omar played in helping BYU obtain the land to build the BYU Jerusalem center, which he later grew to regret.
Omar's scorching critiques of LDS apostles Ezra Taft Benson and Jeffrey R. Holland.
Omar's work as a successful businessman in Washington D.C. against a…