Apologetics Profile, Episode 329: Testing Latter-day Saint Doctrine and Practice with Sandra Tanner – Part One

Date: February 16, 2026
Hosts: James Walker, Daniel Ray
Guest: Sandra Tanner

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, hosts James Walker and Daniel Ray sit down with Sandra Tanner, a noted critic of Mormonism and great-great-granddaughter of Brigham Young, to examine and critique foundational doctrines and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormonism). From the origins of the Book of Mormon to the changing role of LDS prophets and the controversial Adam-God doctrine, the conversation tackles questions of historical truth, theological consistency, and the grounds by which LDS believers assert their faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spiritual Experience vs. Objective Truth

• Sandra Tanner shares (00:10, 44:10): The challenge of relying on personal spiritual experiences as confirmation of truth. She recounts the case of a woman who felt a spiritual manifestation validating a polygamist group, only to discover such experiences are not reliable indicators of divine truth.
  • Sandra Tanner: “You may have truly had such an experience, but that doesn’t mean it came from God.” (00:15, 44:18)

2. Origins and Historical Issues of the Book of Mormon

• Narrator & Interviewers (00:59–05:32):
  • The Book of Mormon’s alleged origins as a translation of ancient gold plates with “reformed Egyptian” writing—none of which is substantiated archaeologically or linguistically.
  • Joseph Smith’s use of a “seer stone” in a hat to translate—an admitted magical or folk practice rather than a scholarly translation.
  • Literary and linguistic critiques: repetitive phrases (e.g., “and it came to pass” over a thousand times) and awkward, non-biblical styles.
  • The LDS concept of "translation" refers to spiritual inspiration, not linguistic scholarship.

3. The Doctrine of Living Prophets and Doctrinal Change

• Interview with Sandra Tanner (10:05–13:00):
  • Modern LDS teaching emphasizes that living prophets can override teachings of previous leaders, a necessity prompted by widespread access to historical information via the internet.
  • Sandra Tanner (11:03): “In today’s world that would be accurate...so they say, ‘oh well, no, we just go by the living prophet.’ And yet they still use the Doctrine and Covenants...They use the Book of Mormon...They use the Bible...It all leads back to the problem of their claim of the great apostasy.”
• Contradictions within LDS teachings about the “Great Apostasy”—whether Christianity was totally lost, partially retained, or never actually vanished—is highlighted.

4. Problems with the Great Apostasy Narrative

• Hosts and Narrator (12:39–17:45):
  • LDS doctrine insists the original Christian Church became corrupt and needed restoration but inconsistencies exist in their narrative (e.g., the continued mission of the Apostle John).
  • Biblical arguments (e.g., Daniel 2, Matthew 16:18) are employed to suggest the Church never vanished from earth.

5. Adam-God Doctrine and Prophetic Fallibility

• Adam-God Doctrine (36:15–40:48):
  • LDS President Brigham Young explicitly taught that Adam was God—a doctrine later officially dismissed as his “personal opinion.”
  • Sandra Tanner (17:47): “How many of your leaders can just give personal opinions on the nature of God without you wondering if there’s any stability here?” (18:10)
  • Sandra on changing doctrinal positions (40:48): “I don’t think they want to use the word error. It’s always personal opinion. Even when I bring up Joseph Smith’s King Follet sermon...Mormons today will say, well, that was his personal opinion...If he doesn’t know who God is, what hope is there for any of the rest of us?”

6. Joseph Smith’s Early Reputation: Seer, Treasure Seeker, Prophet

• Sandra Tanner (20:07–28:51):
  • Joseph Smith’s early reputation as a “glass looker” and practitioner of folk magic, who was tried in 1826 for pretending to have supernatural abilities to find hidden treasures—yet never succeeded.
  • Early Mormon converts were often from backgrounds attuned to magic, divination, and similar supernatural claims.
  • Gradual transition from local magical “seer” to religious prophet in the eyes of his followers.
  • Sandra Tanner: “I don’t see it as being very hard to move people from believing Joseph had the gift of finding buried treasure to the idea that...an angel came and told him about the real treasure.” (28:40)

7. The “Burned-over District” and Spiritual Confusion (28:51–31:38)

• Wide spiritual experimentation in upstate New York—revivalism, seeker movements, and belief in supernatural phenomena—fostered conditions favorable to Joseph Smith's claims.

8. Scriptural Changes and Doctrinal Inconsistencies

• Sandra Tanner (32:07–34:49):
  • Early and later editions of the Book of Mormon were compared, revealing thousands of changes—most notably in phrasing that affects the doctrine of God (e.g., from “mother of God” to “mother of the Son of God”).
  • These changes have fundamental theological implications, reflecting shifts in LDS doctrine about the nature of deity.

9. Testing Truth by Feelings: Modern and Historical Reflections

• Host & Sandra Tanner (42:30–45:00):
  • Within present-day LDS culture, “personal testimony”—the burning in the bosom—is often cited as the ultimate standard for truth.
  • This approach is critiqued for being insufficient, as it is equally found in followers of other religions or even breakaway Mormon polygamist groups.
  • Sandra Tanner: “If we're only going by prayer and feeling, then looks like you could just take your pick and whatever you want to believe.” (42:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sandra Tanner (00:15): “You may have truly had such an experience, but that doesn’t mean it came from God.”
• Narrator (05:34): “Third Nephi chapter 21, verses 1 through 7 is one continuous run-on sentence of close to 400 words. Allegedly, this single sentence contains the actual words of Jesus, but...there is no conceivable way these passages were spoken by the same Jesus.”
• Sandra Tanner (11:03): “...they say, ‘oh well, no, we just go by the living prophet.’ And yet they still use the Doctrine and Covenants. Well, that’s dead prophets.”
• Sandra Tanner (17:47): “How many of your leaders can just give personal opinions on the nature of God without you wondering if there’s any stability here?”
• Sandra Tanner (28:40): “I don’t see it as being very hard to move people from believing Joseph had the gift of finding buried treasure to the idea that...an angel came and told him about the real treasure.”
• Sandra Tanner (40:48): “If I’m to take Joseph serious...then I would expect his sermons on the nature of God, since he's the one that talked to him, I would expect his sermons on God to be something I could absolutely stake my faith on.”
• Sandra Tanner (42:55): “If we're only going by prayer and feeling, then looks like you could just take your pick and whatever you want to believe.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:10 / 44:10 — Sandra Tanner on the danger of relying on personal spiritual experiences
• 00:59–05:32 — Origins and translation process of the Book of Mormon; issues of authenticity and style
• 10:05–13:00 — Doctrinal authority of living prophets and doctrinal instability
• 20:07–28:51 — Joseph Smith's folk magic background and the bridge from folk religion to Mormonism
• 32:07–35:10 — Changes between the 1830 and later editions of the Book of Mormon, with doctrinal impact
• 36:15–40:48 — Adam-God doctrine, prophetic error, and LDS handling of problematic teachings
• 42:30–45:00 — Experience-based religious truth and its consequences in LDS and other groups

Tone and Style

The episode maintains a respectful but firm evangelical Christian critique of LDS doctrine, aiming to foster informed discernment. The language is clear, conversational, and at times passionate, especially from Sandra Tanner, as she reflects on her personal journey and decades of research into Mormonism.

This episode is recommended for anyone with an interest in Mormon history, interfaith dialogue, or the challenges of religious truth claims in a modern, information-rich society.