Podcast
Mormon.ish
Hosted by Rebecca Bibliotheca and Landon Brophy · EN
A podcast for post and nuanced Mormons seeking a joyful life as they navigate their faith journey outside of orthodox Mormonism.
Donate to Mormonish Podcast here: https://www.mormonishpodcast.org/support
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52episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep338: Joseph's Pet Rock: The Seer Stone That Started It All w/ Ganesh Cherian
2w ago01:40:16Tap to summarizeJoseph's Pet Rock" may be a tongue-in-cheek title, but behind the humor lies one of the most important—and fascinating—objects in early Mormon history. Long before the publication of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith used a small seer stone while participating in treasure-seeking activities in upstate New York. Over time, that same stone became closely associated with some of the most significant events of the Restoration. In this episode, we explore the history of Joseph Smith's seer stone, its role in early Mormonism, and why it remains such a controversial and misunderstood artifact. How did a stone once used in folk magic and treasure digging become intertwined with sacred scripture and divine revelation? What do historical sources tell us about how Joseph used the stone, and why has its story been emphasized at some times and downplayed at others? Join us as we separate myth from history and examine the remarkable journey of the "pet rock" that helped shape a religious movement. Ganesh Cherian joins Mormonish Podcast again as we dive into this fascinating topic!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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Ep337: Holy Disobedience: Where Seventh Day Adventism and Mormonism Intersect
3w ago01:32:32Tap to summarizeWhat was it like growing up as a girl in Mormonism? What about in Seventh-day Adventism? You might be surprised by how much these two very different religions have in common. In this episode, Melissa Duge Spiers joins Mormonish for an honest conversation about purity culture, modesty, dating, shame, and the expectations placed on women in our respective faith traditions. Melissa shares her experiences growing up Seventh-day Adventist, while I reflect on my own upbringing in the LDS Church. Along the way, we discover striking similarities in the messages we received about our bodies, our worth, and what it meant to be a “good” young woman. This isn’t about comparing which religion was “better” or “worse.” It’s about exploring the lasting impact of these teachings, sharing our stories with empathy, and talking about what healing and growth can look like on the other side. Whether you were raised Mormon, Seventh-day Adventist, or in another faith tradition, we think you’ll find plenty to relate to in this heartfelt conversation. We’d love to hear your own experiences in the comments! SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@melissadugespiers BOOK: https://www.lakedrivebooks.com/books/holy-disobedience/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the.glory.whole/ TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theglorywhole YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theglorywhole3831This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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Ep336: Green Eggs & Ham: An Ancient Temple Text
4w ago01:53:05Tap to summarizeCan Green Eggs and Ham really be read as an ancient temple text? Dr. John Lundwall takes on that challenge—using the very same interpretive methods often employed by LDS apologists to argue for ancient origins in the Book of Mormon. By intentionally applying those techniques to Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Lundwall demonstrates how flexible assumptions, selective parallels, and creative pattern-finding can make almost any text appear to support an ancient religious narrative. This episode isn’t an argument that Green Eggs and Ham is actually ancient. Instead, it’s a thought-provoking exploration of methodology: How do we distinguish between genuine evidence and imaginative interpretation? Where is the line between scholarship and apologetics? Join us for a fascinating—and surprisingly funny—conversation that challenges listeners to think critically about the arguments used to defend ancient scripture claims. Cohosted by Ganesh Cherian.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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Ep335: The Religious Mythology of America's Founding /with author Warren Throckmorton
Jul 1701:33:07Tap to summarizeGrowing up in the LDS church, we experienced a lot of mythologized history. A lot of this was tied to the founding fathers and the origins of America. We heard stories about Moroni appearing to Christopher Columbus and George Washington. Mythology narratives about Washington’s prayer or the founding fathers appearing to Wilford Woodruff at the temple. All of these ideas were narratives designed to push a very specific idea of American identity and Mormonism’s place inside that identity, many of these ideas are directly tied to ideas of Christian nationalism. Promoted by people like a Benson, Skousen, Tim Ballard, Glenn Beck many others these mythology became part of our religious identity. Over the past two decades, Warren Throckmorton has become one of the leading voices examining the historical claims behind Christian nationalism. Through books such as "Getting Jefferson Right and The Christian Past That Wasn’t," he has carefully documented how influential activists and organizations have reshaped American history to promote the idea that the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation with a unique covenantal relationship with God. In this interview, we’ll explore how these narratives developed, why they remain so influential, how they compare with similar ideas found in Mormonism and other religious traditions, and what the growing influence of Christian nationalism could mean for American democracy, religious liberty, and the relationship between faith and political power.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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Ep334: Secrets of the Temple Name Oracle, And More!
Jul 1502:14:33Tap to summarizeHave you always wondered who is behind the Temple Name Oracle? After experiencing cognitive dissonance from his mission in 2003 and discovering the truth about LDS church history in 2010 from a simple Google search, Clint Kimball experienced the sudden loss of his entire social support structure and began reconstructing his belief system by collecting a trove of facts. This led to the creation of his website, Fuller Consideration, a repository of information used by researchers around the world. Join Mormonish as we take a fascinating deep dive into the creation and impact of some of his notable projects, including: Better Information: A collection of original source documents on church history. No commentary. No analysis. The Temple Name Oracle: The popular database that unlocked the rotation system behind how New Names are given out in temples. The Patriarchal Blessing Revelator: An archive that helps us understand whether patriarchal blessings tell us more about the recipient or the patriarch. Unit Tracker: A live list of where wards, branches, stakes, and districts are being opened and closed around the world. The Deseret Demographer: A large data-driven analysis that shows how many of the church's reported membership actually consider themselves members, and how many are showing up to church. You can visit his website here: https://www.fullerconsideration.com/ Other websites mentioned during the interview: https://exmormon.org/ http://wivesofjosephsmith.org/ https://returnandreport.org/ https://thewidowsmite.org/ You won't want to miss this episode!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Transcribe →Ep333: More Intriguing Information on Book of Mormon Authorship from BYU Word Print Studies
Jul 901:21:55Tap to summarizeIn Episode 3 of this series, Patrick begins by responding to excellent audience feedback on the overview of stylometry; he presents a chart that shows when in the Book of Mormon each anomaly first appears. He then reviews the usable Book of Mormon wordprint study from Episode 3. The heart of this episode focuses on the first two wordprint studies, both from BYU academics. Patrick explains how the authors of these first two studies make the clear claim that their studies show—in two different types of analysis each—that there are multiple authors of the Book of Mormon! The second of the studies did what no other study does—compare the wordprint of the primary authors “narrative” text voice separately from their “sermon” text voice. What conclusions should we draw from this well-designed study about the two voices? Patrick reviews the critiques of the studies and discusses limitations and most reasonable conclusions to draw from the studies. Join us for a thoughtful look at the evidence behind one big question: who authored the Book of Mormon?This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Transcribe →Ep332: Myth and Religion Re-examined w/Dr. John Lundwall
Jul 801:40:19Tap to summarizeIn this special Mormonish/ The Good Book Club episode, we sit down with Dr. John Lundwall to discuss his thought-provoking book Mythos and Cosmos and explore what its ideas might mean when viewed through the lens of Mormonism. Drawing on comparative religion, oral tradition, mythology, and the development of sacred narratives, Lundwall challenges readers to think differently about how ancient religious texts emerge, evolve, and function within believing communities. Together, we examine some of the book's most intriguing arguments and consider their implications for Latter-day Saint scripture, history, and religious identity. How do oral cultures preserve and transmit sacred stories? What distinguishes myth from history, and must the two always be in conflict? How might Lundwall's framework reshape conversations about the Book of Mormon and other sacred texts?This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Transcribe →Ep331: New Nauvoo Visitors' Center: Same Old Playbook
Jul 202:31:35Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Mormonish Podcast, Rebecca and Landon delve into the LDS church's rocky relationship with the town of Nauvoo and learn not much has changed in almost two centuries. In a scenario that will sound familiar to everyone who follows LDS temple building with Mormonish, the tactics used by the church to push through a new temple visitors' center follow the same playbook. This episode was originally aired on August 13, 2024 and we are re-airing it because the Nauvoo Visitors' Center was dedicated last week. Let's see where it all started. Thank you so much for watching Mormonish Podcast! ***How to DONATE to Mormonish Podcast: If you would like to help financially support our podcast, you can DONATE to support Mormonish Podcast here: Mormonish Podcast is a 501(c) (3) DONATE HERE: https://donorbox.org/mormonish-podcastThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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Ep330: Was Joseph Smith the Sole Author of The Book of Mormon? w/ Ganesh Cherian
Jul 101:44:11Tap to summarizeMormonish welcomes author Ganesh Cherian, whose book Joseph Smith: The Architect of Mormonism: A Topical Biography examines Joseph Smith’s role in shaping Mormon theology and belief. Together we explore evidence for Joseph Smith’s authorship of the Book of Mormon, the influences that may have shaped the text, and what this debate tells us about the origins of Mormonism. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on one of the most important questions in Mormon history.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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Ep329: Do The 8 Book of Mormon Word Print Studies Prove Multiple Authorship (Episode 3)
Jun 2501:10:08Tap to summarizeIn Episode 3 of this series, Patrick begins by responding to excellent audience feedback on the 3-Voice Framework from Episode 2. He then highlights a recent Mormonism Live episode that makes a compelling case for the Book of Mormon as a 19th-century text, pointing to 34 doctrines from the early 1800s. But many of those doctrines appear directly connected to debates within Campbellism in Ohio and Pennsylvania—debates Sidney Rigdon was having with Alexander Campbell and Walter Scott. Should that raise new questions about Book of Mormon authorship? A future episode will explore the Campbellism connection more deeply. The heart of this episode focuses on stylometry, also known as wordprint analysis. Patrick explains how researchers create a digital profile of an author’s unique writing habits, then reviews two of the eight major wordprint studies. The second study includes intriguing findings about Joseph Smith’s personal writing style compared to the broader LDS canon—and even identifies a strange anomaly in the early Doctrine and Covenants during the Book of Mormon dictation period. Join us for a thoughtful look at the evidence behind one big question: who authored the Book of Mormon?This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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