Podcast
Radio Free Mormon
Hosted by Mormon Discussion Inc · EN
Broadcasting Behind Enemy Lines
45episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
From Jewish to Mormon and Beyond! RFM: 463
3d ago03:06:28Tap to summarizeRFM is joined by Dr. Don Cohen who outlines his fascinating journey from the Jewish faith in which he was born, to his conversion to Mormonism, and from there to where he has landed today. Throughout, Don’s allegiance to evidence and research has been his guiding star. Join us as Dr. Cohen explains his spiritual journey; a journey that is still continuing!
Transcribe →When Was the Book of Mormon Created?
6d ago02:34:21Tap to summarizeDoes the Book of Mormon fit better in the ancient world or in early nineteenth century America when it was created? Defenders of the book point to a handful of twisted and strained comparisons to the ancient world to make their case. Bill and RFM, on the other hand, demonstrate conclusively that the Book of Mormon is a much better fit for the early nineteenth century in which it was produced. Indeed, no book is more obviously a product of its times than the Book of Mormon. And that time was the first part of the nineteenth century in the newly established United States of America. Please consider supporting our work by Donating Today ! – https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live Of anyone needs support dealing with spiritual trauma, 1-on-1 coaching and support groups are available at https://awakenandthrive.org/
Transcribe →Leaving Mormonism: RFM: 462
1w agoTap to summarizeRFM is joined by former Mormon Ted Novak, who shares his story of faith and ultimately, of faith deconstruction. Ted thought he studied his religion while he was a member, but he realized along the way what he was really studying was the “Mormon-Approved” version. Once Ted opened himself up to studying non-Mormon-Approved sources, he slowly began to realize that what the LDS Church was selling him was a bill of goods that didn’t stand up to scrutiny; not just one one issue, but on a host of issues! This is one you won’t want to miss!
Transcribe →Church Historian Apologizes: RFM: 461
2w ago00:14:23Tap to summarizeBREAKING NEWS! Elder Kyle McKay, Church Historian for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, apologized in writing for racially insensitive comments he made at a stake conference in Oklahoma last Sunday!
Transcribe →The Forensic Autopsy of Mormon Apologetics
2w ago02:17:45Tap to summarizeWhat if the most revealing thing about Mormon apologetics isn’t the evidence being presented… but the behavioral patterns behind the arguments? Tonight on Mormonism Live, Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon sit down with Dawn McCarty who works in Forensic Criminology behavioral analysis. Can forensic criminology profile Mormon apologetics? Drawing from several of her recent forensic intelligence briefs, Dawn examines Mormon apologetics, institutional responses to criticism, and high-demand religious systems through the lens of behavioral analysis, threat assessment, cognitive containment, and coercive influence. Together we discuss: • How criminologists identify behavioral patterns in institutions • Narrative patching, semantic inversion, and epistemological fog • The psychology behind apologetic argumentation • Jacob Hansen’s conversations with Alex O’Connor and Bill Reel • The LDS Church’s lawsuit against Mormon Stories and John Dehlin • How institutions maintain authority during periods of public scrutiny • Whether these frameworks can be applied fairly to critics as well as believers Most importantly, we’ll ask whether apologetics can be analyzed the same way investigators analyze other systems that seek to preserve power, shape narratives, and influence behavior. Whether you agree with Dawn’s conclusions or not, this conversation offers a unique perspective that moves beyond history and theology and into the psychology of belief, persuasion, and institutional survival. Join us live and bring your questions. THE REPORTShttps://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/EVIDENTIARY-FORENSIC-INTELLIGENCE-BRIEF_-LDS-CHURCH-SUES-MORMON-STORIES--JOHN-DEHLIN.pdf https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/EXECUTIVE-FORENSIC-INTELLIGENCE-BRIEF-for-JACOB-HANSEN-A-Mormon-Explains-Mormonism-with-Alex-OConnor.pdf https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/EXECUTIVE-FORENSIC-INTELLIGENCE-BRIEF-for-JACOB-HANSEN-Honest-Conversations-About-Faith-with-Jacob-Hansen-Bill-Reel.pdf https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/INTELLIGENCE-BRIEF-Forensic-Autopsy-of-Apologetic-Evasion-and-Systemic-Predatory-Enabling-Author_-Dawn-McCarty-Criminologist-Date_-April-27-2026.pdf Tonight’s Presentation – https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Forensic-Criminology.pdf MormonismLive #MormonApologetics #MormonStories #JohnDehlin #JacobHansen #LDSChurch #Mormonism #ReligiousStudies #ForensicAnalysis #CultDynamics #FaithCrisis #MormonDiscussion #RadioFreeMormon
Transcribe →“Reckless Ben” Gets Silenced! RFM: 461
2w ago00:19:00Tap to summarizeFamous Youtuber “Reckless Ben” just got served with a restraining order forbidding him from podcasting anymore about the “Bricks & Minifigs” Case and requiring him to take down any podcasts he has already published dealing with the case. Reckless Ben can’t talk about the Restraining Order. But RFM can!
Transcribe →LDS Church Membership Tanks!
3w ago02:31:53Tap to summarizeThe Mormon Church keeps telling us it is growing. And not only is it growing, they say it is growing faster than it has ever grown in history! And yet faithful Mormon researcher Jeff Strong says the LDS Church has lost 40 % of its active membership in the last twenty-five years. How will the Church react now that its generation-long deception is being revealed? And what will the Mormon influences do who have repeated and championed the lies told them by the Church they seek to defend? Time will tell. In the meanwhile, Bill and RFM are going to take a victory lap on this issue, because they have been calling out the Church on this deception for as long as they have been podcasting. Finally RFM and Bill Reel are vindicated!!! Quinton Cook & Marin Hospital – https://wasmormon.org/quentin-l-cooks-privatization-of-marin-hospital/ Please consider donating to support our work – https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live
Transcribe →Don’t You Forget About Moroni: RFM 459
3w ago03:35:16Tap to summarizeEver wonder what happens when you take all the earliest accounts of the Angel Moroni appearing to Joseph Smith and compare them? The answers can be problematic but always fascinating. RFM is joined by an all-star panel of Bill Reel, Randy Bell and everyone’s favorite Rando, Kolby Reddish, to hash through the sources. The result is a story that looks less like the recounting of an incident that actually happened to Joseph Smith, and more like a work in progress. This is one show you won’t want to miss!
Transcribe →Joseph Smith’s 1832 First Vision: Excised with a Penknife & Hidden Away?
4w ago02:43:44Tap to summarizeTonight on Mormonism Live we tackle one of the most controversial and uncomfortable documents in LDS history: Joseph Smith’s 1832 First Vision account. Not the polished 1838 version members know from the Pearl of Great Price. Not the story that has been repeated in manuals and General Conference over a hundred years. We’re going back to Joseph’s own handwritten account—the one hidden away in a vault, physically cut from his letterbook with a penknife, and unavailable to the public for over a century. We examine the major differences that made this account so troubling. In 1832 Joseph says he was in his 16th year rather than 14. He says he sought forgiveness of sins instead of asking which church was true. He already believed all denominations had apostatized, while the later account says “it had never entered into my heart” that they were all wrong. And perhaps most significant of all, the 1832 account centers on one divine being—Jesus Christ—with no mention of God the Father appearing. Then we follow the strange trail surrounding the account itself. Who removed the pages? Why were they cut out? Why was Levi Edgar Young told not to copy or discuss what he called a “strange account”? Why was it stored in a private vault? And why do the Church’s explanations seem to require increasingly complex assumptions to reconcile what appears, on the surface, to be a very different story? We’ll examine the historical evidence, the apologetic arguments, Joseph Fielding Smith’s role, and ask a simple question: Which explanation requires the fewest assumptions and best fits the evidence? Was this merely another version of the same event? Or did the earliest First Vision account create discomfort because it told a substantially different story? Join Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon as we take a deep dive into one of Mormonism’s most fascinating historical problems. Donate to Mormonism Live: https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live If anyone needs support dealing with spiritual trauma, 1-on-1 coaching and support groups are available at https://awakenandthrive.org/ MormonismLive #JosephSmith #FirstVision #LDSHistory #MormonHistory #Mormonism #ExMormon #1832FirstVision #RadioFreeMormon #billreel RESOURCES:https://archive.org/details/creationofbookof0000pete/page/n13/mode/2up http://www.mormonthink.com/files/eight-contemporary-accounts-1st-vision-improvement-era-1974.pdfhttps://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Joseph_F._Smith%27s_Attempt_at_Suppressing_the_1832_Account_of_Joseph_Smith%27s_First_Visionhttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/first-vision-accounts-faq/04-was-the-1832-account?lang=eng https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V47N02_210.pdf https://www.dialoguejournal.com/articles/the-significance-of-joseph-smiths https://youtu.be/D6Deoh20oAk https://youtu.be/jSlaOwcuwqghttps://youtu.be/Dw-22jafYUchttps://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V01N03_31s.pdfhttps://exploringmormonism.com/our-own-peek-into-the-first-presidency-vault/
Transcribe →Podcaster Meggan Hayes (Generally Unquotable) Joins the Show!
May 2102:11:52Tap to summarizeBill Reel and RFM are joined this week by Meggan Hayes, host of the “Generally Unquotable” podcast, which features a news report on things Mormon every weekday morning! How does Meggan do it? Where does she get her stories? What are the biggest stories she has covered? These are just some of the things we’ll be finding out in this fascinating episode of Mormonism Live!
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