Advertise on podcast: Mormon Discussion Podcast

Samuel Brunson: Between the Temple & the Tax Collector What happens when religious freedom, tax law, and the financial practices of the LDS Church collide? In this episode of Mormon Discussion, Bill Reel sits down with Samuel Brunson, a professor of law at Loyola University Chicago and author of Between the Temple and the Tax Collector, to explore the complicated relationship between Mormonism, money, and the American tax system. Brunson brings a unique perspective as both a legal scholar specializing in tax law and someone deeply familiar with the LDS tradition. Together, we examine the intersection of church finances, religious institutions, government oversight, and the legal privileges afforded to tax-exempt organizations. What responsibilities come with those privileges? How does the LDS Church’s financial structure fit into the broader history of American religion? And where should we draw the line between religious autonomy and financial accountability? This conversation moves beyond simplistic arguments about church wealth to explore the historical, legal, and ethical questions that deserve serious attention. Whether you’re a believing Latter-day Saint, a former Mormon, or simply interested in religious freedom and financial transparency, this is a conversation worth having. Learn more about Mormon Discussion: https://mormondiscussions.org/ Support our work: https://donorbox.org/mormon-discussion-inc #MormonDiscussion #SamuelBrunson #LDSChurch #MormonHistory #ChurchFinances #ReligiousFreedom #TaxExemption The post Samuel Brunson: Between the Temple and the Tax Collector Final appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

RFM and Bill Reel are joined this week by Meggan Hayes from “Generally Unquotable” to break down several of the talks from this past FAIRMormon Apologetics conference. Many budding apologists came to hear some of the worst talks on defending Mormonism ever given! Apologetics wasn’t that great in the 1980s. But in the past forty-years, it has done nothing but go downhill! Come join us as we show the logical fallacies in how FAIRMormon defends the LDS Church. Mormon Apologetics has never been so much fun! The post Mormon Apologists DEBUNKED! appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

LDS Church Burying Zelph Under Data Center? | Mormon Newscast | October 19, 2026 Is the LDS Church preparing to build a massive data center over a significant piece of Mormon history? Tonight on The Mormon Newscast, we’re looking at the proposed development at Arthur Plantation in Missouri, a site connected to Zion’s Camp and the discovery of the bones Joseph Smith reportedly identified as belonging to Zelph, a “white Lamanite” warrior. What happens when modern development collides with Mormonism’s historical claims? And what does this project tell us about how the church values and preserves its own history? Also on tonight’s Newscast: BYU Football Chaos: A dramatic showdown with Notre Dame brings religious controversy, Pat McAfee reading the Book of Mormon, a quarterback with a grudge, and questionable officiating. Racist Book of Mormon Lawsuit: A legal controversy involving the Book of Mormon and allegations of racism. BYU Medical School Takes Major Steps Forward: New developments in the church’s ambitious medical education plans. Julie Hanks on Soft White Underbelly: Our friend Dr. Julie Hanks shares her Mormon experience with a massive new audience, sparking pushback from faithful LDS commentators. Two Missionary Deaths: Tragic news involving two Latter-day Saint missionaries. Half a Million New Converts? LDS leaders anticipate potentially record-breaking convert baptisms in 2026. But what about retention? The Evangelical/LDS Trad Wife Trap: Exploring the cultural and religious expectations surrounding women, marriage, and traditional gender roles. Priest Killed by Falling Cross: A tragic accident in Ecuador raises interesting questions about religious symbolism and whether crosses might eventually appear inside Mormon chapels. Join us as we examine the news, challenge assumptions, and explore what’s happening in the world of Mormonism, with the context, critical thinking, and occasional humor you’ve come to expect. Support The Mormon Newscast: https://donorbox.org/the-mormon-newscast Explore more Mormon history, news, and analysis: Home Subscribe and join the conversation every Monday at 6 PM Mountain Time. #MormonNewscast #MormonNews #LDSChurch #MormonHistory #Zelph #BYUFootball #JulieHanks #BookOfMormon #Mormonism Radio Free Mormon’s 10 year celebration – An Evening Celebrating 10 Years of Radio Free Mormon – Dinner, Roast & Karaoke! The post LDS Church Burying Zelph Under A Data Center? appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Are Mormons Raising Their Kids Wrong? | Audra Phelps on Mormon & Post-Mormon Parenting What happens when you leave Mormonism and realize you must rethink not only what you believe, but how you raise your children? In this episode of Mormon Discussion, Bill Reel sits down with Audra Phelps for an honest conversation about Mormon parenting, religious conditioning, and raising emotionally healthy children beyond the framework of the LDS Church. Together, we explore how obedience, shame, fear, and rigid expectations can shape parent-child relationships—and how parents can replace those patterns with trust, autonomy, emotional connection, and critical thinking. We also discuss navigating mixed-faith families, teaching children about sex and modesty without shame, managing our own emotional triggers, and learning to give children the freedom to make mistakes. At the heart of this conversation is a powerful question: Are we raising children to obey and conform, or helping them become healthy, independent adults who trust themselves? Whether you’re Mormon, ex-Mormon, or simply questioning how you were raised, this conversation offers practical insights into breaking generational patterns and becoming a more intentional parent. Watch the full conversation with Audra Phelps: https://youtu.be/WpATtluH3lg Explore more Mormon history, news, and thoughtful conversations: Website: https://MormonDiscussions.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MormonDiscussion Stay connected! Join our free mailing list for Mormon news, historical insights, new episodes, and updates from the Mormon Discussion network: https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/786485/sites/113074994382112075/mormondiscussion #MormonDiscussion #AudraPhelps #PostMormonParenting #ExMormon #Parenting #ReligiousDeconstruction #religioustraumahealing 00:00 Introduction: Are Mormons Raising Their Kids Wrong? 02:00 Audra Phelps’ Journey Out of Mormonism 04:00 How Mormonism Shapes Parenting 06:30 What Mormon Parenting Gets Right 09:00 Shame, Fear, and Pressure to Conform 12:00 Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset 15:00 Learning to Parent Without the Church 17:00 Finding Your Family’s Own Values 21:00 Balancing Obedience, Boundaries, and Autonomy 23:00 Teaching Emotional Regulation and Critical Thinking 29:00 Navigating Mixed-Faith Parenting 36:00 How Mormon Gender Roles Affect Emotional Development 40:00 Rediscovering Your Identity After Mormonism 46:00 Rethinking Morality and Sexuality 48:00 Teaching Kids About Alcohol Without Shame 59:00 Exposing Children to Different Cultures and Beliefs 69:00 Common Mistakes in Post-Mormon Parenting 75:00 Four Essential Parenting Lessons 81:00 Audra’s Coaching and Resources Audra’s Resources: https://mamaaudra.com/ https://mamaaudra.com/registration https://mamaaudra.com/services https://www.youtube.com/@Mama-Audra https://www.instagram.com/mamaaudraofficial/ PLEASE LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE And Support Mormon Discussion by visiting https:/ The post Audra Phelps: Mormon (And Post-Mormon) Parenting appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Bill Reel and RFM take a look at the recent FAIRMormon apologetic conference that took place last August. The amazing thing is that Mormon apologetics isn’t getting better with age. If anything, Mormon apologetics is getting worse. And that’s saying something! It’s like they’re not just trying to fool nonbelievers, anymore. They’re trying to fool each other! But rest assured, no matter the tricks they try, they won’t get much past our intrepid pair, RFM and Bill Reel! Please Join the Team Today and Donate to Support Mormonism Live https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live The post FAIRMormon Conference Dissection! Part 1 appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

What happened to the apostles who helped build early Mormonism—and then walked away? When the original Quorum of the Twelve was organized in 1835, these men were not fringe figures. They preached the gospel, served missions, worked directly with Joseph Smith, participated in the movement’s spiritual experiences, and occupied some of its highest positions of authority. Yet six of those original apostles would eventually leave, be excommunicated, challenge Joseph Smith, or follow a very different version of the Restoration. In this episode of Mormonism LIVE, we tell the stories of Thomas B. Marsh, William E. McLellin, John F. Boynton, Luke Johnson, Lyman Johnson, and Joseph Smith’s own brother William Smith. Their stories take us into the Kirtland banking collapse, charges brought against Joseph Smith, the violence of 1838 Missouri, succession disputes, polygamy, prophetic authority, broken trust, and the question some early Mormon leaders eventually faced: Had Joseph Smith himself gone astray? Some came back. Some never did. Some continued believing in the Book of Mormon while rejecting Joseph Smith’s later leadership. And several went on to build successful lives completely outside the LDS Church. The deeper story is that early Mormonism was far less inevitable—and far more complicated—than it can appear when history is told by the people who ultimately won the succession struggle. The six apostles who stayed in the historical spotlight became prophets and heroes. These six largely became cautionary tales, footnotes, or disappeared from the story altogether. It’s time to put them back into the history. The post The Lost Apostles: Why Half of Mormonism’s Original Twelve Left appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Tonight on Mormonism LIVE, Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon are joined by special guest John Dehlin for an exhaustive examination of the LDS Church’s lawsuit against Mormon Stories. Instead of arguing about the case in the abstract, we take 30 specific claims made by the Church and its attorneys and put them side-by-side with the court record, the Church’s own filings, Mormon Stories’ responses, the mediation history, and recent public statements by Church attorney David Jordan. John Dehlin also joins us to explain what actually happened behind the scenes—including why Mormon Stories changed its branding before the lawsuit was filed, what the Church asked for during mediation, and why he believes the Church’s current public description of the case leaves out crucial context. Among the questions we investigate: Did Mormon Stories intentionally copy the Church’s blue “light-rays” branding? Does the Church’s evidence really show trademark confusion? Did John Dehlin intentionally choose the name Mormon Stories to create confusion—or does the twenty-year history of the podcast tell a very different story? Does the evidence support the LDS Church insisting that the lawsuit was “never about the word Mormon”? Did the Church abandon brands such as Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Mormon Channel, and Mormon Messages and how does that affect their preserving those trademarks with the USPTO and how might such affect this case? Did Church attorneys accurately represent a Mormon Stories guest who supposedly believed the podcast was Church-affiliated? Were Mormon Stories’ existing disclaimers really inadequate—and were the Church’s proposed disclaimer requirements as simple as they are now being portrayed? Why did David Jordan publicly use BAD MORMON as an example of a name nobody would confuse with the Church when the Church previously opposed Heather Gay’s Bad Mormon trademark on the explicit ground that it would cause confusion? And did the Church really avoid asking for damages? We also discuss the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation’s involvement, Mormon Stories’ fair-use defense, the Church’s copyright claims, the doctrine of laches, and where the case appears strongest and weakest for both sides. Most importantly, this episode asks a simple question: When the public statements are compared with the actual documents, who is telling the truth? The LDS Church vs. Mormon Stories: Who’s Telling the Truth? Special Guest: John Dehlin Follow the LDS Church Lawsuit https://www.mormonstories.org/lds-church-lawsuit/ Support Mormonism Live: https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live Transcript For Tonight’s Show – https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Final-Mormon-Stories-30-Claims-transcript-final-version.pdf The post John Dehlin Joins Mormonism Live!: LDS Church vs. Mormon Stories — Who’s Telling the Truth? appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

On this episode of Mormonism Live, we sit down with Rachelle and John Moyer, the creators behind “Ex-Mormon: The Musical,” to talk about how the project came together, what inspired the songs, and why music can be such a powerful way to process faith, identity, loss, humor, and life after Mormonism. We’ll dig into the story behind the album, the creative process of turning the ex-Mormon experience into a musical, and some of the themes woven throughout the soundtrack. We’ll also play and discuss several of the songs along the way. Whether you’ve left Mormonism, are questioning, still believe, or simply appreciate clever songwriting about complicated human experiences, this should be a fun and fascinating conversation about what happens when religious deconstruction meets musical theater. Listen to “Ex-Mormon: The Musical (Original Musical Soundtrack)” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4OxkzS1jbuwicBjZkGw2TS Join us as we talk with Rachelle and John Moyer about the humor, pain, creativity, and lived experience behind Ex-Mormon: The Musical. #ExMormon #ExMormonMusical #MormonismLive #Mormon #LDS #FaithTransition #ReligiousDeconstruction #PostMormon #MormonStories #musicaltheatre Ex-Mormon The musical https://JosephSmith.com/ https://exmormonsoundtrack.com/ John’s comedy Shows https://johnmoyer.com/tickets The post Ex-Mormon The Musical appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave one of his most famous talks in history in 1980 named “The Seven Deadly Heresies.” RFM and Bill Reel break down this talk, exposing not only what Elder McConkie says, but why he says it; together with the things Elder McConkie doesn’t say at all! This one you won’t want to miss! Support Mormonism LIVE! and its hosts Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon as take the deep dives into Mormonism and its history! https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live The post Heresy Hunters On Planet Provo! appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Tonight on Mormonism Live, we examine a recurring pattern in Joseph Smith’s prophetic career: when he encountered something mysterious, incomplete, inaccessible, or simply unknown, he rarely seemed content to say, “I don’t know.” Instead, he supplied an answer—and often an extraordinarily detailed one. A skeleton becomes Zelph, complete with a name, identity, history, and ancient associations. Egyptian papyri become the writings of Abraham. Egyptian figures become Abraham, Pharaoh, Shulem, Olimlah, gods, and cosmic teachings. The Kinderhook Plates produce an ancient genealogy. A stone becomes a seer stone capable of revealing hidden knowledge. Native Americans become Lamanites. Landscapes become Cumorah, Zion, the Garden of Eden, Adam-ondi-Ahman, and the “plains of the Nephites.” And the pattern extends beyond objects and geography. Where scripture appears incomplete, Joseph supplies the JST, Book of Moses, Enoch material, and D&C 7’s hidden parchment. Where ancient language is unknowable, he supplies the “Pure Language” of Adam. Where the universe remained largely mysterious, Joseph supplies an elaborate Abrahamic cosmology involving Kolob and an entire hierarchy of named heavenly bodies. But this raises a more important question than whether any single claim sounds strange: How reliable was Joseph Smith’s method of knowing? We separate these claims into those that eventually became independently testable, those where some physical evidence exists but Joseph’s specific identification remains difficult to test, and those constructed around realities essentially beyond external verification. And a troubling pattern emerges: where later evidence allows us to check Joseph’s extraordinary claims, serious problems repeatedly appear. So what should we make of the claims that remain safely beyond our ability to test? This episode explores the possibility that Joseph Smith’s greatest prophetic advantage may have been the unknown—because the less anyone around him could verify, the more room he had to “know.” Joseph Smith Always Had an Answer: The Pattern Behind His Claims The post How Did Joseph Smith Know All This? appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

What happens when a religious system spends a lifetime teaching you to trust authority, obey, forgive, sacrifice, endure, distrust your own doubts, and fear the consequences of leaving? In this episode of Mormon Discussion, Teresa Hobbs leads Bill Reel and special guest Wendi Wilcock Jensen through a difficult question: Can LDS teachings and institutional structures… Read More »Trust, Obey, Endure: How Mormon Conditioning Makes Abuse Harder to Recognize The post Trust, Obey, Endure: How Mormon Conditioning Makes Abuse Harder to Recognize appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

RFM and Bill Reel are joined by Dr. Thomas Murphy to discuss what the presence of Native American myths, individuals, and stories in the Book of Mormon means. Are these evidence the Book of Mormon is true? Or do they give us an insight into some of the creative grist Joseph was using to compile… Read More »Native American Legends in BOM! The post Native American Legends in BOM! appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

In June 1834, while marching with Zion’s Camp through Illinois, Joseph Smith and his followers came across an ancient Native American burial mound. Members of the group dug into the mound and uncovered a human skeleton—with what appeared to be an arrowhead among its ribs. According to multiple members of Zion’s Camp, Joseph Smith then… Read More »Mormonism’s Zelph – The White Lamanite The post Mormonism’s Zelph – The White Lamanite appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Why do intelligent, sincere women remain loyal to systems that often ask them to suppress their own intuition? In this episode, Bill Reel is joined by three thoughtful women- Jana Spangler, Julie De Azevedo, and Teresa Hobbs; for an in-depth conversation about the psychology of high-demand religion—not to criticize individuals, but to better understand the… Read More »How Mormonism Breaks Down Women’s Resistance The post How Mormonism Breaks Down Women’s Resistance appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

RFM and Bill Reel host an august panel of Sunstone Symposium presenters and attendees, as they tell us fun and fascinating stories about what goes on behind the scenes of Sunstone! Join us! Mormon Studies were never so much fun! The post Find Out What REALLY Happened At Sunstone 2026! appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.