Gospel Tangents Podcast

Micronesia, Guam, Truk. You may have heard of these islands, but what do you really know about them? Devan Jensen is writing an LDS History about these islands and will give us a sneak peek into his upcoming book.  We're getting an early preview. Devan:  It turned out there was a topic. They were coming […] The post LDS Church in Pacific (Part 3 of 3 Devan Jensen) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

It's incredibly easy to get into arguments on social media on topics like masks, vaccines, immigration, guns, politics.  How do we talk to those with whom we disagree? Devan Jensen had some ideas, on how we can use more charity in difficult conversations. GT:  Of course, we have almost 100 years of fighting with them. […] The post Improving Conversation on Divisive Topics (Part 2 of 3 Devan Jensen) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Devan Jensen is the president of the LDS Publishing & Media Association.  What is it exactly, and who is it for?  Devan will introduce us to the group, and even give it 2 discount codes to attend meetings in October. Devan:  I'm Devan Jensen and I work in Church publishing. I'm an editor and a […] The post LDS Publishing & Media Assoc (Part 1 of 3 Devan Jensen) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

W.W. Phelps assisted with the translation of the Book of Abraham.  Amongst believing scholars, there is a bit of a civil war over the Book of Abraham, and Phelps plays a role in that dispute.  Dr. Bruce Van Orden will discuss why believing scholars disagree. GT:  I know we talked a little bit about the […] The post Phelps Role in Book of Abraham Civil War (Part 7 of 8) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

The Danites were a Mormon vigilante group who tried to fight back against Missouri mobocracy.  Were they good guys or bad guys?  W.W. Phelps & Thomas Marsh both testified about Danite actions in the Mormon-Missouri War in 1838.  Both men were lumped in with the apostates and were excommunicated.  Dr. Bruce Van Orden is the […] The post Danites in Missouri (Part 5 of 8 ) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

The years 1836-1838 were some of the most tumultuous in Church history.  Events included the Kirtland Banking Crisis, the Fanny Alger affair, excommunication of high church leaders including Oliver Cowder, Thomas Marsh, and the Whitmer brothers.  There were lots of changing alliances and not only a civil war among the Mormons of Missouri, but Mormons […] The post Mormon-Missouri War of 1838 (Part 4 of 8 ) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

W.W. Phelps was deeply involved in editing a political newspaper prior to joining the Church and was no stranger to partisan political fights.  When he and the saints arrived in Missouri, trouble followed quickly.  Was Phelps to blame for the poor reception in Missouri?  Dr. Bruce Van Orden, biographer of Phelps and author of We'll […] The post Were Phelps Missouri Troubles Self-inflicted? (Part 2 of 8 ) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

W.W. Phelps is one of the best known leaders in early Mormon history that wasn't an apostle.  Dr. Bruce Van Orden is the author of We'll Sing and We'll Shout, a biography of WW Phelps.  I knew that Phelps was a newspaper editor prior to joining the Church, but I was surprised to learn that […] The post Jailed Before Joined (Part 1 of 8) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

I hope you have enjoyed our conversation with Steven Pynakker, evangelical host of Mormon Book Reviews.  In our next conversation, Steve will tell us some of the future plans for his channel, including an episode about Mormon Doctrine in Battlestar Gallactica! Steve:  Season two, because I'm not at home. During the summer, I spend my […] The post *Mormon Doctrine in Battlestar Gallactica? (Part 8 of 8) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Recently the LDS Church announced the seismic improvements and removal of the beautiful murals in the Salt Lake Temple.  Steve Pynakker is the evangelical host of Mormon Book Reviews and he asked me what I thought about the announcement.  To say I'm disappointed in the removal of these pioneer-era murals in an understatement. Steve:  It […] The post Gutting Pioneer Temple History (Part 7 of 8) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Steve Pynakker, evangelical host of Mormon Book Reviews and I got together again on August 27 to celebrate his 50th video on his podcast.  Steve attended his first Mormon History Association meetings in June, and he discusses his experiences at the recent meetings in Park City, Utah.  Steve and Rick Bennett discussed the recent loss […] The post Mormon Historians' Community (Part 6 of 8) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

What does the future of Mormon history look like?  Steve Pynakker is the evangelical host of Mormon Book Reviews.  He and I sat down to talk about recent events that surprised us, as well as what the future of Mormonism might look like. Steve:  what does the future of Mormonism look like to you? GT:  […] The post Future of Mormon History (Part 5 of 8) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Some people don't like the academic study of the Bible and think the two are incompatible.  That's not the case with Steve Pynakker, evangelical host of Mormon Book Reviews, and myself.  We'll talk about some of the biblical stories that cause us to struggle.  Does that help strengthen faith? GT:  Patrick[Mason] is one of the […] The post Are Faith and Intellect Compatible? (Part 4 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Steven Pynakker is the evangelical host of Mormon Book Reviews.  He and I sat down to discuss why I started Gospel Tangents. https://youtu.be/iouxMa6tZBg GT:  When I went back to get my master's degree, I quit my job, and decided to go back to school and I got a part-time job. I had a lot more […] The post Why Start Gospel Tangents? (Part 3 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Mormons, myself included are often clueless, about protestants and evangelicals?  What's the difference?  I asked that question to Steven Pynakker, host of Mormon Book Reviews, and he gives his best answer. GT:  You've got your Catholics. You've got your Protestants. You've got your evangelicals, and I don't really understand what's the difference between a Protestant […] The post Differences between Evangelicals and Protestants? (Part 2 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

I'm turning over the interview microphone to an evangelical!  Steven Pynakker is the host of Mormon Book Reviews, and he wanted to learn more about me, Rick Bennett.  But I have some questions for him too.  How did an evangelical get interested in Mormonism? Steve:  Then I also have to say that growing up, I […] The post Mormon & Evangelical Discuss Mormon History (Part 1 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Fiona Givens recently resigned her position at BYU's Maxwell Institute under pressure from Church leaders over her speculation that the Holy Ghost might be Heavenly Mother. Dr. Margaret Toscano says this is an ancient Christian belief and wonders why Church leaders were bothered by Givens bringing it up.  Are Church leaders scared of Heavenly Mother? […] The post *Are Church Leaders Scared of Heavenly Mother? (Part 9 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Dr. Margaret Toscano gives a summary of her essay in the “Gospel Topics Series” book edited by Dr. Matt Harris & Dr. Newell Bringhurst.  Toscano outlines 6 counterpoints to the Women and Priesthood essay. Margaret:  I'll quickly do my six areas where I think Joseph did confer Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood to women through their […] The post 6 Counterpoints to Women & Priesthood Essay (Part 8 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

LDS Priesthood encompasses both spiritual and ecclesiastical aspects.  Dr. Margaret Toscano compares and contrasts her position on female priesthood with that of Dr. Jonathan Stapley.  Where are they similar and where do they converge? Margaret:  Both Jonathan and I say, yes, if you look at 19th century views on the priesthood, not just women in […] The post Women's Spiritual vs Ecclesiastical Priesthood (Part 7 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Given the mixed-gender makeup of the Quorum of the Anointed, if LDS women were granted priesthood office, would they be priests or priestesses?  Should they continue to be segregated by gender or combined into a single quorum?  Dr. Margaret Toscano sees advantages and disadvantages to both structures. GT:  We talked about priest and priestess, king […] The post Priests or Priestesses? (Part 6 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

The Gospel Topics essay on women and priesthood references a 2014 talk by Elder Dallin Oaks.  Dr. Jonathan Stapley said this talk was groundbreaking by saying that women in the LDS Church exercise priesthood power as they perform their callings.  Does Dr. Margaret Toscano agree with that interpretation? Margaret:  First of all, the idea that […] The post Keys of the Priesthood appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

In a previous interview with Dr. Jonathan Stapley, he stated that when early Mormon women healed, it wasn't through Priesthood.  Dr. Margaret Toscano disagrees with Jonathan's position. Margaret:  I think that there's quite a bit of evidence to show that. Again, I think that the big difference [between Jonathan and me is how we connect […] The post Joseph's Statements on Women & Priesthood (Part 3 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

In our last conversation, Dr. Margaret Toscano explained what she liked about the Gospel topics essay on women and priesthood.  This time, Margaret will look at weaknesses of the essay. Margaret:  My general critique really centers around two things. On the one hand, I feel like that they're not willing to look at all of […] The post Critiquing Women & Priesthood Essay (Part 2 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

We're continuing our series on the “Gospel Topics Series” book, edited by Dr. Matt Harris and Dr. Newell Bringhurst.  Dr. Margaret Toscano is back to discuss the Gospel Topics essay on Women, Temple, and Priesthood.  We'll find out more of her background in writing the book and discuss the essay's strengths. Margaret:  I'm excited that […] The post Strengths of Women & Priesthood Essay (Part 1 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

We got acquainted with the Malay Theory last time, and we're going to continue on with KC Kern and Greg Pavone to find out some other considerations.  What are some things that really add strength to the Malay Theory? GT:  I mentioned Simcha Jakobovici, which is a horrible name to spell, in relation to the […] The post *Further Thoughts on Malay Theory (Part 6 of 6) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Where did the Book of Mormon take place?  Most people think it is in Central or South America, or maybe North America.  However, we're going to talk about the most unusual theory around called the Malay Peninsula, as in Malaysia, as in Southeast Asia.  It's a very unusual theory.  It's a fun theory, and we'll […] The post Intro to Malay Hypothesis (Part 5 of 6) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

As you know, KC Kern and Greg Pavone hit pay dirt and found the Mormon Cave.  Now we're going to talk about the dig inside the cave where they tried to clear it out.  What did they find in the cave? Greg:  So, at the base of the cave, there were these wooden boards, and […] The post Clearing out the Mormon Cave (Part 4 of 6) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

KC Kern & Greg Pavone feel like they have enough evidence to find the Mormon Cave.  But how will the property owner react? GT:  So, this was the same house that a few years before you had knocked on and they weren't home. Is that right? Greg:  One year before, yes. KC:  Like six, nine […] The post Finding the Mormon Cave (Part 3 of 6) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

KC Kern and Greg Pavone are amazing researchers.  They dug into the historical records to find out more about the legend of the Mormon Cave.  We're going to talk about the research they conducted and find out more about how they pinpointed where the cave actually was. KC:  Lorenzo Saunders—in 1822 he's about 11 or […] The post History of the Mormon Cave (Part 2 of 6) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

We're continuing our archaeological excavations of Joseph Smith Senior, this time in New York.  I'm excited to introduce KC Kern and Greg Pavone, a couple of accidental archaeologists.  We'll find out how a Church history vacation turned into an archaeological expedition in search of the Mormon Cave! Greg:  Of course, that brought us to Palmyra, […] The post Raiders of the Lost Mormon Cave (Part 1 of 6) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Lucy Mack Smith had dreams that were very similar to some mentioned in the Book of Mormon.  Joseph Smith Sr., on the other hand, was much more rational with regards to religion.  What else can Dr. Mark Staker tell us about the Smith religious background, following his latest archaeological dig at the “Joseph & Lucy […] The post Lucy's Dreams, Joseph Sr's Rational Religion (Part 4 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

What was Joseph Smith Jr's religious upbringing like?  It turns out his parents were quite different.  Joseph Sr, might be describes as spiritual but not religious, while Lucy was more of a visionary.  We'll learn more about their family religion with Dr. Mark Staker. GT:  Can you talk a little bit about the dynamics of […] The post Smith Farmers Were Spiritual Not Religious (Part 3 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Dating in the late 1700s wasn't quite the same as today.  In our next conversation with Dr. Mark Staker, author of “Joseph & Lucy Smith's Tunbridge Farm,” we'll learn more about how Joseph Senior met his future with Lucy Mack Smith. Mark:  Lucy, then comes into the picture. Joseph meets her, down in the village. […] The post When Joseph Met Lucy (Part 2 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

The LDS Church prohibited black men and women from receiving priesthood rites in the temple until 1978.  Should the Church apologize for past racism?  Emmy award winning director Loki Mulholland will weigh in on that issue. Loki:  The Church already is doing, believe it or not, work and reparations, in the respect of the work […] The post *Should LDS Church Apologize for Racism? (Part 5 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Let's face it.  Race is a tough subject to bring up.  Is there ever pushback from black people when white people talk about racism?  We'll talk about white people leading conversations about race with Emmy award winning director Loki Mulholland. Loki:  I mean, this is just to fair, because racism is a white person's disease […] The post Can White People talk about Racism? (Part 4 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

The LDS Church has had a rough history when it comes to race, so it may surprise you to find out that one of its members has made several award-winning documentaries, including an Emmy dealing with racism.  We'll talk about these award-winning films from director Loki Mulholland. Loki:  “An Ordinary Hero,” which is about my […] The post Films Combating Racism Directed by a Mormon (Part 3 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Joan Trumpauer Mulholland began protesting for civil rights in the early 1960s and was part of many of the important civil rights protests of the decade.  Her son Loki has become an Emmy-award winning director and in our next conversation, we'll talk about why he made a film about his mother's activism. Loki:  By the […] The post Son of a Civil Rights Icon (Part 2 of 5) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Did you know slavery was still legal in Utah until 2020?  We'll talk about the drive to remove this provision in the Utah Constitution with an Emmy-award winning director, Loki Mulholland who directed the film “The End of Slavery.” Loki:  My latest project is called “The End of Slavery: the Fight for Amendment C.” It's […] The post End of Slavery (in Utah???) Part 1 of 5 appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

What is the Chicago Experiment?  Back in the 1930s, LDS Church leaders sent employees to be trained in theology.  They came across some sticky theology topics such as evolution, the Documentary Hypothesis, and whether multiple people wrote Isaiah.  Would the Church re-entrench on faith, or accept secular methods to understand the Bible?  Dr. Casey Griffiths […] The post *The Chicago Experiment (Part 9 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Historians don’t usually talk about the future, because they are historians!  In our next episode with Dr. Casey Griffiths, he will talk about what he thinks will be the biggest future events in church history, as well as what some events of the recent past will make impacts in future Church history.  Check out our […] The post Future of Church History appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Orson Pratt is less famous than his older brother, apostle Parley P. Pratt.  But it could be argued that he has had a bigger impact on the Church than Parley did.  From polygamy to the First Vision to his theological arguments with Brigham Young, Orson Pratt is one of the unsung people who has shaped […] The post Orson Pratt’s Unsung Hero in Church History (Part 7 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

What is the best beginner book to learn Mormon history? Back in 2016, Dr. Casey Griffiths said there really wasn’t a book, so he set out to make one.  We’ll talk some of the important events over the past 2 centuries in another one of his books: The 100 Most Important Events of Church History. […] The post Entry-Level Church History (Part 5 of 9) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.