The Mormon Hope Podcast

Join Pastors Brandon Vaughan and Dave Mallinak as they give a weekly review of "Come Follow Me" 2024 from a Christian perspective. In this episode they deal with the question of do the prophet of the Book of Mormon measure up to the Old Testament prophets? (review of I Nephi 6-10 

Join Pastor's Dave Mallinak and Brandon Vaughan as they study along weekly with the "Come Follow Me" 2024 and give a review from a Christian perspective. This week they take a look at the call of Lehi and the seizing of the brass plates. (week of Jan. 8-14) 

A Response to a video put out by Ward Radio, "What Can Change and What Can't Change in the Church?" Brandon Vaughan puts forth the challenge that once someone abandons the Bible as their objective authority, a person is left with a slippery slope of subjective truth, with no way to keep new revelation in check. 

Join Pastors Dave Mallinak and Brandon Vaughan as they give a weekly Christian review of the LDS "Come Follow Me" 2024 curriculum. (week of January 1) Introduction. 

Is God eternal, or was he once a man himself? Is God progressing or is He perfect? Why are the implications so important? Join us for this all important discussion. 

Part 2 of our interview with Lance and Grace on their leaving Mormonism and finding saving faith in Jesus Christ. 

Lance and Grace were committed Mormons. Lance even held high positions within the church. However, there was things that they noticed within the church that troubled them and just didn't seem right. As they dove into the Bible they began to understand salvation by grace in Christ. Now that they are Christians they have a ministry to try and help people out of the LDS church and into Christ. Here is part 1 of our conversation with them.  

The central message of the book of Matthew is simple; Jesus is King. But how can a king who walked the earth over 2,000 years ago be relevant to us today? 

Luke's gospel really focuses on the humanity and humility of Jesus. Jesus is referred to as the "son of man" 27 times in the book of Luke. The events of chapter 2 really set the stage for Jesus' mission. But how is all of this relevant to us today? This and more on today's episode of TMHP. 

Over the next four episodes we will be dealing with the incarnation of Christ from the perspective of each of the four gospel writers. In this first episode we will be looking at John's perspective on the incarnation. As we think about Christmas, we need to ask ourselves the question, what (or who) are we celebrating. Did God really take on human flesh and enter into His creation or not? Our very eternity hinges on the answer to that question. 

There's a whole lot more to Thanksgiving than Turkey and football. Join us a we take a look back in time to the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday and why it still matters today. 

In a recent tweet, President Nelson said, "Contrary to doubts of some, there really is such a thing as right and wrong. There really is such a thing as right an wrong. There really is absolute truth." Do Mormons really believe in absolute truth? If so, then what is their absolute standard of truth? 

Have you ever thought about how God views your sin? How exactly does Adam's sin affect us today? Most importantly, how can we be delivered from the penalty and power of our sin? These are the questions that we wrestle with on this episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast. 

Susannah Rowles tells the story of how the Lord saved her out of Mormonism last year. She actually visited a Baptist church  during the Covid shutdown and the rest is history. This should encourage pastors everywhere as she explained that the things that stuck out to her most about the church were the love, the worship and the preaching of the Word. 

Casey Ballard joins us as our first guest on the podcast. He shares his testimony of how the Lord saved him out of Mormonism and called him to be a Christian Pastor in Northern Utah. 

Is Heaven a real place? If so, how can one hope to get there? Is there just one Heaven, or three levels of Heaven as taught by the LDS? This and more on this episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast. 

Is Hell a real place of eternal torment? If so, how can this be reconciled with a loving God? How can people avoid going there? This and more on today's episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast. 

Is the Heavenly Father of Mormonism and the God of the Bible compatible? Are they the same God? If not, which one is the true God? 

In every period of history in which the church went from a time of peace to a time of persecution, there was a dividing line issue that divided the true church from the professing church. CRT and Intersectionality are such dividing line issues in our day. We need to be educated on these issues so that when the divide happens, we can be prepared and make sure that we are on the right side of history. 

It's an oft debated question in our part of the world, are Mormons Christian? How do their beliefs line up with Scripture and orthodox Christian doctrine? What have the Mormons historically taught on the issue? And the most important question of all, why does it matter. Are Biblical Christians the only ones that will be in Heaven with God for all eternity? Listen in to this week's podcast as we dive into these all important issues. 

Since the start of our podcast in January we have accumulated quite a bit of animated (a tactful term) social media back lash. In this episode we respond to some of the messages and comments that represent the most common arguments against who we are and what we do. 

How can a person be declared righteous before a Holy God, and therefore gain entrance into Heaven? There isn't a more important question that we could ask, or attempt to answer. Our very answer to that question will determine our eternity. Is there a list of works that we can do to tip the scales in our favor, or is it really just as simple as believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross. Join on this episode as we wrestle with these all important issues. 

In last week's episode on suffering, Brandon and Dave discussed the questions, "why do people suffer?", and "where does suffering come from?". On this episode they get into the Christian response to suffering. So what should our response be when it comes to prolonged suffering in our lives? 

It's an age old problem, with a universally asked question, why do people suffer. In this first of a two part series, Brandon and Dave dive deep and attempt to explain where suffering comes from. They also get personal about their own suffering, most specifically about the suffering of their wives, who each struggle with a different chronic condition. Where is God in our suffering and what can He do to sustain us? 

In this episode we give a review of the LDS General Conference. In listening to some audio clips that we pulled from the conference, it becomes very clear that the most used word among most of the speakers was "worthy". Worthy of the temple, worthy of the sacraments, worthy or the atonement, worthy of Heaven, etc. This is in complete contrast to what the Bible says, that Christ is the only one who is worthy. He is also the one that make us worthy by imputing His righteousness to all of those who call on Him by grace, through faith. We also take the time to go over some questions that were sent to us. Join us this week on the Mormon Hope Podcast. 

Black Lives Matter, transgenderism, cancel culture, privileged people like Lebron James and Meghan Markle claiming to be oppressed, what in the world is going on, and how are all of these things connected? Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality have invaded every facet of our society from the school house to the White House. We need to educate ourselves, our churches and those around us about this false woke religion that is rooted in Marxism. Join us on this episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast as we discuss these all important issues.  

A recent Gallup poll revealed that 1 in 6 people between the ages of 18-21 identify as LGBT. The issue is here, the question is what do we do about it? In this episode we address individuals that are struggling with their sexuality and how to sort through it. We also discuss the responses of both the LDS and Christian church to this issue. Where have they failed and what can they do better? As always we remain gracious and truthful when dealing with these hot button topics. 

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is one of the most renowned events in all of human history. This leads us to ask a very important question, what exactly did Christ accomplish on the cross (if anything)? What does the atonement mean for us personally? 

In this episode we examine the greatest single argument against Joseph Smith as being a true prophet of God, which is found in the statements that he made about  the person and eternality of God in the King Follett Discourse. We hope that our LDS listeners will tune in with an open mind as we compassionately examine the evidence.  

In the early 1820s a 14 year old boy by the name of Joseph Smith made the claim that he had been given a vision directly from God. This alleged revelation revealed that the church of Jesus Christ had apostatized and needed him to restore it. 200 years later, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has well over 16 million members worldwide. So is Joseph Smith a hero or a heretic?  Join us for this episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast as we fairly and compassionately investigate his claims. 

In the last podcast, we discussed the bad news of man's wicked condition before God. We also looked at the fact that people cannot save themselves or earn favor with a Holy God. This is bad news because God must punish sin. In this episode we focus on the good news of the Gospel, and how sinful men and women can be forgiven and made right with God. 

Has anyone ever said to you, "I have some good news and some bad news, which would you like to hear first?" We know that the word "gospel" means good news, but what about the bad news? Without the bad news, the gospel doesn't make any sense. What do we need to be saved from, and why did Christ have to endure such a horrific death in order to secure our salvation? Join us for this episode of The Mormon Hope Podcast as we discuss this all important issue. 

Everyone agrees that the word "gospel" means good news. However, there are many different beliefs and definitions as to what that means. Surely they can't all be correct. The only way that the gospel message can be good news, is if that news is true. This is why Paul constantly warned the churches about false gospels that would creep in. Join us on this episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast as Brandon Vaughan and Dave Mallinak discuss what the LDS believe about the Gospel. 

Are there any true prophets on earth today, or have they all died out? Does God still speak to us today through supernatural servants, or has the office of prophet been done away with? These questions aren't unique to the LDS church. Join us for this episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast. 

Is truth even a real thing, or is it just a man-made concept?  According to a recent Barna study, 74% of Americans between the ages of 13 and 21 believe that truth is just a relative concept. However, if truth is a real thing, how can we know it, and can it really set us free as Jesus said? 

Is Jesus Christ the brother of Satan? Was Jesus physically begotten by the Father? Or, is Christ the eternal God that stepped into His creation in order to die for the sins of man? Join us on this week's episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast as we discuss these all important issues. 

Some say that Christ was a good man, others say that he was a good teacher. Some even say that he never existed. The orthodox Christian position is that Christ is God and that He took on human flesh in order to walk among his creatures. But has the church always believed this and can it be proven from scripture? What did Christ say about himself? Join Brandon Vaughan and Dave Mallinak on this week's episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast. 

Is God a trinity? What does that even mean and why does it matter? This issue has been debated since the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Join Brandon Vaughan and Dave Mallinak as they discuss this incredibly important issue. 

     The last of a two part series, Brandon Vaughan and Dave Mallinak discuss the reliability of the Bible and whether or not it can be reconciled with modern day prophets. Can we trust new revelation, why or why not? All of this and more on this week's episode of the Mormon Hope Podcast 

Can we really trust the Bible as our sole authority for faith and practice? What about other holy books such as the Book of Mormon? Can we trust new revelation from modern day prophets? Join Brandon Vaughan and Dave Mallinak as they attempt to tackle these tough questions