Podcasts about mormonthink

Dive into the fascinating story of Jonas Jödicke with John Dehlin and Nemo the Mormon. Born in the church in Germany, Jonas discovered an artistic talent which would lead his work to be adored all over the world. At the same time, Jonas had begun to discover his sexuality and what that would mean for his place in Mormonism. Show Notes: Jonas Jödicke (Fantasy Art) (@jojoesart) • Instagram photos and videos Nemo the Mormon - YouTube Thrive Beyond Religion Moroni and the Swastika: Mormons in Nazi Germany: Nelson, David Conley  https://mormonstories.org/?s=scrupulosity 1144-1146: A More Effective Approach to Masturbation and Pornography: For Teens and Adults - Mormon Stories http://Cesletter.org MormonThink —————  We are 100% donor funded! Please click HERE to donate and keep this content coming! Click here to donate monthly: $10 $25 $50  —————  MSP on Spotify  MSP on Apple Podcasts  MSP Blog  Instagram  Patreon  TikTok Discord  Contact Us!  *MormonStories@gmail.com *PO Box 171085  Salt Lake City, UT 84117

URGENT: Dr. Ritner is facing kidney failure and is in need of a living donor to secure his life and continued research. If you can help, please contact Dana McClain, Northwestern Medicine Transplant Coordinator, 312-695-0828. Living donors save lives! Also, if you are grateful for Dr. Ritner's time and expertise with this podcast, please email him and express your gratitude!!! ============ Part 1: Dr. Ritner's story, the historical context for the Book of Abraham, and Facsimile 1 https://youtu.be/ORNYUyHg3pY Part 2: Facsimiles 2 & 3 https://youtu.be/df4flxToFvM Part 3: The Abraham Egyptian Papers, return of the "lost" papyrus, and an in-depth discussion of LDS Book of Abraham Apologetics   Series Description:  For more than a century Joseph Smith's Book of Abraham "translation" has been revered as holy scripture by devout Mormons, and denounced by all credible non-LDS Egyptologists as a 100% erroneous translation -- a combination of Joseph Smith's imagination and some plagiarism (much like the Book of Mormon, the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, and the Mormon temple ceremony. The first major scholarly analysis and critique of the Book of Abraham by world-class Egyptologists came in 1912 and was published in the New York Times.  Of course this article was neither appropriately considered nor adequately addressed by LDS church leadership, and ultimately the issue faded from LDS church membership consciousness for several more decades. Beginning in 1966 with the rediscovery of the core Book of Abraham papyri fragments found in the archives of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (that were thought to have been lost in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire), Mormon apologists such as Hugh Nibley, John Gee, Daniel C. Peterson, Kerry Muhlestein, Michael D. Rhodes, etc. have attempted to employ apologetic tactics to rescue the Book of Abraham from a total loss of credibility - once credible translations of the papyrus demonstrated undeniably that Joseph Smith's "translation" was 100% inaccurate, and in fact, had nothing to do with Abraham at all.  In fact, the papyri were dated to be written over 1500 years after the time Abraham would have lived. For decades questioning, doubting, and non-believing Mormons have engaged with Mormon apologists like Nibley, Gee, Muhlestein, and Rhodes to determine the historicity and legitimacy of the Book of Abraham - with the credibility of Joseph Smith and the LDS church restoration hanging in the balance.  In spite of the LDS church's century-long efforts to either hide or convolute the issues surrounding the Book of Abraham, many Mormons have lost their faith and left the church over the Book of Abraham, as it is often listed as one of the primary reasons that Mormons lose their faith. While many orthodox, doubting, and post-Mormons have heard the opinions of pseudo-Egyptologists/Book of Abraham apologists like John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and Michael D. Rhodes, few Mormons or post-Mormons have actually heard the opinions of a legitimate, world-class Egyptologist about the historicity and credibility of the Book of Abraham - until today. Today, as a joint production of Mormon Stories Podcast and Radio Free Mormon podcast, we interview Dr. Robert Ritner.  Dr. Ritner is Professor of Egyptology at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and was from 1991-1996 the first Marilyn M. Simpson Assistant Professor of Egyptology at Yale University.  Dr. Ritner is the author of over 100 publications on Egyptian religion, magic, medicine, language and literature, as well as social and political history. He has lectured extensively on each of these topics throughout the United States, Europe and Egypt.  Ritner has led Oriental Institute tours of Egypt for 30 years.  He is also the author of The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition, and an essay entitled “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham” — A Response - written as a response to the LDS church's gospel topics essay on the Book of Abraham, which is deeply problematic according to Dr. Ritner. In this three-part sit-down with Dr. Ritner, we will discuss his upbringing in Houston, Texas and his scholarly background and the events that led to him becoming interested in the Book of Abraham.  We will provide a contextualizing history to the Book of Abraham story, and discuss in-depth Joseph Smith's completely erroneous translation of Facsimiles 1-3 from the papyrus.  We explore the emergence of the Abraham Egyptian Papers in the mid 1960s, along with the discovery of the "lost" Book of Abraham papyrus.  We end this series by exploring some of the seemingly unscholarly and disingenuous tactics used by Book of Abraham apologists John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and Michael D. Rhodes to try to bolster belief in the Book of Abraham. Finally, a HUGE thanks to Bruce MacArthur for making this interview possible. Also, a MASSIVE thanks to RFM for co-hosting, Bill Reel for all of his great work over the years, along with all of the amazing scholars who helped me/us prepare for this interview, including: Mike Brown of the Mormon Stories Truth Claims essays, MormonThink, Jeremy Runnells and the CES Letter, Dan Vogel, Brent Metcalfe, Letter for my Wife, MormonInfoGraphics.com, this super cool video, and much much more content than I could ever fully list here. URGENT: Dr. Ritner is facing kidney failure and is in need of a living donor to secure his life and continued research. If you can help, please contact Dana McClain, Northwestern Medicine Transplant Coordinator, 312-695-0828. Living donors save lives!

URGENT: Dr. Ritner is facing kidney failure and is in need of a living donor to secure his life and continued research. If you can help, please contact Dana McClain, Northwestern Medicine Transplant Coordinator, 312-695-0828. Living donors save lives! Also, if you are grateful for Dr. Ritner's time and expertise with this podcast, please email him and express your gratitude!!! ============ For more than a century Joseph Smith's Book of Abraham "translation" has been revered as holy scripture by devout Mormons, and denounced by all credible non-LDS Egyptologists as a 100% erroneous translation -- a combination of Joseph Smith's imagination and some plagiarism (much like the Book of Mormon, the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, and the Mormon temple ceremony. The first major scholarly analysis and critique of the Book of Abraham by world-class Egyptologists came in 1912 and was published in the New York Times.  Of course this article was neither appropriately considered nor adequately addressed by LDS church leadership, and ultimately the issue faded from LDS church membership consciousness for several more decades. Beginning in 1966 with the rediscovery of the core Book of Abraham papyri fragments found in the archives of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (that were thought to have been lost in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire), Mormon apologists such as Hugh Nibley, John Gee, Daniel C. Peterson, Kerry Muhlestein, Michael D. Rhodes, etc. have attempted to employ apologetic tactics to rescue the Book of Abraham from a total loss of credibility - once credible translations of the papyrus demonstrated undeniably that Joseph Smith's "translation" was 100% inaccurate, and in fact, had nothing to do with Abraham at all.  In fact, the papyri were dated to be written over 1500 years after the time Abraham would have lived. For decades questioning, doubting, and non-believing Mormons have engaged with Mormon apologists like Nibley, Gee, Muhlestein, and Rhodes to determine the historicity and legitimacy of the Book of Abraham - with the credibility of Joseph Smith and the LDS church restoration hanging in the balance.  In spite of the LDS church's century-long efforts to either hide or convolute the issues surrounding the Book of Abraham, many Mormons have lost their faith and left the church over the Book of Abraham, as it is often listed as one of the primary reasons that Mormons lose their faith. While many orthodox, doubting, and post-Mormons have heard the opinions of pseudo-Egyptologists/Book of Abraham apologists like John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and Michael D. Rhodes, few Mormons or post-Mormons have actually heard the opinions of a legitimate, world-class Egyptologist about the historicity and credibility of the Book of Abraham - until today. Today, as a joint production of Mormon Stories Podcast and Radio Free Mormon podcast, we interview Dr. Robert Ritner.  Dr. Ritner is Professor of Egyptology at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and was from 1991-1996 the first Marilyn M. Simpson Assistant Professor of Egyptology at Yale University.  Dr. Ritner is the author of over 100 publications on Egyptian religion, magic, medicine, language and literature, as well as social and political history. He has lectured extensively on each of these topics throughout the United States, Europe and Egypt.  Ritner has led Oriental Institute tours of Egypt for 30 years.  He is also the author of The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition, and an essay entitled “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham” — A Response - written as a response to the LDS church's gospel topics essay on the Book of Abraham, which is deeply problematic according to Dr. Ritner. In this three-part sit-down with Dr. Ritner, we will discuss his upbringing in Houston, Texas and his scholarly background and the events that led to him becoming interested in the Book of Abraham.  We will provide a contextualizing history to the Book of Abraham story, and discuss in-depth Joseph Smith's completely erroneous translation of Facsimiles 1-3 from the papyrus.  We explore the emergence of the Abraham Egyptian Papers in the mid 1960s, along with the discovery of the "lost" Book of Abraham papyrus.  We end this series by exploring some of the seemingly unscholarly and disingenuous tactics used by Book of Abraham apologists John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and Michael D. Rhodes to try to bolster belief in the Book of Abraham. Finally, a HUGE thanks to Bruce MacArthur for making this interview possible. Also, a MASSIVE thanks to RFM for co-hosting, Bill Reel for all of his great work over the years, along with all of the amazing scholars who helped me/us prepare for this interview, including: Mike Brown of the Mormon Stories Truth Claims essays, MormonThink, Jeremy Runnells and the CES Letter, Dan Vogel, Brent Metcalfe, Letter for my Wife, MormonInfoGraphics.com, this super cool video, and much much more content than I could ever fully list here. URGENT: Dr. Ritner is facing kidney failure and is in need of a living donor to secure his life and continued research. If you can help, please contact Dana McClain, Northwestern Medicine Transplant Coordinator, 312-695-0828. Living donors save lives!

URGENT: Dr. Ritner is facing kidney failure and is in need of a living donor to secure his life and continued research. If you can help, please contact Dana McClain, Northwestern Medicine Transplant Coordinator, 312-695-0828. Living donors save lives! ============ For more than a century Joseph Smith's Book of Abraham "translation" has been revered as holy scripture by devout Mormons, and denounced by all credible Egyptologists as a 100% erroneous translation -- a combination of Joseph Smith's imagination and some plagiarism (much like the Book of Mormon, the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, and the Mormon temple ceremony. The first major scholarly analysis and critique of the Book of Abraham by world-class Egyptologists came in 1912 and was published in the New York Times.  Of course this article was neither appropriately considered nor adequately addressed by LDS church leadership, and ultimately the issue faded from LDS church membership consciousness for several more decades. Beginning in 1966 with the rediscovery of the core Book of Abraham papyri fragments found in the archives of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (that were thought to have been lost in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire), Mormon apologists such as Hugh Nibley, John Gee, Daniel C. Peterson, Kerry Muhlestein, Michael D. Rhodes, and Brian Hauglid have attempted to employ apologetic tactics to rescue the Book of Abraham from a total loss of credibility - once credible translations of the papyrus demonstrated undeniably that Joseph Smith's "translation" was 100% inaccurate, and in fact, had nothing to do with Abraham at all.  In fact, the papyri were dated to be written over 1500 years after the time Abraham would have lived. For decades questioning, doubting, and non-believing Mormons have engaged with Mormon apologists like Nibley, Gee, Muhlestein, and Rhodes to determine the historicity and legitimacy of the Book of Abraham - with the credibility of Joseph Smith and the LDS church restoration hanging in the balance.  In spite of the LDS church's century-long efforts to either hide or convolute the issues surrounding the Book of Abraham, many Mormons have lost their faith and left the church over the Book of Abraham, as it is often listed as one of the primary reasons that Mormons lose their faith. While many orthodox, doubting, and post-Mormons have heard the opinions of pseudo-Egyptologists/Book of Abraham apologists like John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and Michael D. Rhodes, few Mormons or post-Mormons have actually heard the opinions of a legitimate, world-class Egyptologist about the historicity and credibility of the Book of Abraham - until today. Today, as a joint production of Mormon Stories Podcast and Radio Free Mormon podcast, we interview Dr. Robert Ritner.  Dr. Ritner is Professor of Egyptology at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and was from 1991-1996 the first Marilyn M. Simpson Assistant Professor of Egyptology at Yale University.  Dr. Ritner is the author of over 100 publications on Egyptian religion, magic, medicine, language and literature, as well as social and political history. He has lectured extensively on each of these topics throughout the United States, Europe and Egypt.  Ritner has led Oriental Institute tours of Egypt for 30 years.  He is also the author of The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition, and an essay entitled “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham” — A Response - written as a response to the LDS church's gospel topics essay on the Book of Abraham, which is deeply problematic according to Dr. Ritner. In today's sit-down with Dr. Ritner, we will discuss his upbringing in Houston, Texas, his scholarly background and the events that led to him becoming interested in the Book of Abraham.  We will provide a contextualizing history to the Book of Abraham story, and discuss in-depth Joseph Smith's completely erroneous translation of Facsimile 1 from the Book of Abraham.  We end this episode by beginning our exploration of some of the seemingly unscholarly, and disingenuous tactics used by Book of Abraham apologists John Gee and Terry Muhlestein to try to bloster belief in the Book of Abraham.  This episode represents the first in a series of interviews with Dr. Ritner.  In future episodes we will discuss the other Facsimillies, the Kirtland Egyptian Papers, the "cataylist" theory for the Book of Abraham, and finally a more in-depth look at the history of unscholarly, disingenuous, and utterly wasteful Book of Abraham apologetics by John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and Michael D. Rhodes.  We also plan to coordinate a direct discussion between Dr. John Gee and Dr. Robert Ritner (if John Gee accepts the invitation...if not...we have other plans). Finally, a HUGE thanks to Bruce MacArthur for making this interview possible. Also, a MASSIVE thanks to RFM for co-hosting, Bill Reel for all of his great work over the years, along with all of the amazing scholars who helped me/us prepare for this interview, including: Mike Brown of the Mormon Stories Truth Claims essays, Dan Vogel, Brent Metcalfe, MormonThink, Jeremy Runnells and the CES Letter, Letter for my Wife, MormonInfoGraphics.com, this super cool video, and much much more content than I could ever fully list here. URGENT: Dr. Ritner is facing kidney failure and is in need of a living donor to secure his life and continued research. If you can help, please contact Dana McClain, Northwestern Medicine Transplant Coordinator, 312-695-0828. Living donors save lives!

References:MormonThink.com article, Blacks and the Priesthood.The Salt Lake Tribune article, BYU Football: Remembering the Black 14 Protest.MormonThink.com article, Race and the Priesthood - Response to LDS.org.Smith, Joseph Jr., 1845, History of the Church, v. 5, pp. 21-218Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, page 250Smith, Joseph Fielding. Doctrines of Salvation, pp. 65-66The Book of Mormon (1830 edition)Salt Lake Tribune. June 8th 2020. Despite joining President Nelson in call to end racism, NAACP would like to see the LDS Church do more.

On this episode, we dive into the world of Masonry and Mormonism. In 1842, Joseph ascended to Master Mason “at-sight,” and seven weeks later revealed his Temple Endowment ceremony. If we view more of Joseph Smith’s timeline, we find Masonry was highly influential on the prophet from his earliest years, long before the Book of Mormon ever entered the public sphere. Cheryl Bruno, who is currently writing a book on Mormonism and Masonry, joins us periodically to help us walk through the history of these intertwining fields of philosophy. Links: Episode Regius Poem http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/regius.html History of Freemasonry http://www.msana.com/historyfm.asp MormonThink on Masonry and Mormonism http://www.mormonthink.com/temple.htm#masons William Morgan affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Morgan_(anti-Mason)#Aftermath:_the_anti-Masonic_movement Free Masonry its Pretensions Exposed https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=FAsAAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PR1 Dictionary of Symbolical Masonry Rev G. Oliver http://www.sacred-texts.com/mas/dun/dun09.htm Founding Fathers in Masonry http://freemasoninformation.com/masonic-education/famous/united-states-masonic-founding-fathers/ Age of Enlightenment and Freemasonry http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/freemasonry_enlightenment.html Masonic Presidents http://www.32nddegreemasons.org/what-is-the-scottish-rite/little-known-facts/ Scottish rite Order of High Priesthood http://www.travelingtemplar.com/2012/04/order-of-high-priesthood.html Order of Melchisedek http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/love.html Mormon Endowment and Masonic Ascendency comparison http://www.mormonismi.net/jamesdavid/masendow.htm Mormonism and Freemasonry comparison http://www.salamandersociety.com/foyer/masons/ Occult and Masonic Influence in Early Mormonism http://mit.irr.org/occultic-and-masonic-influence-in-early-mormonism Mason-Mormon ties: What’s fact, what’s fiction http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/faith/ci_3401255 Scott Gordon FairMormon Mormon Temples and Freemasonry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsbsG-kE2W0 Mormon Expression 144-145 http://redninjas.com/files/MormonExpression/ Other projects: Protect LDS Children documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zXcUQfuPaA&t=721s Mormon Satan, Brother of Jesus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yonzAxOLbBc Show Links: Website http://nakedmormonismpodcast.com Twitter @NakedMormonism Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-Mormonism/370003839816311 Patreon http://patreon.com/nakedmormonism Music by Jason Comeau http://aloststateofmind.com/ Show Artwork http://weirdmormonshit.com/ Legal Counsel http://patorrez.com/

On this episode, we start off with a discussion about the history of Mormon temples. This launches us into a discussion about the resources necessary to build such a structure, as well as how they paid for by the church. After that we discuss 6 pages in the History of the Church that sound balls to the walls crazy, I wonder what was in that anointing oil. This leads us into a question about a bigger Mormon history issue, is there a naturalistic explanation for the miraculous angel and dead prophet sightings of the Kirtland Temple dedication ceremony? The episode concludes with a discussion about Ollie and Joe’s friendship, as well as the overarching problem with Mormon Temples. Show links: Website http://nakedmormonismpodcast.com Twitter @NakedMormonism Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-Mormonism/370003839816311 Patreon http://patreon.com/nakedmormonism Outro music Jason Comeau http://aloststateofmind.com/ Show Artwork http://weirdmormonshit.com/   Links:   The Spirit of God – Mormon Tabernacle Choir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=608cbv7Qe_A   LDS Last Days Missouri Temple plat http://www.ldslastdays.com/default.aspx?page=talk_newjerusalem.htm   LDS History article on Kirtland Temple dedication https://history.lds.org/article/historic-sites-ohio-kirtland-temple-kirtland?lang=eng   Mormonthink article on Kirtland Temple dedication http://www.mormonthink.com/glossary/kirtlandtemplededication.htm   Jeremy Runnells excommunication video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNNfujkWFZI   Monster on Sunday – atheist metal http://monsteronsunday.com/   Tristan’s project – Where Babies Come From https://www.reverbnation.com/wherebabiescomefrom/songs

On this episode, we take a clean cut look at one largely controversial topic in Mormon history. Until 1978, no person having any black lineage could hold the priesthood, which denied them access to the highest kingdom of celestial heaven. Any black person that made it to heaven before the priesthood ban was lifted, was merely elevated to level of eternal servant (slave) of the white and delightsome men that make their own planets in the highest level of celestial heaven. What could have caused such a monumental shift in Mormon doctrine about blacks not having the priesthood? Turns out, the story is much more complicated than it first appears. Show links: Website http://nakedmormonismpodcast.com Twitter @NakedMormonism Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-Mormonism/370003839816311 Patreon http://patreon.com/nakedmormonism Outro music Jason Comeau http://aloststateofmind.com/ Show Artwork http://weirdmormonshit.com/ Links: Ishmael Brown of Angry Black Rant Podcast: http://angryblackrant.com/category/podcast/ Racist Mormon Quotes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tfHzyCXHiw Race and the Priesthood official LDS essay: https://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng MormonThink article refuting LDS essay: http://www.mormonthink.com/essays-race-priesthood.htm Church Minutes about Jane Manning: https://books.google.com/books?id=Pn20CgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA166&ots=J_3eYSrJ4x&dq=minutes%20Weekly%20Council%20Meetings%20of%20the%20Quorum%20of%20Twelve%20Apostles&pg=PA52#v=onepage&q&f=false Letter from a Doubter: https://leavingthegarden.wordpress.com/2016/04/06/letter-from-a-doubter/ October 1978 General Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR8YgVNwG4w&list=PLClOO0BdaFaOocnkPQzzUU3IvyTwOFaVR&index=6 Darius Gray on Deseret News 2014: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865605242/Black-LDS-leader-Darius-Gray-makes-contributes-to-Mormon-history.html?pg=all Darius Gray 2014 affirmation conference lecture: http://affirmation.org/darius-grays-keynote-speech-2014-affirmation-conference/ Official press release of ban lift: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Aul-kAQHnToC&dat=19780609&printsec=frontpage&hl=en LeGrand Richards Interview w/audio: http://thoughtsonthingsandstuff.com/the-legrand-richards-interview/ Transcription of interview clip: WALTERS: On this revelation, of the priesthood to the Negro, I’ve heard all kinds of stories: I’ve heard that Christ appeared to the Apostles. I’ve heard that Joseph Smith appeared; and then I heard another story that Spencer Kimball had had a concern about this for some time and simply shared it with the apostles, and they decided that this was the right time to move in that direction. Now are any of those stories true, or are they all… RICHARDS: Well, the last one is pretty true, and I might tell you what provoked it in a way. Down in Brazil, there is so much Negro blood in the population there that it’s hard to get leaders that don’t have Negro blood in them. We just built a temple down there. It’s going to be dedicated in October. All those people with Negro blood in them have been raising the money to build that temple. And then, if we don’t change, then they can’t even use it. So Brother Kimball worried about it, and he prayed a lot about it. He asked each one of us of the Twelve if we would pray – and we did – that the Lord would give him the inspiration to know what the will of the Lord was. And then he invited each one of us in his office – individually, because you know when you are in a group, you can’t always express everything that’s in your heart. You’re part of the group, you see – so he interviewed each one of us, personally, to see how we felt about it, and he asked us to pray about it. And then he asked each one of us to hand in all the references we had, for, or against that proposal. See, he was thinking favorably toward giving the colored people the priesthood. Then we had a meeting where we meet every week in the temple, and we discussed it as a group together, and then we prayed about it in our prayer circle, and then we held another prayer circle after the close of that meeting, and he (President Kimball) lead in the prayer; praying that the Lord would give us the inspiration that we needed to do the thing that would be pleasing to Him and for the blessing of His children. And then the next Thursday – we meet every Thursday – the Presidency came with this little document written out to make the announcement – to see how we’d feel about it – and present it in written form. Well, some of the members of the Twelve suggested a few changes in the announcement, and then in our meeting there we all voted in favor of it – the Twelve and the Presidency. One member of the Twelve, Mark Petersen, was down in South America, but Brother Benson, our President, had arranged to know where he could be reached by phone, and right while we were in that meeting in the temple, Brother Kimball talked with Brother Petersen, and read him this article, and he (Petersen) approved of it.

In this two-part episode, Lindsay Hansen Park, Brian Whitney, and Jon Grimes join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a discussion of how Mormon history is understood and engaged with among typical Latter-day Saints. How do non-historians understand the nature of the historian’s task, about how many different approaches to understanding history there are, each with its own types of lenses, each with different goals? In talking about particular incidents in the Mormon past, is the history book or article we are reading trying to tell a no-frills and highly detailed account of what transpired, or are they more interested in using that event or series of incidents to illustrate larger themes--or even to teach moral lessons? No historical text is "innocent"--every one reveals assumptions, methodologies, goals, and many other motivations in the historian’s mind alongside its accounts of whatever it is describing. With websites such as MormonThink and documents such as the Letter to a CES Director by Jeremy Runnells making such an impact on so many Latter-day Saints, it’s high time for discussions like this. In these influential presentations, who is present in the story, and who is not? What questions are being asked? Are they the best ones? What else might one ask the story or teaching under question? What assumptions lie below the approach? And perhaps the even more important to ask are questions of ourselves. Why are we reacting the way we do to these storytellings? Are our responses purely from the power of the textual presentations themselves, or are they validating for us deeper things that we’ve already been feeling, or are these texts helping us continue the important processes of breaking out of un-examined understandings? In many ways, history is a Rorschach test!

In this two-part episode, Lindsay Hansen Park, Brian Whitney, and Jon Grimes join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a discussion of how Mormon history is understood and engaged with among typical Latter-day Saints. How do non-historians understand the nature of the historian’s task, about how many different approaches to understanding history there are, each with its own types of lenses, each with different goals? In talking about particular incidents in the Mormon past, is the history book or article we are reading trying to tell a no-frills and highly detailed account of what transpired, or are they more interested in using that event or series of incidents to illustrate larger themes--or even to teach moral lessons? No historical text is "innocent"--every one reveals assumptions, methodologies, goals, and many other motivations in the historian’s mind alongside its accounts of whatever it is describing. With websites such as MormonThink and documents such as the Letter to a CES Director by Jeremy Runnells making such an impact on so many Latter-day Saints, it’s high time for discussions like this. In these influential presentations, who is present in the story, and who is not? What questions are being asked? Are they the best ones? What else might one ask the story or teaching under question? What assumptions lie below the approach? And perhaps the even more important to ask are questions of ourselves. Why are we reacting the way we do to these storytellings? Are our responses purely from the power of the textual presentations themselves, or are they validating for us deeper things that we’ve already been feeling, or are these texts helping us continue the important processes of breaking out of un-examined understandings? In many ways, history is a Rorschach test!

El 3 de mayo del 2013, MormonThink anunció en su sitio web que nos enteramos por medio de varias fuentes que la Iglesia SUD iba a lanzar una serie de 13 ensayos que abordarán temas históricos preocupantes que están causando que la gente dude y salga de la Iglesia. Los ensayos se enumeran en la sección de temas de LDS.org  Lea el ensayo completo en el blog de Pesquisas Mormonas.