A former seminary teacher got the opportunity to present lots of his questions to the Church Historian recently. Wait till you hear what happened!
RESOURCES:
Transcript – http://radiofreemormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ELDER-BALLARD-BLOWS-UP-THE-CHURCH-TRANSCRIPT.pdf
Episode – https://radiofreemormon.org/2017/11/radio-free-mormon-021-elder-ballard-blows-church/
https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/prophets-and-fallibility/
https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/the-mormon-truth-crisis/
https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/the-mormon-paradox/
Joe’s Document “In Defense of Doubt” – https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/In-Defense-of-Doubt-Final.pdf
Elder McKay’s Letter back to him – https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/Elder-McKays-Letter.pdf
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Love the podcasts, left the church a little over a year ago and been retroactively binging yours, Rameumpton Ruminations, Mormon Stories (some, there is a lot), and John larsons work at Mormon expressions since all of it helps me feel more immersed and broadens my perspective with each listen.
I honestly want to apologize for something you don’t even know happened, but I had said some cruel things about your and Bills show years ago when I lived in Utah and someone asked if I had heard of Mormon discussions and I listened to the beginning of an episode and heard something that didn’t conform to my then beliefs and I looked up any apologetic to slander what truth you’re attempting to share. I am sorry
Wish you the best , thank you for your incredible work
Just a quick note on Lyman Wight. He was a very close friend and associate of Joseph Smith and a member of the Q12. Before Smith’s death, he had asked Wight to take a group to Texas and explore the possibility of relocating the church there. He spent time near Austin, Marble Falls, and Bandera, but his most enduring impact was establishing the settlement of Zodiac near Fredericksburg. Never rejoined the Utah saints and was either disfellowshipped or ex’d by B. Young. Never went to New Braunfels to the best of my knowledge.
Great program today!
Stephen
Thanks, Stephen! I confused New Braunfels (which south of Austin) with Fredericksburg (which is west of Austin).
It was in Fredericksburg I saw the commemorative plaque. Thanks again!
I was fascinated by this discussion with Elder McKay. Something that he said, regarding polygamy really sent up the red flag for me. Kind of a throwaway comment that was said very glibly. He said something to the effect of “it was messy getting in, it worked for a while, and then it was messy getting out.” That small comment—“it worked for awhile” is Huge. That is why thinking women in the church hate polygamy. Because there is ALWAYS the threat of it coming back. Or even just the “eternal polygamy” scheme that the top leaders are participating in. It drives me insane that so many men in the church are always so dismissive of the destructive pattern of subjugation and unequal status that the idea, let alone the implementation, of polygamy continues to promote. Women most likely will never truly be equal in this place unless these types of patterns of thought and glib statements are considered hateful. Polygamy is the poison that keeps
on giving.
17. 6. 23
(Hello from Europe), this is an interesting discussion; I personally think that the lds-church is in the middle of a research-process, where old patterns are now slowly replaced through new insights. Why it took so long for the church to do this will also be an interersting question of research (in the future).
One always has to keep in mind (in my opinion) that the figures of this `drama´ were people of the early 19th century who were in a total different state of consciousness and mentality than we today.
And as the book series „Saints“ showed – the (lds) church will always take care that the members have a soft landing on the ground of hard and inconvenient facts of history – (that is maybe why they chose to present the whole thing in an easy reading novel-form). It seems that Joseph Smith as a figure of religous history will still keep the historians/scholars busy in the next future; but there is maybe some hope: the protestants had to change/rewrite/reconsider the picture of their founder –M. Luther- as well several times over the last centuries – and do still exist as church(es).
It was also very interesting to hear the (very personal) story of this former seminary-teacher and (the conversation he had): good luck on (for) your spiritual journey! „Courage, meine Herren, ich sehe Land.“ (Immanuel Kant. In: M. Geier, Kants Welt, S. 97. Rowohlt 2005)
(P.S.: Sorry for my horrible English.)
I have the proof that the Indians were started as Egyptians, building a huge boat and crossing the ocean using currents, lights in the sky, and wind. “7500 years ago, that was impossible for them, oh yeah, you grand grand father was Noah, and they saw the ship and learned enough to cross the ocean and land in front of my house and God slammed me with so much, I didn’t have any choice,I couldn’t get away from what I need to do even if this could cost me my life, Jesus died for me, I will die for Him showing liars to be liars. I am starting the war which will put a dagger in the heart of Moroni, the demon that led so many away from God. Look for my price on YouTube, I just put my first 2 on.