Mormon Stories Podcast

Latest Episodes:

558: Building Progressive and Post-Mormon Communities based on Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind with Dr. Dave Christian Aug 28, 2015

Show notes

Building Progressive and Post-Mormon Communities based on Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind with Dr. Dave Christian.

557: Dr. Dave Christian on Epistemology and Orson Wright, the Polygamous Mission President Aug 24, 2015

Show notes

Dr. Dave Christian has served as a psychologist to believing and post-Mormons for decades.

In this episode, Dave begins by discussing his LDS pioneer ancestry, and his early years in the LDS church as a faithful, science-loving boy from St. George. He then discusses early doubts he began to have regarding his LDS faith as he explored the field of epistemology (the study of how we know things). In spite of these doubts, Dave chose to serve an LDS mission in the Australia Sydney Mission (1979 to 1981 timeframe), and during this time struggled with the pressure tactics employed by his mission president (Orson Wright). Ultimately, to Dave's surprise, Orson Wright was removed from the mission for propositioning the sister missionaries of the mission to be his polygamous wives -- and the reasons for President Wright's removal from the mission were covered up by LDS Church leadership including Thomas S. Monson and Joseph B. Wirthlin.

This episode provides a fascinating look into the issues of: 1) how we come to feel as though we "know" things, and 2) how LDS church members (and members of other religious faiths) can be manipulated into claiming religious knowledge through emotional means.

Dr. Christian is available to provide psychotherapy in Utah, and Skype-based coaching outside of Utah. To contact Dr. Christian for an appointment, check out his contact information here.

556: What Progressive Mormons Want with Julienna Viegas-Haws Part 2 Aug 17, 2015

Show notes

Julienna Viegas-Haws has a fascinating story. Her mother is from the Belgian Congo. She was raised in Belgium. Her mother converted to the LDS Church when Julienna was a child, and credits the LDS church with saving her life. Julienna was raised a highly devout Mormon girl in Belgium, and served a mission on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.

After a life of full devotion to the LDS Church, Julinenna began to experience cracks in her orthodoxy testimony when her husband began questioning/doubting the LDS Church's truth claims.

While Julienna remains committed to LDS Church activity, she recently penned an article with the Salt Lake Tribune entitled "What do progressive Mormons want? A dialogue about change."

In this two-part episode for Mormon Stories Podcast Julienna tells her story, and discusses possible changes that the LDS Church can make to become a healthier organization for its members.

555: What Progressive Mormons Want with Julienna Viegas-Haws Part 1 Aug 17, 2015

Show notes

After a life of full devotion to the LDS Church, Julinenna began to experience cracks in her orthodoxy testimony when her husband began questioning/doubting the LDS Church's truth claims.

While Julienna remains committed to LDS Church activity, she recently penned an article with the Salt Lake Tribune entitled "What do progressive Mormons want? A dialogue about change."

In this two-part episode for Mormon Stories Podcast Julienna tells her story, and discusses possible changes that the LDS Church can make to become a healthier organization for its members.

554: Sermon for the First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City Aug 12, 2015

Show notes

On August 2, 2015 I was asked to deliver the sermon for the First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City, Utah. The topic was my experiences as a Mormon that led up to my excommunication.

553: My Interview with Friendly Atheist Podcast Aug 10, 2015

Show notes

My appearance on the Friendly Atheist podcast with Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke.

Hemant Mehta is the editor of Friendly Atheist, appears on the Atheist Voice channel on YouTube, and co-hosts the uniquely-named Friendly Atheist Podcast. He is a former National Board Certified high school math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago, where he taught for seven years.

Jessica Bluemke is a contributor to Friendly Atheist and a graduate of Ball State University. She lives on the north side of Chicago and performs stand-up comedy in her free time.