Mormon Stories Podcast

Latest Episodes:

1421: Remembering Mark Hofmann - Shannon Flynn Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

Join us as we talk to Shannon Flynn, who was an associate of bomber and forger Mark Hofmann, as well as a major figure in the new Netflix documentary "Murder Among the Mormons."

1420: Natasha Helfer’s Apostasy Trial for Sexual Health Advocacy Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Please join us now as we interview Marriage and Sex therapist Natasha Helfer as she discusses her pending Mormon disciplinary council for apostasy.

Natasha Helfer's membership council is taking place on April 18th at 7:30 pm central time zone. How you can support Natasha:

Write letters of support to President Stephen Daley,
Attend the council itself as an "approved" participant or in a more general way (details below),
Sign a mental health professional letter that is currently being drafted (if this is your profession) - please contact Lisa Butterworth to sign this, and
Spread the word on social media.

Contact information:

Derby, Kansas Stake President: Stephen Daley: stevemdaley@gmail.com
Natasha Helfer, LCMFT, CST, CST-S: natashahelfermft@gmail.com
Lisa Butterworth, LCPC, NCC: lisabutterworth@gmail.com

Event taking place at the Derby, Kansas Stake.

1419: Remembering Lyn Jacobs - Associate of Mark Hofmann Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Today we have Shannon Flynn and Tonya and Scott Reiter in studio to remember the life of their friend, Lyn Jacob’s, associate of Mormon forger and bomber Mark Hofmann.

1418: The Future of Mormonism - Roger Hendrix Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

Returning Mormon Stories Podcast guest, Roger Hendrix, is a former LDS Bishop, Mission President, and CES director, and was also called by Gorden B. Hinkley as a Trustee for the Deseret Trust Company for 18 years. And as if that weren't enough, Roger also worked as a business Management Consultant for 35 years, and did a syndicated daily radio commentary on social, political, and economic trends for nine years.

Join Roger and myself today as we provide an analysis of the LDS church as a multi-billion-dollar corporation, and discuss "the future of Mormonism" - as Roger sees it.

Books by Roger Hendrix:

Bend, Create, and Plan Your Future, author Roger Hendrix
Choosing the Dream, The future of Religion in American Public Life. Co- authored with Fred Gedicks
Leverage Point, a novel written with Gerald Lund.
The Idea Economy, Why your ideas will have to create personal wealth and hope in an age of uncertainty. Co- authored with Rob Brazell.

1417: Unlearning Mormon Misogyny Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

For as long as the Mormon Internet has existed, Ex-Mormon women have been expressing concerns about abusive behavior by Ex-Mormon men.

Today a panel of Ex-Mormon women come together on Mormon Stories Podcast to introduce athe following six concepts: 1) Consent, 2) Deference to Patriarchy, 3) Gender Roles, 4) Modesty, 5) Sex Shaming, and 6) Victim Blaming.

The intent of this episode is to help educate Ex-Mormon men about how to treat Ex-Mormon women, particularly online and in Ex-Mormon communities.

Participants in the panel are: Hannah Dunnigan, Sarah Hess, Margaret Frances Phillips, and Elisha Lee.

1416: Title IX, BYU, Religious Colleges, and LGBTQ Discrimination Apr 06, 2021

Show notes

Since Title IX passed in 1972 to prevent sex discrimination under any education program receiving Federal financial assistance, the religious exemption clause has gone virtually unchaellenched. For decades, the Department of Educations has granted Title IX exemptions allowing dozens of religious colleges like BYU and Liberty University to discriminate based on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, even when they receive millions of taxpayer dollars every single year.

Join us today at 4:00 pm MT as we interview attorney Paul Southwick, Chandler Horning (BYU) and Luke Wilson (Liberty University), about their groundbreaking class action lawsuit filed against the Department of Education. Chandler and Luke are among 33 former and current students from different federally-funded religious colleges who have been harmed by their discriminatory policies. The lawsuit argues that the Title IX religious exemptions “as applied to sexual and gender minority students, is unconstitutional and that the Department must enforce the protections of Title IX at all taxpayer-funded educational institutions, including at those institutions that discriminate and cause harm on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs.”

1415: Carah Burrell - TikTok's "Nuancehoe" Apr 05, 2021

Show notes

Join me today as I interview Carah Burrell (TikTok's "Nuancehoe") who has quickly became one of the most notable (and hilarious) ex-Mormons on social media right now!

In addition to her great success on TikTok, Carah also has a very interesting Mormon story - from her unique upbringing in the church, to her experiences navigating the LA comedy scene with her husband, as a young mormon couple. Carah also had the opportunity to work for the LDS church's public relations department, which has further added to her interesting perspective on the Mormon church.

You can check out some of Carah's work here:

1414: Mark Naugle - QuitMormon.com Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

Join me today as I interview Salt Lake City lawyer, Mark Naugle, who developed the website QuitMormon.com - which aims to give former Mormons a more streamlined way to resign their membership from the LDS church, without the need to meet with a church authority figure. Since 2015, Mark has filed over 80,000 legal resignation letters with the LDS church. However, in response to his website, the church recently changed the terms to now require a notarized letter in order to apply for resignation.

Listen along to hear Mark's personal story, how QuitMormon.com came to be, and what he is doing now to continually challenge the LDS church on this issue.

1413: What Happens When a Mormon Bishop & Single Mom Fall in Love - Matthew & Elizabeth Shakespear Pt. 2 Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

What happens when a Mormon bishop falls in love with a member of his congregation? How could this happen?
What situation would make a divorced single mother returning to Mormon church activity fall in love with her married bishop?
In what ways does the calling of Mormon bishop, including both excessive time demands on the Bishop and the practice of one-on-one "worthiness" interviews with single women, put excessive strain on bishops, their marriages, and their families - making infidelity more likely?
Should divorced single women (or anyone for that matter) seek life counseling from a Mormon bishop? Are bishops trained and qualified to do life counseling?
How could a bishop and a divorced single mother come to believe that they were both engaged in a God-approved polygamous relationship? Does a story like this help us better understand the Chad Daybell / Lori Vallow story, or the Joseph Smith story?
What happens when a Mormon bishop loses his faith, while he is serving as bishop? What type of pressure does that put on the bishop, his wife, and their family?
What is it like to be viewed as "the mistress" in a public relationship that is viewed as scandalous (i.e., a Mormon bishops falls in love with a ward member, loses his faith, asks to be released, and the entire ward/stake knows)?
What happens when a Mormon stake president is forced to release a Mormon bishop early? What types of pressure does this situation put on the stake president, the ward, the bishop, and the bishop's family? How does the Mormon church handle such situations?
If you happen to fall in love with someone who isn't your spouse mid-life, how do you decide whether to stay in the struggling or failed marriage to improve it vs. leave the marriage to seek greater joy/fulfillment? Is there ever a time to "cut your losses" in a marriage and move on, or should most/all marriages be preserved at virtually all cost?
Can 2nd marriages work, with all the complexities of divorce, ex-spouses, step-children, etc.? Or are they generally doomed to fail?
How in the world do you ever heal from a lifetime of trauma as a Mormon? Is healing and growth possible? If so, what are some resources that can be helpful?

Today's epic two-part Mormon stories interview with Matthew and Elizabeth explores all of these questions, and much, much more. Buckle in for a 7+ hour in-depth interview.

I promise you that you will not be disappointed with these two strong, vulnerable, inspiring humans.

1412: What Happens When a Mormon Bishop Loses His Faith - Matthew & Elizabeth Shakespear Pt. 1 Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

What happens when a Mormon bishop falls in love with a member of his congregation? How could this happen?
What situation would make a divorced single mother returning to Mormon church activity fall in love with her married bishop?
In what ways does the calling of Mormon bishop, including both excessive time demands on the Bishop and the practice of one-on-one "worthiness" interviews with single women, put excessive strain on bishops, their marriages, and their families - making infidelity more likely?
Should divorced single women (or anyone for that matter) seek life counseling from a Mormon bishop? Are bishops trained and qualified to do life counseling?
How could a bishop and a divorced single mother come to believe that they were both engaged in a God-approved polygamous relationship? Does a story like this help us better understand the Chad Daybell / Lori Vallow story, or the Joseph Smith story?
What happens when a Mormon bishop loses his faith, while he is serving as bishop? What type of pressure does that put on the bishop, his wife, and their family?
What is it like to be viewed as "the mistress" in a public relationship that is viewed as scandalous (i.e., a Mormon bishops falls in love with a ward member, loses his faith, asks to be released, and the entire ward/stake knows)?
What happens when a Mormon stake president is forced to release a Mormon bishop early? What types of pressure does this situation put on the stake president, the ward, the bishop, and the bishop's family? How does the Mormon church handle such situations?
If you happen to fall in love with someone who isn't your spouse mid-life, how do you decide whether to stay in the struggling or failed marriage to improve it vs. leave the marriage to seek greater joy/fulfillment? Is there ever a time to "cut your losses" in a marriage and move on, or should most/all marriages be preserved at virtually all cost?
Can 2nd marriages work, with all the complexities of divorce, ex-spouses, step-children, etc.? Or are they generally doomed to fail?
How in the world do you ever heal from a lifetime of trauma as a Mormon? Is healing and growth possible? If so, what are some resources that can be helpful?

Today's epic two-part Mormon stories interview with Matthew and Elizabeth explores all of these questions, and much, much more. Buckle in for a 7+ hour in-depth interview.

I promise you that you will not be disappointed with these two strong, vulnerable, inspiring humans.

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