MormonRenegade

So, when we talk about the revelations of Joseph Smith where does your mind go? If you’re anything like me, it goes to the Doctrine & Covenants. Now you’re not wrong in this but what if I said that there was a whole bunch more revelations and teachings from Joseph Smith that rarely ever get looked at because of the hours it would take to catalog and publish those teachings. Man, if only there was a guy who would want to endure that kind of pain to publish those things from Joseph……well luck for us there is. Drew Briney joins me again on the podcast as we talk about his new books the Forgotten Teachings and Insights of Joseph Smith. We talk about how the book came together, how he sourced all the material and how he went about putting the book together. We then go over a few pages of the book and along the way find ourselves in some pretty deep doctrinal discussions as we talk about the Forgotten Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

As followers of the Restoration we have a lot of things on our plates that require our attention. We have our callings and church responsibilities, temple work, missionary work, to just name a few and this is on top of just trying to work and raise our families and helping them obtain a testimony of the Restored Gospel. However, this does not excuse us from the other things the Lord has asked us to do. The Book of Mormon from the title page to Jarom, to 3rd Nephi tells us that we have to take the Fullness of the Gospel to Lehi’s posterity. Now let me ask you a question how good have we as Mormons, both LDS and Fundamentalists been at taking the Gospel to Lehi’s posterity? If you’re anything like I kind of shifted uncomfortably in my seat as I contemplated this question. Today on the podcast I have Jeff, Vanessa, & Sharis Alldredge on to talk about this subject. Along the way we cover Mormonism’s interactions with the Native Americans, How we have fallen down on this and what we must do if we desire the blessings of The Lord in the last days.

When you look at any society one of the things that binds those societies together are stories. It has been that way since man first gathered around a fire and talked with other people. Not only do those stories bind us together, they inform us and newcomers to the society what that particular society is about. Today on the podcast I have Christopher Blythe on talk about Mormon lore and stories. Now Christopher has a podcast named Angels & Seerstones that dives into this subject and is one of my favorite podcasts. During our conversation we talk about the importance of stories to society, why it is we find a little reluctance to talk about those stories, I share a very personal story of my own, and even end up exploring the dark side of stories and lore by talking about the Chad & Lori Daybell incident.

Renegade Supply Store: https://renegade-supply-shop.printify.me/products In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 24 verses 23 & 24 the Savior himself warns us in the last days that there would be many that would come along to try and deceive the followers of Christ. Well, I am not breaking any news here, but those days are here. Be that Phil Davis who started the doctrine of Christ movement, Denver Snuffer, or any other of the various leaders of some of these movements that have sprung up they all seem to have one thing in common and that is they all seem to claim an experience with the Savior without following the patterns & ordinances the Lord established through the Prophet Joseph Smith to have those experiences. Today on the podcast Taylor Smith joins me to talk about an essay that is in the works that tackles this very subject. Taylor breaks down the scriptures and teachings from Joseph Smith & other early Mormon leaders that clearly talks about the criteria needed to have experiences with the Second Comforter and shows that without certain ordinances those visitations are not possible. Now along the way we find that we touch on everything from the Adam-God Doctrine to Freemasonry. So buckle up for an epic conversation that just may spare you or your loved ones the pain of being deceived

Sometimes I think because we are a couple hundred years away from him we assume that Joseph Smith received revelation in a vacuum. Meaning that Joseph would just get revelation on a subject without ever having thought about the subject beforehand. Now I certainly am not saying that those types of revelation never happened, but I think history shows that many times revelation came as Joseph would ponder upon a subject then ask the Lord and then the revelation would come. Today I have Cheryl Bruno on the podcast as discuss Joseph Smith and Masonry. Now many of us in Mormonism get a little bit beat up over Joseph being a Mason by our evangelical brothers and sisters. Well today Cheryl puts some of this to rest as we discuss what masonry’s role was in 19th century America, what Joseph’s interactions were with Masonry, what it was he saw in masonry, and what it means for us as Mormons today. Now as unsettling as subject seems to be on the surface, I am sure by the end you will come out on the other side even more convinced of Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling.

Renegade Supply Store: https://renegade-supply-shop.printify.me/products If your Mormon, and when I say that I mean anyone who is LDS, Fundamentalist, or any of the other various branches there are certain doctrines within the Restored Gospel that make Mormonism what it is. Now many if not all of those unique Mormon doctrines can be traced right back to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Now one sermon Preached by Joseph Smith specifically has shaped Mormon beliefs and thoughts perhaps more than any other. In the spring of 1844 Joseph Smith delivered the King Follett discourse and forever changed the trajectory of Mormonism. Today on the podcast I have Ben Shaffer back on the podcast and we have a discussion about what was taught in the discourse, what it means for us today and the impact it has had on Mormon doctrine and thought at large

Renegade Supply Store: https://renegade-supply-shop.printify.me/products https://theheartlandresearchgroup.org Archeology is the study of human history and prehistory. A couple of principles within archeology that should interest us as Mormons are migrations (the study of historical human migrations) and diffusion (the study of how human ideas and practices are transmitted from one distinct group of people to another). If the Book of Mormon is true, we should expect to see at least echo’s of migration and diffusion in the Americas. Now what if I told you that there seems to be some evidence of migration and diffusion between ancient America and Carthage (modern-day Tunisia)? Interested yet? Well, what if I also told you that that same evidence might also have a connection to the story of Mulek in the Book of Mormon? I bet if your anything like me you’re interested now. There are a group of people from very different walks of life who have come together to study this evidence. They are John Lefgren, Mike & Betty LaFontaine, Blaise Colasante, & all the way from Tunisia Eryj Ben Sassi and they all join me on the podcast today to discuss their findings that if correct could not only change the historical narrative of the United States but also could lend evidence for the historicity of the Book of Mormon.

One of the things that often rocks the testimony of Mormons is when the historicity of the Book of Mormon is questioned, and it appears that there are some conflicts between science and the Book of Mormon. The truth is however that usually what is thrown into question isn’t the historicity of the Book of Mormon itself but rather narratives that we as individuals read into the text. This is never more on display than when the issue of DNA raised as a critique to the Book of Mormon. I mean if the Book of Mormon is true and details the account of a Middle Eastern family’s settlement of a portion of the New World, we should expect that DNA from Middle Eastern people and some native American populations should match right? Well maybe not as much as you would think. Ken Peterson joins me again on the podcast to break all of this down. By the end I think you might find out like I did that many of the so-called conflicts between the Book of Mormon and DNA research are more conflicts between the narratives we read into the Book of Mormon and the DNA research then with the text itself.

Renegade Supply Store: https://renegade-supply-shop.printify.me/products Well, there’s a lot happening in the world in the coming weeks and months. We have the eclipse happening the day this episode will drop, an upcoming presidential election that promises to be the most if not one of the most contentious in our nation’s history, two proxy wars we are involved in and economic and social instability at home. As I have the opportunity to talk to a number of different people from all sorts of faith traditions the one thing that always comes through to those people even a little bit tuned into to God and that is that there isa feeling that we are hurtling towards an event. Now while it is true that no man know man knows the day or hour of the Saviors return the Lord in his mercy has given us some signs to look for that will give us an indication on where we are at along the road. One of those signs are talked about in Doctrine & Covenants section 13 where the Lord talks about the Sons of Levi offering up sacrifices again in righteousness. What if I told you that one of the big barriers to that happening has been removed? Today on the podcast Joshua Erickson joins me to have a conversation about the re-emergence of the Red Heifer. We talk about the animal’s significance in the Old Testament, The animals re-emergence and the miraculous events surrounding its reappearance, why the red heifer is necessary, and even how this animal was a catalyst for the Hamas attack in Israel back in October, and finally what all this could mean in regards to the Saviors return.

Renegade Supply Store: https://renegade-supply-shop.printify.me/products So there has been a lot of revisionist history that has made its way into Mormon circles as of late in conjunction with this, it has required those pushing these false narratives to either twist or flat out lie about what the scriptures say. With this in mind I want to address some of the lies and wishful thinking. One of the more pernicious ideas is that scripture denounces the practice of celestial plural marriage. Well today I have Jacob Vidrine back on the podcast to address this idea. Jacob and I will breakdown the scriptures (in context) to give you a fuller picture of what the scriptures have to say and not say about the practice of celestial plural marriage. Towards the end of the podcast, I name names of those pushing this narrative and also the repercussions of buying into those lies. Grab a pen and paper to take some notes so you can push back on these lies when they arise.

One of the things we as fundamentalists and even traditional LDS folks fight against is stereotypes. Some of the worst stereotypes are reserved for women who are fundamentalists or are traditional LDS. You hear the same accusations all the time. “They all where prairie dresses, they must be so beaten down and oppressed, they must not be educated if they choose to live that way and the list goes on and on” Well I think those who hold and perpetuate those stereotypes are about to have some serious push back. On this Episode I have on five women from various backgrounds in Mormon fundamentalism to talk about their experiences as women within fundamentalism. They are Anne Hatch, Andrea Jessop, Charlotte Erickson, Melissa Erickson, & Teresa. At the end of this conversation I think those stereotypes will be shattered. So buckle up as I get to go to Relief Society

As Mormons, whatever branch you might be part of we all have a special commission. We have our personal callings that the Lord gives us, but we also have one that is universal to us all and that is to be the people to help others come to know Christ. As time gets shorter and Gods work continues to hasten, we must be the people that can effectively minister to others. To do this however means that we must be as spiritually heathy as we can be. This means we must clean out the crap in our lives. With that in mind I wanted to go over a few principles that I believe can helps us do that. To help me with this series I am bringing Liz Bradley back on the podcast for this series. Liz is life coach who approaches emotional health from Gospel centered point of view. Today Liz and I have a conversation about forgiveness. As we have our conversation it becomes apparent that this principle might be ground zero to help us have healthier relationships and free us up to become the people we need in these last days.

Renegade Supply Sore: https://renegade-supply-shop.printify.me/products So about ten years ago I remember sitting around the dinner table with my kids and I remember they said something about the Founding Fathers that was just patently false. I asked where they heard such a thing and they said school. This caused me to look at their curriculum and what I discovered was that certain power brokers on the left had infiltrated public schools and one of their agendas was to discredit the founders so they could “progress” past the constitution. Unfortunately, we are now seeing the same thing happening to Mormonism. There is a movement right now within Mormonism (The Doctrine of Christ Group) that is doing at best revisionist history and at worst just telling flat out lies about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor and others that were so influential and vital to the Restoration in those early days. They are doing this to discredit that early leadership, by discrediting them they then can turn the Restored Gospel into something that appeals more to their own hearts desires. This type of tactic is not only wrong but insidious. Now a while back Justin Griffin and Taylor Smith had a debate about Griffin’s movie “Who Killed Joseph Smith” where Griffin accuses John Taylor & Willard Richards of killing Hyrum & Joseph. But darn it wouldn’t you know it Griffin marked that debate as private. Well, no need to worry because Taylor still has his copy and is still available on his YouTube Chanel. Today Taylor joins me on the podcast to have a discussion about the debate. During the course of our conversation, as we breakdown the high points of that debate I think it will become apparent why Griffin might not want this out and circulating. Oh, and just for good measure I have included the link to the full debate in the show notes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdeoB5I0V7A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzINMcws8zM

So here we are at the conclusion of the series on the Life & Times Of John W. Taylor. As Michael Ness finish up our conversation there is some amazing historical information dropped that should forever change the conversation around how much Joseph F. Smith new about Post-Manifesto Plural Marriage during his administration. We then dive into the fall out of John W. Taylors excommunication, Francis Lyman’s inquisition of those living and solemnizing plural marriages and along the way there is some pretty pointed questions asked about Mormon hierarchy during this time, and we wrap it all up by talking about what John W. Taylors impact was on not only Mormon Fundamentalists but also the LDS Church as well.

Well some big stuff happened in Mormonism this week. The LDS Church has purchased several historical sites including the Kirtland Temple from the Community of Christ. To help me break this down I have a on gentleman that really needs no introduction in Mormonism. Rod Meldrum joins me on the podcast today to discuss the LDS Churches recent purchase. In our conversation we cover what the LDS Church purchased in Kirtland and Nauvoo, The notable events and significance of those places with in Mormon history, What this means for the world of Mormonism, and along the way Rod drops some pretty fascinating information on the Podcast about the Smith family cemetery that will blow your mind.

Back in 2015 there was a letter that was published that shook many peoples testimony of the Restored Gospel. That letter was authored by a man named Jeremy Runnells and was addressed to an employee of the Church Educational System that letter became known as the CES letter. In the letter Mr. Runnels attacks foundational truth claims of the Restored Gospel and Joseph Smith. On this episode I have on Sarah Allen. Sarah is a life-long devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a volunteer for Fair Mormon which is a group dedicated to providing informed well documented answers to Gospel questions. In our conversation Sarah provides well documented and accurate historical data to refute some of the letters most well-known accusations. Stick around to get equipped to defend the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Joseph Smith gets judged harshly by historians and ex-Mormons alike. They will often employ tactics such a presentism to make their arguments. This is where we try to take historical figures out of the time in which they lived and judge them based on our own times. The result is a slanted view of history without considering historical context. Also, when it comes to Joseph Smith’s plural marriage historians and ex-Mormons paint Joseph Smith as a predator preying on the women that would become his wives. The shocking truth is when you read the words of his wives you soon conclude that they were not victims of a predator but strong, faithful, articulate women. This inconvenient fact then leads to the conclusion that Joseph Smith was not the sexual predator that some have supposed. On this episode I have Hannah Stoddard back on the podcast to talk about her new book which is a biography of perhaps his most controversial wife Helen Mar Kimball. As always Hannah breaks down her life in a scholarly way taking into account historical context and using primary sources to tell the tale of her life. Stick around for fascinating conversation that will be sure to change some minds on this wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

For many years if you were a Mormon who wanted to practice Mormonism outside the mainstream LDS Church you could bet that you would encounter push back. Well today we live in a different world where that push back for the most part is gone. Now this is all well and good but we who enjoy being able to live Mormonism outside the LDS Church owe a debt of gratitude to those older generations that have preserved the truth for us. The best way I can think of repaying that debt is to now come out of the shadows and let our voices be heard. Today I sit down and have a conversation with a woman trying to do just that. Sara Decker comes on to talk about her new podcast “From The Dust”. We talk about here experience in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, How & why she made the decision to separate from the LDS Church, Where she got the idea to make a podcast, & what the podcast will cover. Along the way we stop to discuss a wide range of Gospel Principles.

So, the second or third episode I ever did of this podcast was about me. After a few months I just didn’t like it, so I took it down. I also never wanted the podcast to be about me, I wanted it to be about Mormon history and Mormon doctrine. Well fast forward a year and a half and I have had several requests for that episode. About the same time, I was approached by Greg Knight about him interviewing me for his magazine The Fundamentalist. So, I thought “well crap let’s kill two birds with one stone and combine the two.” So today I am publishing that interview. So, if you ever wanted to know how I got behind this mic here ya go. That’s next on this episode of the MRP.

Ok this is this will be the last episode I will do on this subject for the for seeable future. I have Taylor Smith on the podcast to discuss two new websites that contains two essays he wrote about race and the priesthood. Those websites are https://blacksandthepriesthood.com and https://priesthoodban.com. We cover the essays themselves focusing on The Historical, Scriptural, Rational, and Revelatory Examinations. Now since last week’s episode I have received countless messages and emails asking what my thoughts on the issue you are. Well first I want to say that it shouldn’t matter what I think, I am not your priest, rabbi, bishop, or prophet. These are issues that folks need to study for themselves, pray about and then get their own answers, however at the end I will tell the audience where I land on this.

Well today is a first for the podcast. This is the first time that I try and moderate a debate. The two men that are debating should be very familiar to the audience, they are Justin Francom and Jacob Vidrine. Now not only are you about to get a master class in Mormon history and theology but Jacob and Justin exhibit how disagree passionately and not be hateful while doing so. The topic of the debate is the Priesthood Ban. In the debate Justin & Jacob debate the Identity of Canaanites? What is The Curse of Cain? Who Revealed The Priesthood Ban in Church History, How The Ban Was Revealed and is the Priesthood Ban and the Doctrines That Surround It Really What We Have Been Taught They Were All These Years? Buckle up for a wild ride on this episode of the MRP

Ok if you haven’t gone to the Mormon Renegdae Patreon Page and signed up for at least the 6 dollar package you might want to do that for this episode. One of the tactics commonly used by detractors of the Restored Gospel is to call into question the veracity of the Book of Abraham. They will tell you that it was simply a work of fiction based on the imagination of the Prophet Joseph Smith when he bought some Mummies. However, those detractors aren’t giving you the full story or being completely forth coming with all the evidence. This serves to cause some people to doubt and lose their testimony of the Restored Gospel without ever hearing the full story. Well on this episode I have Ken Peterson back on the podcast and we are going to do our best Paul Harvey and give the rest of the story on the Book of Abraham with all the information in context. By the end of this podcast, you will be able to come away not only still believing in the Book of Abraham but also knowing that the books historicity is not in doubt.

No matter who I talk to, folks from the LDS Church, Mormon Fundamentalists, Baptists, Lutherans, or Catholics one thing seems to be very evident and that is if we are tuned in even a little bit to God we all have the sense that society and the world are hurtling towards an event that feels like it is picking up speed and intensity. Now if we are a religion that focuses on Jesus Christ our minds naturally and rightfully so turn to His Second Coming. Today on the podcast I have on Morgan Philpot. Morgan is a former attorney and Utah Legislator. Because he has been in these circles and is also a devout follower of the Savior, he has some pretty interesting insights. Morgan has put together a really compelling timeline for last days events that I think is worth some conversation. In this episode we have a discussion about that timeline as we explore these themes we also touch on Ezra’s Eagle, and also some striking parallels between the southern kingdom of Judah and also some events from third Nephi to modern day Utah. As Morgan draws these parallels, they point to some things happening to Utah that is not ideal. Towards the end of this episode, I make a major announcement concerning me and my family so you will want to stick around for that for sure.

Ok I got an amazing conversation for you today. If you remember back to the first episode, I ever did Drew Briney it was about an amazing project that he was working on making an annotated version of the Doctrine & Covenants. Well today Drew comes back on to the podcast to have a conversation about the latest installment of that project, D&C 42. D&C 42 is all about Consecration and United Order. As we breakdown how Drew went about annotating this particular section, we dive head long into what the early leaders of the LDS Church thought about these principles, how it was lived in both the Missouri & Utah periods and what our responsibilities we have as Mormons today have in regards to Consecration & United Order.

I firmly believe that what our nation is facing right is all do to a plan that was enacted almost one hundred years ago. The progressives sought to “help society progress past the constitution”. Now these people were patient. However, every so often during that one hundred there would be moments that the plan would be accelerated. I believe the decade of the 1960’s were one of those times. Now while certainly most people in America during the sixties were still conservative it would be a time when we could start to see the fabric of society begin to fray. Now we find ourselves in a place where the Haight-Ashbury type hippies of that decade are now in control of the government. To understand the problem fully and come up with a solution we must look back at the problem. On this episode I am joined by author Jonathan Leaf. Jonathan has written a book titled “The Politically Incorrect Guide To The Sixties. During our conversation we break down some of the ideas and political policies that have changed our society forever.