Mormon History Guy

Is the Mormon emphasis on religious liberty rooted in anything other than the considerations of 21st-century America?  Neither fully American, Christian, nor white, Mormons found themselves at the margins of antebellum American life, compelled to advocate for their own claims to Constitutional protection when state and federal government officials failed them. In this episode, Dr. Spencer McBride discusses Joseph Smith as a champion for religious liberty and discuss how Joseph Smith’s presidential campaign reveals the difficulty faced by religious minorities. His book on Joseph Smith and the plight for religious minorities is currently under contract with Oxford University Press. The post Podcast #17: Joseph Smith and Religious Liberty with Dr. Spencer McBride appeared first on Mormon History Guy. The post Podcast #17: Joseph Smith and Religious Liberty with Dr. Spencer McBride appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

A Family Home Evening Lesson on Martin Luther King Day

In this episode, I interview Danor Gerald, an African-American working actor in Utah commissioned to play the role of Elijah Able[s] in new official LDS Church productions. Given Ables’ position as one of a few black priesthood holders prior to the implementation of the priesthood restriction, the moves represents a marked shift towards a reckoning with a past that is anything but clean. I discuss Gerald’s work as a black actor in Utah and the significance of the Church’s move to dramatize Ables for the public eye.  A story both personal and historical, Gerald offers us an intriguing look into how the LDS Church is taking steps to present an important chapter in Mormon history heretofore left neglected in Mormonism’s public discourse. The post Podcast #16: The Man Who Plays Elijah-An Interview with Danor Gerald appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

On March 8, Russell Stevenson, along with Blacks in the Scriptures and Northstar, sponsored a special event devoted to discussing how the LGBT/SSA/transgender and African-American communities have endeavored to uphold their faith in the face of systemic marginalization.  Participants included Nick Gregory, an active transgender Latter-day Saint, Rod Olson, an active gay Mormon living in Los Angeles, and Marvin Perkins, an African-American Latter-day Saint man and producer of Blacks in the Scriptures. You will also hear stunning musical performances from Catherine Papworth, Rashida Jordan, and Cherie Call. The post Podcast #15: Of One Heart and One Mind Fireside appeared first on Mormon History Guy. The post Podcast #15: Of One Heart and One Mind Fireside appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

In this podcast, I sit down with Dr. Samuel M. Brown, a medical doctor at the Intermountain Medical Center and a brilliant historian of death theology in Mormonism, focusing particularly on his book, In Heaven as it is on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Early Mormon Conquest of Death. We discuss the distinctive contributions Mormonism made to Christianity’s understanding of death and Mormonism’s conceptualization of the Saints as a bonded “enduring community” whose friendship and ties could overcome death. Whether you’re cleaning the kitchen, taking an evening run, working the shop, or making the commute, stop by and listen to the Dr. Brown talk about how Mormonism grapples with the Terrible Questions that haunt us all. The post Podcast #14: Transcending Death: Dr. Samuel M. Brown on Mormon Death Theology appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

For generations, Mormons have navigated the tumultuous waters of public opinion. Whether defending themselves against charges of racism or making charming advertisements about the importance of family, Mormons have sought to be conscious about how the outside world sees them. Russell Stevenson sits down with Dr. J.B. Haws, an assistant professor of religion at Brigham Young University, to discuss his award-winning book, The Mormon Image in the American Mind: 50 Years of Public Opinion. They discuss the civil rights movement in Utah, the blowback from Mormon opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, and Mormon efforts to dodge attacks even as they hoped to disseminate a message of Jesus Christ for all who would listen. Haws’ story gives us the Mormon need for flexibility, negotiation, and principle in an age when the public eye is always watching. Stay tuned! The post Podcast #13: An Interview with J.B. Haws appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

In this timely interview, Russell Stevenson discusses the newest volume of the Deseret Book-published series, Women of Faith.  As an edited volume of short biographies about LDS women from the nineteenth-century, this book provides readers a fast-paced tour what Mormon women experienced, whether in territorial Utah or New Zealand.  Brittany Chapman discusses how Mormon women viewed love, priesthood, and faith in a time when they could not be taken for granted. The post Podcast #12: Women of Faith–An Interview with Church Historian Brittany Chapman appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

In this important episode, Russell Stevenson sits down with historian Brian Hales, author of the three-volume series, Joseph Smith and Polygamy.  We talk about the concept of “dynastic marriage,” sexuality in Joseph Smith’s plural marriages, and the Women Who Told Joseph Smith “No.” Hales offers his own feelings and concerns about polygamy and helps Saints navigate their way through the confusing–and ambiguous–documentary trail. Listen in! The post Podcast #11: Joseph Smith and Polygamy: An Interview with Brian Hales appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

In this special Mormon History Guy/Rational Faiths joint podcast, Russell Stevenson interviews Alex Beam, the non-Latter-day Saint author of American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church. We discuss polygamy, Joseph Smith’s strength of character, and distinctions between traditional Mormon narratives about Joseph Smith and Alex Beam’s interpretation. Come listen in! The post Podcast #10: An Interview with Alex Beam, Author of American Crucifixion appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

In this exciting episode, Russell Stevenson interviews Chelsea Shields Strayer, a member of Ordain Women’s Executive Board. We discuss the history of the Ordain Women movement in the broader context of Mormon history and explore the contours of the relationship between Ordain Women and the institutional Church. The discussion that arises is rich, provocative, and illuminative–a journey into the heart of what makes Ordain Women such an important movement for 21st-century Mormons, men and women alike. Stay tuned! The post Podcast #9: Ordain Women in Mormon History-An Interview with Chelsea Shields Strayer appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

Dr. Robert Millet, a longstanding and widely-respected scholar of the Latter-day Saint tradition, joins us this podcast to discuss his new book, Restored and Restoring: The Unfolding Drama of the Restoration. We discuss efforts to build bridges between the evangelical and Mormon communities, the idea of a “big Church,” and the role of historically verifiable truth in defining one’s relationship to the Church. As a leading voice in promoting dialogue with other religious traditions, Millet’s voice and perspective has few equals. Join us now. The post Podcast #8: An Interview with Robert Millet appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

It is the foundational event of Mormonism–or at least that is what it became. Beginning in 1832, Joseph Smith began to publicly talk about a visionary experience he had in a grove of trees nearby his home in upstate New York. However, what he told audiences differed from year-to-year in what feels to be substantial detail. Is this evidence of rank fraud? Or, as his supporters say, does it indicate the natural human tendency to emphasize/omit details of a story based on one’s audience or perhaps his own changing understanding of the importance of certain theological principles. Brittany Nielson and I speak with LDS Church Historian Dr. Stephen Harper about his book, Joseph Smith’s First Vision: A Guide to the Historical Accounts.  Harper currently works on the Joseph Smith Papers Project production team for the LDS Church. The post Podcast #7: The First Vision appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

In this podcast–recorded live at the Salt Lake City Public Library–Russell Stevenson hosts a panel discussion in which he along with three single Latter-day Saints (Ryan Fleming, Kylee Shields, and Lisa Benson) discuss not only the history of Mormon single identity but also struggles and benefits of being a single Latter-day Saint today. Given the marriage-centered Mormon narrative–both historically and theologically–single Saints invite Mormons to revise that narrative.  We field questions from a live audience and address how single LDS can best relate to their married Mormon family members and acquaintances. Listen in for more! The post Podcast #6: Mormonism and the Single Saint appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

In this special episode, Russell Stevenson and Brittney Nielson delve into one of the most controversial topics of our times: homosexuality.   During the first half, they discuss the history of homosexuality in the Mormon tradition and homosexuals’ struggles to find a place within it. The second half is an interview with two of Mormonism’s most interesting and, at times, controversial voices on LGBT issues: Ty and Danielle Mansfield.  We discuss the nature of their relationship and how they make it “work” (and, as you will find, “work” really is a poor word for their marital dynamic). They explain what love means to them and how their approach to sexuality fits within the Mormon tradition. The post Podcast #5 -The History of Homosexuality and Mormonism appeared first on Mormon History Guy.

In this episode, Russell Stevenson and Kate Harline explore Mormonism’s fascinating interactions with the environment and environmentalist thought.  Unlike many Christian denominations, Mormonism has a mixed and complicated message, as it has endeavored to uphold its principles of stewardship over the material world while still navigating the American and world economy as a minority religious movement.  Stop by for an engaging conversation about stewardship, industrialization, and the need for Mormons to rediscover their environment-centered theology. The post Podcast #4: Mormons and the Environment appeared first on Mormon History Guy.