The Mormon Renegade Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

So we are now on episode number 4 of the series we are doing on the Life and Times Of John W. Taylor. On this episode Michael Ness and I cover a part of Mormon history where the tides really begin to change on the Churches unofficial stance on plural marriage. Now there are two things that really come through on this episode. One is the “band of brothers” mentality that some of the more ardent defenders of the principle had in the quorum of the twelve and even more inspiring than that is perhaps outside of Joseph Smith a personal Christ-like sacrifice made by John W. Taylor and ultimately a betrayal of that sacrifice by some members in the quorum of the twelve that gets my blood boiling and causes me to get a little spicy.

Through out time every murderous dictator has always made sure that special attention was paid to win the hearts and minds of the youth. Mao had the Red Guards, Stalin had the RKSM, and Hitler had the Hitler Youth. Now let me ask you a question. If all of these dictators had a plan for kids, do you think the adversary of us all might have a program dedicated to our youth? If you’re like me the answer is yes. Now if you have any doubts this just look around at how children conduct themselves. When we look objectively at this I think it becomes clear that we are in a war for our children against the adversary. One of his best weapons in this war for our children is to create the absence of parental guidance to our children. Today Nate Richardson comes on the podcast to discuss the collapse of parenting. We go over what our children participating in, what they are exposed to, how the adversary has taken parents out of their roles, and finally what we can do as parents to pick our mantles as parents to fight this war for the souls of our children.

If you remember about this time last year I had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with Julie Behling. At that time Julie had just wrote the book Beneath Sheep’s Clothing which uncovered the various tactics the far-left uses to indoctrinate children in public education. Well she is comes back on the podcast to talk about the documentary that was made from the book. We talk about new things she had learned about the far-lefts plot, the heavy hitters she worked with from the Freedom Movement, and where and how to support the film.

Utah is perhaps the most unique state in the union. It is a state where not only freedom is embraced but carrys a belief that freedom and rights come from God. Now this has served Utah well for a long time. Unfortunately, this also attracts unwanted attention for those who want to subvert these founding ideals. They feel like if they can turn Utah left they can get it done anywhere. On this episode I have Utah’s political watch-dog Chelcie Hope back on the podcast to talk about all the crazy, socialist policies trying to be implemented on the down low. Some of these updates are absolutely explosive. No matter if you live in Utah or not pay close attention because the tactics used here are used everywhere.

So in the last two episodes of this series on the life and times of John W. Taylor you have gotten a master class in Mormon history around the times just preceding and post manifesto. We continue that series today. Last time we left off with pretty much the whole upper leadership of the LDS Church being involved in post manifesto plural marriage. Today Michael Ness and I pick back up in that history. In this episode we cover how small cracks begin to form in the upper leadership, next we dive into a practice that John W Taylor started that would plant the seeds of modern Mormon Fundamentalism, we finish up this part of our conversation by illuminating some history that shows how Heber J Grant went from ardent supporter of post manifesto plural marriage to its most active persecutor.

As Mormons we all seem to have baked into our spiritual DNA a longing for Zion. Over time however the definition of what Zion actually is has changed. Zion went from an actual place in time and space to some sort of weird ethereal idea of building Zion in our hearts and homes or wherever the Saints gather. That however isn’t really accurate when you look at statements from the leaders of the founding generation of Mormonism. Today on the podcast I have on Jesse Fisher. Jesse is a devout member of the LDS Church who has written a book called Champions for Zion which takes quotes from early leaders of the LDS Church and puts the idea of Zion back in its proper context. Not only do we talk about Jesse’s book and some of those early teachings about Zion but we also have a very interesting conversation about a project that he is a part of to build communities (not affiliated with the LDS Church) that are stepping stones to Zion type communities.

Well its December 23, You didn’t really think that I would let Joseph’s birthday come and go without having an episode about him did ya? Joseph Smith weather you love him or hate him has had influence on the entire world for the last 218 years and that has no sign of changing. Today Ken Peterson joins me on the podcast to talk about perhaps Joseph’s most profound revelations and that is Temple theology. We look at Joseph’s theology then go back in time all the way to ancient Egypt where we see striking parallels between the two, we then have a conversation about Temple work in the restoration, we finally wrap the episode by talking about Joseph Smith’s impact on the world and what his teachings on temples really mean for us as Mormons as a group and individually.

So last year Michael Ness and I sat down and had a conversation about Joseph W Musser. I got a lot of great feedback from that episode. With that in mind I decided that I wanted to put out more content like that which dealt with Mormon Fundamentalist history and its prominent players. This time Michael joins me again as we discuss John W Taylor. Now we anticipate that this will be a two- or three-part series, on this first instalment about John W Taylor we cover all the events that led up to John W Taylors ministry. Buckle up because you are about to get a master class in the time period around the persecution of those early saints by the United States government which would ultimately give rise to the Manifesto. By the end of this episode, you will have a greater understanding of those persecutions and in turn our own history as Mormon Fundamentalists.

I know it’s only Wednesday, but because of the timeliness of the issue I felt like I needed to get this one out ASAP. Now don’t worry I will still be releasing another episode on Saturday as well, it’s just one of those weeks where you will be getting two episodes. Now if you’re a Mormon and unless you have been living under a rock, I am sure you have heard the noise about Tim Ballard and the dust up he has been having with the LDS Church. What this seems to be doing is dividing people into camps and factions in all of Mormonism. Well today I have on Justin Francom to help not just breakdown the story but also to get down to the root of the problem here and it all comes down to one thing and that is idolatry.

I am a man of simple tastes. I love hanging out with my family, I love learning about the Gospel, I like watching football while eating Doritos and washing it down with an ice-cold diet Pepsi and really like smoking brisket and grilling steak. But if you like me maybe you have stopped and asked the question…. Am I eating meat “sparingly”? Well fellow carnivores rejoice!! Today on the podcast I have Joshua Erickson back on the podcast and we take a deep dive into the Word of Wisdom and really look at that portion where it talks about the consumption of meat.

One of the reasons I love Mormonism so much is because it is more than just a church. It’s not enough just to show up on Sunday throw a couple of bucks in the collection plate, listen to a sermon, and shake some hands. Mormonism is a community, almost a counterculture with its own language, culture, and practices. Sometimes I think we forget that it was designed that way by the Lord. We see this most often in our early history. That was never more evident than when the early pioneers of the Church tried to do something truly radical in creating a new alphabet. This week I have Joshua Erickson back on the podcast to cover the Deseret Alphabet. We cover its history, its purpose, and ultimately its demise which I think carries with it a warning for us today as Mormons.

Well get your passports cause the Mormon Renegade Podcast issuing international. On this episode I have a conversation with Fabien. Fabian is a Mormon Fundamentalist in the U.K. We talk about his conversion to the LDS Church, His discovery of original Mormon doctrine that leads him to become a fundamentalist, and his experiences and challenges of being a fundamentalist outside the United States.