Analyzing Mormonism

33 Gospel Topics Essay: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo

Join us as America reads the essay published on the Church's website under the topic: "Plural Marriage."

32 The Locations of Joseph Smith’s Early Treasure Quests

Today I am sharing an essay by Dan Vogel titled: "The Locations of Joseph Smith's Early Treasure Quests" published in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Vol 27 No. 3 (1994): 197–231.
Dialogue has given me permission to share this essay and if you'd like to see the written version, please visit their website: dialoguejournal.com 
Despite popular belief among the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith was not simply a hired hand to help dig holes to search for lost mines. Joseph played the role of Seer in these digs, in which he looked into his white hat at a stone that supposedly showed him the locations of buried treasure. According to Dan Vogel, Joseph was involved in at least eighteen treasure digs. According to researcher and artist, Mark Elwood, Joseph Smith could have been involved in as many as forty treasure digs. To learn more from Mark Elwood, please visit his website theglasslooker.com. 
In my opinion, Joseph Smith's treasure quests are among the most fascinating of Mormon History and the most underappreciated. I hope you enjoy Dan Vogel's essay!

31 Heavenly Mother with Jenn Kamp

Last month, Jenn Kamp and I got together and did an episode on her podcast Our Truth Be Told, about Heavenly Mother. Join with us as we discuss current teachings, past teachings and the doctrine and theology of our Mother in Heaven!
To view the sources for this episode, please view the episode on Our Truth Be Told's Youtube channel where you can see the slides.
I hope you enjoy!

30 Dialogue - Grain Storage: The Balance of Power Between the Priesthood Authority and Relief Society Autonomy

This episode is a reading of an article from Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Volume 15, No. 4 that was published in 1982. The article is called Grain Storage: The Balance of Power Between Priesthood Authority and Relief Society Autonomy by Jessie L. Embry. 
This article goes over the power struggle between the Relief Society and the Presiding Bishopric and other priesthood leaders during the early 1900s.
Dialogue has given me permission to share this article on this podcast. If you wish to learn more, please visit dialoguejournal.com.

29 Women with the Priesthood with Jenn Kamp

In the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints women have used the priesthood. Women gave blessings of healing, dedicated homes, officiated to men in the temple, and one even raised a man from the dead (temporarily). These stories are not told in the manuals of the Church. You will not find them in Sunday School or Gospel Doctrine. It seems that the Church today is trying to distance itself from when it ever gave the woman these priesthood rights and privileges.
I hope you enjoy hearing these important stories from the Church's history !
To view the episode, please visit Our Truth Be Told hosted by Jenn Kamp!

28 The History of the Relief Society with Jenn Kamp

Another great episode with Jenn Kamp on her podcast Our Truth Be Told! If you want to see our slides, our sources, etc., please go over to her YouTube channel and watch it there!
I learned so much when preparing for this podcast! I had been a part of the Relief Society since I was seventeen and didn’t know most of these things! One prophet promised the Relief Society a building and commended the women for doing so much good! The next prophet took their funds and bought a building for the Presiding Bishopric, allowing the women “only a few rooms.” Another prophet stated that not even the prophet himself had the power to take the carefully stored grain out of the hands of the Society who it rightfully belonged to. Another prophet secretly sold the entire grain storage during WWI to the US government without the permission of the Relief Society and they kept the funds.
The women in the church’s history have not been treated fairly!

27 The Equal Rights Amendment and the Mormon Church with Jenn Kamp

Another great episode with Jenn Kamp on her podcast Our Truth Be Told!
Please go on over to YouTube and view this episode with our many sources, quotes, and just super great slides! 
Join with us as we discuss the role the LDS leadership and church played in the Equal Rights Amendment. What messages were given to women within the LDS church? What oppression did they foster? How are the lives of thousands of women affected by the Patriarchy and inequality within the "Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (the LDS church's official name).
[I also want to apologize for my dog! He loves to bark!]

26 The Family Proclamation with Jenn Kamp

Jenn Kamp, who is the host of the new podcast Our Truth Be Told, has given me permission to share with you the episode we did together on The Family Proclamation. 
If you go and visit her channel, you'll get to see our beautiful slides and sources! So if you can and are willing, please hop on over to her YouTube channel!
I am so thrilled to be able to get together with Jenn once a month to discuss the truth claims of the Mormon Church on her podcast! Be sure and look for those episodes at the end of each month! I will also be sharing them here!
 
 
 

25 A Response to Hugh Nibley’s response to Fawn Brodie’s No Man Knows My History

Join America and me as we give our response to Hugh Nibley's pamphlet "No Ma'am That's Not History." We break down five of his specific criticisms of Fawn Brodie along with a few others. First we discuss the origin of the Book of Mormon. Second, Joseph Smith's character. Third, the First Vision. Fourth, Joseph's communion with angels and Five, the Book of Abraham. We also discuss polygamy, the evolution of the Church's name, and the changing doctrines of the Church. 

24 No Ma’am That’s Not History

In response to Fawn Brodie's book No Man Knows My History BYU Professor and Mormon apologist, Hugh Nibley wrote a booklet called No Ma'am That's Not History. Published in 1946, the sixty-two page booklet is now out-of-print and mostly ignored even among active Mormon circles. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did. 
The booklet is available online, if you wanted to read along or use it for reference. 
http://www.sainesburyproject.com/mormonstuff/No%20Ma'am%20That's%20Not%20History.pdf