Analyzing Mormonism

23 No Man Knows My History Part 4

A few months back I got together with Scott who is the host for the podcast Rameumptom Ruminations and together he and I did a four part series of a Book Club discussing the book "No Man Knows My History" by Fawn Brodie.
He has given me permission to share each of those parts here on my podcast. 
This is the fourth and final part of the book club where we go over chapters twenty-two through twenty-seven, as well as the epilogue.
These chapters were probably my favorites of the entire book. There was a lot I didn't know before and Brodie does a magnificent job of showing how far Joseph Smith rose before his martyrdom in Carthage, Illinois. I hope you enjoy listening!
 

22 No Man Knows My History Part 3

A few months back I got together with Scott who is the host for the podcast Rameumptom Ruminations and together he and I did a four part series of a Book Club discussing the book "No Man Knows My History" by Fawn Brodie.
He has given me permission to share each of those parts here on my podcast. 
This is Part 3 of that series, where we go over chapters fifteen through twenty-one.

21 No Man Knows My History Part 2

A few months back I got together with Scott who is the host for the podcast Rameumptom Ruminations and together he and I did a four part series of a Book Club discussing the book "No Man Knows My History" by Fawn Brodie.
He has given me permission to share each of those parts here on my podcast.
This is Part 2 of that series where we go over chapters eight through fourteen.
After I share all of these, I am going to share Hugh Nibley's response to Fawn Brodie's book, so stay tuned for that as well!

20 No Man Knows My History Part 1

A few months back I got together with Scott who is the host for the podcast Rameumptom Ruminations and together he and I did a four part series of a Book Club discussing the book "No Man Knows My History" by Fawn Brodie.
He has given me permission to share each of those parts here on my podcast. 
So this is Part 1 of that series.
After I share all of these, I am going to share Hugh Nibley's response to Fawn Brodie's book, so stay tuned for that as well!

19 The Palmyra Revival

I recently reached out to the Mormonism Research Ministry and asked permission to read their booklet on my podcast. And they consented! The booklet is called "The Palmyra Revival & Mormon Origins" by Rev. Wesley Walters. His research goes over the accuracy of the revivals occurring in and around Palmyra, New York during the 1820s. His findings are revolutionary to understanding Mormon History. 
While there is only little that I disagree with from the Mormonism Research Ministry (namely their teachings on the Bible), these findings are sound and undeniable and I thank them for this important contribution! 

18 Other First Vision Accounts

Dozens of individuals around the world claimed to have had heavenly visions, much like Joseph Smith. This episodes highlights eighteen of those individuals who gave their accounts before 1832 (with one in 1838 from a member of the Church). 
These individuals are as follows: 
Catharine Hummer in 1786, the Richards Brothers in 1794, David Brainerd in 1812, Benjamin Abbott in 1813, Lorenzo Dow in 1814, Rachel Baker in 1814, Norris Stearns in 1815, Elias Smith in 1816, *Charles G. Finney in 1821, Benjamin Putnam in 1821, Asa Wild in 1823, Alexander Campbell in 1824, Billy Hibbard in 1825, John S. Thompson in 1826, Solomon Chamberlin in 1829, Martin Harris in 1831, Harriet Tubman in 1832, and James G. Marsh in 1838 (just before Joseph Smith gave his most in-depth account that became the canonized version).
Why is Joseph Smith's first vision so foundational to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when it wasn't written down until twelve years later, no one was told of the vision before joining the Church, Heavenly Father didn't become a character in the vision until eighteen years later, and dozens of individuals were also having visions of God and Jesus Christ?
How could Joseph Smith's first vision be "the greatest event in world history since [Jesus Christ]" if it seems by all accounts never to have happened?

17 Letter for My Wife

The author of the book Letter for My Wife has given me permission to share his book on my podcast. Comparable to The CES Letter, Letter for My Wife seeks to share the discrepancies between actual Church History and the canonized stories we heard growing up within the Church. 
To learn more about this book, please visit https://www.letterformywife.com/
 

16 Secondhand Accounts of the First Vision

Join America and me as we read over ten of the secondhand accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision. The first five accounts that we go over are directly from the Joseph Smith Papers website. The next five come directly from the Journal of Discourses. 
Brigham Young, 1855 (Journal of Discourses vol. 2, p. 171)
Heber C. Kimball, 1857 (Journal of Discourse vol. 6, p. 29)
George A. Smith, 1868 (Journal of Discourses vol. 12, p. 334)
Orson Pratt, 1874 (Journal of Discourses vol. 17, p. 278)
John Taylor, 1879 (Journal of Discourses vol. 20, p. 167)
Additionally, I reference John Larsen a few times in this episode, this comes from Mormon Stories Podcast episode 1469.
If I have missed any secondhand accounts, please email me at julia.analyzing.mormonism@gmail.com

15 Gospel Topics Essay: Mother in Heaven

Join us as America reads the essay published on the Church's website under the topic: "Mother in Heaven."

14 Comparing the Four First Vision Accounts

During his lifetime, Joseph Smith and others published four first-hand, First Vision Accounts -in 1832, 1835, 1838 and 1842. Join with us as we read over and compare each account.