This Week in Mormons

Become a TWiM Patron in order to get early-release episodes and bonus content.    Tiffany Hales interviews Hanna Seariac. Links: Hanna's Bio Perspective: Joseph Smith was on the frontier of the fight for religious freedom Who is the real Brenda Wright Lafferty? What we miss when we don’t ask A conversation with Mauli Bonner, the filmmaker behind ‘His Name Is Green Flake’ This Latter-day Saint historian left his faith. Here’s why he returned Minerva Teichert: A pioneer in painting

8 Jul 20231h 14min

Become a TWiM Patron in order to get early-release episodes and bonus content.  TWiM Daniels are back with an international flavor of Mormon news. Links: Joseph Smith Papers project completion after over 2 decades of work: https://www.thechurchnews.com/history/2023/6/27/23759796/joseph-smith-papers-final-volume-published-hyrum-smith-martyrdom-elder-david-a-bednar?utm_campaign=churchnews-en&utm_content=entry&utm_medium=social_share Tabernacle Choir Mexico tour in June 2023 https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/6/18/23765123/tabernacle-choir-orchestra-tour-2023-mexico-national-auditorium-songs-hope-adassa Updated UK Safeguarding Standards & influence of member advocacy: https://religionnews.com/category/faith/christianity/latter-day-saints/ Chilean TV station leases their facilities to the church: https://www.publimetro.cl/entretenimiento/2023/06/19/de-la-entretencion-a-la-religion-la-red-arrendo-instalaciones-a-iglesia-mormona/ 2nd Edition of Preach My Gospel announced and released: https://www.deseret.com/2023/6/22/23770229/church-releases-preach-my-gospel-at-missionary-training-center-lds-president-nelson

1 Jul 202359min

Become a TWiM Patron in order to get early-release episodes and bonus content.  Final volume of Joseph Smith Papers to release on day of the Prophet’s martyrdom (Related: Forensic images: New research provides fresh evidence this really is a photo of Mormon founder Joseph Smith)   MATT  Updated version of Preach My Gospel now out, Pres. Nelson on this MELISSA TabCats Covid outbreak after tour in Mexico - more on the Mexico tour MATT Mormon crickets are going to be abundant this year. In some places, they are using snowplows to get rid of them. MELISSA LDS Church celebrates Juneteenth with gift to NAACP branch MATT Meet Sarah Sun, Miss Utah 2023 and a Latter-day Saint convert committed to serving others. The returned missionary is the first Asian American to wear the Miss Utah crown MATT News for Three Temples in the USA Famous Mormons: Which actor who was in a lot of Info-mercial style commercials is Mormon-Adjacent? George Foreman Wilford Brimley (Diabetes) Ron Popeil (RonCo Products) Big/Little/No Deal MATT No more cornerstone ceremonies at temple dedications. Is this a change in doctrine? MELISSA Members of the church in the US are becoming a little less Republican. MATT  Former FLDS members fear their children's disappearance is part of Warren Jeffs' prophecy MELISSA AI to answer faith questions? MATT What 18 years of research tells us about the mental health of Latter-day Saints MELISSA  Bible Ban in Davis County Schools, related: Book of Mormon up for ban discussion Mormons Doing Goodly: Raymond Stevens  is working to provide educational opportunities for students in his home country of Sierra Leone This Week in Mormon History: 90 years ago today - Jun 22, 1933 The First Presidency and apostles decide that "the Church as an organization could not take part in the campaign for the repeal of the 18th Amendment since this [is] a partisan political question. It [is] hoped however that all L.D.S. would vote against repeal [of national Prohibition]." Thirty-five years later, the LDS hierarchy reverses this decision and participates actively in a campaign against liquor-by-the-drink in Utah as a "moral issue." 40 years ago today - Jun 20, 1983 FORBES magazine notes that in recent years at least ten separate swindles have been uncovered in Utah involving more than 9,000 people (1 percent of Utah's adults) and losses are estimated at more than $200 million. In asking itself "why?" the magazine described Utah as "fertile soil for swindles" because of excessive trust among LDS members: "Most of those bilked are Mormons, and the bilkers, too, profess to be upstanding members of the church and use church connections"

24 Jun 20231h 8min

Become a TWiM Patron in order to get early-release episodes and bonus content.  The TWiM Sisters approach the mic to discuss this week's news! Latest from Mormon Land: Wards are up in Utah, way down in California. See by how much. Kansas doctor, a dad of 13, dies after rescuing daughter during Colorado rafting trip Dad jokes are scientifically shown to benefit children. Here’s Utah’s favorite one Latter-day Saint designer combines faith and fashion with Dillard’s collection LATTER-DAY SAINT ENIGMA: THEIR UNEXPECTED TROOP ABUSE RATES Local author to share his story of finding belonging as an openly gay Latter-day Saint Elder Holland returns to apostolic assignments after ‘some serious health challenges’ We must find uncommon, common ground See how one sister in Montana is using her talents to serve others by sewing 1,400 dresses for children in need Latter-day Saint returned missionary Kenneth Rooks wins NCAA championship in steeplechase Meet twin brothers who are newly called bishops in the Atlanta area Miss Lehi Teen 'excited to serve' role after week of confusion on pageant title Ken Jennings Has Some Questions About Death How Mormonism Defined So Much of Battlestar Galactica’s Plot

17 Jun 202358min

La historia del primer patriarca de la Iglesia que visitó Rapa Nui (Isla de Pascua) Mormon Church buys Wembley Amazon warehouse for £74 million via charitable company Did you know the first temple endowment film had a clip from Disney’s ‘Fantasia’?

10 Jun 20231h 7min

For more This Week in Mormons content, JOIN THE PATREON Links: Q&A: How Ashley Hatch prioritizes faith while chasing World Cup dreams Mormon Church buys Wembley Amazon warehouse for £74 million via charitable company Two new books untangle the Mountain Meadows Massacre She’s played with members of AC/DC and the Killers. How faith helped this teen drum her way to Harvard Bus Accident in Brazil Claims Life of Young Missionary Former BYU president Kevin Worthen headed to Yale for a year ‘God is in the details of my life’: Missionary in Africa finds his cousin’s baseball shirt The heartwarming thing a Utah couple did when the youngest of 11 kids graduated high school Latter-day Saints update and expand policy on political neutrality and participation A coast-to-coast guide of US Church History and Restoration sites What happened to John Forsyth, the Missouri doctor found dead in a lake? What we know.

3 Jun 20231h 7min

MAILBAG? MATT A listener wrote in regarding our discussion on church finances: “I think there is a balance somewhere in between full-disclosure and what we’ve got now - where, as Melissa said, we can read articles on the church news to see where we are spending money.  I would like something like a line item budget.  You don’t have to tell me exact numbers, but what about letting us know that we spend 20% on temples, 15% on disaster relief, 35% goes into savings, etc.  I’d be interested in your thoughts on a middle-of-the-road type financial disclosure from the church” QUICK CLIPS (A FEW OF THE WEEK’S STORIES) MELISSA Church sends weekly emails of inspiration MATT I think we should discuss two things from President Oaks Devotional. The first is these two figures he presents: President Oaks asks young people to consider what they miss when marriage is intentionally delayed. President Oaks mentions a couple of causes: shortage of affordable housing, and increased student debt. What else is behind these trends? The second is his response to a question from a Young Woman in the US who is concerned with how other members of the church act on social media and at stake youth activities regarding LGTBQ issues. He says two things that I think we should discuss. 1) He tells young people that their church leaders and parents can help them understand eternal principles and then emphasizes the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. The states that “With these truths as your guide, you can make inspired choices that will bless you throughout eternity” then 2) He emphasizes the two great commandments and says, “Anyone who does not treat individuals who face gender identity challenges with love and dignity is not aligned with the teachings of the first and second great commandments.” What is the best way to stand up for the truth on these moral questions? MELISSA  American Idol winner is LDS MATT Plans For 101-Foot Mormon Temple In Cody Spark Opposition, Petition Drive MELISSA Has the church increased transparency about what happens inside temples?  Related: Status of all 133 temples announced by Pres. Nelson MATT Central American Youth encouraged to serve missions MELISSA Mental Health awareness https://www.thechurchnews.com/ MATT What does anti-Mormon bias look like in academia? A Q&A with Patrick Mason “I’ve heard students of faith at Utah State University and the University of Utah say they are sitting in classrooms where at least their perception of the faculty is that they are hostile to either the particulars of their faith or faith in general. Oftentimes, it revolves around more social and political and cultural issues, such as LGBTQ equality and things like that, but sometimes it’s just simply, at least in the student’s perception, a kind of hostility toward religion broadly speaking” Is this true? FAMOUS MORMONS MATT Alan Moon: Ticket to Ride Frank Norris: Pit Grandpa Beck: Cover your Assets (BIG DEAL, LITTLE DEAL, NO DEAL?) MELISSA 1 in 4 lds have thought about leaving the church by Jana Riess. I think it is humorous that she wrote this piece because that number is the same as the national average. She could just have easily written a story that says that 22% of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are converts, or that at most 5% of our church members have left the church, compared to 37% leaving the Catholic Church or 24% leaving their Protestant church. MATT Church handbook instructs on how to handle preferred names or pronouns. There are some interesting tidbits in there. MELISSA Women's Conference talk on how to avoid spiritual overwhelm MATT Holly Jane, 39, wasn't willing to quit her OnlyFans venture, despite the bishop demanding she delete her account. Apparently she still attends church, but she has faced disciplinary action for continuing to have an OnlyFans account.

27 Mai 20231h 15min

Welcome to a new episode of This Week in Mormons! In this week's episode, Tiffany Hales & Arianne Smith (The TWiM Sisters) cover a variety of stories and updates related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Links: What this Latter-day Saint rodeo barrel racer learned from the ‘strong’ women in her family President Nelson issues a statement on his health, saying ‘little challenges with balance should be the least of our worries’ 6 things we now know (maybe) about the LDS church’s wealth A Utah Mom Wrote a Children's Book on Grief After Her Husband Died. Now, She's Accused of Murdering Him Rededication Date Set for Historic St. George Utah Temple ‘Jeopardy!’ legend Ken Jennings tried his luck on ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ Here’s what happened The ‘Mormon Moment’ 10 years later: Why Joanna Brooks and Mitch Mayne left the public eye Who is Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, BYU–Idaho’s new president? Perspective: What’s behind American media’s unhealthy fixation on ‘Mormons, Inc.’? 60 Minutes, David Nielson, and Ensign Peak Advisors Is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hoarding wealth? Ranked: The World’s Top 50 Endowment Funds Modular temples? See how the Church is keeping up with new temple announcements

20 Mai 20231h 1min