The Mormon Renegade Podcast

Just wanted to touch base with the listeners and let everyone know about the next few weeks' worth of episodes.

The truth to the is life is that much of our testimonies that inform our beliefs, opinions and actions are gained through the crucible of adversity. That fact however doesn't always lend itself to gaining perspective. More often than not, it's only after the trial of faith that the reason for that adversity comes into view. Sometimes by talking about trials that others have gone through allows us to "borrow" some perspective on things we are going through. On this episode Cory & Joni Malloy join me as we talk about their faith journey, focusing primarily on some pretty significant trials they have encountered both while they are single and after they got married. We talk about their childhood, how they met, their marriage, the birth and loss of their son, and how Cory almost died because of Covid. Then we move on to talk about how despite all these trials and adversity how they have managed to hold on to and strengthen their faith. We then wrap up by talking about where they are in life today and some pretty exciting projects they are working on. https://mormonlegacy.org/https://1830mercantile.org/

This week has been one of the darkest in American history. I did post a special episode on Wednesday but i felt like the Lord wanted me to dig a little deeper. So today on the podcast I have Jeff Alldredge on the podcast to break down the spiritual implications. The reason why Jeff will become apparent to the listener with early in this episode. During our conversation we talk about assassination of Charlie Kirk and explored its spiritual significance, including parallels to historical prophets and its impact on Mormon society. The conversation covered various societal issues including wokeism and more. We finish our conversation by talking about what this means for us as Mormons moving forward. importance of personal repentanceHome

There are certain times in society that are deflection points, in our times those would be 9/11, the Wars in the Middle East, the Financial Collapse of 2008 and I believe what happened to Charlie Kirk will be one of those moments. Adam and I both felt the promptings to talk about it, so this episode is a little emotionally raw. After witnessing what happened today in Utah it is easy to want to strike back in anger. But as Adam and I talk we discuss why that could be the worst thing we could do and what we have to do as disciples of Christ moving forward through this dark chapter of American history.

Today I have Ben Shaffer on the podcast to talk about Freemasonry. We discussed the relationship between Mormonism and Freemasonry, addressing common misconceptions. Ben clarified that Mormon temple ceremonies were not based on Masonic rituals, and he emphasized the historical and cultural overlap between the two and wrapped it all up by talking about what Ben has learned through his time as a Freemason.

On this episode David Pyne joins me again. Now if you have haven't been a long-time listener to the podcast Mr. Pyne is who I turn to for in-depth analysis on world events. Davids time in the Army as a Staff Officer, National Security Policy Director for Senator Mike Lee, & The Defense Foreign Policy Advisor to Former Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy give him the ability to give nuanced perspective to current events. During our conversation we talk about subjects such as the war in the middle east, the ongoing Russian-Ukraine Conflict, Chinas quest for Taiwan, as well as some domestic issues.

We are in an age where Faith is a virtue that is dwindling. People are leaving organized religion in record numbers due to factors like corruption of leadership, false narratives, abuse and cover up and the list goes on. One of the hardest hit religions is Mormonism in all of its faith expressions. But once someone in Mormonism leaves their former Church home where do they go, and how do they get there. Justin Francom comes on the podcast today to talk about an idea he has to respond to this crisis. His idea? An on-line interfaith ministry made up of Mormons from all different faith traditions in Mormonism to reach out to Mormons who have left their church home. Now if you're like me when you first hear of something like that you cant help but wonder how such an organization would work. We discuss the organization's intent and goals, how it will function to preserve faith, how the organization is already made up of different people from different Mormon groups and Independent Mormon Fundamentalists. Now if you are a Mormon leaving your faith community and need a soft place to land, or you are a Mormon who feels the call to missionary work and help preserve faith, reach out to me here or click the website link in this episode's show notes. 

https://gofund.me/7d9fff0f From Ammon Jeffs"After a lot of deliberation on how to cover the expenses, we are incurring with Beth’s hospitalization and the expected extended recovery from the complicated neurological effects of spinal meningitis, we’ve decided to take this route with a go-fund-me campaign."We are reaching out to our community, friends and kindhearted strangers to ask for support. Your donation will go directly to:Hospital BillsTravel & Lodging Expenses For The FamilyRecovery Support After DischargeNo amount is too small and every donation counts

WARNING NOT FOR CHILDREN!!!! 99.9% of the time I love doing this podcast! I love the guests, the audience, and the topics we cover. But that other 0.01% can be nothing but difficult,this is going to be one of those discussions. On this episode Taylor Smith and I have a conversation about the abuse that is being perpetrated in the LDS Church and its apparent cover up. Now to be fair this is not just an LDS or even Mormon problem, this is a problem across all organized religion that affects all of the religious communities and needs our attention. We start out by covering a few of the stories that have recently been in the news about the topic. Taylor provides amazing insights from his time in the LDS Church as youth which helps to give context around the cultural norms of the LDS Church as well as some incredible doctrinal insights. From There we dive into some of the more problematic ideas that surround this topic in Mormonism that have shown how a culture of “saving face” has made getting victims to safety, and healing for the offended party next to impossible. We talk about our responsibilities as congregants of our various faith communities and finally what should be done to help those who have been hurt by such wicked acts. Video for this episode is going to be really helpful because throughout the conversation we share articles, statistics, and videos that show the problem. Finally all the articles, videos and statistics we show in the podcast are available in the links below.   https://youtube.com/shorts/WfNJFveNYuc?si=SgBGuHaYigJY9_4Ghttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mXR4XiA5eochttps://floodlit.org/failure-to-report/https://www.stlmag.com/news/suit-accuses-mormon-church-leaders-of-facilitating-st-louis-/https://www.ksl.com/article/51355849/elderly-west-jordan-man-charged-with-luring-girl-into-home-sexually-abusing-herhttps://floodlit.org/a/b337/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMLY0ljbGNrAwtii2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEe2shimg9ifEJ8yRlhQz9wqm7nO7riQgGWKo2-v_LIipTCXWcXDG1fUqRhhZQ_aem_4hBOWoCISsOo7oLZTFPlTg&sfnsn=mo

On this episode I sit down and have a conversation with Steve Pynakker. Steve is the host of a podcast on youtube titled Mormon Book Reviews. Now Steve while is not a member of any Restoration group he is fascinated with the Restoration as revealed by Joseph Smith. Because he is able to maintain an observes view of Mormonism his insights into the various groups and churches makes for fascinating conversation. As we have our conversation we cover everything from the state of various Joseph Smith Restoration groups and churches to how he became fascinated with Joseph Smith & Mormonism.

In the old days of coal mining one of the common practices was to bring a canary down in the mine. They did this because canaries are very sensitive to gases like methane. So if the canaries became sick or died the miners would know it was unsafe and leave, so it was a way for predicting dire consequences. Therefore the term "canary in the coal mine" refers to an indicator which proceeds disaster. Today Michael Ness joins me as we look at certain groups which have distanced themselves from the Adam-God Doctrine and where they stand now.

On this episode David Nielsen and I have a conversation about the Endowment Power spoken of in the scriptures. We start off by finding out what the Endowment of Power is and isn't, we then examine what the term Endowment of Power means in the context of the Restoration in the days of Joseph Smith & early Mormon leaders, we then trace the doctrine back to the New Testament before wrapping by discussing what the implications are for us as followers of Christ in the Restoration.

On this episode Elior Walker joins me as we talk about the Doctrine Of Christ from the Book of Mormon. We start by setting the table by talking about certain theological principles and ideas needed to understand his idea about the Doctrine. We then move on to read the text itself cross referencing to other scriptures. We then move on the implications of the Doctrine and what it means to us as disciples of Christ.

On this episode I sit down and have a conversation with Braxton Bogard as we explore his faith journey from his childhood in Kentucky in the Campbellite faith tradition, to his time in Bible College, his proselyting ministry in France, his conversion to the Mormonism and joining the LDS Church, his discovery of Orthodox Mormon teachings, and his excommunication from the LDS Church just weeks before the LDS acknowledgement of the 1886 Revelation. All along the way Braxton and I talk about principles and concepts of the Restored Gospel. Braxton throughout this interview doesn't hold back and at times isn't afraid to show his heart on these things. Buckle up for a powerhouse of an episode.

On this episode Jacob Vidrine joins me as we take a look at one of perhaps the least well known and misunderstood ordinances in the Restoration, The Law Of Adoption. We talk about the ordinance's history including it origins with Joseph Smith, its practice during the Utah period under Brigham Young and John Taylor, its eventual dismissal in the LDS Church and above all its importance in our theology.

Last week on the podcast I released an episode where we talked about the LDS Church releasing and veryfying the existence and authenticity of John Taylor's 1886 Revelation. We covered alot of the history surrounding the document and what it means for Mormon History. On this episode Michael Ness and I sit down to have conversation about what the release of the 1886 Revelation means theologically. During the course of our conversation we talk about some of the arguments LDS apologists have given to try and dismiss or downplay the importance of the 1886 Revelation, we take a look at a few scriptures in the Book Of Mormon that seem to suggest that "all is not well in Zion", we examine other times in ancient history when apostasy has occurred, the impact of the LDS Church's denial of the existence of this revelation has had on individuals and families, and finaly wrap up our conversation by trying to give hope to those who have had thier testimonies shaken by the release of the 1886 Revelation. 

Well it was kind a big week in Mormonism, especially if you're an Orthodox Mormon. With the release of the 1886 Revelation By The LDS Church we find ourselves in a place where if you are an Orthodox Mormon we can now beyond a shadow of a doubt point to John Taylor as the man who got the movement started. To help break this all down Cristina (Rosetti)Gagliano joins me again on the podcast. Cristina is a PHD and has made the study of Mormon Fundamentalism and its history the focal point of her scholarly work, having literally wrote the book on Joseph W. Musser. During our conversation we cover what the 1886 Revelation is, the context & history of the times it was received, the Revelations suppression by the LDS Church, and finally wrap it all up by talking about what this all means as it relates to LDS & Orthodox Mormonism. Make sure to come back next week where me and another guest will take a look at the 1886 Revelation and what its release means from theological point of view for Orthodox & Conservative Mormons.

In todays world one of the most important tools that God has given us are the scriptures. We can find their covers sacred teachings, inspiring stories, and a prophecies both fulfilled and yet to come. But is this all that we can take from them? Today on the podcast I have Edwin Jacobi to talk about just that. Edwin joined the LDS church of his own freewill at the age of 14 in Spokane, Washington after taking the lessons from the missionaries. He is a business author, serial entrepreneur, life counselor, disruptive inventor and innovative philanthropist.  He is married with a blended family of 10 children.  He is of literal of Jewish descent both of Ephraim and Judah. During our conversation Edwin explains how was able to deepen his own study of the scriptures, thereby creating a deeper relationship with God.

On this episode Justin Francom joins me again as we breakdown a couple of very interesting exchanges between FAIR Mormon and and some members of The LDS Church over some messaging released by Fair. Now for anyone unfamiliar with who FAIR is, they are an organization that forms apologetic defending the LDS Church, and to be honest they have some done some really good work in the past, I even had a member of FAIR on once on this podcast. However thier latest post has left a lot of Mormons in the LDS Church which way the LDS Church and FAIR are heading in regards to the LGBTQ movement. Justin and I talk about what is happening, how it is effecting members of the LDS Church, What the consequences are for society at large, how what we are seeing now is of ancient origins, and wrap all up on a hopeful note as we see progress being made to stem the tide.

On this episode I have Tracy Roberts on the podcast to talk about a book he has recently wrote about the relationship between the Old & New Testaments. During the course of our conversation we talk about Tracys childhood growing up LDS in Texas, his LDS Mission, his time at BYU, how he met his wife, and his faith journey that led him to search out truth no matter where it was. From there the conversation shifts to talking about his new book that illustrates everywhere in the New Testament where the writers either directly quote from the or make reference to the Old Testament, and wrap it all up by talking about why that subject is important to us as followers of the Savior.