Saints Unscripted

For many decades, there has been speculation that Joseph Smith (first prophet of the LDS Church) did not practice polygamy. The speculation has ebbed and flowed over the years, though the conspiracy has picked up steam more recently. LDS scholar and friend of Saints Unscripted, Brian Hales, agreed to address the controversy on today’s episode. Brian addresses accounts of polygamy, how different types of scholars navigate history, and how to address specific claims made against Joseph Smith’s polygamy. While the subject of polygamy is uncomfortable and might be happily dismissed altogether, the truth is that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy. We aren’t defending the practice but rather acknowledging true historical events.

Derek and Denise Galanis join us on Saints Unscripted to talk about Derek's conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Derek grew up in a family of crime. Prison and crime were natural parts of his formative years. Derek was convicted in 2001 and then again in 2016 for fraud. Derek talks about reconnecting with Denise, someone he had known earlier in his life, while he was in prison. He and Denise stayed in contact while Derek served his time in some harsh prison conditions. Derek read the Bible and was eventually introduced to the Book of Mormon by Denise. He read the Book of Mormon 4 times while in prison and knew he had to join the church. But joining wouldn't be easy, as he is still on probation for his crime. Watch the video to get the full story!!

Emma Wood is a remarkable new convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! We had the great opportunity of hearing her conversion story. Growing up in Arizona, she knew about members of the LDS Church (otherwise known as the Mormon Church) but didn't have much interest in joining. She decided to go to school in Utah where she began learning more about the Church. She went through some challenging faith crises and had many, many questions about this emerging faith. After years of diligent study, Emma took a huge leap of faith and chose to be baptized. You don't want to miss this episode!!

Ross Richey joins us today to talk about one of the most interesting topics we’ve heard from a guest on Saints Unscripted. He starts with a discussion about ChatGPT and AI. What does that have to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Well, Ross focuses on intelligence, something frequently talked about in our scriptures and in our church. David and Sabrina have a moment of expressing their fears about intelligences

*This was released on YouTube around Mother's Day* Today the hosts had NO IDEA what the outline of the episode would be… truly unscripted. They knew the theme would be Mother’s Day but nothing more. We surprised them by having them call a mother figure (in this case, they each chose their mom) and expressing their appreciation for a lesson they were taught by that mother. Kaitlyn talks about her mom’s ability to be calm and steady for her and for everyone around her. Cam talks about his mom’s genuine love for all people, no matter the background.

Talmage served mission for the Church of Jesus Christ (otherwise known as the Mormon Church). Upon his return, Talmage faced a lot of challenges including addiction and pornography issues. He felt worthless and purposeless. However, his family was never going to give up on him, no matter how low he felt. With their faith, he began a long healing process which led him to start an incredible podcast. He talks about what he has learned from the podcast, how he navigates criticism, and how others can get involved in sharing their light.

Filming this episode with Terryl Givens was both humbling and remarkable. Terryl Givens is a leading LDS academic who has written some of our favorite books on many religious topics. Today, Terryl talks about his book, Let’s Talk About Faith and Intellect. Prior to filming this episode, we noted our favorite quotes from his book and asked him to expound on the quotes mentioned. He addresses many topics including the following: - The issue with social media and religion - How people become mad with reason alone (and how faith and intellect are both necessary to thrive) - How logic is found in faith and religion - How the natural world directs us to God Terryl also shares his testimony. He talks about the deep and beauty of the restored gospel. If you haven’t considered the depth of the gospel, try to find those questions in your soul and do the correct research necessary.

On today’s episode, Liz shares her story of growing up in a polygamist family. She and her family moved into a neighborhood of non-polygamists and were quickly judged for their beliefs. But one of the families in the neighborhood truly embraced Liz and her family despite differing beliefs. Liz and her siblings would attend church with this kind-hearted family and Liz eventually wanted to be baptized into their religion- the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (who do not practice polygamy). She was not yet 18 and could not be baptized so as soon as she left for college, she was ready to convert to the Church (otherwise known as the Mormon Church). But again, she was forced to jump through hoops.

Brooklyn was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ (otherwise known as the Mormon Church). She has fond memories of her childhood, though recognizes how many things could have been experienced more positively. Today she shares how she eventually learned some difficult church history and had poor experiences with church leaders, She felt the need to separate herself from the church which would come with repercussions. Brooklyn talks about how she wishes she was treated by members of the church when she decided to leave. May we all do a better job at respecting and loving our friends and family who choose a different life path than our own!

Dave Dollahite, a good friend of Saints Unscripted, joins us today to talk about his most recent scholarly project, the American Families of Faith Project. David, along with his colleague Loren Marks, have conducted extensive research in the field of families of faith. Their research includes the study of many different families of different religions. Today on Saints Unscripted, Dave specifically answers questions about raising a family in faith, exposing children to different religions, and how to develop holy envy. Thanks so much for joining us, Dave!!

Ben recently joined us to talk about the nature of revelation in the church and has retuned to share some additional gems with us!! Today Ben joins us to talk about implicit context in scriptures. Ben, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ (otherwise known as the LDS Church) and a historian, shares his thoughts about the importance of understanding content in order to understand context. He discusses how understanding content grants us increased access to the implicit context of the scriptures, thus helping us deepen our interest and love for the scriptures.

Charles knew he had the very best conversion story so he reached out to share with our Saints Unscripted family!! Charles didn't grow up in the church and was actually cautioned from joining the church when he announced his decision to move to Utah. He wasn't planning on joining any religion but quickly began learning more about the gospel and finding friendship in the church. He felt humbled that God would care so much about the details of his life and he found himself seeking Jesus Christ more and more. Thank you so much for joining us, Charles!!

Ben talks about starting with assumptions. He says, “The positions we take follow from the assumptions we make.” Often when we tweak our assumptions first, we’re able to address difficult information with greater understanding. He talks about how we interpret “what scripture says” based on many assumptions, a few of which we would do well to remove or reevaluate. Ben illustrates examples from the Bible and discusses how we might improve our study of scripture and of revelation by focusing on the assumptions we have formulated.

How do I know if I have fully repented? How do I know if God has forgiven me of my sins? In this episode, David and Allex share their thoughts on repentance and about the process of forgiveness. While this topic is complex, we share a basic overview and hope it provides some clarity. But please research do some additional research on your own, as needed!!

Every April and October, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church) holds a conference meant for the entire world! The conference is known as General Conference and is cherished by many members of the Church, as it is a time when the prophets and other authorities of the Church share sermons and give prayers. In this episode, we give a recap of our favorite sermons from the General Conference held in April of 2023.

Nicole grew up in Northern Ireland and was raised in the protestant faith. She was discouraged from engaging with people of the catholic faith, as their beliefs contrasted the beliefs she was taught. But she quickly learned that there was goodness everywhere. Around 12 years old, Nicole stopped attending church and prayed infrequently. At age 15, she began to pray more frequently as she was being exposed to many religions but she wasn’t ready to attend any one organized religion. Nicole had many heart wrenching events in her life that caused her to search for God. One of Nicole’s friends had been talking to the Mormons, something that was very surprising to Nicole. So she met the missionaries!!

In this episode, Stephen continues to share his story of leaving the Church of Jesus Christ, determining not to return the Church, and then coming back to the Church. In this episode, he talks about meeting his wife and going through quarantine with an additional faith crisis. His obstacles didn't end with his renewed faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Every 6 months (usually the first weekends in April and October), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church) holds a conference for the entire world. It is broadcast all over the internet and accessible to anyone who can access YouTube and LDS.org. In this episode, a host attempts to guess a word written on each card as described by the other host. The words are all General Conference themed! While this episode was meant to be light-hearted, I think you'll all agree that Sabrina was the winner of this General Conference challenge! Let us know how you did on the quiz in the comments below!!

Antonio Movil was 17 years old when he started having a deep interest in learning about christianity. He decided to start studying theology. During his studies, he was required to study about different religions, including about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church). He read about the basic doctrine but didn't have much personal experience with members of the Church... until he met a couple at the grocery store! He didn't think much of the encounter and eventually was ordained as a pastor. He was very active as a pastor but always felt like something was missing. The biggest issue for him was the peace that came from the power of the priesthood. He eventually decided to resign as a pastor. Antonio's faith is remarkable! Thanks for sharing your story with us, Antonio!!

Christopher joins us to share his story as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ (otherwise known as the Mormon Church) and to give some fascinating insight into his mission. Christopher talks about his formative years in the church and how he came across anti-Mormon material on YouTube very early in his life. He quickly learned some things that made him truly question his beliefs. But with a firm desire to serve a mission, he continued going to church and was called to serve in Farmington, New Mexico, much of which was on an Indian Reservation. He talks about his experience with the Navajo people -- their goodness, their light, and their belief in spirituality. Christopher's experience is one-of-a-kind and we're so grateful to have learned from him!!