I am a nut for conspiracy theories. They are entertaining, often disturbing, but always fascinating. What makes conspiracy theories so captivating? Why do some communities seem especially drawn to them? Over the past few years, I have put my training as a researcher in the behavioral sciences to work answering this question. I’ve come to …
History is a dangerous profession in the LDS Church, sometimes leading to excommunication. Stephen Carter explores why history is such a charged topic—and what Ethiopian leopards have to do with it.
Frankly, it’s amazing that the Kirtland Temple was even around to be sold to the LDS Church a few weeks ago. In 1838, just a few days after Joseph Smith left Kirtland, Lyman Sherman burned down a print shop that had gone over into Mormon dissenters’ hands and the temple was apparently scorched in the …
The sale of the Kirtland Temple from the Community of Christ to the LDS church has made headlines lately. Join Bryan and Lindsay as they discuss the long and storied history of the Kirtland Temple ownership. SHOWNOTES: Become a recurring donor at Sunstone.org Davis Bitton, “The Waning of Mormon Kirtland” Roger Launius, The Kirtland Temple: …
One fine July Sunday in Relief Society, Deja Earley was asked to share a story about her Mormon ancestors. Her story did not go down well. In this episode, Deja tries to come to terms with her polygamous forebears.
Steve Mayfield began his decades-long connection with Sunstone in the 1980s when he volunteered as an audio recorder at Washington DC Sunstone symposia. When he moved to Utah to become a crime scene photographer for the Salt Lake Police Department, he began documenting numerous Salt Lake symposia and other conferences, creating a valuable picture archive …
Join Lindsay and Bryan as they talk about the state of Mormon historical source material. Does the LDS church hide its history? What sources are available? How do you check our work? We also discuss our new move to Youtube as well. SHOWNOTES: Youtube version of this episode Subscribe to Sunstone’s youtube channel Become a …
Testimony meeting would be a terrible place for Stephen Carter to talk about the movie that finally made him feel a connection to the atonement. Hint: It has connections to Lord of the Rings, Avatar, and Run Lola Run.
Who were the real Mormons? We mean, the top-shelf kind? According to Brigham Young, any of the California Mormons couldn’t pass muster. Join Lindsay and Bryan as they talk about the history of how California Mormons came to be. SHOWNOTES: Become a monthly donor here! Pictures of Fort San Bernardino Mormons Created and Then Abandoned …
Petty jokes about his name aside, who was Richard Ballantyne? Bryan and Lindsay dive into Brother Ballantyne and his history with the history of Sunday School in the Mormon church. Shownotes: DONATE TO SUNSTONE Richard Ballantyne founded the first sunday school in Utah 1897 Things You Didn’t Know (or May Have Forgotten) about Sunday School …
