Radio Free Mormon

Mormonism LIVE ! – April 2021 General Conference Edition RFM and Bill Reel will sit down and review some of big happenings and talks in April 2021 General Conference. And if absolutely zilch happens, then we will address the recent handbook changes and discuss what they say about where they came from and where the… Read More »Mormonism LIVE ! : 018: Lazy Learners & Shrinkage

RFM joins Jonathan Streeter to discuss how lawyers use words to deceive. Even when the lawyers are LDS Church leaders. And even when they’re not lawyers! Prepare to have your eyes opened!

This just in! Elder Oaks has proven that he is NOT a liar! In this joint podcast with the fabulous Jonathan Streeter from Thinker of Thoughts, we dissect a 1993 talk Elder Oaks gave to the students of BYU’s law school. In his remarks, Elder Oaks demonstrates convincingly to all assembled that he does not… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 217: Elder Oaks is NOT a Liar!

How prevalent was Joseph Smith’s treasure digging? Where all did Joseph Smith dig for treasures. What do we know about these treasure seeking sites? What do the historical sources tell us about these treasure digs? Black Sheep, Gold Furniture, Sacred scripture translated inside these man dug caves.RESOURCES:KC Kern & Greg Pavone Miner’s Hill Project Website… Read More »Mormonism LIVE !: 016: Peek Stones, Sheep’s Bones, and Gold Thrones all on Miner’s Hill

On tonight’s episode RFM and Bill Reel dive further into the Mark Hofmann story exposing Elder Oaks and at the time Elder Gordon B. Hinckley as potentially deceiving and lying about what transpired in their meeting with Hofmann and their efforts to obtain what they believed were authentic and also damaging documents to the Church’s… Read More »Mormonism LIVE !: 015: Tales of Hofmann

Using a recent video published by the LDS Church titled “How Can It Not Be True”, RFM and Bill Reel take this short 1 minute and 15 second video that attempts to impose faulty evidence and faulty reasoning as proving the Church is true and decimate it. When they are finished, answering the question How… Read More »Mormonism LIVE !: 014: How Can It Not Be True?

Was Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews a potential source for Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon? That is the question RFM tackles in this important episode hosted by Dr. John Dehlin. After having heard about this allegation since the 1980s, RFM finally took the time to get View of the Hebrews and methodically work his… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 216: VIEW OF THE HEBREWS

Today I am joined by John Dehlin to discuss several essays (two recent!) written by Dr. John Gee criticizing the Joseph Smith Papers Project volume dealing with the Abraham Egyptian Manuscripts. Is Dr. Gee fair in his criticisms, or is he grinding a well-honed axe? You be the judge!

Using a recent article in the Church Magazine “Liahona” (Formerly the Ensign) published by the LDS Church, RFM and Bill Reel dissect whether the Church acts in good faith with how it imposes its narrative and who it blames when that narrative is pointed out as not accurate. When the Church is informed that it… Read More »Mormonism LIVE !: 013: What Bad Faith Looks Like

Jonathan Streeter and I continue our analysis of October 2020 General Conference with the Saturday afternoon session! This session may contain the worst GenCon talk I have heard in forty years! The audio is a bit sketchy toward the beginning (thanks, Zoom!) but it levels out pretty quickly! Hang in there and you will be… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 214: General Conference Post Mortem October 2020 Part 2

RFM and Bill Reel have a guest on today, Chris Bloxham, who gets us started by telling us a funny story from his mission. After that we give our callers a chance to share their funny mission stories, and finish off having RFM share a funny story from his mission.Please donate to Mormonism LIVE !… Read More »MORMONISM LIVE !: 012: The Funniest Missionary Story

There are five rules to the game of Mormonism; all of them from the perspective of church leaders:Rule No. 1–We are going to hide stuff from you.Rule No. 2–We are going to try to keep you from finding the stuff we are hiding from you.Rule No. 3–We are going to lie about hiding stuff from… Read More »MORMONISM LIVE !: 011: The Rules of the Game

In todays Episode Jonathan Streeter fills in for Bill Reel and takes RFM on a journey discussing the first miracle in Mormonism. They discuss the role that Demonic possessions and exorcisms play in religion generally and how such things have influenced Mormonism specifically.

Tonight we do a deep dive into the hit-piece John Gee wrote about his former Egyptology professor Robert Ritner, ostensibly as a book review for The Journal of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities. Is there bad blood between Gee and Ritner? You bet there is! And John Gee’s hit-piece brings it into… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 213: BAD BLOOD

Moroni 7:27 asks Has the day of Miracles Ceased? The answer in the scriptures is nay. Yet What happens when we take a look at what LDS Leaders suggest as the miracles that are happening. We use two Sound clips at the backdrop of todays discussion. One is David Bednar’s recent BYU devotional where Elder… Read More »MORMONISM LIVE !: 009: Elder David Bednar & Wendy Nelson, Has The Day Of Miracles Ceased?

We once again develop this weeks episode around Director of the Church History Library, Keith Erekson. Except this time we address his expertise as a hoax expert. No Seriously, this guy is one of the worlds experts on discerning hoaxes. He has written articles, given presentations, and taught in academia about such helping people for… Read More »MORMONISM LIVE !: 008: Keith Erekson Hoax Expert

Tonight RFM and Bill Reel take a look at how Director of the Church History Library, Keith A. Erekson, frames apologetics, inoculation, and publicly frames the criticisms of the Church. What tone does he use? What approach does he take with the critic and their criticisms? What approach does he take with the issues? How… Read More »MORMONISM LIVE !: 007: Breakdown of Fireside by Director of Church History Library

John Dehlin and I discuss the history and merits of the ongoing class action lawsuit against the LDS Church. As a special bonus, the lawyer suing the LDS Church phones in and shares some startling behind-the-scenes information on how the LDS Church used strong arm tactics to try to get her to drop the case!

RFM and Bill Reel take a look at the December 2020 Changes to the General Handbook of Instruction within the LDS Church. This Second part starts with a special Guest, Wendi Wilcock Jensen, as we dive into the handbook section on Energy Work. From there we discuss the changes involving Transgender people, changes on the church’s… Read More »Mormonism LIVE !: 006: LDS Handbook Changes Part 2

Join Sue as she tells the rest of her harrowing tale; how she escaped from the polygamy compound in Mexico, made her way back to the United States, and finally made her way back into the good graces of the LDS Church. As it turns out, all the hoops the LDS Church made her jump… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 211: Escape from Polygamy Mountain Part 2

RFM and Bill Reel take a look at the December 2020 Changes to the General Handbook of Instruction within the LDS Church. There is a major bombshell in this episode dealing with the hierarchy of doctrine when comparing the handbook with the teachings of the living prophets and the holy scriptures. Which takes precedence? The… Read More »Mormonism LIVE !: 005: LDS Handbook Changes

Tonight I have the distinct honor of interviewing Dr. Simon Southerton, whose 2004 book, “Losing a Lost Tribe,” made headlines around the world and sent shockwaves through the Mormon Community! The reason this book made such a splash is because it demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that a Semitic tribe such as depicted in the… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 210: DNA and the Book of Mormon

Mormon Apologists have long pointed out that one criticism of the Book of Mormon is its use of the female name Alma for a male’s name. After citing the criticism, Mormon Apologists immediately follow up with evidence of Alma’s use as a Male name in the ancient eastern world. But is this really an argument… Read More »Mormonism LIVE !: 004: The Rise And Fall of Alma the Apologetic

Using the recent Atlantic Magazine Article about Mormonism which includes an interview with Russel M. Nelson, President of The LDS Church as a springboard, RFM and Bill talk about Mormonism’s endless quest for acceptance by the outside world, and why Mormonism seems to be going about it all wrong. Atlantic Magazine Article Linkhttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/the-most-american-religion/617263/

Peter Bleakley, a life-long Latter-day Saint from across the pond, is actively engaged in calling out current church leadership on their gaslighting, distortions, and dissembling.  In this interview, Peter is equal parts brilliance and bravura!  RFM finds out what makes Peter tick, why the current state of Mormonism infuriates him so much, and what Peter… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 209: Christians v. Pharisees

Join RFM today as his good friend, Sue, tells about her escape from polygamy!  Sue was a happily married TBM until her husband became converted to the fundamentalist practice of plural marriage, converted Sue after a year-long emotionally abusive indoctrination, and began taking new wives.  The family moved down to Mexico to continue the practice… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 208: Escape from Polygamy Mountain, Part 1

RFM and Bill Reel have a lot of fun dismantling FairMormon’s new Book of Abraham video, showing their absolute over-the-top use of ad hominem arguments! This video does everything it can to avoid dealing with the actual issues related to this book of scripture!

The Inaugural Episode of Mormonism LIVE! kicks off tackling FairMormon’s new video series titled, “This Is The Show” (T.I.T.S.). T.I.T.S. is intended for a younger audience. Radio Free Mormon (RFM) and Bill Reel dive into whether FairMormon is taking on this project with honesty toward the material and compassion toward those who lose faith. Sadly… Read More »Mormonism LIVE!: 001: What in Hell is Going on at FairMormon?!

RFM interviews John Kirk Williams, author of “Heaven Up Here,” a memoir of his two-year LDS church mission to Bolivia!  John talks about his mission, his time working for the church curriculum department, and the events that led him to lose belief in Mormonism!

RFM makes several important announcements involving the direction of the podcast, an update on the #GiveThanks episode from last week, and revealing a big secret about what has been going on behind the scenes at Radio Free Mormon!  This is a must-listen!

During this Thanksgiving season, global faith leader Russell M. Nelson has given the world the revelation direct from God that we should . . . wait for it . . . give thanks!  Bill Reel, together with Allan and Kattie Mount join me for a fun dissection of President Nelson’s Message of Hope and Healing!… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 205: #GiveThanks

Philip McLemore joins us again to share his fascinating experiences with LDS General Authorities including Ezra Taft Benson, Vaughn Featherstone, Paul Dunn, Marion Hanks, and more!  Philip McLemore tells it all!  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

Former CES Director Philip McLemore pulls back the curtain to give us a look behind the scenes at what really goes on in the Church Educational System.  As a bonus, we also get to hear about the strange happenings on his mission to Brazil in the early 70s.  Finally, Philip shares the untold story of… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 203: Confessions of a CES Director

Professor David Bokovoy and RFM dig deep into  the third chapter of the Book of Abraham.  What does all this material about astronomy really mean?  And what can it tell us about the actual author?  These questions, along with a host of others, are delved into in this fascinating discussion!

Today RFM is joined by Jonathan Streeter of Thoughts on Things and Stuff to dissect the Saturday morning session of October 2020 General Conference!  General Conference has never been so much fun!!!

Dr. David Bokovoy brings his formidable knowledge of Bible studies and textual analysis to bear on the Book of Abraham!  How does the Book of Abraham hold up?  This is one you don’t want to miss!!!

In this wide-ranging interview, Dr. David Bokovoy talks about his experience trying to build a bridge between contemporary Bible scholarship and the Religious Education Department at BYU.  *SPOILER ALERT*  BYU wasn’t interested. Closing music by The Dead Cowboys!

This is Lecture 10 in my twelve-lecture Institute class on Defending the Faith taught at the University of Texas at Austin in the spring semester of 1989.  In this class I show how to use the Bible to confute Born Again Christians who believe salvation is by grace alone!

Tonight we sit down with Born Again Mormon superstar Shawn McCraney and find out what makes him tick!  This interview packs a lot into 90-minutes! (***Listener Warning for some mildly salty language–Shawn is a bad influence on me.)

RFM gives a rundown of the fallout apologists have been experiencing due to the Robert Ritner interviews!  On top of that, three examples are given of the games apologists play in defending the Book of Abraham!

Many Latter-day Saints are leaving the Church over issues relating to the Book of Abraham.  In this special fireside, I talk about the most commonly heard criticisms of the Book of Abraham, and how faithful LDS scholars respond to them.  This fireside is a must-listen for anyone with questions about the Book of Abraham.

Dr. Kerry Muhlestein, BYU Egyptologist apologist for the Book of Abraham, has finally responded to our invitation to have him and Dr. John Gee on the podcast to show Dr. Robert Ritner where he is wrong.  Unfortunately, Dr. Muhlestein and Dr. Gee have declined the invitation.  Not because they are scared, mind you, but because… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 194: Brave Sir Kerry (Muhlestein)

In a stunning reversal of events, John Gee publicly announces he no longer believes a long-touted evidence for the Book of Abraham is valid!  This raises the question, how long has John Gee known this, and why has he been the major proponent of this evidence for decades?  After a thorough examination of the evidence,… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 193: John Gee Comes Clean!

The amazing Rock Waterman drops by RFM’s underground bunker to talk about what he’s been up to recently, and share some laughs.  Fortunately, Rock is a good sport about RFM’s incessant ribbing!  Two hours never went by so fast!

John Dehlin and I conclude this historic three-part podcast interviewing Dr. Robert K. Ritner, world famous Egyptologist and former professor of Dr. John Gee of BYU.  We cover a lot of ground in this 5 1/2 (!) hour episode, and before we are done, Dr. Ritner gets to finally give his version of the famous… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 191: Dr. Robert K. Ritner on the Book of Abraham part 3

Now that new research has established the dependency of Joseph Smith’s Bible translation on the Adam Clarke Bible Commentary, RFM launches into a spate of new and additional ideas and inferences that can be drawn from this conclusion.  RFM shows how the Adam Clarke Bible Commentary may not only have influenced the JST, but also… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 190: The Adam Clarke Connection

In this episode, Dr. Ritner goes through Facsimiles Two and Three and shows how the actual Egyptian translations do not match those provided by Joseph Smith.  We also go into depth on two of the apologists’ favorite arguments; (1) The practice of human sacrifice in ancient Egypt; and, (2) The translation of the four sons… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 189: Dr. Robert K. Ritner on the Book of Abraham part 2

Dr. Robert K. Ritner is a world renowned Egyptologist and professor of Egyptology at the prestigious Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago.  I am honored to have been invited by John Dehlin to engage in a multi-part interview with Dr. Ritner to explore his views on the Book of Abraham; a subject he is… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 188: Dr. Robert K. Ritner on the Book of Abraham part 1

In their long anticipated and recently released research paper, Haley Wilson-Lemmon and BYU Professor Thomas Wayment demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that Joseph Smith used Adam Clarke’s Bible Commentary in his production of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible.  RFM walks us through each and every one of the seventeen examples set forth in… Read More »Radio Free Mormon: 187: “Borrowed Robes”–The JST’s Reliance on the Adam Clarke Bible Commentary