
Sunday Musings
241 episodes — Page 1 of 5
The Superficial Statements of Leftist Latter-day Saints
Why I Oppose the Death Penalty (and Why You Should Too)
Ten Changes Joseph Smith Made to the Bible
The Nemenhah Record: True or False?
Ten Threats to Religious Freedom
Changing Definitions of Apostasy
Are Women Excessively Validated?
Tim Ballard's Bad History
How the Church Celebrated America's Birthday… 50 Years Ago
Why I'm Not Fasting for Religious Freedom
"Torn" and Leaving Latter-day Saints
Anti-War Missionary Work?
The Church's Stumbling Block Slowing Growth
The Moral Decay of Society's Institutions
In Defense of (Some?) Billionaires
The Secular Experiment Is Cracking
Mormon Women Have Been Silenced
Young Women: What's in a name?
Are We "Sounding a Trumpet" Before Our Alms?
General Conference: Inspiring or Just Inoffensive?
Christ's Response to Toxic Masculinity
Ep 219Is repentance a "process"?
When someone is guilty of a serious sin, does their repentance of that action require a process of any kind—or is their sincere repentance effective instantly?
Ep 218Concubines: Past, Present, and… Eternally?
Section 132 purports to authorize not just polygamy, but concubinage. What exactly is that, and how has it worked throughout history?
Ep 217Shut Down Deseret Book
From promoting controversial political titles to hiring DEI activists, it's worth asking whether Deseret Book is compatible with Church standards and values.
Ep 216Is Disagreeing with Church Leaders a Sin?
Some members have weaponized words by President Oaks to suggest that any criticism of Church leaders (or their statements) is wrong. Is that right?
Ep 215Is the Book of Abraham a Fraud?
Critics call it a fraud, but what if the Book of Abraham's "missing scrolls" hold the key to its divine truth?
Ep 214Rewind the Church 20 years?
Have the sweeping changes of the Nelson era helped the Church thrive, or quietly hollowed out key parts of its culture?
Ep 213The Prophet Poo-Poos Podcasters?
At a recent BYU Devotional, President Oaks warned of an "abundance of speculation and false information in podcasts and on social media." But are the sources he suggested immune from these problems?
Ep 212Isaiah Would Be Stoned If He Walked Salt Lake Streets
We roast past generations' spiritual blind spots, yet dodge the beam in our eye. Who's really the modern Pharisee?
Ep 211Why do we continue to lose this fight?
Lucifer's war continues today, yet few seem to understand his methods and therefore remain vulnerable to them. Why do more Latter-day Saints not see?
Ep 210Is there nepotism in the Church?
When Church leaders are often blood relatives of other leaders, is that cause for concern or scripturally supported?
Ep 209Why did Joseph Smith Alter the Bible?
LDS scripture only contains a portion of Joseph Smith's alterations to the King James Version of the Bible. What about the rest?
Ep 208Should the Church have a paid ministry?
Top leaders of the Church are provided financial support for their full time service. What do the scriptures say about such a practice?
Ep 207Did Joseph Smith Use a Seer Stone?
Competing claims disagree on whether Joseph Smith had a seer stone separate from the Urim and Thummim to translate the Book of Mormon. What's true?
Ep 206What would a modern Samuel the Lamanite sound like?
Prophetic rebukes in times past were seemingly much more bold and direct than what happens today. Why the change, and what might it mean?
Ep 205Move Over, King James Version…
A new Church policy opens the door to newer Bible translations but raises yet more questions about how they will be used.
Ep 204Interracial Marriage Policy, Past and Present
A new Church article says that interracial marriages are fine, but fails to acknowledge that that wasn't always the case. What changed and why?
Ep 203Agreeing with Our Adversaries
Did Jesus command us to go along to get along — or is there more to the story we might be missing?
Ep 202President vs. Prophet — conflating two titles?
Starting around the 1950s, Church leaders and members began calling their president 'the prophet.' But what caused the shift and what does it mean today?
Ep 201Should Mormons abstain from meat?
You couldn't tell from the dishes served at a ward potluck, but Mormons are under obligation to cut down their meat consumption. Or… are they?
Ep 200Criticism of the Church: Public vs. Private
Some viewers of Sunday Musings feel uncomfortable with the approach I take. Should my concerns and ideas be kept quiet, or is there room for a more open discussion?
Ep 199Superficial Sunday School: more milk than meat?
Many people seem to recall a Church policy discouraging informal study groups as they may lead to apostasy. What's the policy today?
Ep 198Joseph Smith's Last Dream (or Nightmare…?)
Prior to being murdered, the Prophet had several dreams seeming to portray the troubles the Church would face in his absence. What might the interpretations of these dreams mean for us today?
Ep 197Is ours a "true and living" Church?
Most Latter-day Saints believe that God stamped His approval on the Church in a way that continues today. What if that we're misunderstanding His meaning?
Ep 196Acceptable Bigotry Against the Mormons
From pop culture jabs to subtle discrimination, why do so many feel it's okay to target members of the LDS Church?
Ep 195Church Security (or Lack Thereof)
A new letter sent to local leaders of the Church urges discussion around security of its members while continuing to prohibit what would actually keep them safer.
Ep 194Why is President Oaks Next in Line?
The process for selecting the next Church president is predictable and follows clear precedent—but is that pattern borne from revelation or created by custom?
Ep 193Is the LDS Church corrupt?
Prior to announcing the Proclamation on the Family, President Hinckley highlighted a trend that plagued God's past people—and which plagues us today. How are we faring?
Ep 192The Family Proclamation, 30 Years Later
The three-decades-old document seems more potent and prescient than ever before. But when the Proclamation was released, what was the response?
Ep 191Charlie Kirk, Murdered
How should we respond in the wake of the assassination of one of this generation's loudest voices of freedom, faith, and family?