In this two-part episode, Lindsay Hansen Park, Brian Whitney, and Jon Grimes join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a discussion of how Mormon history is understood and engaged with among typical Latter-day Saints. How do non-historians understand the nature of the historian’s task, about how many different approaches to understanding history there are, each with its own types of lenses, each with different goals? In talking about particular incidents in the Mormon past, is the history book or article we are reading trying to tell a no-frills and highly detailed account of what transpired, or are they more interested in using that event or series of incidents to illustrate larger themes--or even to teach moral lessons? No historical text is "innocent"--every one reveals assumptions, methodologies, goals, and many other motivations in the historian’s mind alongside its accounts of whatever it is describing. With websites such as MormonThink and documents such as the Letter to a CES Director by Jeremy Runnells making such an impact on so many Latter-day Saints, it’s high time for discussions like this. In these influential presentations, who is present in the story, and who is not? What questions are being asked? Are they the best ones? What else might one ask the story or teaching under question? What assumptions lie below the approach? And perhaps the even more important to ask are questions of ourselves. Why are we reacting the way we do to these storytellings? Are our responses purely from the power of the textual presentations themselves, or are they validating for us deeper things that we’ve already been feeling, or are these texts helping us continue the important processes of breaking out of un-examined understandings? In many ways, history is a Rorschach test!

In this two-part episode, Lindsay Hansen Park, Brian Whitney, and Jon Grimes join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a discussion of how Mormon history is understood and engaged with among typical Latter-day Saints. How do non-historians understand the nature of the historian’s task, about how many different approaches to understanding history there are, each with its own types of lenses, each with different goals? In talking about particular incidents in the Mormon past, is the history book or article we are reading trying to tell a no-frills and highly detailed account of what transpired, or are they more interested in using that event or series of incidents to illustrate larger themes--or even to teach moral lessons? No historical text is "innocent"--every one reveals assumptions, methodologies, goals, and many other motivations in the historian’s mind alongside its accounts of whatever it is describing. With websites such as MormonThink and documents such as the Letter to a CES Director by Jeremy Runnells making such an impact on so many Latter-day Saints, it’s high time for discussions like this. In these influential presentations, who is present in the story, and who is not? What questions are being asked? Are they the best ones? What else might one ask the story or teaching under question? What assumptions lie below the approach? And perhaps the even more important to ask are questions of ourselves. Why are we reacting the way we do to these storytellings? Are our responses purely from the power of the textual presentations themselves, or are they validating for us deeper things that we’ve already been feeling, or are these texts helping us continue the important processes of breaking out of un-examined understandings? In many ways, history is a Rorschach test!

Co-released with Mormon Stories podcast, this two-part episode features Dan Wotherspoon interviewing Mormon Stories host John Dehlin about his life within Mormonism and role as a public voice for greater openness, transparency, and compassion within the LDS Church, especially those who find themselves marginalized by the institution and local communities. As a tireless fighter on behalf of those in pain, they also discuss John's future projects. See also Mormon Matters episodes 293-294 in which John interviews and has a discussion with Dan about Dan’s path and how he has found a rich spiritual home within Mormonism. Another related podcast (in some ways the first of three segments)--an interview of John Dehlin about his life and spiritual journey by Gina Colvin of A Thoughtful Faith podcast--is also now available as "John Dehlin: From the Beginning" at A Thoughtful Faith, and at the Mormon Stories podcast website as: "561-563: Gina Golvin Interviews John Dehlin on the 10th Anniversary of Mormon Stories Podcast."

Co-released with Mormon Stories podcast, this two-part episode features Dan Wotherspoon interviewing Mormon Stories host John Dehlin about his life within Mormonism and role as a public voice for greater openness, transparency, and compassion within the LDS Church, especially those who find themselves marginalized by the institution and local communities. As a tireless fighter on behalf of those in pain, they also discuss John's future projects. See also Mormon Matters episodes 293-294 in which John interviews and has a discussion with Dan about Dan’s path and how he has found a rich spiritual home within Mormonism. Another related podcast (in some ways the first of three segments)--an interview of John Dehlin about his life and spiritual journey by Gina Colvin of A Thoughtful Faith podcast--is also now available as "John Dehlin: From the Beginning" at A Thoughtful Faith, and at the Mormon Stories podcast website as: "561-563: Gina Golvin Interviews John Dehlin on the 10th Anniversary of Mormon Stories Podcast."

Co-released with Mormon Stories podcast, this two-part episode features John Dehlin interviewing Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon about his life within Mormonism and role as a public voice for finding peace and richness within the LDS faith even as he is not what many Latter-day Saints would consider as fully orthodox. See also Mormon Matters episodes 295-296 in which Dan, in turn, interviews and has a discussion with John about John’s beliefs and path, the projects he is planning to pursue next. Another related podcast (in some ways the first of three segments)--an interview of John Dehlin about his life and spiritual journey by Gina Colvin of A Thoughtful Faith podcast--is also now available as "John Dehlin: From the Beginning" at A Thoughtful Faith, and at the Mormon Stories podcast website as: "561-563: Gina Golvin Interviews John Dehlin on the 10th Anniversary of Mormon Stories Podcast."

Co-released with Mormon Stories podcast, this two-part episode features John Dehlin interviewing Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon about his life within Mormonism and role as a public voice for finding peace and richness within the LDS faith even as he is not what many Latter-day Saints would consider as fully orthodox. See also Mormon Matters episodes 295-296 in which Dan, in turn, interviews and has a discussion with John about John’s beliefs and path, the projects he is planning to pursue next. Another related podcast (in some ways the first of three segments)--an interview of John Dehlin about his life and spiritual journey by Gina Colvin of A Thoughtful Faith podcast--is also now available as "John Dehlin: From the Beginning" at A Thoughtful Faith, and at the Mormon Stories podcast website as: "561-563: Gina Golvin Interviews John Dehlin on the 10th Anniversary of Mormon Stories Podcast."

On 7 March 2015, Terryl Givens gave a wonderful lecture and was interview at the Rockwell Museum in Corning, New York. The occasion was a Mormon History Association satellite event in which Givens was asked to speak on "An American Journey across the Landscape of Mormon Theology." Since MHA does not have a podcast, and this is definitely a lecture and interview worth receiving a wide hearing, they asked Mormon Matters and A Thoughtful Faith podcasts to co-release the audio. A full video of the evening, including an additional 27 minutes of introductory material will soon be available to view. Stay tuned here for a link when it becomes available. In his lecture, Givens roots Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon in the various milieus of his time, both culturally and theologically. His special focus in on the current notions of Christianity’s "covenant theology" at play during his time, and how Smith re-imagined it--not always consciously but eventually coming to understand that aspect of his work. Ultimately Givens places Mormonism squarely in the Christian camp but prior to the time of the formative councils in which the ideas of the church fathers Origin and Pelagius were rejected and Christianity took the forms it did. In Givens’ hands, Mormon theology takes a path that emphasizes human beings as expansive, co-eternal with God, which naturally shapes their "covenantal" relationship with God in ways quite different than mainstream Christianity.