Episodes

Will there be polygamy in heaven? We’re diving into Ross LeBaron story with Jacob Vidrine of the Church of the Firstborn. I’ll also ask Jacob if polygamy a requirement for the Celestial Kingdom. Will it be monogamy or polygamy in heaven? His answer surprised me! We discuss Law of Adoption & the Manifesto ending polygamy in the LDS Church as well. Check out our conversation… https://youtu.be/m20kOKhSdLA 0:00 1st Successor: Ross LeBaron 13:57 Law of Adoption 22:03 Requirement for Polygamy in H...

Jacob Vidrine discusses LeBaron succession! You may have heard of Ervil, Joel, and Ross LeBaron. Who took charge after Alma Dayer LeBaron died? Check out our conversation…. https://youtu.be/6NckTz7ateA Don’t miss our other conversations with Jacob: https://gospeltangents.com/people/jacob-vidrine Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission LeBaron Divide: Priesthood, Power, & Struggle for the Birthrigh...

Jacob Vidrine tells how authority transferred from Benjamin F Johnson in Nauvoo to Alma Dayer LeBaron and the LeBaron groups. Check out our conversation… The LeBaron authority line, originating from Benjamin F. Johnson, is like a secret royal charter given directly by the king (Joseph Smith) to a trusted advisor, authorizing him to establish a new subsidiary branch of the kingdom. While other fundamentalist lines (Woolleyites) claim authority based on a later, more public decree (John Taylor’s ...

Let’s look into the unique authority claims of the Church of the Firstborn, also often referred to by the term Ross LeBaron-ite. They claim authority through the Council of 50 in Nauvoo! This group represents an interesting fundamentalist branch because its line of authority is distinct from the majority of other fundamentalist groups, such as the FLDS and AUB, who primarily trace their authority through the Lorin Woolley story. https://youtu.be/HeX3jEvK0FQ Don’t miss our other conversations w...

I’m excited to introduce Jacob Vidrine, a member of Church of the Firstborn. This is a group that is part of the LeBaron fundamentalist group. Jacob is a human encyclopedia of Mormn fundamentalism, and we’re going to dive deep into how the LeBaron group cross-pollinates with other fundamentalist groups. Check it out! 0:00 Intro LeBaron Family 4:16 Lorin Woolley Authority Claims 15:20 Kingston & LeBaron Claims 19:18 High Priest Apostles 21:05 Sidney Rigdon Trial 23:53 2nd Anointing-Patriarc...

Joseph Fielding Smith is the architect of controversial LDS orthodoxy. He has some controversial writings about Blacks and Ezra Taft Benson. We’ll also delve into his role with Lowell Bennion, a BYU professor who was fired. Was JFS responsible or was it someone else? Matthew Bowman answers. We’ll also dive into his role in shaping orthodoxy in the 20th century. Don’t forget to check out Matt’s amazing biography on Joseph Fielding Smith! Check out our conversation… https://youtu.be/_aBWPp4i1OY ...

Jerald and Sandra Tanner received an apostolic scolding by LeGrand Richards over the First Vision! By the early 1960s, Sandra and Jerald Tanner were deep into critical analysis of Mormon history, having transitioned from struggling Utah Mormons to committed followers of a Christ-focused faith centered on the Bible and the Book of Mormon. This new path led them to join Pauline Hancock’s “Basement Church” in Independence, Missouri, formally known as the Church of Christ (Bible & Book of Mormon). ...

Sandra Tanner discusses one of the most intriguing episodes in Mormon history: her early inquiry into the missing 1832 First Vision account. (She didn’t know it was missing at the time. The account was allegedly ripped out of the Joseph Smith journal by Church Historian Joseph Fielding Smith. This pursuit led Sandra directly into correspondence with Joseph Fielding Smith, then Church Historian, concerning what she believed was the original, definitive record of Joseph Smith’s earliest spiritual ...

Will there be murderers in Celestial Kingdom? An Institute Teacher’s answer challenged Sandra Tanner’s faith back in the 1950s. We’ll talk about this unusual case and how it contributed to Sandra joining Pauline Hancock’s Basement Church (known as Church of Christ) in Independence Missouri. Check out our conversation… https://youtu.be/4c6tu0SYs6 Don’t miss our other conversations with Sandra: https://gospeltangents.com/people/sandra-tanner Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved...

Before Stassi Cramm became the first woman to lead the Community of Christ, Pauline Hancock led the Church of Christ. Sandra Tanner was baptized in about 1960 into Pauline Hancock’s Church of Christ. We’ll discuss Pauline’s church, Sandra’s conversion and de-conversion, and more in this amazing conversation. Check it out! https://youtu.be/3V-7stAyZ9w Don’t miss our other conversations with Sandra: https://gospeltangents.com/people/sandra-tanner Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Res...

This is a throwback episode from 2018. Sandra & Jerald Tanner were the first to identify a Hofmann forgery. They were the first to claim the Salamander Letter was a forgery but they didn’t know it was a Hofmann forgery. Even though they didn’t suspect Mark Hofmann was the forger, they were eventually proved correct. Sandra tells how her husband Jerald came to that conclusion, his later illness & death from dementia, and whether she thinks some books in the Bible could be classified as forgeries....

A presentation titled Pregnant Possibilities was given by Mark Tensmeyer, Joseph Stanford, Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, John Kidd, & myself (Rick Bennett.) This was similar to a presentation at Sunstone & John Whitmer Historical Association in August, September, & October 2025. We tackled the question on how many children Joseph Smith should have had with his plural wives. (It is a lot less than you think!) Mark gave a history, Joseph outlined the science behind calculating pregnancy, Rick did the cal...

Today is Peggy Fletcher Stack’s 40th wedding anniversary. A few months ago, I asked Peggy Fletcher Stack’s opinions. Central to Peggy’s thirty-plus-year career is her unwavering commitment to journalistic ethics and objectivity. Peggy has been a religion reporter at the Salt Lake Tribune for decades, and she tells why she doesn’t like to share her opinions. https://youtu.be/wJIVGj_2ywQ Don’t miss our other conversations with Peggy: https://gospeltangents.com/people/peggy-fletcher-stack/ Copyri...

In a recent candid conversation, Stassi Cramm, the first female prophet of the Community of Christ, discussed the Kirtland Temple sale & highly publicized sale of historic sites. She offered insights into the church’s current financial & addressed the complexities of continuing to lead a worldwide, diverse body on issues of inclusion and mission. President Cramm, who was ordained in June 2025 and previously served nine years in the First Presidency, emphasized that her approach centers on faith...

We’re discussing 2 controversial topics with Stassi Cramm, President of the Community of Christ. We’ll focus on the controversial sale of Kirtland Temple, as well as the schism that followed the 1984 revelation on women’s ordination. Which was more controversial? Check out our conversation… Don’t miss our other conversations with Stassi: https://gospeltangents.com/people/stassi-cramm/ https://youtu.be/CIv5kq-x648 Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved 1984 Schism & Its Afterma...

Stassi Cramm is the 1st female Prophet-President of the Community of Christ. I asked her to reflect back on the 1984 revelation that granted priesthood to women and her time as a lifelong member of Community of Christ. Was it hard? Check out our conversation… https://youtu.be/OjtLJ-FG988 Don’t miss our other conversations with Stassi: https://gospeltangents.com/people/stassi-cramm/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved 0:00 Meet Stassi Cramm 4:32 Women Get Priesthood in 198...

Here is my JWHA recap 2025! I’ll show photos and give my reactions to the award winners! Check it out! Don’t miss our other Tangent Trips! https://gospeltangents.com/mormon_history/gt-trips/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved https://youtu.be/NL_LkWQBApk Fresh off the plane from Kansas City, I wanted to share a recap of my fantastic, albeit hectic, week at the John Whitmer Historical Association (JWHA) meetings in Independence. It’s been a whirlwind of travel lately—from A...

Today marks 168 years since the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Following last year’s JWHA conference in St George, Utah, I drove by the 4 monuments to the tragedy. Here is an in-depth account of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, an “unspeakable tragedy” that occurred on September 11, 1857. This episode is a somber reflection on this event, along with a condemnation of political and gun violence. https://youtu.be/5MQbBi2zhwI Don’t miss our other Tangent Trips! https://gospeltangents.com/mormon_history...

Come along with me on a walking tour of Independence, Missouri! We’ll explore the historic Temple Lot Church (Hedrickites) and look at rare photographs from the Great Depression, when attempts were made to build the Jackson County Temple on the very cornerstones Joseph Smith laid in 1831. We’ll also stop by the Stone Church, the oldest church in Missouri, built by Joseph Smith III, and visit the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As we walk, we’ll trace the same steps once tak...

Unannounced Live Gospel Tangents recently surprised viewers with an unannounced live stream including a JFS book giveaway. This is a “late night edition” that offers a whirlwind update on my extensive travels, upcoming interviews, and even some “breaking news” from the Temple Lot Church. Despite a busy travel schedule and a significant backlog of videos to edit, I managed to connect, give away a JFS book, and share exciting previews of what’s to come! https://youtu.be/Jw_a2PA5jAU Recent Trave...

This is a rebroadcast of my 2018 interview with John Hamer & Lachlan MacKay from the Community of Christ. They’ll bust some LDS myths about the Kirtland Temple, Word of Wisdom, Alice Cooper, and more! Check it out! https://youtu.be/NjnkS1Y-tls Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission A Journey Through Kirtland and Beyond The early history of the Latter-day Saint movement is far richer and more com...

History was made Sunday night in Independence, Missouri. The Community of Christ gathered for the election and ordination of the 1st female prophet president in Community of Christ. It was a a momentous occasion. The focus of the event was Stassi Cramm, who was anticipated to take on this significant leadership role, following Steven Veazey’s retirement. She became the 1st female prophet-president of Community of Christ, and just the 2nd female leader of a Restoration Church since Pauline Hancoc...

Changes in RLDS Succession Last Spring, John Hamer gave a monumental address about RLDS succession at the JWHA Meetings that literally changed RLDS History. Pres-prophet Steven Veazey had announced his pending retirement in 2 years and said he would choose a successor. John argued in his address that if Veazey did so, it would make his presidency illegitimate as well as whoever he picked. So, the process was changed as a result of his address. He’ll give more details. Check out our conversation...

John Hamer makes the surprising argument that the Auditorium is, in fact, a Community of Christ temple on the Temple Lot! This is a claim even many RLDS members have never heard. Why does he say this? It ties back to the unfinished temple project of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), also known as the Hedrickites. For a time, the two churches were essentially constructing rival temples side by side on the historic temple lot. Join us as we dive into this fascinating story! https://youtu.be/eWnS...