Episodes

Radical History and Racial Dynamics of Mormon Garments Nancy Ross and Jessica Finnigan, co-authors of Mormon Garments, Sacred and Secret dive into the unexpected history and sociological complexities of LDS temple garments. From Joseph Smith’s early design demands to the modern realities of race and garment surveillance, this episode uncovers the fascinating evolution of this deeply personal practice. https://youtu.be/_Rt8-TabB-U Don’t miss our other conversations Nancy Ross: https://gospeltan...

I sat down with scholars Nancy Ross and Jessica Finnigan to discuss their taboo research on Mormon garments. They, along with Larissa Kanno Kindred, are the co-authors of the groundbreaking book Mormon Garments, Sacred and Secret. The deeply candid conversation pulls back the curtain on a historically taboo research topic within Latter-day Saint culture, exploring the complex intersections of theology, historical evolution, and the very real physical realities of wearing temple garments. https:...

No Children for Joseph Smith? Joseph Smith’s plural wives One of the most frequent arguments raised by skeptics of Joseph Smith’s polygamy is the “fertility paradox.” While Joseph Smith fathered several biological children with his first wife, Emma, there are zero verified offspring from his estimated 30 to 40 plural marriages. DNA testing on suspected plural children has continuously ruled out Joseph as the father in every known case. Does this lack of physical evidence prove his plural marriag...

Are Big Money BYU Sports Compatible with LDS Church Mission? Dr. Matthew Bowman, co-author of “Game Changers,” zeroes in on the ultimate tension in modern collegiate sports: can you balance God, Mammon, and big money athletics? As BYU integrates into the lucrative Big 12 conference, the historic values of amateurism are directly clashing with the pursuit of NBA stardom. https://youtu.be/SZssRvBGiCM Gospel Tangents NEWSLETTER: https://gospeltangents.com/newsletter Don’t miss our other discussio...

Big Money, Big Changes, and Why AJ Dybantsa Picked BYU AJ Dybantsa and just declared for the NBA draft. We discuss why AJ Dybantsa picked BYU. He’s likely top NBA prospect, and he is reportedly earning millions to play in Provo. Dr. Matthew Bowman, author of Game Changers, dives into the modern reality of college sports and its collision with BYU’s historical values. We explore the massive shifts brought about by NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals and how BYU continues to rely on its unique ...

If you think college basketball has changed drastically, wait until you hear about the Global Evolution of LDS Basketball. This happened before the introduction of millions of dollars in NIL deals. Wait until you hear the history of how the sport evolved at BYU and around the world. Dr. Matthew Bowman, co-author of “Game Changers: AJ Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the Soul of Basketball,” discusses the sport’s explosive, global, and highly controversial growth. https://youtu.be/2jMkUTAVm6s...

If you’ve ever stepped inside a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse, you likely noticed almost every LDS Church has basketball court. But have you ever wondered why basketball became the unofficial sport of the church? Dr. Matthew Bowman, the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University discussed his new book, Game Changers: AJ Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the Soul of Basketball, which he co-authored with BYU alum Wayne LeCheminant. Their fascinating conversation p...

Dr. Jonathan Stapley, author of Holiness to the Lord, dives deep into the complex history of women & temple sealings, the historical evolution of the sealing ceremony, the persistent changes to the endowment, and the shifting architectural purposes of Latter-day Saint temples. https://youtu.be/9GLMfnUxqdU Don’t miss our other discussions with Jonathan. https://gospeltangents.com/people/jonathan_stapley Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Complex History of Women & Temple Se...

Chapter 1 is the best temple prep book ever. I sat down with Jonathan Stapley, an award-winning historian to discuss his newest book, Holiness to the Lord: Latter Day Saint Temple Worship. During the show, Stapley was even surprised he won the “Best Temple Book of 2025” award! I thi https://youtu.be/1bBMcqgKKdY 0:00 Award Winning Author on LDS Temple Worship 3:20 Is Temple Worship Taboo? 10:14 Required Reading for Temple Prep 17:52 Kirtland Temple Period Demystifying the Temple Experience/...

Journal of Mormon Polygamy Conference Here is a recap of the major highlights, controversies, and presentations. https://youtu.be/IekJUmx5qK4 The 1886 John Taylor Revelation I was part of a panel discussing the 1886 John Taylor revelation, which was recently released by the Church History Library. This revelation was received around September 27, 1886, while President Taylor was in hiding from U.S. government officials due to the Edmunds Act. The original manuscript was discovered written in ...

Janice Allred was excommunicated just over 30 years ago, but still attends the LDS Church!!! Why? She will talk about why she stays, and offer advice to others on how to stay if they want to. We'll discuss how it affects her family, her testimony, and we'll even dive into why current polygamy revisionists are getting into trouble with LDS Church leaders. Check out our conversation! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O8H-QXlDPw Janice Allred: Three Decades in the Pews as an Excommunicated Member Wh...

I was able to get a rare interview with a member of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot.) Daniel Malone is an adult Sunday school teacher for the church in Independence, Missouri. He provides a candid look into the history and theology of the organization, often historically referred to as the “Hedrickites.” https://youtu.be/pe4r4P3PkQ0 Don’t miss our other conversations on Hedrickites: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/Hedrickites/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved S...

There is a seismic shift on the priesthood ban in Mormon fundamentalism. It’s happening within independent Mormon group. Justin Francom shares the inside story of how the independent fundamentalist group in Missouri recently made a historic decision to officially abandon the racial priesthood ban and open their temple to people of all racial backgrounds. https://youtu.be/oEltSUrBCQA Don’t miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/fundamental...

Ben Schilaty, a former BYU Honor Code administrator, is a social work professor and author who discusses his life as a gay Latter-day Saint. He details his professional background, and his current work with the Gather Conference. Schilaty shares his personal faith journey, explaining how he reconciles his sexual orientation with his commitment to the Church through prayer and personal revelation. He advocates for radical empathy and honoring the individual agency of LGBTQ members, whether they c...

Spiritual Libertarians and the “Not Group”: Inside Independent Mormon Fundamentalism I sat down with Justin Francom for a deep dive into his “not group,” a unique, largely misunderstood faction of Mormon fundamentalism. Francom sheds light on a fiercely independent community of believers who have built their own temple and completely rejected traditional authoritarian hierarchies. https://youtu.be/1B0qjVPxlcM Don’t miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.c...

I sat down with Justin Francom, an independent Mormon fundamentalist living in Missouri, to discuss his journey from a traditional LDS background to an Independent Mormon fundamentalist. Francom’s story is a compelling look at how his search for deeper doctrine can lead a “Jack Mormon” turned missionary into the world of independent fundamentalist. https://youtu.be/6oY7DnOq2Ec Don’t miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/fundamentalim/ Pa...

Jim Bennett’s idea for sustainable and honest faith includes a theological argument that recognizing the fallibility of religious leaders is not just a mistake to be acknowledged, but a central purpose of mortality and the plan of salvation. He suggests that a sustainable faith must be rooted in truth rather than the “demigod” status often assigned to prophets. Jim is the host of Inside Out where he discusses faith with Ian Wilks, someone on the outside of the LDS Church. https://youtu.be/HPT5N...

For decades, scholars have debated where the Book of Mormon took place. Could it be on the Baja Peninsula? Or in the narrow necks of Central America, or the heartland of the United States? But what if the internal map of the text—where ‘east’ is truly east and seeds from Jerusalem flourish—points to a location largely ignored by archaeologists? In this comprehensive interview, David Rosenvall details how a simple question from his father, a university geography professor, led to a decade of rese...

We’re talking about where faith & DNA collide. This is a throwback episode from my 2018 interview with Dr Simon Southerton. We’ll discuss how this former LDS bishop got excommunicated over his writings about DNA problems with the Book of Mormon and his book “Losing a Lost Tribe.” Check out our conversation… https://youtu.be/N0pD5jz01OA Chapters 0:00 Faith & DNA Collision Result in Excommunication 18:41 Cohen Haplotype 36:06 DNA Shouldn’t Vanish 54:45 The Flood & Religious Beliefs Check ou...

In the final segment, the Ericksons tackle the practical side of raising kids in polygamy. They discuss whether they expect their kids to be polygamists, the role of their ministry, and the lingering trauma that keeps many fundamentalist groups secretive. Sign up for this secret episode at https://gospeltangents.com/newsletter https://youtu.be/R_q-a_a79Ik Don’t miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/fundamentalim/ 00:00 – Raising Kids in...

The Ericksons introduce a massive new scripture project for Independent Mormons and all Restorationists. We discuss the contentious issue of priesthood authority outside the LDS Church, and explain why they believe authority can exist in multiple branches of the Restoration simultaneously. https://youtu.be/aSKNhcLwtqY Don’t miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/fundamentalim/ 00:00 – Independent Mormons Restored Version of Scriptures: ...

Rick Bennett and Kurt Francom announce the launch of the Gospel Tangents Network and its new community forum, LDS Faith Journeys.org, designed to support members looking for support with history, doctrine, social issues, etc. The hosts discuss reframing the concept of a “faith crisis” into a “faith journey” to remove shame, with Kurt offering his “scuba gear on a bicycle” analogy to explain how personal trauma or baggage can hinder religious practice. The conversation covers Kurt’s experience as...

I was surprised to learn that Troy Ables passed away on Thursday, Jan 15, 2026. In this special episode I’m sharing a previously unpublished interview from October 2020 to honor the memory of Troy Ables, a YouTuber and podcaster known for “The Last Dispensation,” who passed away suddenly around the age of 54. In a reversal of roles, Troy interviews Rick, delving into Rick’s personal history, his views on controversial church topics, and the evolution of Mormon historical transparency. https://y...

The most shocking part of Exponent II‘s history is the organization’s “FBI embezzlement story.” In 2017, the board discovered that a trusted treasurer and close friend had embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars over a six-year period. The theft was hidden because the money—often retreat deposits and subscription fees—was occasionally covered privately by the treasurer’s family to prevent the retreat centers from reporting non-payment. The discovery led to a federal investigation, and the tre...