How ancient are "modern" LDS temples, really? Is it worrisome that we find Masonry in our own ordinances? What is at the heart of temple worship? Ben Spackman is back and he's here to set the record straight! Ben Spackman is a Latter-day Saint Bible scholar. He’s got a bachelor’s in Near Eastern studies, a Master's in Near Eastern languages and civilizations, and a PhD in the history of Christianity. Latter-day Saints around the world are studying the Old Testament in 2026, and in this episode we’re going to be talking about ancient temples versus modern temples: what we get right when we compare them, what we get wrong, and what we may be misunderstanding.

In this episode, David sits down with author and researcher Jeff Strong to talk about the data on why some people leave the Latter-day Saint faith. Jeff points out four cultural tensions that can sometimes be out of balance, but that we can improve!

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CORRECTION: At about ⁠18:50⁠ we refer to the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. However, Nathan intended to refer to the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act.

What do we do when “obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” collides with the practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Nathan Oman discusses major ways in which legislation has influenced the trajectory of the Church over time.Nathan Oman is a Latter-day Saint and law professor at William & Mary Law School. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, and he’s the author of Oxford’s recently published book, “Living Oracles: Law and the Latter-day Saint Tradition.”

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In this interview, David Snell sits down with Evangelical pastor Kyle Beshears to talk about Latter-day Saint history, controversy, and Kyle's new book, "40 Questions about Mormonism."

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Using secular sources, Justin Dyer responds to false claims surrounding membership retention in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dr. Justin Dyer is a professor of religious education at BYU. He’s got a Ph.D. in human and community development. He has published over 80 academic studies and has been cited over 3,000 times in academic research. He teaches classes on family, religion, and statistics. He recently published research on Latter-day Saint Religiousness, Well-Being, and Retention. When I saw this eye-opening data he uncovered, I had to bring him on the show.

Genesis teaches that Adam and Eve were our first parents. Or does it? LDS historian Ben Spackman is back, and in this episode we'll be discussing the historicity of Adam and Eve's story, and whether modern revelation can agree with modern science. Ben is here to blow minds and write dissertations...and he's all out of dissertations.

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In this episode, historian Ben Spackman reacts to his previous popular (and only sliiightly controversial) interview about potential future change in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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Want to know more about President Dallin H. Oaks? Richard Turley (today's guest) literally wrote the book.

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In this episode, David sits down with polygamy expert, author, and historian Brittany Chapman Nash to talk about the boots-on-the-ground stories of men and women who lived polygamy in early Utah. We talk about what finally brought Nash peace on this subject.Check out Brittany Chapman Nash's book, "Let's Talk About Polygamy"! It's truly one of a kind and extremely accessible.

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Joseph Smith once taught ordinances "are not to be altered or changed." But how do we reconcile that with the fact that over the years temple ordinances have changed? In this episode, I sit down with Church historian, Dr. Jonathan Stapley, to clarify that issue and many specific changes to the temple ceremony, like the removal of the oath of vengeance and the penalties.

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