What happens when a celebrated war hero, beloved by both Congress and the LDS Church, turns out to be living a lie? In this episode of Mormonism Live, we investigate the incredible true story of Douglas Stringfellow — a Utah congressman, decorated veteran, and rising star in postwar America… until it all came crashing down. Join us as we uncover a decades-old scandal that raises timeless questions about truth, trust, and the power of a really good story. You won’t believe how far this deception went — or who may have looked the other way. Help support Bill Reel & Radio Free Mormon in making informative entertaining content that shines a light on truth and leads with transparency.

Please consider supporting our work!

Join our Mailing List – subscribepage.io/MormonDiscussion

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-discussions-podcasts-full-lineup/id562296100

https://open.spotify.com/show/0lEZJF0ZH6ccoteUP9Z4Fu

Instagram: /https://www.instagram.com/mormondiscussion/

TikTok: @mormondiscussion https://www.tiktok.com/@mormondiscussion

Mormon Discussion Merch store https://www.exmoshirts.com/collections/mormondiscussions

Mormon Discussions Website – https://mormondiscussions.org/

Contact Bill Reel, RFM, and the Mormon Discussions Team: [email protected]

The post Mormon War Hero Who Lied: The Douglas Stringfellow Scandal appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

In this eye-opening episode of Mormonism Live, hosts Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon are joined by author and theologian Charley Harrell to explore his powerful Dialogue Journal article, “John Taylor on the ‘Dark Ages’.” Together, they take a deep dive into how third LDS Church President John Taylor challenged the traditional narrative of the Great Apostasy—offering a radically different view of the Middle Ages, where spiritual gifts and divine revelation still thrived. Was there really a total apostasy after the death of Christ, or have we misunderstood what “spiritual darkness” means? Harrell examines Taylor’s 1873 discourse, revealing that the LDS prophet acknowledged divine influence and religious truth outside of Mormonism—even among Christian mystics and thinkers during the so-called “Dark Ages.” This conversation reframes the LDS Church’s apostasy narrative, opens the door to interfaith spirituality, and raises critical questions about revelation, church authority, and doctrinal evolution. Whether you’re a believing Latter-day Saint, a post-Mormon, or simply curious about Christian history and theology, this episode offers compelling insights that challenge conventional Mormon teachings.

The post John Taylor and the Truth About the Dark Ages: Rethinking the Great Apostasy appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

What do you get when you mix Mormon folklore, an angelic visitation, and a supposed Nephite treasure buried in a Utah hillside? You get one of the strangest, most persistent sagas in LDS history: the story of John Hyrum Koyle and the Dream Mine. In this episode, we dig into the bizarre and fascinating tale of a humble Mormon bishop who claimed Angel Moroni showed him an ancient gold cache meant to rescue the Church in the last days. From visions and prophecies to excommunication and conspiracy, the Dream Mine became a battleground between grassroots revelation and institutional control—and it still has believers buying stock today. Join us as we explore the wild intersection of faith, finance, folklore, and failed prophecy. Whether you’re a questioning Mormon, a history nerd, or just here for the gold-digging angels, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Help support Bill Reel & Radio Free Mormon in making informative entertaining content that shines a light on truth and leads with transparency. 

DONATE VIA DONORBOX! https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live

Join our Mailing List – subscribepage.io/MormonDiscussion 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-discussions-podcasts-full-lineup/id562296100

https://open.spotify.com/show/0lEZJF0ZH6ccoteUP9Z4Fu

Instagram: /https://www.instagram.com/mormondiscussion/

TikTok: @mormondiscussion https://www.tiktok.com/@mormondiscussion

Mormon Discussion Merch store https://www.exmoshirts.com/collections/mormondiscussions

Contact Bill Reel, RFM, and the Mormon Discussions Team:

[email protected]

The post The Dream Mine Story: Mormonism’s Most Expensive Revelation [Mormonism Live 231] appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

This episode of Mormonism Live, we dive into a forgotten battlefield of Utah history — the Black Hawk War — a brutal and devastating conflict between Mormon settlers and Native American tribes that has been largely buried under pioneer myths and whitewashed storytelling. Far from a few isolated raids, the Black Hawk War (1865–1872) was Utah’s deadliest and most destructive conflict, costing hundreds of lives, displacing entire tribes, and forcing Mormon settlements to be abandoned across southern Utah. We’ll explore how this violent chapter unfolded, why the LDS Church worked so hard to minimize it, and the staggering story of Antonga Black Hawk — the baptized Ute leader who fought for his people’s survival and whose remains were later put on public display like a trophy. In this episode, we ask the uncomfortable questions: How did religious manifest destiny fuel the bloodshed? Why was this “war” covered up for so long? And what does reckoning with this history reveal about Mormonism’s legacy of colonization? Get ready — this is the real Mormon history they never taught you in Sunday School.

The post Utah’s Bloodiest Secret: Mormonism and the Black Hawk War [Mormonism Live 230] appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

A fake email account bearing Bill Reel’s name was used to manipulate and deceive—an incident that has raised serious questions about digital ethics, privacy violations, and personal targeting within the post-Mormon space. In this episode, we break down what happened, how the deception unfolded, and why the details point in a very specific direction. From curious inconsistencies to insider-level knowledge, the clues reveal more than the perpetrator may have intended. We’ll walk you through the timeline, the evidence we’ve collected, and the larger implications for trust and accountability in our community. This isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a story that reflects the lengths some will go to silence or sabotage others. Join us as we put the puzzle pieces together and invite you to consider what the facts reveal.

The post Digital Deception: Unmasking The Fake Bill Reel Account [Mormonism Live 229] appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

When Joseph Smith died in 1844, the Restoration shattered like a glass dropped from heaven. What followed was a century-spanning explosion of rival prophets, breakaway churches, polygamist kingdoms, angelic messages, and more than one self-crowned king.

In this episode of Mormonism Live, Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon take you on a deep dive into the wild and fractured world of LDS splinter groups. From the well-known Community of Christ and FLDS to obscure sects like the Cutlerites, Strangites, Bickertonites, and Church of the Firstborn of the Lamb of God, we explore who these groups are, what they believe, and why they broke away from the main LDS Church.

We’ll examine their truth claims, theological quirks, and historical oddities—temple rites in basements, prophets behind bars, reincarnated Nephites, and the never-ending quest for Zion. Whether you’re a seasoned ex-Mormon or just religion-curious, this episode unpacks the Restoration’s lesser-known heirs with humor, history, and a healthy dose of skepticism.

May 10th Event in Saint George – https://donorbox.org/events/760180

Help support Bill Reel & Radio Free Mormon in making informative entertaining content that shines a light on truth and leads with transparency. DONATE VIA DONORBOX! https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live

Join our Mailing List – subscribepage.io/MormonDiscussion

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-discussions-podcasts-full-lineup/id562296100

Instagram: /https://www.instagram.com/mormondiscussion/

Contact Bill Reel, RFM, and the Mormon Discussions Team: [email protected]

The post Prophets, Polygamists & Pretenders: Inside Mormonism’s Schisms and Sects appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

[Mormonism Live: 227] Welcome to the alternate reality where Joseph Smith never practiced polygamy, the angels with swords were just metaphors, and dozens of wives—including teenagers and already-married women—somehow just… didn’t exist. In this week’s episode of Mormonism Live, Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon are joined by Mormonism Historian Dan Vogel as they dive headfirst into the bizarre and baffling claims of the “Polygamy Deniers”—a fringe group, but growing number of Mormon defenders who insist, against overwhelming historical evidence, that Joseph Smith was monogamous. Armed with logic, primary sources, and just the right amount of snark, we dismantle the contorted reasoning and cherry-picked narratives that fuel this historical revisionism.

Why deny what the historical record screams? What tactics do these deniers use to twist facts into faith-promoting fiction? And why does this matter for modern Mormonism? Join us for a wild ride through the land of bad apologetics, historical amnesia, and the desperate need to preserve a prophet’s purity—no matter the cost to truth. This is one you won’t want to miss.

Come hangout with RFM & Bill in Southern Utah on May 10th – https://donorbox.org/events/760180

Evidence Joseph Smith Practiced Polygamy

The post The Wacky World of Polygamy Deniers appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

The post Mormonism & The Charles Anthon Affair appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

[Mormonism Live 225] What if one of the most foundational parts of the Book of Mormon wasn’t ancient at all—but lifted from a 19th-century Methodist Bible commentary? In this episode, Mormonism Live dives into what may be the most significant academic finding in Mormon studies in decades: compelling evidence that Joseph Smith used Adam Clarke’s biblical commentary—a massive, scholarly work from the early 1800s—as a source while “translating” Isaiah into the Book of Mormon. Based on Colby Townsend’s stunning new paper, we break down direct textual connections, show how Smith edited Isaiah using Clarke’s scholarly notes, and explore what this means for the Church’s truth claims, the notion of “translation,” and the very origin story of the Book of Mormon. This episode could change the conversation around Joseph Smith’s methods forever. Don’t miss this deep dive into what looks like the scholarly smoking gun behind one of Mormonism’s sacred texts.

RESOURCE:

Help support Bill Reel & Radio Free Mormon in making informative entertaining content that shines a light on truth and leads with transparency. 

DONATE VIA DONORBOX! https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live

Join our Mailing List – subscribepage.io/MormonDiscussion 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-discussions-podcasts-full-lineup/id562296100

https://open.spotify.com/show/0lEZJF0ZH6ccoteUP9Z4Fu

Instagram: /https://www.instagram.com/mormondiscussion/

TikTok: @mormondiscussion https://www.tiktok.com/@mormondiscussion

Mormon Discussion Merch store https://www.exmoshirts.com/collections/mormondiscussions

Contact Bill Reel, RFM, and the Mormon Discussions Team:

[email protected]

The post Cracking The Code: Tracing Book of Mormon Origins appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

What happens when your faith tells you that your identity is a flaw to be corrected? In this episode, we sit down with Sam Nieves, a conversion therapy survivor, board member of the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network, and a clinically trained therapist with a background in Cognitive Psychology. Sam takes us deep into his lived experience growing up in Mormonism, where his sexuality and even his skin color were framed through a toxic theology of righteousness. In a LDS/Mormon belief system where “becoming white and delightsome” was once literal doctrine, Sam learned early on to associate purity with whiteness—and straightness. That twisted framework blurred lines in deeply harmful ways, pushing him into the shadows of shame and eventually into conversion therapy. Sam will walk us through the devastating process—how it was initiated, including messaging from MTC leadership, and how it affected his psyche, his sense of self, and his path to healing. This episode doesn’t just expose what goes on behind the closed doors of so-called “conversion therapy”—it empowers vulnerable listeners to recognize red flags and find help. Sam shares insights from both his trauma and his training, offering critical resources and language for anyone caught in similar webs of psychological and spiritual manipulation. Warning: This conversation includes themes of trauma, homophobia, and racial messaging within religious contexts. But it also includes truth, clarity, and hope.

The post Inside the Closet: How Mormon Conversion Therapy Tried to ‘Fix’ Me appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.