Religion professor and popular LDS podcaster and apologist Jared Halverson set off a firestorm this week with a video urging women to stay in the Church, even if they feel unseen, unheard, and second-class. The backlash was swift and fierce, with women from across the Mormon spectrum calling out the spiritual harm embedded in his message. On Mormonism After Dark, RFM and Bill Reel brought in powerhouse voices Dr. Julie Hanks and Britt Hartley to dissect the issue — and their responses struck a nerve. Halverson eventually issued an apology… but did it land? Did he really get it? Tonight, we break down the full timeline of this unfolding controversy — from the original video to the fallout, the apology, and the deeper implications about patriarchy, power, and performative faith. Was it a misstep — or a mirror held up to the system itself? Join us for a full, unfiltered look at the Halverson Escapade — only on the Mormon Newscast. In addition, we also have more temple updates, namely the Fairview and McKinney Temples and the public buzz around them. We look at a new ai LDS tool that has just been announced, check out the new clothing styles permitted by the sleeveless garment, and ensure everyone is ready for Conference just around the corner!

Link to the Mormonism After Dark Episode featuring Britt Hartley and Dr. Julie Hanks discussing Jared Halverson – https://youtube.com/live/trTS-xBmbTM?feature=share

The post Jared Halvorsen: Unshaken… Until the Backlash appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

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 Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

BREAKING: The LDS Church has quietly updated its official Gospel Topics essay on Race and the Priesthood — and yes, the shift is significant. In this episode of Mormon Newscast, we take a deep dive into the newest revision to one of Mormonism’s most controversial topics: the Church’s historic ban on Black men holding the priesthood and Black members entering the temple. The Gospel Topics essay has long danced around accountability, but a recent update subtly shifts language and tone — raising serious questions about whether the Church is inching toward an overdue reckoning… or just polishing the PR. We unpack: What changed in the essay What it signals (and what it avoids) Why this matters for members, ex-members, and public observers alike We also take a look at Elder Renlund’s promise that the Church will “do better for women” Tune in as we analyze the Church’s slow pivot on race and gender — all under the banner of continuing revelation… or is it continuing reputation management? Subscribe for honest, bold coverage of Mormonism’s shifting landscape. Mormon Newscast: Where truth doesn’t need a correlation committee. The Mormon Newscast March 24th 2025

The post The Newest Shift On The Racist Priesthood Ban appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

This Week on the Mormon Newscast we take a look at the recent news of the charges against a Utah Fire chief who was charged with sexual exploitation of a child, and the judge who released him on bail who is alleged to have had a sexual relationship and shared child porn with each other. We also dive into Benson Boone discussing his time as a Mormon, the LDS Church’s new book on the Young Women’s organization, a Temple Update, and a strange mass BYU Acceptance text.

The post Utah Officials Being Investigated On Child Sexual Exploitation!! appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Ep. 184 | Almost Awakened In this episode we explore how nervous system dysregulation affects your health, relationships, emotions, and identity—and how understanding this system can radically change the way you live and heal. Welcome to the reboot of the Almost Awakened Podcast—where big awakenings meet real-life healing. Bill Reel is joined by his new co-host, trauma coach Teresa Hobbs, and they are kicking things off with a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood—and most powerful—keys to personal transformation: your nervous system. But this isn’t just about science and stress responses. We’re talking relationships, emotions, identity, illness, and the invisible ways trauma shapes our lives.

In this episode, you’ll learn: *What trauma actually is (hint: it’s not just what happened to you). *How your nervous system holds the key to healing and wholeness. *Why you might be stuck in fight, flight, freeze—or shutdown—and how to shift. *What co-regulation, Polyvagal Theory, and chronic symptoms have in common. *Simple, body-based tools to start rewiring your system today.

Whether you’re navigating religious deconstruction, chronic stress, or just want to feel more alive and at ease, this conversation is your launchpad.

Subscribe for weekly episodes on: Itunes, Google Play, Apple Music, Stitcher and FEATURED on YOUTUBE

Hosted by: Bill Reel, Almost Awakened Podcast Founder Teresa Hobbs, Trauma Recovery & Mind-Body Coach, Monarch Integrative Coaching Dive in: https://almostawakened.org

The post Healing Starts Here: Understanding the Nervous System & Trauma appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

When Jacob Hansen got called out for his sleight-of-hand tactics, he didn’t offer a defense—he offered a diagnosis: Kolby Reddish and RFM are “psychotic.”

But if anyone’s losing touch with reality, it might be the guy slicing and dicing evidence like a Benihana chef trying to make Book of Mormon logic sizzle.

In this episode, RFM and Kolby turn the tables on Jacob’s latest attempt to revise reality. Watch as the apologetic illusionist gets exposed for doing what he always does: cutting out inconvenient facts, spinning what’s left, and hoping nobody notices the smoke and mirrors. It’s sharp, it’s hilarious, and it’s a masterclass in how not to argue.

Tune in as RFM and Kolby Reddish dismantle the gaslighting—one manipulated “proof” at a time.

The post Ex-Mormon Psycho Lawyers From Hell: RFM: 390 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Have you ever heard of the Book of Mormon Challenge? It is a way Mormons have of trying to prove the Book of Mormon is true, by challenging a non-believer to write a comparable book in the same amount of time as Joseph Smith used on the Book of Mormon.

Well, it looks like RFM may have done that very thing. Can you imagine what will happen to the apologists if it turns out Radio Free Mormon is the one who beat the Book of Mormon challenge??? They’ll be like those Nazi guys at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark!

The post “I Beat The Book of Mormon Challenge!” : RFM: 389 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Leaving a high-demand religion can be a painful and transformative experience, but how do we ensure we don’t repeat the same patterns of judgment and exclusion we once faced? In this episode, we explore the cycle of harm, the dangers of tribalism, and how we can engage critically without dehumanizing others. Drawing from philosophy, psychology, and personal reflection, we examine how anger can be valid but also limiting if it leads us to mirror the very systems we left behind. True freedom lies not in fighting fire with fire, but in breaking the cycle with compassion, integrity, and a commitment to personal growth.

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The post The Best Revenge: Rameumptom Ruminations Episode 108 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

How do U.S. churches take advantage of tax exemptions, and should this be allowed? These and other issues are investigated by filmmaker Nathan Apffel in his upcoming documentary series, “The Religion Business.” And why does Nathan consider the LDS Church to be “the most terrifying” of them all? Join us and find out! [Mormonism Live 223]

RESOURCES:

Instagram: @religionbusiness

Filmmaker Exposes ‘The Religion Business’

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/controversial-documentary-sheds-light-on-lack-of-accountability-within-religion-301955128.html

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21070076/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6tDPn5nQ7k

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Mormons are taught not to lie. And for the most part, they don’t. One of the only times Mormons will consistently lie to you is when talking about their religion.

Any time a Mormon has to lie (or stretch the truth) to make Mormonism look good, it is completely permissible. I know this may be hard to believe. But we have proof.

We take as an example a Mormon apologist named Jacob Hansen sitting down with non-Mormon Alex O’Connor to discuss Mormonism. We clock Jacob Hansen using deceptive techniques over twenty times with Alex O’Connor to try and make Mormonism look better than it is.

Don’t believe Mormons lie to you about their religion? Here’s the evidence that proves it!

The post Mormonism Makes Liars Of Us All: RFM: 388 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.