Sunstone Podcast

By Sunstone

Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

What's Sunstone Podcast about?

For more than 45 years, Sunstone has been exploring Mormonism in all its expressions through our publications and symposiums. The Sunstone Podcast gathers the best of these explorations, including compelling sessions from our worldwide symposiums as well as interviews, book reviews, and deep dives into all things Mormon. Hosted by Stephen Carter.

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Sunstone Podcast episodes:

04.09.2024
E172: What Really Happened When Phineas Got His New Wives?
One fine July Sunday in Relief Society, Deja Earley was asked to share a story about her Mormon ancestors. Her story did not go down well. In this episode, Deja tries to come to terms with her polygamous forebears.
03.27.2024
E171: The Movie that Turns Easter on its Head.
Testimony meeting would be a terrible place for Stephen Carter to talk about the movie that finally made him feel a connection to the atonement. Hint: It has connections to Lord of the Rings, Avatar, and Run Lola Run.
03.04.2024
E170: The Weird New Atonement Theory You Can’t Talk About in Sunday School.
The Atonement is all about suffering. Or is it? In this episode, Stephen Carter stumbles across a new atonement theory that would stop any Sunday school lesson in its tracks. Yet, it fits perfectly into the Plan of Salvation.
02.28.2024
E169: Where Do We Go From Here? Part II
In Part II of Gregory Prince's article, he explores what he thinks the LDS Church has done right and what kinds of changes both it and its members will need to go through to meet current and future challenges.
02.25.2024
E168: Where Do We Go From Here? Part I.
Gregory A. Prince has been watching the LDS Church for 75 years. And it has changed. A lot. Some changes have been constructive; some have been devastating. What does Prince see as the best way forward from where we are...
01.29.2024
E167: Why I Stay.
Carol Lynn Pearson is known for her long-standing advocacy for the LGBT community in the LDS Church. This episode presents her thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the Church, and why she continues to engage with it.
01.08.2024
E166: What Makes the True Believer Tick?
Using Eric Hoffer's book "The True Believer," Stephen Carter explores how Mormonism became a mass movement and the surprising way its cycle is playing out today.
12.11.2023
E165: His Eye Is on the Sparrow.
The New Testament is full of healing stories. But in real life, not so much. Dana Haight Cattani talks about her struggle with cancer.
12.05.2023
E164: In the Mountains, No One Can Hear You Swear.
After a tour of the Orem Temple's art with Stephen Carter, Michael Stubbs talks about how difficult it is for him to find God in nature—even when hiking with a bunch of rowdy Young Men!
11.22.2023
E163: Nephite Treasure in the Mountains: Utah County’s “Dream Mine.”
Treasure digging did not stop with Joseph Smith. In this episode, Kevin Cantera tells us about John Koyle, a Mormon visionary who started a mine that he said would lead to caverns filled with Nephite gold.
11.13.2023
E162: In the Garden God Hath Planted: Remembering Lavina Fielding Anderson
This episode honors the life, thought, and spirit of Lavina Fielding Anderson with one of her best Sunstone articles: "In the Garden God Hath Planted: Explorations Toward a Maturing Faith."
10.30.2023
E161: How the Barbie Movie Rewrites the Faith Crisis Script.
Are you a Barbie, a Ken, or a Gloria? Stephen Carter, who watched the Barbie movie five times in the theaters, argues that these three characters typify some of the most common faith crises in the LDS Church. And that...
10.18.2023
E160: The Plan of Saw-vation: What the Movie “Saw” Reveals about What Truly Terrifies Mormons.
As the old Primary song goes, "I'm trying to be like Jigsaw." In this episode, Stephen Carter explores the peculiar reason why so many Mormons are afraid to die.
10.09.2023
E159: Why the Heck Don’t Mormons Swear?
Jana Riess grew up in a household where swearing was the norm. And she wonders if bringing a little of that spice over to our religious devotions might not kick things up a notch.
10.02.2023
E158: How to Listen to a Man: And Other Things I Learned from “Fascinating Womanhood.”
Buckle up as Stephen Carter takes you on a ride through Mormonism's most popular, and notorious, marriage manual on its 60th anniversary.
09.19.2023
E157: The Excommunication of Charles William Kingston.
How did the one of richest Mormon polygamous groups get its start? With one man, Charles William Kingston. In this episode, his great-grandson, Charles Elden Kingston, tells his story.
09.12.2023
E156: Should We Save the Provo Temple?
Yes, the mothership temple of Utah County has been the butt of many jokes. But what will we lose if the LDS Church goes ahead with its renovation of the Provo Temple? Alan Barnett reveals surprising architectural aspects of the...
09.01.2023
E155: Are There Jokes in Heaven? Are They Better than General Conference Jokes?
Our intuition tells us that there must be humor in heaven, but the D&C has specific injunctions against laughter. Using theories of humor and stories from the Bible, Stephen Carter tries to figure out what kind of jokes gods make....
08.23.2023
E154: Passive-aggression Among the Latter-day Saints
When Michael Stevens started teaching university courses in Utah, he noticed that passive-aggressive behavior was significantly higher there than at the midwestern universities he had taught at. His studies revealed that the behavior was highest among people with an LDS...
08.16.2023
E153: Jesus Christ (Almost) Visits the Mormons.
Would Jesus pass muster to visit an LDS ward? Ryan Shoemaker doesn't think so. But for reasons that have more to do with Whole Foods than the whole gospel. Episode includes bonus scripture from Jake Christensen.
07.10.2023
E152: Saving the Good Ship Zion by Leaving It.
The story goes that anyone who leaves the Good Ship Zion comes back all wet and half drowned. But in this episode, Stephen Carter argues that this is short-sighted, and that a journey away from the ship may actually be...
07.03.2023
E151: Jesus, John Wayne, and Captain Moroni: How Mormonism Became Evangelical.
Mormonism used to pride itself on how different it was from other Christian sects. But it has since become part and parcel of the Evangelical movement. How did this happen? In this episode, Stephen Carter looks at recent LDS history...
06.26.2023
E150: A Pride Month Sermon.
Walking into the forest means walking into the unknown. Reverend Patty Willis has done so many times in her life, and is about to do it again.
06.15.2023
E149: How the Proclamation on the Family Could Include Transgender People.
When the Proclamation on the Family says "gender," what does it mean? Ted Lee makes a case that using the academic, rather than colloquial, definition of gender opens the way to fitting transgender people into the Plan of Salvation.
06.09.2023
E148: What Would Socrates Think of LGBTQ Issues if He Were Mormon?
In these two hilarious and compelling dialogues by Theric Jepson, Mormon Socrates explores the theology behind transgender people and reproductive rights.
05.22.2023
E147: Should Mormons Become a Part of Cancel Culture?
It's hard to know how to respond when a favorite artist breaks one of you most cherished values. Starting with Erich Hatala Matthes' book "Drawing the Line: What to Do with the Work of Immoral Artists from Museums to the...
05.09.2023
E146: The Curious Case of James Madison Monroe.
The line between polygamy and adultery in early Mormonism was blurry, and people were killed over the interpretation of that line. This article by Edward Hogan explores how often the killers got off scot free—or even with a pat on...
04.28.2023
E145: Are Mormon Rituals Weird Enough?
Ritual is the basic building block of civilization. But what makes a strong ritual? And does Mormonism have enough of it to survive? Stephen Carter explores the Mormon implications of Dimitris Xygalatas's book "Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life...
04.17.2023
E144: Telling Your Life Story After Religion.
When you lose your religion, you lose your life story. You have to reconstruct what life means. Stephen Carter presents an approach to telling your life story after the pre- and post-mortal lives have been removed from your worldview.
03.31.2023
E143: Could the Book of Abraham Save Us from AI?
Artificial Intelligence could possibly destroy humanity. How do we reduce that risk? R. W. Richey shows how Abraham 3 offers a practical solution.
03.07.2023
E142: How Testosterone Changed Mormon History
Why are Mormons a bewildering mix of peculiar and normal? Some of it has to do with . . . testosterone? Stephen Carter explores the Mormon implications of Joseph Henrich's book "The Weirdest People in the World."
02.20.2023
E141: “You Will Not Talk about that Woman in My Church”: How We Wrote “Mormon Enigma.”
"Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith" was a turning point in the telling of Mormon history. And it has a fascinating history of its own. Linda King Newell recounts how she and Valeen Avery Tippetts wrote this groundbreaking book. This episode...
02.08.2023
E140: Hallucinogens in Early Mormon History
How much of a role might hallucinogens have played in some of the visions of early Mormon history? Bryce Blakenagel, host of the Naked Mormonism podcast, explores the possibilities. This episode was recorded at the 2022 Salt Lake Summer Symposium.
01.23.2023
E139: The Jungian Shadow and Mormon History
If the LDS Church has light, it also has a shadow. But what should it do with that shadow? Valerie Hamaker, host of the Latter Day Struggles podcast, shows how the Jungian shadow can either save or destroy a person—or...
12.29.2022
Episode 9: Sunstone History Podcast
An introduction to Sunstone's new Mormon History podcast. deep dive into the weirdest parts of Mormonism. There’s the Mormon history you do know … and the Mormon history you don’t. Join Lindsay Hansen Park (Year of Polygamy) and historian Bryan Buchanan...
12.29.2022
Episode 8: February 2019 Mormon News Round-Up
Join John Larsen, Lindsay Hansen Park, Tim Coray, and Cristina Rosetti as they discuss the Mormon news updates from February 2019. Listen to this episode here.
12.29.2022
Episode 7: You Can Leave the Church, But Can’t Leave It Alone?
In this special episode from Sunstone Phoenix, John Larsen debunks the myth that "you can leave the church but can't leave it alone," and suggests ways of rewriting this old script. Listen to this episode here.
12.29.2022
Episode 6: An Interview with the Truth and Transparency Foundation
It's not just the LDS Church that needs transparency. John Larsen interviews Ryan McKnight and Ethan Dodge of the Truth and Transparency Foundation about their work leaking corporate and organizational documents from various churches—and especially about their most recent LDS...
12.29.2022
Episode 5: Ponzi Schemes and Mormonism
Join John Larsen as he interviews one of the most preeminent litigators in Utah Mark Pugsley about ponzi schemes and their frequency in Mormon communities. About this guest: Mark Pugsley's practice is focused on investment disputes and financial fraud. He has...
12.29.2022
Episode 4: Sunstone Firesides
Join John as he introduces the Sunstone Firesides podcast with Lindsay Hansen Park and Cristina Rosetti. Listen to this episode by clicking here.
12.29.2022
Episode 3: Cristina Rosetti and Lindsay Hansen Park
Join Sunstone podcast host John Larsen for a lighthearted discussion with Lindsay Hansen Park and Cristina Rosetti, reviewing this month's news in Mormonism. Listen to this episode here.
12.29.2022
Episode 2: Jeffrey S. Anderson
This is your brain on God. John Larsen interviews Neuroradiologist Jeff Anderson about his study of the religious brain. Jeffrey S. Anderson, MD, PhD directs the fMRI Neurosurgical Mapping Service and is Principal Investigator for the Utah Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory. Dr. Anderson’s...
12.29.2022
Episode 1: Sam Young
Who is the man behind the Protect LDS Children movement that has garnered international attention, placing the spotlight on the risk of sexually explicitly interviews for Mormon youth? Join Sunstone podcast host John Larsen as he interviews Sam Young, the...
12.29.2022
Episode 0: John Larsen
In January of 2019, Sunstone is launching a new family of podcasts, giving you a resource for unbiased information and thoughtful, accepting community. Donate to Sunstone now to help us launch, and subscribe here in January 2019. Listen to this episode here.
12.28.2022
E138: The Woman Who Brought Satanism to Utah
LDS Church member Beatrice Sparks published two wildly popular diaries of teen drug abuse and Satanism: "Go Ask Alice" and "Jay's Journal." But the diaries, and Beatrice herself, were much more complicated than they appeared. Using Rick Emerson’s book “Unmask...
12.06.2022
E137: Affinity Fraud in Mormonism
Utah has often been called the 'fraud capital of the world." In this episode, Ryan McKnight takes us on a tour of Utah's worst fraudsters—all of them LDS. Recorded at the 2018 Sunstone Summer Symposium.
11.14.2022
E136: From the Book of Mormon to a Box of Tissues: How Mormon Masculinity Is Changing
They're embedded in a patriarchal church, so shouldn't Mormon men be the very definition of toxic masculinity? In this episode, Stephen Carter explores the surprising ways Mormon masculinity has shifted over the past few years.
11.07.2022
E135: How Artificial Intelligence Changes How We Think About the Plan of Salvation.
In the Book of Abraham, the gods create intelligences and put them into human bodies. Humans are now creating intelligences. But the intelligences we create could have the capacity to destroy us. Ross Richey shows how this could change the...
11.04.2022
E134: AIDS in 1980s Utah.
Utah's first AIDS cases were confirmed in 1983. How did gay and lesbian people in Utah respond to this new disease? How did the LDS Church respond? J. Seth Anderson presents an overview of this tragic part of Utah's history....
10.25.2022
E133: More Than One Way to Polyg.
What if we could free polygamy from patriarchy and inequality? In this episode, Brady Williams and Blaire Ostler talk about how we could greatly expand the definition of this odd Mormon concept to make room for more types of relationships.

What's Sunstone Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Sunstone Podcast episodes:

E172: What Really Happened When Phineas Got His New Wives?

E171: The Movie that Turns Easter on its Head.

E170: The Weird New Atonement Theory You Can’t Talk About in Sunday School.

E169: Where Do We Go From Here? Part II

E168: Where Do We Go From Here? Part I.

E167: Why I Stay.

E166: What Makes the True Believer Tick?

E165: His Eye Is on the Sparrow.

E164: In the Mountains, No One Can Hear You Swear.

E163: Nephite Treasure in the Mountains: Utah County’s “Dream Mine.”

E162: In the Garden God Hath Planted: Remembering Lavina Fielding Anderson

E161: How the Barbie Movie Rewrites the Faith Crisis Script.

E160: The Plan of Saw-vation: What the Movie “Saw” Reveals about What Truly Terrifies Mormons.

E159: Why the Heck Don’t Mormons Swear?

E158: How to Listen to a Man: And Other Things I Learned from “Fascinating Womanhood.”

E157: The Excommunication of Charles William Kingston.

E156: Should We Save the Provo Temple?

E155: Are There Jokes in Heaven? Are They Better than General Conference Jokes?

E154: Passive-aggression Among the Latter-day Saints

E153: Jesus Christ (Almost) Visits the Mormons.

E152: Saving the Good Ship Zion by Leaving It.

E151: Jesus, John Wayne, and Captain Moroni: How Mormonism Became Evangelical.

E150: A Pride Month Sermon.

E149: How the Proclamation on the Family Could Include Transgender People.

E148: What Would Socrates Think of LGBTQ Issues if He Were Mormon?

E147: Should Mormons Become a Part of Cancel Culture?

E146: The Curious Case of James Madison Monroe.

E145: Are Mormon Rituals Weird Enough?

E144: Telling Your Life Story After Religion.

E143: Could the Book of Abraham Save Us from AI?

E142: How Testosterone Changed Mormon History

E141: “You Will Not Talk about that Woman in My Church”: How We Wrote “Mormon Enigma.”

E140: Hallucinogens in Early Mormon History

E139: The Jungian Shadow and Mormon History

Episode 9: Sunstone History Podcast

Episode 8: February 2019 Mormon News Round-Up

Episode 7: You Can Leave the Church, But Can’t Leave It Alone?

Episode 6: An Interview with the Truth and Transparency Foundation

Episode 5: Ponzi Schemes and Mormonism

Episode 4: Sunstone Firesides

Episode 3: Cristina Rosetti and Lindsay Hansen Park

Episode 2: Jeffrey S. Anderson

Episode 1: Sam Young

Episode 0: John Larsen

E138: The Woman Who Brought Satanism to Utah

E137: Affinity Fraud in Mormonism

E136: From the Book of Mormon to a Box of Tissues: How Mormon Masculinity Is Changing

E135: How Artificial Intelligence Changes How We Think About the Plan of Salvation.

E134: AIDS in 1980s Utah.

E133: More Than One Way to Polyg.