Who is Jesus Christ? More importantly, how do we come to know Him and know about Him? Do we blindly accept the talking points of this or that church, or, is there a way we can confidently arrive at the truth? 

This Fireside takes a critical look at the truth claims about Jesus Christ, the Old Testament prophecies about Him, and the historical facts surrounding His resurrection from the dead. 

Along the way, we unpack the idea of "atonement" and consider the relevance of that concept to the significance of faith in Jesus Christ.

God is God. Simple. Latter-day Saints and New Testament Christians both worship the same God of the Bible. Do they, though? 

This Fireside explains the radical differences between the truth claims of the LDS Church and the claims of the Bible. Topics include God's perfection and holiness, the Trinity, being "like God," and worship.

If God is so powerful, knowledgeable and loving, why would God allow so much evil in this world? Doesn't it make more sense to conclude that God doesn't even exist? This T2H Fireside No. 4 picks up where ex-Mormonism leaves off: asking whether God's existence should be chucked along with all of the other claims and beliefs of Mormonism.

Can the Bible be trusted? Can any book be trusted? 

In this Fireside No. 3, we consider the corroborating evidence that supports and affirms a high view of the credibility of the Bible. Some of that corroborating evidence is simply amazing. So much so that the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Bible (that is, both the Old and New Testaments) begin to come into focus.  

This podcast is Episode 3 of a series based on the book "Introducing Christianity to Mormons" by Eric Johnson.  Dr. Albert Spalding leads a group discussion in which some intriguing (and sometimes troubling) questions are addressed.

When a Latter-day Saint's "shelf of questions" about Mormonism begins to sag or collapse, it's not unusual for the Saint to just throw out the Bible with the rest of troubling LDS scriptures.

Does there really need to be a tension between the claims and doctrines in the Book of Mormon, and Bible? Don't LDS scriptures agree with, or at least expand on, the revelations in the Bible?

And if there are differences, aren't those differences simply the result of translation and transmission errors in the Bible?

This podcast is Episode 2 of a series based on the book "Introducing Christianity to Mormons" by Eric Johnson. Dr. Albert Spalding leads a group discussion in which some amazing (and sometimes troubling) questions are addressed.

Truth is worth seeking, discussing and sharing. But truth-seeking can result in a faith crisis.

Too often Christians (that is, those who seek to follow Jesus Christ in the manner articulated in the New Testament) aren't sensitive to the trauma of a faith crisis than can be experienced by members of religious organizations like the LDS Church.

This podcast launches a series called Introducing Christianity to Latter-day Saints. It's about being sensitive, caring and respectful as well-meaning folks find opportunities to talk with each other about the big questions in life.

Based on the book Introducing Christianity to Mormons by Eric Johnson, a podcaster at Mormon Research Ministry.

Does atheism usually take into account the possibilities of transcendence and the supernatural? If not, how can near death experiences (NDEs) and out-of-body observations be explained? And what does any of this have to do with belief in God? Transition 2 Hope Episode 7, The Afterlife in a Nutshell, explores these questions, especially from the perspective of current and former Latter-Day Saints who are deconstructing some of their traditional Mormon beliefs. Enjoy!

T2H Episode 7 Show Notes and Credits

T2H Episode 6: Being Worthy, in a Nutshell is now available here and on YouTube at https://youtu.be/XscOAtGz43w

Worthiness is in the eye of the beholder ... and also in the eye of the beholden.

I might feel unworthy, undeserving or insignificant when in the presence of a great or famous person (like, Alice Cooper?).  I might also be treated by others as if I was, well, worthless.

That's how we think about horizontal worthiness.

What about vertical worthiness? How do I even come close to worthiness in the eyes of a holy and majestic God?

Welcome to Transition 2 Hope Episode 6: Being Worthy, in a Nutshell.

Show notes and credits are available at https://www.transition2hope.org/

If you have not already done so, please subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEth61HqqEiLCgSCkX1YXw

T2H Episode 5: Bashing the Bible, in a Nutshell. Question - What lessons can we learn about ancient texts from the Kinderhook plates hoax? Answer - We always need to look for three things: textual integrity, faithful transmission and historical corroboration. In a letter to the editor of a Chicago newspaper, Joseph Smith stated, "We believe the bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly." He was correct. If the Bible has not been translated correctly, it is not the word of God. And we all know that the Bible has not been translated correctly ... Or, has it? Welcome to Transition 2 Hope Episode 5, Bashing the Bible, in a Nutshell.

T2H Episode 4: Shrinking God, in a Nutshell

Most people feel a need to connect with God, but God is too big. So they shrink God. Most religions, in turn, make God (however God is defined) more accessible by encouraging two things: human godliness and God-shrinkage. This episode explains what God-shrinking is all about, and considers whether God-shrinking is, at the end of the day, reasonable.

On YouTube at https://youtu.be/ofJym5VTl_Y