Mormon Stories Podcast

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Appio Hunter, whose early life as a Portuguese-speaking Mormon kid, his journey through conversion therapy, and his eventual path to love, self-acceptance, and healing make for one of the most profound LGBTQ+ Mormon Stories ever shared on this channel.

Raised between Southern California and Utah by a Brazilian mother and a father with deep pioneer-era lineage, Appio knew from age four t...

Please join us for a live episode with Roger Hendrix - one of the highest ranking Latter-day Saints ever interviewed on Mormon Stories Podcast. Roger served as CES Director, Bishop, Stake Presidency Member, Mission President, and served for 18 years as a Trustee on the board of the Deseret Trust Company (called to the position by President Gordon B. Hinckley).

Today we are discussing the Church’s renewed emphasis on the Atonemen...

In today’s episode, we dive into Chapter 21 titled “Keys” from Dr. John Turner’s new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” This chapter cover the pivotal years of 1839-1840, as the Saints leave behind the trauma of Missouri and begin building a new gathering place in Commerce (soon to be Nauvoo), Illinois.

We pick up the story right after Joseph Smith escapes Liberty Jail, exploring how he reclaims leade...

In this in-depth conversation, John sits down with Karen Hyatt to explore her lifelong faith journey in the LDS Church and the research that ultimately led to her excommunication. Karen shares her background as a devoted member -convert parents, mission service, leadership roles, and decades without doubt –before explaining what prompted her to closely examine Doctrine and Covenants 132 and the history of polygamy.

The discussio...

Join Kolby, Nemo, Julia, and Dr. John Dehlin for one of our most in-depth LDS Discussions episodes yet as we unpack “The Other Isaiah Problem” and what it means for the historicity of the Book of Mormon.

In this episode, we explore why scholars overwhelmingly view isaiah as a multi-author work, how the Great Isaiah Scroll challenges the Book of Mormon’s use of Isaiah, and why the text consistently aligns with the King James Vers...

Today we welcome Greg Matsen, a believing member of the LDS Church, to talk about what the Church means to him and how he tries to live out a healthy, thoughtful approach to Mormonism.

Host of the podcast Cwic Show, Greg joins us today to share his Mormon story–from growing up in a “practical” orthodox family in Southern California and serving a mission in Mexico City, to navigating marriage, parenting, and personal belief in th...

Welcome back to Part Two of our deep-dive coverage of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3!

In this episode, John is joined by Alyssa Alexander and Samantha Shelley to continue unpacking the plot-points this season that highly represent Mormon culture. We will take a closer look at Mikayla and Jace’s relationship, the cast's opinions on LGBT+ issues in Utah, Demi’s claim of sexual-assault , and Taylor and Dakota’s baby bles...

We are back today with Part 2 of our epic interview with Heidi Bruno. In Part 1, Heidi shared her story of suffering sexual abuse as a teenager at the hands of the Elders Quorum President in her ward.

In Part 2, we shift the focus to Heidi’s daughter, Holly, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of eight and tragically passed away in March of 2018. Heidi describes the inspiring movement that Holly started during her treatment...

Join us today for the start of an epic two-part episode with Heidi Bruno, who is here to share her story of abuse within the church and her experience of losing a child as a Mormon mother.

In Part 1, Heidi details her history of sexual abuse as a teenager by the Elders Quorum President in her ward—while her father was serving as bishop. We discuss how her abuser groomed her using highly manipulative tactics and by abusing his au...

In this episode (Part 24), we dive into one of the most dramatic and painful chapters in early Letter-day Saint history: Liberty Jail. 

Joseph Smith was arrested on December 1, 1838 and eventually taken to Liberty Jail. Today we will cover his imprisonment, the chaotic legal proceedings that followed, and the eventual “escape” that allowed him to reunite with his family as the Saints resettled in Quincy, Illinois. 

We explore...

Welcome to another episode of our LDS Discussions series! In this episode, we take a detailed, evidence-based look at one of the most repeated claims in Latter-day Saint apologetics: that Joseph Smith was incapable of producing a well-written text –and therefore could not have authored the Book of Mormon.

Drawing from Joseph Smith’s three earliest letters (written in 1829-1830), historical context, church manuals, apologetic arg...

We at Mormon Stories Podcast worked super hard to deliver quality programming in 2025. We have great plans for 2026 which include:

• More high quality, in-depth, classic, long form faith journey stories with Margi Dehlin.
• The completion of the "Life of Joseph Smith" series with Dr. John Turner (including SEVERAL chapters on Nauvoo Polygamy!!!). John says you won't want to miss these.
• A further reboot of the LDS Discuss...

Welcome back to our deep-dive coverage of Secret lives of Mormon Wives!

In this episode, we break down every twist, confession, and jaw-dropping moment from Season 3 with honest reactions, analysis, and plenty of laughs along the way. Our panelists today are: Hayley Rawle (of Girl's Camp Podcast), Alyssa Alexander, Smantha Shelley (of Zelph on the Shelf), Brooklyn Alden and Dr. John Dehlin. If you've ollowed our previous...

Welcome to Part 23 of our Joseph Smith the Podcast series with Dr. John G. Turner. Today we are continuing our discussion of Chapter 19 of his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet” that covers the years 1838-1839 in Missouri.

Today we will dive deeper into one of the most volatile and consequential moments in early Latter-day Saint history: the escalating conflict between the Mormon settlers and the M...

In part two of this important series with Rebecca Lucero Jones, we explore the question: What happens when a Mormon widow tries to be sealed to two men? In the LDS faith, a man can be sealed to a second wife if his first wife passes away. But, as we will learn from Rebecca’s story, Mormon widows do not receive the same treatment.

After the death of her first husband, Rebecca describes what it was like to find a second chance at ...

Today we are kicking off our two-part series with Rebecca Lucero Jones, who is here to share her story of losing her husband and the unique complications widows face within the Mormon faith. We will be examining the question of what the Mormon afterlife looks like for widows.

In Part 1, Rebecca describes her Mormon upbringing and her eventual marriage to her first husband, Isaac, with whom she had two children before he was trag...

Welcome back for Part 22 of our Joseph Smith the Podcast series with Dr. John G. Turner as we continue to cover his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.”

In this episode, we explore one of the most controversial and lesser-known chapters in early Latter-day Saint history –the rise of the Danites, a secretive paramilitary organization formed during the turbulent Missouri period of 1838.

We trace te...

In this fascinating interview, author and journalist Alex Beam joins Mormon Stories to discuss his new biography titled Wallace Stegner: Dean of Western Writers –published by Signature Books. Alex Beam is an acclaimed journalist and author known for his insightful historical biographies. Historian and executive director of Signature Books, Barbara Jones Brown is also joining us today!

Beam explores the life, legacy, and complex ...

In this explosive deep-dive, John Dehlin and Carah Burrell unpack the shocking rise, fall, and reinvention of Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad and former ally of the LDS Church, as well as the self-styled hero of the Sound of Freedom movie.

From his alleged misconduct and excommunication to conspiracy claims about “The Deep Church,” Tim Ballard’s story intertwines faith, politics, and power in ways that...