We kick things off with Abish’s sharp introduction and then the rest of the hosts —Moroni, Abigail, aaaAAAaaa—and the night's special guest, Kishkumen (a.k.a. Abish’s dad). Adding a touch of northern charm is The Canadian, our honorary studio audience.
This week’s cocktail calamity? The Blueberry Pie Margarita, which ended up more on the floor than in the glasses while prepping for the photo. Inspired by the group’s outing to see Heretic, a film starring Hugh Grant as, essentially, a mustache-twirling villain imprisoning missionaries, the margarita sets the tone for a deep dive into the movie’s absurd yet incisive critiques of organized religion. Cue tangents on Grant’s filmography, historical Mormon scandals, and pitches for horror films based on church history.
Scriptures: [00:14:08]
Moroni takes the mic to explore Doctrine and Covenants sections 56 and 57, served with a generous side of millennial sarcasm.
Section 56:
A divine slap on the wrist for both the greedy rich and the lazy poor. The message? Shape up, share your stuff, and repent before Judgment Day RSVP closes.
Section 57:
God reveals Independence, Missouri, as Zion’s HQ, complete with roles for early church members in setting up the celestial Costco of salvation.
The crew critiques the logistics of building Zion with limited funds, Joseph Smith’s “convenient” revelations, and the eternal allure of Taco Bell sauce packets for Abigail's sad burger. And, as a nod to Heretic again, poisoned pies also make an appearance.
Special Guest Kishkumen: [00:27:55]
Kishkumen shares a reflective yet irreverent account of his spiritual journey, from visiting Liberty Jail to finding solace in post-Mormon online spaces. Liberty Jail’s emotional weight resonates with his battles with depression, sparking a nuanced discussion of Joseph Smith as both prophet and human.
The conversation takes detours into Kansas City geography, tamale buying escapades, and the bittersweet comedy of hiding coffee makers from visiting LDS relatives. Kishkumen’s tale of friendship with a gay workout buddy showcases his journey toward acceptance, proving that sometimes the gym is a better church than church.
History: [01:15:11]
Abigail takes the spotlight for Part Three of her deep dive into 19th-century spiritualism, opening with the Fox Sisters and their questionable “toe-cracking” mediumship (thank Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, maybe?).
The Mormon-spiritualist rivalry gets a laugh as the team explores how both groups accused each other of heresy while practicing similarly esoteric rituals. From Mary Todd Lincoln’s séances to the birth of the Ouija board, Abigail charts how Victorian society turned grief into a profitable (and occasionally spooky) enterprise.
The science-spiritualism crossover steals the show:
- William Crookes gets duped by mediums.
- Alfred Russel Wallace alienates Darwin by loving phrenology too much.
- Arthur Conan Doyle swaps Sherlock’s logic for ghost-hunting zeal, clashing with skeptics like Houdini.
The discussion closes with a look at Doyle’s post-Sherlock spiritualist crusade, where he rallied believers to séances while battling debunkers in the Victorian era’s nerdiest theological cage match.
Don’t forget to tune in next week for more absurdity, irreverence, and unexpected exi
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