Bryce Blankenagel; Shannon Grover

Shows

Glass Box PodcastEp 172 — All About Cults feat. Chris Shelton | Don’t Look Up We have a guest for our main segment this time. Chris Shelton is a cult expert content creator who eats, breathes, and sleeps high-demand, coercive groups. We discuss everything from what makes a group a cult, how to identify them, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a cult, and proper ways to approach conversations about high-demand groups. Be sure to check out our series collaborating on Chris’s YouTube channel linked below. After that we discuss Don’t Look Up, a 2021 movie about the cult of politics and a major natural disaster that affects everybody across the...2025-03-193h 45

Glass Box PodcastEp 159 — Children of Men by PD James, book and movie Shannon talks about books again! We are back on the subject of dystopian literature today and we deliberate over the 1992 book Children of Men, written by PD James. We also watched the movie based on the book and we talk about the differences and similarities to each. After that we share some happy news about nuclear power. Enjoy! Show Notes: The Children of Men, by PD James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Children_of_Men PD James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._D._James MO...2024-09-183h 08

Glass Box PodcastEp 156 — Sunstone Wrap-up & Patreon Changes Just that! We talk Sunstone because it’s the best Mormon Con around and we want to spread the good word! We discuss a few of our favorite sessions, some fascinating things we learned, and how Sunstone recharges our batteries in the Mormon studies space. Then we talk about Lego helping PTSD sufferers. We wrap with a brief chat about some changes we’re making to the Patreon page; long story short, now is a great time to sign up to financially support the podcast! Happy News: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2024/04/17/lego-trauma/ ...2024-08-071h 19

Glass Box PodcastEp 155 — Free/Moral Agency; Ernest L. Wilkinson | Last Temptation of ChristWe do a quick dive into moral agency and free agency in Mormon culture. Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have recently changed the definition of agency to suit their totalitarian needs. We explore the evolution of the phrase ‘free agency’ into ‘moral agency’ and springboard into a discussion about Ernest L. Wilkinson, the most influential BYU president in the institution’s history. After that we chat about The Last Temptation of Christ, a Scorsese film about a VERY human Jesus. We wrap with happy political news, adoring our new DNC candidate, Kamala Harris. Don’t f...2024-07-242h 14

Glass Box PodcastEp 154 — Diogenes and Nibley | Approaching Zion pt. 5 Since this is another Huge Niblet episode, we decided to talk a little bit about philosophy. More importantly, we discuss Diogenes the Cynic and what the philosophical meaning of the word “cynic” is. Then we cover 3 chapters in Approaching Zion, all while keeping the question, “Was Hugh Nibley a modern day cynic?” in mind. Show notes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism_(philosophy)#cite_ref-dudley5_8-0 https://www.worldhistory.org/article/740/the-life-of-diogenes-of-sinope-in-diogenes-laertiu/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeCKQnWogxI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EM_cfYcDjY ht...2024-07-102h 50

Glass Box PodcastEp 153 — Interview with Shelly Johnson of LDL | Closeted by Jonathan Alder Happy Pride Month! To celebrate, we interviewed the amazing Shelly Johnson from Latter Day Lesbian podcast. She talked about the balance between navigating tough situations between the church’s control over family and resisting its influence in these family situations. In Media of Great Price, we discuss the book Closeted: My Life As a Gay BYU Student, by Jonathan Alder. After which we tell you about the new campaign headed up by David Tennant and Dannii Minogue to help Trans youth. Show notes: Shelly Johnson’s links: Latter Day Lesbian...2024-06-291h 57

Glass Box PodcastEp 145 — BoM Authorship Data | Approaching Zion pt. 2 It’s time for our next installment of Huge Niblet’s Approaching Zion! He spends basically the entire section lamenting higher education and any information from sources other than the “p”rophet’s counsel. Does he want us to be zealous, or learned? Nobody knows! But before that we have a quick debrief and error correction from the last episode of Mormonism Live with Dan Vogel and Bryce discussing the Spalding theory of Book of Mormon authorship. Don’t miss the discussion linked below. Then we round out the episode with some happy news about Christians getting supermad about being held t...2024-03-131h 55

Glass Box PodcastEp 139 — All media 2023! WAHOO! It’s that time of year again. Time for our last episode of the year because we’ve finished off everything for the year and we want to have some fun. And that fun is BOOKS, of course! Well, this time books, movies, TV shows, and video games. We each brought three for you. Shannon brought three books to movie adaptations and Bryce brought three games to movie/TV series adaptations. We had some fun and hope you do too! And Happy Holidays to all of you! Show Notes: First Blood: B...2023-12-202h 52

Glass Box PodcastEp 133 — Kinderhook Plates, LARPs, Barbie, and Jodi Hildebrant and Ruby Franke It’s the listener show! Today we bring on a group of cohosts to attempt the impossible task of filling Shannon’s shoes while she continues to recover. Tanner presents a segment on the Kinderhook plates, drawing larger implications for how it disproves other Mormon scripture “translation” claims. Then Will takes us on a journey through reconciling his relationship with his mom through LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) and making his own “translation” of the Kinderhook plates. Then Julie gives us a rundown on the new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. After that we’re joined by Friend from...2023-09-274h 46

Glass Box PodcastEp 132 — Freemasonry, Book of Abraham, and Polygamy – Saints: The Standard of Truth-iness pt. 8 Runnin solo today! While Shannon continues to recover we’re going to take the opportunity to do a segment that sent Shan to hospital in the first place! That’s right, we’re back in Saints: The Standard of Truth, the new, authorized history of Joseph Smith and his early religious movement. That’s it. That’s all we’re doing this episode! We talk missionaries in Europe, political machinations, President Martin Van Buren, polygamy, the endowment ceremony, Freemasonry, The Book of Abraham, so many other gems! This period of April 1839-April 1842 is one of the most complicated and adaptive per...2023-09-131h 58

Glass Box PodcastEp 131 — Debate Debrief w/ Aron Ra We have a bit of an unconventional episode this time around. We invite Aron Ra onto the show to discuss a recent debate between Bryce and Kyle Adams, an apologist for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We play a few clips, have a few laughs, and chat about the sport of debate in general. This episode is a rare exception because we know it isn’t everybody’s favorite thing; we’ll be getting back to regular programming soon! :-) Show Notes: Come see us on Aron Ra’s YouTube c...2023-08-302h 04

Glass Box PodcastEp 129 — History of Feminist Literature Just as the title states! After two motherlode history episodes, we’re doing an all media episode! Shannon walks us through the history of feminist literature from the earliest surviving scraps of parchment to a recent 2022 best-seller about women turning into dragons! Join us to learn about everything in between! After that we discuss a dam removal project that’s showing great promise as an environmental remediation project. Show notes: https://phys.org/news/2023-06-shattering-myth-men-hunters-women.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protofeminism https://en.wikipedia...2023-08-021h 51

Glass Box PodcastEp 124 — P.O.S. Text vs Gospel; Noah The Plan of Salvation, Plan of Happiness, MORMON HEAVEN! We take a look at the doctrine and teachings compared to the text of Doctrine & Covenants 76. This revelation was given in the early years of Joseph Smith’s religious movement and the theology evolved significantly over time. Rusty’s heaven looks a bit different. After that we chat about Noah, a unique take on the Biblical flood story. We wrap with talking about a superhero compendium book! Happy News: https://www.them.us/story/the-dc-book-of-pride-jadzia-axelrod-interview Other Appearances: Check out Josep...2023-05-262h 58

Glass Box PodcastEp 123 – Behavior Control; Saints: The Standard of Truth-iness pt. 4 Behavior control from Steven Hassan’s BITE model of cult mind control. We discuss how Mormonism controls our behavior today and historically. That leads us into our next installment of Saints: The Standard of Truth review. The book covers 1832-1836 from the tarring and feathering of Joseph Smith to the Kirtland Temple Dedication ceremony. Then we wrap with some happy news about organizations fighting against book bans in schools and public libraries! Show Notes: Steven Hassan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Hassan Freedom of Mind Resource Center: https://freedo...2023-05-103h 53

Glass Box PodcastEp 122 — Exmo Lex EXMO LEX WahOOOOO!!! We finally find a proper excuse to invite Exmo Lex onto the show to discuss ExMormon tiktok and social media. She shares a bit of her story and experiences online while discussing the future of Mormon-related social media. After that we chat about a whole bunch of media in aggregate for Media of Great Price segment. We wrap the show with some happy news about innovation in the space of battery-density and how it bodes well for slowing climate change. Happy News: https://thedriven.io/2023/04/21/worlds-largest-battery-maker-announces-major-breakthrough-in-battery-density/ Mor...2023-04-261h 59

Glass Box PodcastEp 121: General CONference April 2023 Yes, it’s that time of year again. We discuss General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in granular detail. Every single talk, every slur, every logical fallacy, all contained herewith. Enjoy! If you can, that is. Other Appearances: Mormons on Mushrooms: https://www.mormonsonmushrooms.com/podcast/episode/7dc1c6bf/roughly-stoned-bryce-blankenagel-part-1-naked-mormonism-the-glass-box Check out Joseph Smith vs Joseph’s Myth, where Aron and Bryce discuss the Joseph Smith story: https://youtu.be/oD2Xhg6F-Js Come see us on...2023-04-123h 40

Glass Box PodcastEp 120 – 2023 Mormon Temple Endowment Changes; Angels and Demons With a new year under the control of Revision Rusty M. Nailz we have a new Temple Endowment for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! What’s new? What’s not new?! Why did they make the changes?!?! We dive deep into the new endowment with comparisons from older versions to see what’s slipped through the cracks about the new Mormon ritual. After that we review a movie with another secret combination as its center, Angels and Demons, based on the Dan Brown novel. Then we wrap with happy news about the Bible possibly being banned in Uta...2023-03-293h 33

Glass Box PodcastEp 118 – Early Black Mormons and Slavery in Utah; Remember the Titans This is kind of an unusual episode. Shannon’s still in recovery so Bryce is making a solo run for better or worse (definitely the latter). We run through the stories of some early African-American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their stories are remarkable, their struggles real, their histories vague but inspiring. We try to place their stories within the larger context of slavery in Utah and what life might have been like at the time. Thank you to Century of Black Mormons project at the University of Utah for creating a wonderful resource wi...2023-03-011h 26

Glass Box PodcastEp 116 – Lavina Fielding Anderson and the Mormon Alliance; Erin BrockovichWho even is Lavina Fielding Anderson?! In this classic deep dive we examine the life of Lavina Fielding Anderson and her contributions to the Mormon academic field. Her story serves as a case study of how far individuals can pressure the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the inside before the institution’s immune system responds. She’s a powerhouse of a scholar, a pioneer in feminist Mormon studies, and an advocate for those who’ve survived ecclesiastical abuse. The Mormon Alliance was the organization Lavina formed with Janice Allred to collect and publish survivor’s stories and advo...2023-02-013h 28

Glass Box PodcastEp 112 — Law of Consecration; Gate to Women’s Country by Sheri S. TepperWhat even is the Law of Consecration?! Well it’s a covenant that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints make during the temple endowment ceremony, but what actually is it? We go through a deep dive of the Law of Consecration, discuss a bit of its history, and pontificate about it’s impact and possible future use in Mormon culture today. After that we review Gate to Women’s Country by Sheri S. Tepper, a wonderful dystopian fantasy novel with some hard-hitting social commentary we interpret through a Mormon lens. We round out the episode by con...2022-12-072h 13

Glass Box PodcastEp 108 - General Conference Oct 2022It’s that time again! Every 6 months we review every talk given over the pulpit in General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This Mormon Con sees the best and brightest in Mormon hierarchy speaking in 10-30 minute segments, accompanied by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. In total, we review all 10 hours of talks “to see what slipped through the cracks”! Other Appearances: We both appeared on Jimmy Snow first ever Exmormon General Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULXZyjyI1EQ Bryce was o...2022-10-124h 38

Glass Box PodcastEp 107 - BoM vs. LDS Inc.What does Joseph Smith’s book say about Joseph Smith’s church? We take a look into the Book of Mormon to see what it has to say about the modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The BoM has a lot to say about organized, wealthy religion so how does a religion based on it accumulate so much wealth into its organization? After that we discuss the SMBC book Religion; Ruining Everything since 4004 B.C. and discuss a recent speech by Biden about abortion health care. MOGP: Religion: Ruining Everyth...2022-09-282h 22

Glass Box PodcastEp 103 — Mormon Endtimes; Mill Mess part 5We’ve discussed Mormon endtimes on numerous episodes, but this time we will also discuss some results. Mormonism breeds dangerous men; men who believe the end of the world is coming. Bruce R. McConkie loved the idea of the endtimes. He wrote about it so much that we decided to cover what Mormon Doctrine says are the signs of the endtimes. Then, because we know you just can’t get enough of McCrankie, Shannon will give the 5th segment of Millennial Messiah which, surprise surprise, is all about the death and destruction that is going to happen in the seco...2022-08-033h 09

Glass Box PodcastEp 100 – Hymns and Parodies!EPISODE 100!!! We’re celebrating this achievement with a different style of show. We’re talking all about hymns and music. What does music do to our brains? How can it be used for benevolent or, conversely, malevolent, purposes? Why is music easier to remember than just about any other media we create or consume? We also discuss some history of hymns and folk music in the Mormon culture and tradition as markers for significant events or used to ensure conformity or battle public perceptions. We round out the episode with some parodies of hymns we wrote to help break the...2022-06-221h 45

Glass Box PodcastUnder the Banner of Heaven | Glass Box Podcast w/Shannon Grover & Bryce BlankenagelI'm uploading this as a token of gratitude for all you listeners showing up for 100 episodes! Plus, people have been asking for our review on the main feed but UtBoH is just too big a topic for the regular show, so here's a standalone episode taken from our YouTube broadcast! This is the next installment of our quarterly live Q&A broadcasts! We have our lovely patrons to thank over at https://www.patreon.com/GlassBoxPod for helping us reach our goal to make these possible. This time around we're reviewing the new Hulu series...2022-06-222h 37

Glass Box PodcastEp 99 - Prop 22 | Prop 8; Author Mary RenaultHey it’s Pride Month! We all hear about Prop 8 and how the LDS church paid a boatload of money to make it go their way. We thought the actions the church took in the past which led to these actions needed to be brought to light. We also discuss Patriarch Joseph Fielding Smith who was called to the office while known to be gay, then was fired from the job once the bigots spoke out against him. Then, in our Media section, Shannon brings you a large list of books you should look into written by Mary Renault. An...2022-06-083h 11

Glass Box PodcastEp: 95 - April 2022 General ConferenceHey guess what. It’s Gen Con time. AGAIN! It keeps showing up every six months. Go figure. In this episode we talk about what slipped through the cracks of this General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And yes, the timestamp is accurate. It’s a long listen, but hearing us dissect #GenCON is much, much, MUCH better than actually watching the 10 hours for yourself, right? This episode has a general content warning as there are talks involving some damaging concepts including death of a child, suicide, and, of course, LGBTQ...2022-04-133h 16

Glass Box PodcastEp 94 - Mormon Prophecy; Millennial Messiah pt. 1It’s time to break into our next long-form review of Mormon literature; Bruce R. McConkie’s Millennial Messiah! We get an idea for the purpose and objective of the book as well as McCrankie’s pet issues right off the bat. He speaks of the heresies integral to false prophecy and warns of the various movements and political groups are anti-Christ. But before we crack open the spine of this tome, our main segment is a brief deep-dive into Mormon prophecy. What is it? From where does it come? How reliable are Mormon prophecies and can they be truste...2022-03-302h 21

Glass Box PodcastEp 93 - Emmeline B. Wells; Ruth Bader GinsburgAs March is Women’s History Month in the USA, we knew it was time to talk about some amazing and strong women who have had a powerful effect on all of our lives. First we look at a fascinating figure integral to a transitory period of church history, Emmeline B. Wells, who pioneered women’s suffrage in Utah. Then, in MOGP we talk about the documentary RBG. Following that, we round out the episode talking about the 120 3D printed statues of women scientists in the “#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit” at the Smithsonian March 5-27. Enjoy! Show n...2022-03-161h 38

Glass Box PodcastEp 92 — Mormon Doctrine & Bruce R. McConkieOne of the most influential leaders of the modern Mormon church, Bruce R. McConkie, made a name for himself with his seminal 1958 work Mormon Doctrine, an encyclopedia of Mormon doctrine and theology. It immediately made waves in the community and the rest of the leadership decided to censor McConkie and the book was pulled from the shelves. With significant edits to address leadership complaints, the book was republished in 1966 and again massively edited and published in 1979 after the priesthood ban was lifted. We explore the life of Bruce McConkie and discuss the impact of Mormon Doctrine and McConkie, as...2022-03-023h 10

Glass Box PodcastEp 91 — John C. BennettMuch is said and thought of John C. Bennett from Nauvoo Mormon history, but what do the documents actually say? Today we go through a brief deep dive into this fascinating figure. He became a close friend and then personal greatest enemy of Joseph Smith throughout a complicated sequence of events. Bennett is most renowned for his 1842 expose, The History of the Saints, which he wrote after his abrupt removal from all church, government, and military appointments. We deal with the charge that he was providing abortions and what the implications which follow actually mean. After that we review...2022-02-161h 34

Glass Box PodcastEp 90 — MoF Finale! w/ Natasha HelferYES! WE’RE FINALLY DONE!! The Miracle of Forgiveness has been a grind and we’re finally putting this monster of a book to rest. However, we can’t do it alone so we are joined by the incredible expertise of Natasha Helfer. She’s been working in sex and relationship therapy within the Mormon space for two and a half decades and she helps us contrast Spencer W. Kimball’s statements about sex and gender with modern science. Be sure to follow her at the links provided below. We hope you enjoy this celebration along with us before we crack i...2022-02-021h 49

Glass Box PodcastEp 89 - The Black 14The Black 14 was a group of athletes at University of Wyoming in Laramie who stood up to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU. They suffered the wrath of withering public ire, but their story is immortalized as emblematic of the struggle for racial justice and equality in the 1960s and 70s. Join us as we learn their story and discuss Brigham Young University’s fight to keep discriminating when it became illegal to do so. After that we discuss Small Foot, a movie about asking questions and breaking out of the shell in which people ar...2022-01-191h 31

Glass Box PodcastEp 88 - Mormon New Year's Resolutions; MoF pt. 9Yes, a show about New Year’s Resolutions for 2022! We discuss what resolutions the Mormon church should consider for the new year and some of the hold ups of accomplishing them. We have some resolutions of our own though! Then we get to the penultimate segment of Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and it feels good. Then we round out the show talking about clean flying goals for Denmark! Show Notes: Happy News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59849898 2022-01-051h 48

Glass Box PodcastEp 87 - ALL MEDIA!It’s the last episode of the year and since we had a blast doing an all media episode last year, we decided to make it a tradition! We each brought something to the table in each category — books, movies, and music — and we had a great time discussing them. We hope you enjoy them too. Have a fun holiday season! Books: Shannon’s book: Eva, by Peter Dickinson Bryce’s book: Understanding History, by Louis Gottschalk Film: Shannon’s movie: Spy Game https://www.imdb.c...2021-12-212h 01

Glass Box PodcastEp 86 - Good Science Beats Bad; MoF pt. 8We take on the next recommendation from the 2019 NPR broadcast Hidden Brain episode. Shannon tells us how our beliefs can be informed by people we trust and how resilient they prove. Then we get into the next segment of Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball telling us about the benefits of forgiving folks who wrong us. Then we wrap with happy news about green power from India! July 22, 2019 episode: Facts Aren’t Enough: The Psychology of False Beliefs. https://www.npr.org/2019/07/18/743195213/facts-arent-enough-the-psychology-of-false-beliefs The Misinformation Age: How Fa...2021-12-082h 36

Glass Box PodcastEp 85: Influencing Minds; MoF pt. 7Our main segment features a piece done by NPR on their Hidden Brain podcast a few years ago. We discuss the type of mindset people need in order to be influenced for various purposes. Hope and fear feature in informing the mindset of a receptive brain when facts simply aren’t enough. After that we get into the next segment of The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball. We read a couple of the most infamous passages from the book including the level of sin assessed on survivors of sexual assault and the implication that those who choose to...2021-11-242h 51

Glass Box PodcastEp 84 - Funny Mormon StoriesLet’s chat about some funny Mormon stories! We start from the earliest days of the church. We hear about missionaries raising the dead, Joseph Smith training a dove to eat grain out of his ear, and then going for a swim while covered in phosphorus oil. After that we talk about funny stories told about Mormons by the genius minds of Matt Stone and Trey Parker in the Mormon South Park episode and The Book of Mormon musical. We wrap with a story about lasers saving agriculture and discussing some listener mail. Main topic: 2021-11-101h 20

Glass Box PodcastEp 83 - Bishop’s Interviews w/ Sam Young and Protect Every Child/Protect LDS Children; MoF Part 6Welcome to today’s show. This episode contains another installment in the dangerous shitshow that is the Miracle of Forgiveness. Because the chapter we discuss is about bishop’s interviews, for our main segment, we interviewed Sam Young to talk about his Protect LDS Children movement — now named Protect Every Child. We also go over some of the answers you, our wonderful listeners, gave us on our survey about bishop’s interviews. Then to cleanse ourselves and you, we finish up with some happy news about cleaning up trash in the Pacific Ocean. And we should point out a content...2021-10-273h 39

Glass Box PodcastEp 82 - Oct 2021 General ConferenceIt’s that time again. Every six months we see what slipped through the cracks of General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We watched it so you don’t have to, and yes, the timestamp is accurate. It’s a long listen, but hearing us dissect #GenCON is way better than actually watching the 10 hours for yourself, right? There’s also a point in the episode with a content warning as one of the talks focused on mental health and suicide, conveying some deeply damaging and problematic concepts. Patreon: https://www.patre...2021-10-134h 16

Recovering From ReligionE100: Mormonism w/ Shannon Grover and Bryce BlankenagelThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormonism) is a relative newcomer to the religion scene having been around for less than 200 years having been born out of violence and deceit. Over that time it has predictably adapted to changing social views and failed prophecies. In this RfRx Shannon Grover and Bryce Blankenagel will discuss LDS history and dogma as well as the unique challenges people face when leaving this faith behind. Shannon Grover was born and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was a model Mormon. She...2021-10-042h 18

Glass Box PodcastEp 81 - Henry Caswell - Undisputed Anti-Mormon ChampionWe have a fun episode for you this week! We begin with a vicious anti-Mormon story about Henry Caswell (Caswall) and the Greek Psalter incident in Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo church. Hugh Nibley considered this one of the longest-running anti-Mormon stories and spent a good deal of print trying to debunk it (unsuccessfully I might add). Then we talk a Nic Cage movie from 2000, Gone in 60 Seconds because why the hell not. Then we wrap up with some happy news about recent cannabis legislation. Next few episodes are going to be pretty heavy so we wanted to keep things li...2021-09-292h 03

Glass Box PodcastEp 80 — More Changes in the Bishop’s Handbook; MoF Part 5Bishop’s Interviews Survey: https://forms.gle/LrhBWKkyX8DeGanh8 The recent updates to the recently openly-published church handbook contain some fascinating details, some of which have stirred controversy and caused Mormons to leave the church! Shannon walks us through a few of the prominent changes and helps put them in context by comparing the 2020 Handbook to the 2006 Bishop’s Handbook. Then it’s off to the next segment of Miracle of Forgiveness. Spence tells us about repenting or perishing, abandoning sin, and awakening to sins we’re committing. He also spends some time justifying the holocaust and genocide...2021-09-152h 52

Glass Box PodcastEp 79 — Musket Fire and the Gay Agenda at BYU; Love & Sects w/Devin SundeApostle, and glorified school teacher, Jeffrey R. Holland gave a speech at BYU recently titled The Second Half of the Second Century of BYU. It’s made waves within the community for its viciously anti-human and bigoted bend, but there are many deeper messages and a truly disturbing historical context for the speech. Let not the fire of muskets keep us from seeing the true evil within. After that we invite Devin Sunde onto the show to discuss his upcoming graphic novel, Love & Sects! See his kickstarter below. Then we round out the episode with a story of students st...2021-09-012h 37

Glass Box PodcastEp 78 — What are the feelings called “the spirit?”; MoF pt. 4Shannon brings us some interesting information derived from a recent study about feeling the spirit™. The study was conducted on a small population of believing Mormons which produced some interesting results. After that we jump into Miracle of Forgiveness discussing sins of omission and suicide. We wrap up talking about some new tech that harnesses water from the air! Show notes: Main topic: Article on Jeffrey Anderson’s study: https://unews.utah.edu/this-is-your-brain-on-god/ Sunstone Podcast Episode 2: https://sunstonemagazine.com/sunstone-podcast-episode-2-jeffrey-s-anderson/ If you g...2021-08-182h 18

Glass Box PodcastEp 77 — We went to Sunstone!We decided it was time for us to prove we are actual human beings! Shannon and Bryce were able to attend the Sunstone Symposium in Sandy, Utah, along with our friend Julianne Briscoe, and we had an amazing time. We met extremely interesting people — both new friends and old friends — and learned new things that gave us some exciting ideas for us to explore on the podcast. We hope you enjoy our special episode! Show notes: Sunstone: https://sunstonemagazine.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GlassBoxPod Facebook page: http...2021-08-041h 44

Glass Box PodcastEp 76 — Captain Moroni Arrested!You read that right! Captain Moroni, known as Caesar No-Salad to non-Mormons, who participated in the treasonous Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol building was arrested! We gloat over Nathan Wayne Entrekin’s arrest a bit, discuss the videos he recorded and sent to his mom that day, and take a high-level overview of how the DOJ and FBI are progressing with the unprecedented case. Then we discuss a book that’s great for factoids at cocktail parties and wrap up with discussing a public option broadband service in the works in Virginia. Show links: https://www.h...2021-07-2155 min

Glass Box PodcastEp 75 — Church changes Bishop’s Handbook, MOF part 3Last December, the church made some changes to the bishop’s handbook that bear a closer look, poor beleaguered Bryce gets to take on the 3rd segment of MOF, and then we’ll relieve EVERYONE’s thoughts with some lovely news from Canada. And please, be prepared. Not only is this an incredibly long episode but we also need to give you a content warning. We will be discussing one of the worst chapters in MOF and it might be painful. Shannon will also be reading a bit from her mission journal. Get a punching bag ready, if you need i...2021-06-303h 05

Glass Box PodcastEp 74 — Belva Lockwood; Mormon Poly Ally and Total BadassThis week’s show is a brief deep-dive into a lesser-known figure of American history and her connections to Mormon polygamy and the larger national women’s suffrage movement. We romp through 70 years of history through a few different vantage points and wrap it all together by discussing polygamy as one of the next social justice issues. After that, we review Love, Simon, a coming-of-age story of a closeted young man seeking validation in his experience, friendship and acceptance, and ultimately love. Then we wrap with happy news about a politician who changed their mind about something; who knew it w...2021-06-161h 54

Glass Box PodcastEp 73 — Church Policy Changes on Marriage; MoF part 2There was a recent announcement by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that they are no longer performing time-only marriages in the temple. What? What even does that mean? Our main segment teases apart the marriage and sealing practices conducted in the temple and places this headline within a broader context while we opine on what it the larger plan at play might be. Then we dive into the pages of Miracle of Forgiveness, covering the first 3 chapters of introductory material. We round out the episode with a positive federal court ruling in Australia that bodes well...2021-06-021h 45

Glass Box PodcastEp 72 — Joseph Smith ParalleledToday is a bit of a classic deep dive into early Mormon history, sort of. We crack open the pages of Rick Grunder’s Mormon Parallels (linked below; please pick up a copy) and investigate what was in the air of 18th and early 19th century America. Turns out, Joseph Smith was not an island and the Book of Mormon is very much a product of its time. Let’s see how Shannon does with my clever little game of Mormon or Not!? After that we review a graphic novel Joseph Smith in Space: May the Farce Be With You...2021-05-191h 27

Glass Box PodcastEp 71 — More on race relations; Miracle of Forgiveness pt. 1For our main segment today, we do a brief deep-dive into the history of Asian-American immigration and public sentiment. Of course, we also analyze the Mormon angle with help from listener Adam Watanabe who is kind enough to share his lived experience. After that we dive into our next long-form analysis of Mormon-related texts with Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball. Then we round out the show discussing the first rent-ready 3D printed house in Amsterdam! Show links: Main segment: New report finds 169 percent surge in anti...2021-05-052h 17

Glass Box PodcastEp 70 — BYUtv and the Gay AgendaWho wants something FUN today? We have had a few dark and depressing episodes lately that we decided we all needed a break. You need to see fun things to remind you the world really ISN’T on fire … yet. First we start with news out of Canada where BYUtv agreed to allow LGBTQ+ characters on their shows, then we discuss the movie Clue in Media of Great Price, and we end with a little happy news about the cellist Yo Yo Ma. Show links: Main segment: https://nowtoronto.com/movies/byutv-to...2021-04-211h 23

Glass Box PodcastEp 69 — General Conference Apr 2021It’s that time of year again for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We managed to watch all of the April 2021 General Conference and have our analysis for you here. We’ll go over the more damaging points made by Oaks, Bednar, etc, as well some of the more odd moments. And if you’re a Patreon patron, you get to hear about the strange behavior of Eyring in his talk in the Saturday night priesthood session. There’s a lot to get through. Give yourself some time. Show links: Jana R...2021-04-073h 03

Glass Box PodcastEp 68 — Naked Communist pt. 10 (FINAL!!); TrumboWe’re finally done with The Naked Communist!!! Instead of drawing it out for 2 more MoGP segments, we devote the primary segment to wrapping up NC with Cleon Skousen’s 5 questions and a LOOOONG speech in front of a Washington PTA. Then we finish our coverage of communism by reviewing the movie Trumbo about the Hollywood 10. Then we finish with some happy news about some Native American tribes administering surplus COVID vaccines. New merch store!!! Go here https://exmomerch.creator-spring.com/ and use code “GLASSBOX” for a tithing off your order! Show Links...2021-03-241h 57

Glass Box PodcastEp 67 - Race, Equity, and Belonging at BYUBYU recently released a report on racism and discrimination at the university campus including 26 recommendations to increase diversity. We read through the entire report so you don’t have to! We discuss their findings, the data presented, and what changes we can realistically expect to see as a result of the report. After that we discuss the 2005 George Clooney movie Good Night, and Good Luck. We wrap with some happy news about electric cars because if Shannon gets to share her passion for movies every two weeks then I get to bring another of my passions onto the show on...2021-03-101h 56

Glass Box PodcastEp 66 - Race Riot that Never Happened; Naked Communist pt. 9We start today’s episode with a brief deep-dive into a rumored race riot of 1965 that never happened in Salt Lake City. It reveals troubling trends we’ve seen play out over the past year. Be sure to follow the link to read the article for yourself. Then we do our next installment of The Naked Communist with an eye looking to the future of the Communist takeover of America. Once again, it reveals trends which cannot be escaped when seen through a glass box. Then we round out with a happy story about Dolly Parton! 2021-02-241h 50

Glass Box PodcastEp 65 - Boundaries! Part 2Boundaries Part 2! In this episode we give you some listener feedback from social media discussions on the Boundaries Part 1 episode. We talk to two very interesting people — Andrew Torrez and Kimberly Anderson — who give us various tools to help us make and keep our boundaries and we leave you feeling like your world is a little more under your control and safe. Show Links: Andrew: Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion, Dale McGowan: https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814437419/ref=pd_bxgy_2/135-4281688-4905455 ...2021-02-102h 06

Glass Box PodcastEp 64 - Boundaries! pt. 1Special episode this week! Let’s talk about Boundaries: How the church and our TBM family and friends cross them and what we can do about it. We’ll introduce the topic then hear from a therapist and a listener about their interactions with the church and boundaries. We’ll jump into some of our survey data and round out the show with some of our own experiences. Finally, a big thank you to Braden for cohosting the podcast! You will be missed and cherished in all our hearts. Show Links: Protect E...2021-01-271h 50

Glass Box PodcastEpisode 63: WikiLeaks Mormon Doc Dump; Naked Communist pt. 8Braden’s taking the week off so Shannon and Bryce spend a LONG episode going through a recent document dump by WikiLeaks concerning the Mormon church. After that we get into our next installment of the Naked Communist by Cleon Skousen. Shannon teaches us about Kruschev and Castro through the 1950s-60s. Then we wrap with happy news about the Georgia Senate runoff election. PLEASE TAKE OUR SURVEY ABOUT BOUNDARIES FOR THE NEXT EPISODE!!! Show Links: Boundaries survey: https://forms.gle/Q53MpYqqdfBQQZ1b6 WikiLeaks dump: https://www.red...2021-01-132h 28

Glass Box PodcastEp 62 - End of year fun!End-of-the-shit-year-of-2020 fun episode! We want to end the year on a high note and what better way to do that than to spend the entire episode talking about fun things! And what might those be, you ask? Some favorite movies and books, of course! Survey about BOUNDARIES!: https://forms.gle/bHUugqgdtiRxU9nw7 Bryce: Movie: Parasite: https://www.imdb.comhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt6751668/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0/title/tt6751668/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 Book: Outbreak: A Crisis of Faith: How Religion Ruined Our Global Pandemic Brade...2020-12-301h 57

Glass Box PodcastEp 61 - Thomas Stuart Ferguson, BoM Archaeologist; The Naked Communist pt. 7We do a brief deep-dive into Book of Mormon archaeology, but probably not a story you’ve heard before. Thomas Stuart Ferguson was hired by BYU and the Mormon church to study Mesoamerica for ties to ancient Book of Mormon cities and artifacts. His findings will SHOCK you! Then we dive into the next installment of The Naked Communist with more background on post WWII history and the rise of fear and loathing of Communism in America. Finally we wrap with a feel-good story about a remote village in Canada supplementing their reliance on fossil fuels with tons of so...2020-12-162h 56

Glass Box PodcastEp 60 - #GiveThanks #ShowMyPrivilegeThe Mormon Moses, Russel M. Nelson, recently released a video to all the social medias about a new ad campaign the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is running. We discuss the video, the campaign as a whole, and some of our takeaways watching the campaign play out over the past week. Then, Braden tells us about “Yes, God, Yes!,” a coming of age story of a woman raised in a sexually repressive religion streaming now on Netflix. Then we round out the show with some happy news about the coming COVID-19 vaccine. Happy news...2020-12-021h 30

Glass Box PodcastEp 59 - Polygamy and Politics w/Cristina Rosetti; The Naked Communist pt. 6In light of a recent Twitter op-ed, we invite Dr. Cristina Rosetti onto the show to discuss a polygamist group in Utah (the Kingston Group) who’ve recently contributed to political campaigns, shot rifles with POTUS’s son, and opposed the decriminalization of polygamy which recently passed the Utah legislature. Rosetti helps us navigate the tumultuous waters of Mormon polygamy and discusses the recently-passed bill. Then we jump into our next installment of The Naked Communist before wrapping with some happy news about the recent Presidential Election. Links mentioned in the interview: https://cheri...2020-11-183h 06

Glass Box PodcastEp 58 - Get Out & VoteYou heard it right, Justice Dallin H. Oaks said “Black lives matter”! Buuuuuuut, he said ‘but’ after it. We go top to bottom on Oaks’ recent BYU speech titled “Racism and Other Challenges” to see what slipped through the cracks and talk generally about masks, voting, protests, statues, and the works. Then we talk about “The Social Dilemma,” a new doc on Netflix about the problems of social media and how it has fueled and shaped modern politics. Then Shannon tells us about the Duwamish river in Seattle healing after 2 decades of environmental conservation efforts. Hey everybody, get out and vote! ...2020-11-031h 26

Glass Box PodcastEp 57 - Ezra Taft Benson, Making Mormon Right w/Matt Harris & Joe Geisner; The Naked Communist pt. 5A whole episode about Ezra Taft Benson and Cleon Skousen! We invite Dr. Matt Harris, author of the recent “Watchman on the Tower; Ezra Taft Benson and the Making of the Mormon Right” along with friend of the show, Joseph Geisner, to discuss the life and influences of Mormon Prophet, Ezra Benson. A product of the red scare and McCarthyism, Benson rose to prominence as Dwight Eisenhower’s Secretary of Agriculture and continued to gain status as a radical right-wing conspiracy theorist general authority, eventually becoming prophet of the church in 1985. Arguably, no other individual has had more influence making...2020-10-213h 22

Glass Box PodcastEp 56 - Oct 2020 General ConferenceI mean, the title is pretty self-explanatory. Yeah, it’s that long because boiling down 10 hours of brainwashing stupefaction takes a while. But, we discuss what slipped through the cracks and why it matters for us to analyze every nook and cranny of each #GenCON. Show Links:Website http://www.glassboxpodcast.com/index.html Find us on Facebook and Twitter @Glass Box Podcast 2020-10-073h 23

Glass Box PodcastEp 55 - Ruth Bader Ginsburg in MemoriamWe take this week’s episode as a time to reflect on the incredible life and legacy of one of the nation’s brightest minds. SCOTUS lost a paragon of civil rights and gender equality in a contentious election year. We discuss the life and accomplishments of RBG, what her death in September 2020 means, and what we can expect moving forward. After that, Braden phones in to tell us about Pride, a movie about a GLB rights group protesting for miner’s rights in Magaret Thatcher’s U.K. Then we discuss the recent endorsement by Scientific American of Joe Bide...2020-09-232h 10

Glass Box PodcastEp 54 - Naked Racism and Naked Communist pt. 4Shannon Grover joins us again for the next installment of The Naked Communist, why don’t we just make it official? Welcome to our new permanent co-host!! We start the show with a quick rundown of a recent talk given by Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of Apostles about the current wave of civil rights protests we see across the nation. We transition seamlessly into The Naked Communist and it’s remarkable how similar the arguments are with 70 years separating them. Then we discussed an ad campaign by reddit to try and increase voter turnout this November. 2020-09-091h 26

Glass Box PodcastEp 53 - Mormon Membership StatisticsWe’re joined by Brian Simper for an interview about Mormon membership statistics. Brian gave a presentation at the recent Sunstone Symposium and was kind enough to join me for a deep dive into his methodology and findings. After that we discuss The Invention of Lying and a brief rundown of Steve Bannon’s arrest on wire fraud charges. Happy news: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/08/steve-bannon-fraud-trump/615523/ Show Links:Website http://www.glassboxpodcast.com/index.html Find us on Facebook and Twitter @Glass Box Podcast 2020-08-262h 10

Glass Box PodcastEp 52 - Shannon Grover; The Naked Communist pt. 2Our resident General Authority, Shannon Grover, at long last joins us for an entire episode. We begin with hearing her story growing up in the church, her early life, mission, marriage, and finally apostasy. She’s had quite the incredible journey and we’re lucky to have her share so much. After that, we get through the next chapter of The Naked Communist by Cleon Skousen and wrap up with some happy news about a miner in Tanzania! Happy news https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53642490 2020-08-122h 05

Glass Box PodcastEp 51 - Is Mormonism A Cult?A lot of people have debated this question for decades. We sit down with some work from Steven Hassan, Margaret Singer, and other cult experts to discuss what makes a cult a cult. Short answer, yes. Longer answer, yes and it's complicated. Longest answer, yes and listen to the show. Now that I have your attention, reader, here’s a fun activity: send a Facebook message to Braden Hamm and ask him “if the players were required to be drunk, what would be the funniest sport to watch?” But don’t tell him why! I want to know who reads th...2020-07-222h 25

Glass Box PodcastEp 50 - Ethical Non-Monogamy; The Naked Communist Pt. 1This episode begins with a panel discussion with Marie D’Elephant and Marissa McCool about navigating ethical non-monogamy. Open relationships/marriages can be a taboo topic and uncomfortable for some; Marie and Riss help us by giving a 101 discussion to introduce us to the subject, uncover some common pitfalls, and provide resources for further reading should non-monogamy be a topic which interests you. After that Braden and I debrief from the interview before jumping into part 1 of reading through The Naked Communist by W. Cleon Skousen. We wrap with some good news about black-owned businesses experiencing a spike amid th...2020-07-082h 26

Glass Box PodcastEp 49 - Defund PoliticsLots of interlocking stories to discuss this week. We jump right in with a discussion about the most recent headlines sparked by the protests following George Floyd’s death. A lot of legislation has been crafted in response to the protests, including an executive order from President Donald Trump. We examine the organizations he listed during the signing to determine the intent of the order, followed by looking at the text of the order itself. Once created, tools can be used for good and evil. Then we discuss CHOP, the occupation movement in Capitol Hill, Washington. The Seattle City Co...2020-06-242h 46

Glass Box PodcastEp 48 - The Negro: A Proclamation to the World; Case for BoM FinalRacial tensions and police brutality in America have caused protests, riots, and citizens becoming the victims of war crimes committed by our military-police force. How did we get here? Where do we go? How can we effectively reform policing in America? It’s a complicated issue and a couple of white guys are going to do their best to introduce you to the topic and form a basic foundation on which to build a base of knowledge about these subjects. We also take a look at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints angle of race, as this is...2020-06-102h 34

Glass Box PodcastEp 47 - Haven’t We Done This Already?Update on COVID-19 time! The Mormon church is taking steps to reopen wards around the globe while there’s no evidence that we’ve effectively flattened the curve. They’re also investing some resources into making PPE for medical workers in the form of masks and surgical gowns made from sacred-underwear cotton. Plenty to discuss. Then, Braden tells us about After Life starring Ricky Gervais. We wrap with some happy news about a vodka company based in Utah making hand sanitizer to combat the ‘Rona. Plus listener mail and an iTunes review! Angel's Trumpet: https...2020-05-271h 23

Glass Box PodcastEp 46 - Broken Missionary plus Case for Book of Mormon pt. 4We do something a little different this week. This show starts out with an interview of two elders in the mission field who no longer believe in Mormonism, yet are stuck on their mission during COVID lockdown. How do Elders A and B cope with being on a sales force for a product they know isn’t real? They offer a window into the day-to-day life of missionaries stuck in the world of lockdowns while trying to be good people in spite of being missionaries. After that we dive into part 4 of Tad R. Callister’s Case for the Book...2020-05-131h 42

Glass Box PodcastEp 45 - Mormon Trivia: Culture vs. HistoryWe take a break from headlines and current events to dabble into the lighter side of Mormonism. Braden and I square off in a trivia challenge drinking game. Braden brings the culture, I bring the history and we see who comes out on top. But, it turns out, when you play a drinking game everybody wins! Join us for a light-hearted hangout along with a Media of Great Price about Pineapple Express and a happy news segment about countries transitioning off coal power. Media of Great Price https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/04/22/sweden-exits-coal-two-years-early/ ...2020-04-291h 55

Glass Box PodcastEp 44 - General Conference 4/20We hit our goal on patreon.com/glassboxpod! Braden had to watch General Conference for the first time in our podcast history. It, indeed, is a historic conference! We go through talk by talk to see what slipped through the cracks of all 5 sessions of the April 2020 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Strap in, it’s a long one. Did Rusty make this as historic of an event as the hype made it? Just like the other episodes about #GenConf, we get a little extra NSFW on this broadcast; listener beware. ...2020-04-153h 03

Glass Box PodcastEp 43 - Bring the Missionaries Home!How is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints handling the Coronavirus epidemic? We explore current events and the coming end of the world. Then we get into our next installment of The Case for the Book of Mormon by Tad R. Callister… ugh. Finally, we wrap up with some happy news about how celebrities, artists, and regular folk are helping each other through the epidemic. Being sent home https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/03/30/city-creek-mall-merchants/ https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/04/02/this-week-mormon-land/ https://www.insider.com/mormons-gathered-salt-lakes-airport-greet-missionaries-with-hugs-2020-3 htt...2020-04-031h 55

Glass Box PodcastEp 42 - Coronavirus, Trump, and Mormonism; Everything We KnowYes, we’re jumping into the outrage ball-pit of COVID-19, Coronavirus. We do our typical overview of the issue and piece together a chronology from multiple reputable sources. This is a worldwide topic and therefore dives into politics, which we don’t often do. If you want a break from all the hype or don’t want to hear about politics, this may not be the episode for you. If you want to be informed on what a viral outbreak looks like and attempt to gain some perspective, this episode may be worth a listen. Of course, because this is a s...2020-03-181h 58

Glass Box PodcastEp 41 - BSA: Bankrupted by Sex AbuseBoy Scouts of America is filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy because of child sex abuse? We thank thee, O God, for our Profit, Russel M. Nelson for getting the Mormon church out of Scouts before all those lawsuits crippled BSA! While this isn’t a story directly about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, these issues long predate the divorce of these two institutions. Braden and I explore the common threads and what this bankruptcy means. Then Braden tells us about some kids at a Catholic school who walked out when their gay teachers were fired for being ga...2020-03-041h 29

Glass Box PodcastEp 40 - The Case for the Book of Mormon pt. 3The Wall Street Journal somehow got an interview with two of the leading guys of Mormon Money, the Presiding Bishop, Gerald Causse, and the head of Ensign Peak Advisors, Roger Clarke. We discuss the story with the help of a post in the /r/mormon subreddit (linked below). After that, it’s our next installment of The Case for the Book of Mormon by Tad R. Callister where he decides to go completely offensive because us critics have had the ball in our court for too long! Then we talk about Jeff Bezos pledging $10 billion to climate change. ...2020-02-191h 37

Glass Box PodcastEp 39 - Super Bold Half-time ShowClutch my pearls! Braden and I talk about the Super Bowl halftime show and the expected responses from Mormons scared that the female figure exists who never batted an eye at a topless and tattoo-covered Adam Levine last year. After that Braden tells us about Ramy, a Hulu series about a Muslim-American finding his way in life. Then we talk about Activision utilizing lootboxes for good, for a pleasant change! Links: Super Bowl Halftime show: https://youtu.be/pILCn6VO_RU Media of Great Price: Ramy: https://w...2020-02-0550 min

Glass Box PodcastEp 38 - It’s Mostly Applesauce Up There2019 in review! We read through the recent Jana Riess article about the most significant Mormon headlines of 2019 and discuss some highlights. Then we make predictions for what we might expect in 2020 and also what we’d REALLY like to see in 2020 regardless of how probable they might be. Then we do our next segment of The Case for the Book of Mormon by Tad R. Callister concerning evidence for a historical Book of Mormon. We wrap up with a happy news story about a church in St. Louis paying off thousands of people’s medical debts (yes, we have thos...2020-01-222h 22

Glass Box PodcastEp 37 - Mormon Money pt.4; Welfare KingdomToday’s show centers around an interview with an anonymous person sharing her story of the Mormon welfare system. She’s currently undergoing a divorce and found out in court the church has been paying her estranged husband’s car and mortgage payments, over $18,000, for the past year on accounts bearing her name without her knowledge. When our interviewee attempted to find more information about the financial support for divorce and tax reasons, she was stonewalled by local leadership. She ran up the ranks to find more information only to be stonewalled by a senior attorney at Kirton-McConkie the primar...2020-01-082h 36

Glass Box PodcastEp 36 - Mormon Money pt.3; Russell Nelson, $124 Billion Goldmember at World’s End$100 billion (yes… with a “B”) is a lot of money for the church to be hoarding. Unfortunately, the media coverage has been inaccurate in many regards and has missed some of the larger issues contained in the expose “Letter to an IRS Director” by Lars Neilsen. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has become so wealthy and powerful it seems to simply operate by its own set of rules. The size of Ensign Peak Advisors (EPA) is larger than the media has discussed and the alleged violations regarding its disbursements to City Creek Center and Beneficial Financial Group (tot...2019-12-242h 38

Glass Box PodcastEp 35 - Mormon Money pt.2; The $100 Billion Empire Reichs Back (1930-1980)Wheeew what a doozey! We cover Mormon Money from the 1930s to the 1980s. When this much money gets involved and a church grows to have a significant international presence, money begets politics and politics feed money. Once Franklin S. Richards died another needed to carry the Mormon Money torch; here enters Henry Dinwoodey Moyle, a man with grand ideas and exponential growth intentions. He rolls out new missionary programs, local “baseball baptisms” sports leagues, carbon copy chapels, the new 28-story Church Office Building, and a litany of other aggressive expansion programs. After bankrupting many companies and chewing through unto...2019-12-171h 28

Glass Box PodcastEp 34 - Mormon Money pt.1; In the Beginning (1830-1930)We finally broach a subject that’s taken the back-burner for far too long. Mormon money is one of the most complicated subjects associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we decided it requires a multi-part series to understand with some level of depth and context. Join us for part one where we start at the beginning with Joseph Smith, get into Brigham Young and the Mormon exodus to Utah in 1847, and tie together financial strands all the way into the Great Depression. Some topics of discussion: Joseph Smith as an entrepreneur, Brigham Young as a...2019-12-112h 09

Glass Box PodcastEp 33 - Whack Pack Attack w/Joe GeisnerJoe Geisner returns to spend 2 hours on one of the most iconic and influential characters in recent Mormon history, Boyd K. Packer. We discuss his inauguration into the Quorum of Apostles and how he molded and shaped the church from the highest leadership body from that time forward. We cover the internal issues between Packer and the church’s history department, discuss the shroud of secrecy he helped to foster, and then get into the outward expressions he declared from the pulpit which directly influenced members and national politics. We wrap with discussing what kind of a legacy was le...2019-11-272h 22

Glass Box PodcastEp 26 - Getting to Heaven Pt. 1We’re doing something a little different for this episode! We start with a little background on how Braden and Bryce met and use that as a launch point to discuss the main topic today. We read a lecture… Yeah… I lecture. But don’t worry! It’s a lot more fun than it sounds and we’d really like to get some feedback on it to hear what you think! After that, Braden tells us about The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and then we talk about a couple who planted 2,000,000 trees in 20 years! We round out th...2019-07-171h 05

Glass Box PodcastEp 25 - Sell My GospelMissions! Braden did his, Bryce left the Mormon church before he could do one. After Braden gives us an overview of his mission experience, we discuss the history of the “Preach My Gospel” program, the impetus behind it, how it came to be, who was involved, and how it was implemented into the field. Hopefully it will be as interesting to listen to as it was to research the topic! After that Braden talks about some media that passes the Bechdel test and we talk about a school in Iowa that’s giving out P.E. credits for service projec...2019-07-031h 52

Glass Box PodcastEp 22 - Less-Sexist Temple CeremonyWe finally discuss the Temple Endowment Ceremony changes as of January 2019! But not so fast! Before that we get into the Strengthening Church Members Committee (SCMC) and the awkward phone call between Elder Timothy Dyches and Radio Free Mormon. Lesley, Colleen, and Bryce call the number and debrief over on Mormon Happy Hour (links below). Then, Braden and I finally get into how the endowment ceremony was slightly altered with “massive implications” in order to remove some of the overtly sexist theology. We give you a play by play so you don’t have to watch it and go throug...2019-05-081h 22

Glass Box PodcastEp 4 - LDS Really Don’t Care, Do U?Braden doesn’t let Bryce fit a word in edgewise as we go through everything you need to know about Protect LDS Children and bishop’s interview policies. After a lengthy introduction, we hear from Sam Young on day 7 of his Hunger Strike and that is followed by a discussion with Nicole Jensen, a trauma and self-care advocate who works closely in the Post-Mormon community to help people process and understand the abuse that happens behind closed doors, one-on-one, in bishop’s offices. This episode is longer than our regular format, but it’s a dense story and requires a lot of...2018-08-151h 51