BYU Professor Brings CES Letter To Life | Ep. 1985

 Jan 21 2025 In this episode of LDS Discussions, we explore how BYU Professor Anthony Sweat’s artwork reflects the troubling aspects of church history found in the CES Letter by Jeremy Runnells. Despite being excommunicated for questioning the church, Runnells’ CES Letter, published in 2013, exposes discrepancies in the official narrative. Meanwhile, Sweat’s art, starting in 2014, delves into controversial topics like Joseph Smith's treasure digging, the use of a seer stone, and polygamy. We compare Sweat's paintings to the CES Letter's criticisms, highlighting how the church’s history is often presented inaccurately. Join us as we discuss these bold portrayals and the ongoing tension between church teachings and historical truth. ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117
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About "Mormon Stories" Podcast

Founded in 2005, Mormon Stories podcast is the longest running and most popular Mormon-themed podcast. Hosted by Dr. John Dehlin (Clinical/Counseling Psychology), Mormon Stories podcast seeks to understand, explore, challenge, and improve the Mormon experience through stories. Some of the primary objectives of Mormon Stories podcast include: Providing support to Mormons who are transitioning away from either orthodox Mormonism, or from Mormonism altogether, with a particular emphasis on: Minimizing the anxiety, depression, and occasional suicidality that can accompany a transition away from religious orthodoxy. Reducing the number of unnecessary divorces attributable to Mormon faith crises. Creating a community of support for liberal/progressive and post-Mormons. Building greater awareness regarding accurate LDS/Mormon church history, doctrine, and theology – so that both active, believing Mormons and investigators of the church can make informed decisions regarding their investment in, and engagement with the church. Identifying opportunities for growth/improvement within the LDS church, and within broader Mormon culture. Mormon Stories podcast operates in partnership with the Open Stories Foundation (a 501c3 non-profit), and obtained over 7.6 million podcast downloads and Facebook/Youtube views in 2019. The work of Mormon Stories podcast has been featured in the New York Times, National Public Radio, Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, VH1, the Huffington Post, VICE NEWS, etc If you are new to Mormon Stories podcast, a fantastic way to begin exploring the podcast is to begin with our Top 25 most important/popular episodes of all time. Your feedback is important to us. Please let us know: What you love about Mormon Stories podcast. What topics you would like to see us cover. What types of guests you would like to see us bring on to Mormon Stories, and What we can do to help make Mormon Stories better. Please email us at MormonStories@gmail.com for your feedback.