Mormonism LIVE !

<p>Who won the debate? Bill Reel or Robert Gurr? Bill Reel and RFM dissect Bill&#8217;s recent debate about Mormonism with Robert Gurr. This one is going to be a lot of fun! Don&#8217;t miss it!</p>

<p>Tonight, one of the darkest chapters in Mormon history—the Mountain Meadows Massacre. This isn’t a surface-level retelling. We walk through what led up to it, how it unfolded, and what happened afterward… and we let the historical record speak for itself. We examine the environment in southern Utah at the time—heightened fear, isolation, and rhetoric that blurred the line between obedience to leaders and loyalty to God. We talk about the Baker–Fancher wagon train, why they were targeted, and how a situation that could have ended peacefully turned into something far worse. We break down the massacre itself—how the militia gained the trust of the emigrants, what happened when they were escorted out under a white flag, and how the attack was carried out. We also cover what followed: the children who were spared and placed into Mormon homes, the removal and redistribution of property, and the long effort to control the narrative. We dig into the aftermath—the oath-like silence described by participants, the blaming of Native Americans, and the later statements by leaders that don’t quite line up with what we now know. We’ll also talk about the monument, its destruction, and the unsettling details surrounding that. This episode isn’t about sensationalism. It’s about understanding how something like this happens—inside a system that believes it is acting under divine authority. <br><br>In this episode: <br>* The climate in Utah leading up to 1857 <br>* Brigham Young’s rhetoric and its impact <br>* The Baker–Fancher party and why they were targeted <br>* How the massacre unfolded <br>* The fate of the child survivors <br>* The cover-up and shifting of blame <br>* The role of John D. Lee and others <br>* The long road to accountability <br><br>Support Mormonism Live https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live <br><br>Need help navigating religious deconstruction? If you’re working through spiritual trauma or faith transition, 1-on-1 coaching and support groups are available at: https://awakenandthrive.org/ <br><br>Join the conversation What stood out to you most about this story? Drop your thoughts in the comments.</p>

<p>Mormons have turned to the Bible to prove their beliefs are true ever since the inception of the LDS Church. But are the Mormons getting the Bible right? World renowned Bible expert and prolific author Bart Ehrman joins us to get down to the bottom of the issue, and to help us answer the question, &#8220;Does the Bible prove Mormonism is true?&#8221;</p>

<p>Join Bill Reel and RFM as we cue up the most scintillating and awe-inspiring moments from the April 2026 General Conference! You are sure to have a good time!</p>

<p>In this episode of Mormonism Live, we walk through the full evolution of the Word of Wisdom—from its origin in 1833 to how it functions today as a requirement for temple worthiness. We start in Kirtland, where the School of the Prophets was filled with tobacco smoke, chewing, and spitting—and where Emma Smith’s frustration becomes part of the story behind the revelation. From there, we zoom out and examine the broader 19th-century health movements already shaping ideas about diet, stimulants, and self-control. Figures like Sylvester Graham and the growing temperance movement weren’t fringe—they were mainstream. And their fingerprints are all over the Word of Wisdom. We then track how the revelation was originally given “not by commandment,” how early leaders—including Joseph Smith and Wilford Woodruff—continued to drink alcohol, and how enforcement slowly tightened over time. What began as counsel eventually became a defining boundary marker of Mormon worthiness.</p> <p>Along the way, we tackle the contradictions and gray areas:<br>Why coffee and tea are prohibited while caffeine is not<br>How “mild drinks of barley” disappeared from the conversation<br>The shifting stance on medical marijuana<br>Cultural gray zones like kava<br>And how modern application often depends more on tradition than a consistent principle</p> <p>By the end, the question isn’t just what the Word of Wisdom says—but how it became what it is today.</p> <p>Donate to Mormonism Live: https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live</p> <p>Get Bill Reel’s book “The Logical Deconstruction of Mormonism”: https://www.amazon.com/Logical-Deconstruction-Mormonism-One-Book/dp/B0GQQ4CJ2S</p>