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Mormon Stories Podcast

613: Reviewing 2015 Pt. 2 with J. Nelson Seawright, John Hamer, Jamie Hanis-Handy, and Marisa Calderwood

Mormon Stories Podcast

Dr. John Dehlin

Religion & Spirituality

4.65.2K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2016

⏱️ 73 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode we assemble an all-star panel to discuss the events of Mormonism in 2015. Panelists include Dr. J. Nelson Seawright, John Hamer, Jamie Hanis-Handy, and Marisa Calderwood.

Topics discussed include:

  • The impact of Kate Kelly's excommunication on Mormon feminism and the events of 2015.
  • The increase of excommunications for apostasy, including those of John Dehlin, Rock Waterman, and Marisa and Carson Calderwood.
  • The death of three LDS apostles, including Boyd K. Packer.
  • The November 2015 LDS policy change naming same-sex married individuals as mandatory apostates, and preventing their children from membership in the church.
  • The release of the LDS Gospel Topics essays, and their impact on LDS activity/inactivity/apostasy
  • The status of Mormon apologetics
  • The status of progressive Mormonism

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:15.0

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0:19.0

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0:29.0

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1:01.0

It's worth noting that there was a mass resignation towards the end of 2015, probably somewhere between a thousand, 2000 people seemed apparently showed up at downtown Salt Lake.

1:16.0

At least 2000 resignations were processed.

1:21.0

Of course it was really bizarre to hear the disser at news cover that because they emphasized how these were people who had been out of the church for many years, which not only I don't think was true, but that was just a weird thing I think for them to say when they probably had no idea what the sample really was.

1:38.0

But really quickly we'll start with Marisa and then maybe Jay.

1:44.0

What do you make of that mass resignation? Do you think that was significant or not?

1:50.0

What do you think Marisa?

1:53.0

Yes, I think it's very significant.

1:55.0

You know, I've read some people say that well, the church is making new members every day and with their missionary efforts and in other countries.

2:02.0

And so that is insignificant to the church. That's just a drop in the bucket, 1000, 2000 members.

2:07.0

But I strongly disagree. These are people that are adults that are, you have been active, many of them for their whole lives that are deciding to separate themselves from the church formally, whether they've been active recently or not.

2:19.0

Because of the direction that the church is going in and I think it really should send a clear message and you know, I probably all of you like me know a lot of people personally that have resigned in the past two months.

2:32.0

They're not even part of that one to 2000, you know, that weren't able to go to Salt Lake City or be part of that event that they have just quietly resigned here in our wards and our stakes.

2:40.0

And you know, I have a neighbor down the street who his one of his parents is gay and so he says, you know, if this if this were 20 years ago, I would have been that child and that it was the last stop for him.

2:52.0

So I think it is very significant and I hope that they are really paying attention.

2:57.0

I can actually just mention even though my brother, even though he hadn't been active for years and years.

3:02.0

So this would be one of the case where the desert news is actually right.

3:05.0

But he actually hadn't just hadn't cared about what the Mormon church was doing or anything like that.

...

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