Sunstone Podcast
Religion & Spirituality Podcas
For more than 45 years, Sunstone has been exploring Mormonism in all its expressions through our publications and symposiums. The Sunstone Podcast gathers the best of these explorations, including compelling sessions from our worldwide symposiums as well as interviews, book reviews, and deep dives into all things Mormon. Hosted by Stephen Carter.
Location:
United States
Description:
For more than 45 years, Sunstone has been exploring Mormonism in all its expressions through our publications and symposiums. The Sunstone Podcast gathers the best of these explorations, including compelling sessions from our worldwide symposiums as well as interviews, book reviews, and deep dives into all things Mormon. Hosted by Stephen Carter.
Language:
English
Episodes
E173: How Should Mormons Write History?
4/29/2024
History is a dangerous profession in the LDS Church, sometimes leading to excommunication. Stephen Carter explores why history is such a charged topic—and what Ethiopian leopards have to do with it.
Duration:00:41:07
E172: What Really Happened When Phineas Got His New Wives?
4/9/2024
One fine July Sunday in Relief Society, Deja Earley was asked to share a story about her Mormon ancestors. Her story did not go down well. In this episode, Deja tries to come to terms with her polygamous forebears.
Duration:00:26:36
E171: The Movie that Turns Easter on its Head.
3/27/2024
Testimony meeting would be a terrible place for Stephen Carter to talk about the movie that finally made him feel a connection to the atonement. Hint: It has connections to Lord of the Rings, Avatar, and Run Lola Run.
Duration:00:17:58
E170: The Weird New Atonement Theory You Can’t Talk About in Sunday School.
3/4/2024
The Atonement is all about suffering. Or is it? In this episode, Stephen Carter stumbles across a new atonement theory that would stop any Sunday school lesson in its tracks. Yet, it fits perfectly into the Plan of Salvation.
Duration:00:47:40
E169: Where Do We Go From Here? Part II
2/28/2024
In Part II of Gregory Prince's article, he explores what he thinks the LDS Church has done right and what kinds of changes both it and its members will need to go through to meet current and future challenges.
Duration:00:45:58
E168: Where Do We Go From Here? Part I.
2/25/2024
Gregory A. Prince has been watching the LDS Church for 75 years. And it has changed. A lot. Some changes have been constructive; some have been devastating. What does Prince see as the best way forward from where we are now? What will this path demand of the Church organization and its members?
Duration:00:55:36
E167: Why I Stay.
1/29/2024
Carol Lynn Pearson is known for her long-standing advocacy for the LGBT community in the LDS Church. This episode presents her thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the Church, and why she continues to engage with it.
Duration:00:16:35
E166: What Makes the True Believer Tick?
1/8/2024
Using Eric Hoffer's book "The True Believer," Stephen Carter explores how Mormonism became a mass movement and the surprising way its cycle is playing out today.
Duration:00:38:19
E165: His Eye Is on the Sparrow.
12/11/2023
The New Testament is full of healing stories. But in real life, not so much. Dana Haight Cattani talks about her struggle with cancer.
Duration:00:17:44
E164: In the Mountains, No One Can Hear You Swear.
12/5/2023
After a tour of the Orem Temple's art with Stephen Carter, Michael Stubbs talks about how difficult it is for him to find God in nature—even when hiking with a bunch of rowdy Young Men!
Duration:00:29:57
E163: Nephite Treasure in the Mountains: Utah County’s “Dream Mine.”
11/22/2023
Treasure digging did not stop with Joseph Smith. In this episode, Kevin Cantera tells us about John Koyle, a Mormon visionary who started a mine that he said would lead to caverns filled with Nephite gold.
Duration:00:36:02
E162: In the Garden God Hath Planted: Remembering Lavina Fielding Anderson
11/13/2023
This episode honors the life, thought, and spirit of Lavina Fielding Anderson with one of her best Sunstone articles: "In the Garden God Hath Planted: Explorations Toward a Maturing Faith."
Duration:00:26:32
E161: How the Barbie Movie Rewrites the Faith Crisis Script.
10/30/2023
Are you a Barbie, a Ken, or a Gloria? Stephen Carter, who watched the Barbie movie five times in the theaters, argues that these three characters typify some of the most common faith crises in the LDS Church. And that they show us how to look at these crises in a completely new light.
Duration:00:35:23
E160: The Plan of Saw-vation: What the Movie “Saw” Reveals about What Truly Terrifies Mormons.
10/18/2023
As the old Primary song goes, "I'm trying to be like Jigsaw." In this episode, Stephen Carter explores the peculiar reason why so many Mormons are afraid to die.
Duration:00:26:58
E159: Why the Heck Don’t Mormons Swear?
10/9/2023
Jana Riess grew up in a household where swearing was the norm. And she wonders if bringing a little of that spice over to our religious devotions might not kick things up a notch.
Duration:00:18:00
E158: How to Listen to a Man: And Other Things I Learned from “Fascinating Womanhood.”
10/1/2023
Buckle up as Stephen Carter takes you on a ride through Mormonism's most popular, and notorious, marriage manual on its 60th anniversary.
Duration:00:53:09
E157: The Excommunication of Charles William Kingston.
9/18/2023
How did the one of richest Mormon polygamous groups get its start? With one man, Charles William Kingston. In this episode, his great-grandson, Charles Elden Kingston, tells his story.
Duration:00:30:15
E156: Should We Save the Provo Temple?
9/11/2023
Yes, the mothership temple of Utah County has been the butt of many jokes. But what will we lose if the LDS Church goes ahead with its renovation of the Provo Temple? Alan Barnett reveals surprising architectural aspects of the Provo and Ogden Temples, and argues that their loss robs us of an essential part of Mormon history and imagination.
Duration:00:21:44
E155: Are There Jokes in Heaven? Are They Better than General Conference Jokes?
8/31/2023
Our intuition tells us that there must be humor in heaven, but the D&C has specific injunctions against laughter. Using theories of humor and stories from the Bible, Stephen Carter tries to figure out what kind of jokes gods make. And if they're any good.
Duration:00:33:53
E154: Passive-aggression Among the Latter-day Saints
8/23/2023
When Michael Stevens started teaching university courses in Utah, he noticed that passive-aggressive behavior was significantly higher there than at the midwestern universities he had taught at. His studies revealed that the behavior was highest among people with an LDS background. Where does this behavior come from? How does it manifest itself? And how does it affect Mormon culture?
Duration:00:32:02