Libsyn Directory

Ep 171 — Death Penalty pt. 2 Mormon Violence, Religion and DP, Ethics and Morals

Release Date: 03/10/2025

Ep 184 — Are Mormons Christian | The Christ Who Heals pt. 1

Glass Box Podcast

Are Mormons Christian? According to most Christians, no. According to them, Jesus Christ is literally in the name of the church! We dig into the bedrock on this issue to see what does or does not qualify as “Christian”. After that, we dive into the final of the Givens trilogy, The Christ Who Heals. It’s more or less a 130-page missionary discussion with a few dribbles of ancient theologian writings. After that we talk about a statue being built to Robert Smalls in South Carolina. Show Notes: Jesus in Islam: Jewish views on Jesus: Buddhism and...

Ep 183 — Hatch & Jones, Victims of Mormon Violence w/ Belle Holsinger | The Godfather

Glass Box Podcast

You asked for it and you got it! We interviewed Belle Holsinger who we talked about last episode in our Sunstone recap. She gave us the absolutely riveting information from her presentation at Sunstone titled “Bearing witness: The castration and murder of Henry Jones and his mother, Hannah Jones Gailey Hatch.” Following our time with Belle, we watched The Godfather because what OTHER movie is as fitting? We then closed with some incredible new breakthroughs in cancer research. Enjoy! Show Notes: Belle’s Contact information: MOGP: The Godfather ...

Ep 182 — Sunstone 2025 Wrap-up

Glass Box Podcast

We went to Sunstone Symposium in SLC, like we try to do every year! It was fantastic and a great place to meet good folks, visit old friends, and learn new things along the way. We discuss some of our favorite sessions and experiences from this year’s Mormon conference. Check out Sunstone and consider attending next year! Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism on his Speaking of Cults series. He has had MANY different fascinating people on so go take a look! Here is the whole playlist: Email: ...

Ep 181 — Word Vomit and Verbosity | The Crucible of Doubt pt. 3

Glass Box Podcast

Your two favorite long winded podcasters are talking about word vomit and verbosity today, which is particularly fitting since today’s Sword of Laman segment covers the last part of the 2nd Givens book, The Crucible of Doubt. We then cleanse your palette with some good news out of Illinois. Enjoy! Sword of Laman: Happy News: Illinois keeps 988 lifeline for LGBTQIA+ youth even after national extension hangs up: Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism on his Speaking of Cults series. He has...

Ep 180 — John Taylor 1886 Permanent Polygamy Revelation | National Treasure

Glass Box Podcast

The Church History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just dropped a revelatory bomb on the Mormon history community and we’re gunna talk about it. John Taylor (prophet 1880-1887) wrote a revelation saying that the new and everlasting covenant is actually “everlasting” and cannot be revoked or abrogated. However, the prophet after Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, wrote the First Manifesto bringing the church into compliance with the law of the land. However, plural marriages continued to be performed. The Reed Smoot hearings turned the eyes of the nation to the kingdom...

Ep 179 — Great Leaders | Crucible of Doubt pt. 2

Glass Box Podcast

Let’s talk leaders. What qualities does a great leader have? What’s the difference between a good and great leader? And we talk about three leaders in history. In our Sword of Laman segment, we cover the next few chapters of the Givens’ book. And to clear your palette, we share a news article about a charitable move Bill Gates is making. Enjoy! Show Notes: What is Ethical Leadership and Why is it Important?: What Great Leaders do that Good Leaders Don’t: Elizabeth I: Queen Elizabeth I: The controversies and accomplishments:...

Ep 178 — Nov ‘15 Policy 10-yr Retrospective | Rafiki (2018)

Glass Box Podcast

Not only is it Pride month but it’s also been almost 10 years since the Mormon church issued their policy against the children of LGBTQIA+ parents. We take a look at the effects that policy had, the increasingly draconian measures the government is taking, and we read between the lines of Mormon church policies. We also look at the measures people are taking to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+. For Media of Great Price, we watched the lovely 2018 movie Rafiki about two lesbian women in Kenya. And we end with good news out of Paris about a new monument. Happy Pride Month! Show...

Ep 177 — Doubts | The Crucible of Doubt

Glass Box Podcast

We’re talking about the bane of the Q15’s existence! Doubts of the members. We discuss the terrible way they are dealt with which leads into the second installment of the Givens’ trilogy — The Crucible of Doubt — Reflections on the Quest for Faith. Following that we have some good news out of El Paso where the Consulate General of Mexico gave out free measles vaccines to children and adults in El Paso, Texas. Show Notes: Jana Riess: Who is leaving the LDS church? Eight key survey findings: When Doubts and Questions Arise by Adam...

Ep 176 — Mormon fasting vs other religions | South Park

Glass Box Podcast

Fasting! In all its forms and purposes. We take a wander through world religions to see how fasting plays a part in almost all of them. Mormon fasting is far less peculiar than we thought. Then a few episodes of South Park that provide wonderful commentary on fasting, the economy, and witch hunts. We round out with happy news about land being returned to Indigenous people and burn through listener mail that’s been piling up. Show notes: Fasting: Fasting: Religious Fasting: Fasting in Islam: Ramadan: Native Teachings are...

Ep 175 — The God Who Weeps Wrap-Up | The Meaning of Life

Glass Box Podcast

We’re finishing The God Who Weeps by Terryl Givens and Fiona Givens. This is the first book in a trilogy of Mormon theology and we want to leave room in the year to get through it all. What does today hold for us? We start with a long discussion on the pre-mortal existence, transitioning into existence, then ascending to perfection thanks to Mormon beliefs. We didn’t realize until pretty late in the project that the 5 chapters of the book are structured around the different stages of the Mormon Plan of Salvation (PoS), but it become clear pretty early on in our discussion. All told, the...

More Episodes

It’s time for part 2 of our Death Penalty series! Since this is a Mormon podcast, we first look into the history of Mormons and the death penalty. Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both ordered assassinations and fostered environments where random acts of violence became inevitable. The State of Deseret, Utah, has a comparatively bloody, theocratic history. Then we take a broader view of religion and capital punishment. After that, we look into the ethics/morals of capital punishment and give you a look at the Innocence project. We wrap by discussing your responses from Survey #1 as well as our own viewpoints on the subject.

Survey #2: After listening to these episodes, we’d like to hear if your insights or opinions have changed and how. https://forms.gle/Vjn48xzWgCWcJR8r8

Show Notes:

Trump v United States: Oral argument on the former president’s immunity claim: https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/trump-v-united-states-oral-argument-on-the-former-presidents-immunity-claim/640481

23-939 Trump v United States (7/1/2024) https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf

Account of hearing between circa 3 and 9 June 1837 state of Ohio v Joseph Smith for threatening to take life: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/account-of-hearing-between-circa-3-and-9-june-1837-state-of-ohio-v-js-for-threatening-to-take-life/1#facts

Joseph, in the Elder’s Journal, discusses the Kirtland Bank and Warren Parrish and Grandison Newell’s charges against hi: https://bhroberts.org/records/5tcqZf-vSQSfc/joseph_in_the_elders_journal_discusses_the_kirtland_bank_and_warren_parrish_and_grandison_newells_charges_against_him

Orson Hyde, Life lessons learned: https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-3-no-2-2002/orson-hyde-life-lessons-learned

Danites: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/topic/danites

Danite Manifesto: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Danite_Manifesto

The Danite Constitution and Theories of Democratic Justice in Frontier America: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5074&context=byusq

Journal of Mormon History Vol 30, No. 2, 2004: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1043&context=mormonhistory

General Smith’s views of the powers and policy of the government of the United States circa 26 January - 7 February 1844: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/general-smiths-views-of-the-powers-and-policy-of-the-government-of-the-united-states-circa-26-january-7-february-1844/12#full-transcript

Journal of Mormon History Vol 33, No 1, 2007: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=mormonhistory

The Coming Storm: The murder of Jesse Thompson Hartley: https://user.xmission.com/~research/mormonpdf/storm.pdf

The wound the never healed: https://www.prestopreservation.com/uploads/5/2/5/3/52533793/morrisite_story_small.pdf

Official position on capital punishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/official-statement/capital-punishment

The Movement to Abolish Capital Punishment in America 1787-1861: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1847110?read-now=1&seq=8

“Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caedite_eos._Novit_enim_Dominus_qui_sunt_eius.

The convict's visitor: or, Penitential offices, (in the ancient way of liturgy) consisting of prayers, lessons, and meditations; with suitable devotions before, and at the time of execution. : [Four lines from Luke] / By William Smith, A.M. Rector of Trinity Church in Newport: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=evans;cc=evans;rgn=main;view=text;idno=N18328.0001.001

Arguments for and against the death penalty

“Under sentence of death”: The movement to abolish capital punishment in Massachusetts: https://www.jstor.org/stable/366478?read-now=1&seq=7

The 2% death penalty: Press Release: https://www.jstor.org/stable/366478?read-now=1&seq=7

10 facts about the death penalty in the U.S.: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/07/19/10-facts-about-the-death-penalty-in-the-u-s/

The Death Penalty — Your questions answered: https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/the-death-penalty-your-questions-answered/

Death penalty issues: https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/Death_Penalty/Issues

10 reasons why the death penalty is wrong: https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/why-death-penalty-is-wrong/

Arguments for and against the death penalty: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/resources/high-school/about-the-death-penalty/arguments-for-and-against-the-death-penalty

Death penalty debate: https://www.britannica.com/procon/death-penalty-debate

John Brown:

John Brown: The First American to Hang for Treason: https://werehistory.org/john-brown/

John Brown (abolitionist): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist)

John Brown a Biography: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-brown

A Look Back at John Brown: https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2011/spring/brown.html

Bleeding Kansas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleeding_Kansas

Pottawatomie Massacre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottawatomie_massacre

John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown%27s_raid_on_Harpers_Ferry

John Brown’s Provisional Constitution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown%27s_Provisional_Constitution

The Rosenberg’s

Historical Federal Executions:

https://www.usmarshals.gov/who-we-are/history/historical-reading-room/historical-federal-executions

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg

Atom Spy Case/Rosenbergs: https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/atom-spy-caserosenbergs

The Rosenberg Trial: teacher handout: chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/trials/Rosenberg%20Teacher%20Handout.pdf

Espionage Act of 1917: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage_Act_of_1917

The Origins of the Espionage Act of 1917: Was Judge Learned Hand’s Understanding of the Act Defensible? By Geoffrey R Stone: chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=13818&context=journal_articles

Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act of 1918 (1917-1918):https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/historic-document-library/detail/espionage-act-of-1917-and-sedition-act-of-1918-1917-1918

The Espionage Act’s constitutional legacy: https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-espionage-acts-constitutional-legacy

Hi-Fi Murders

Hi-Fi Murders: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-Fi_murders

How the Hi-Fi Murders changed life in Ogden: https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/how-the-hi-fi-murders-changed-life-in-ogden/

Innocence Project: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/policy/innocence

Public Officials and Advocates Respod to SCOTUS’ Decision to Overturn Richard Glossip’s Conviction: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/public-officials-and-advocates-respond-to-scotus-decision-to-overturn-richard-glossips-conviction

RIchard Glossip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Glossip

Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism: Speaking of Cults … Mormonism is a Compliance Culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCeW3jvP-RE&t=2973s

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