Glass Box Podcast

Join Bryce Blankenagel and Shannon Grover as we walk through deep Mormon doctrine and history, headlines in and out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), and explore the lighter side of current events. We hope to provide good feels and a burning in your bosom that'll leave you wanting to download the next episode.

Ep 189 — Endowment Evolution | Heretic 11/12/2025

Ep 188 — The Picture of Dorian Gray | History of the Devil’s Music 10/29/2025

Ep 188 — The Picture of Dorian Gray | History of the Devil’s Music At long last Shannon gets to talk about the book she’s been planning on since the last Halloween episode — The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. We first discuss the Aesthetic Movement of the 19th century and a tiny bit of the life of Oscar Wilde before we jump into the book itself. Then Bryce gifts you with an abbreviated history of metal music. Get a notepad ready to take notes because he gives you a LOT of information! Happy Halloween! Show Notes: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: Oscar Wilde Official Website: Oscar Wilde: Aestheticism: Decadent Movement: The Aesthetic Movement by Fiona McCarthy: Aesthetic Movement in England by Walter Hamilton: Oscar WIlde’s Cello Coat: The Picture of Dorian Gray: Metal music: VH1 Documentary This is Spinal Tap amps go to 11 Songs list: Little Richard, Tutti Frutti - Here's Little Richard 1957 James Brown, Shout and Shimmy - Good, Good Twistin' With James Brown 1962 Chuck Berry, School Day - After School Session 1957 The Beatles, Love Me Do - Please Please Me 1963 Black Sabbath, Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B. - Black Sabbath 1970 Led Zeppelin, Good TImes Bad TImes - Led Zeppelin I 1969 Led Zeppelin, Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin I 1969 Tenacious D, Karate - Tenacious D 2001 Worm Shepherd, The Anguished Throne - Hunger 2024 Humble Pie, As Safe As Yesterday Is - As Safe As Yesterday Is 1969 Deep Purple, Smoke on the Water - Machine Head 1972 Back Sabbath, Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath 1970 Black Sabbath, War Pigs - Paranoid 1970 Steppenwolf, Born to be Wild - self titled 1968 Alice Cooper, Poison - Trash 1989 KISS, Sure Know Something - Dynasty 1979 AC/DC, TNT - High Voltage 1976 Judas Priest, Realms of Death - Stained Class 1978 Motorhead, Ace of Spades - Ace of Spades 1980 13th Floor Elevators, You're Gonna Miss Me - 7th Heaven Music of the Spheres 1966 Chelsea Grin, Cursed - My Damnation 2011 The Damned, New Rose - Damned Damned Damned 1977 Judas Priest, Breaking the Law - British Steel 1980 Candlemass, Solitude - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus 1986 Venom, Black Metal - In League With Satan 1981 Van Halen, You Really Got Me - Van Halen 1978 Black Sabbath, Neon Knights - Heaven and Hell 1980 Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 1973 Def Leppard, Photograph - Pyromania 1983 Quiet Riot, Cum on Feel the Noize - Metal Health 1983 Mercyful Fate, Evil - Melissa 1983 Frank Zappa, We're Turning Again - Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention 1985 Cannibal Corpse, Hammer Smashed Face - Tomb of the Mutilated 1992 Kreator, People of the Lie - Coma of Souls 1990 Napalm Death, Suffer the Children - Harmony Corruption 1990 Helloween, I Want Out - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2 1988 TOOL, Sober - Undertow 1993 Linkin Park, One Step Closer - Hybrid Theory 2000 Pantera, Walk - Vulgar Display of Power 1992 Finntroll, Jaktens Tid - Jaktens Tid 2001 Slaughter to Prevail, Demolisher - Kostolom 2019 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: Patreon: Patreon page for documentary: BlueSky: @ Other BlueSky: @bryceblankenagel.bsky.social and @shannongrover.bsky.social Instagram: Merch store: Or find the merch store by clicking on “Store” here: One time Paypal donation: Venmo: @Shannon-Grover-10 /episode/index/show/glassboxpodcast/id/38821685

Ep 187.4 — Sun Afternoon Oct 2025 General Conference 10/16/2025

Ep 187.3 — Sun Morning Oct 2025 General Conference 10/15/2025

Ep 187.2 — Sat Afternoon Oct 2025 General Conference 10/15/2025

Ep 187.1 — Sat Morning Oct 2025 General Conference 10/15/2025

Ep 186 — REM Model of Human Behavior w/ Chris Shelton | The Christ Who Heals pt. finale 10/01/2025

Ep 185 — 3 New Gospel Topics Essays | Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 09/17/2025

Ep 184 — Are Mormons Christian | The Christ Who Heals pt. 1 09/03/2025

Ep 183 — Hatch & Jones, Victims of Mormon Violence w/ Belle Holsinger | The Godfather 08/20/2025

Ep 182 — Sunstone 2025 Wrap-up 08/06/2025

Ep 181 — Word Vomit and Verbosity | The Crucible of Doubt pt. 3 07/23/2025

Ep 180 — John Taylor 1886 Permanent Polygamy Revelation | National Treasure 07/09/2025

Ep 180 — John Taylor 1886 Permanent Polygamy Revelation | National Treasure 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 of god in Deseret and every clandestine plural marriage put a lie to the Manifesto. Church leaders are excommunicated and it leads to the formation of the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints. The church has suppressed this revelation in its vaults for nearly a century while openly denying that it even existed. After that we chat about more secrets hiding in plain sight with the movie National Treasure. We wrap with happy news about diabetes therapy and a gaggle of listener mail. Show Notes: MOGP: National Treasure: Where it’s streaming: Information about Charles Carroll: Explore the Knights Templar: Happy News: A new diabetes treatment could free people from insulin injections: Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism. Here’s the most recent episode on And here is our discussion about Mormon succession Email: Patreon: Patreon page for documentary: Facebook page: BlueSky: @ Other BlueSky: @bryceblankenagel.bsky.social and @shannongrover.bsky.social Instagram: Merch store: Or find the merch store by clicking on “Store” here: One time Paypal donation: Venmo: @Shannon-Grover-10 /episode/index/show/glassboxpodcast/id/37336875

Ep 179 — Great Leaders | Crucible of Doubt pt. 2 06/25/2025

Ep 178 — Nov ‘15 Policy 10-yr Retrospective | Rafiki (2018) 06/11/2025

Ep 177 — Doubts | The Crucible of Doubt 05/28/2025

Ep 176 — Mormon fasting vs other religions | South Park 05/14/2025

Ep 175 — The God Who Weeps Wrap-Up | The Meaning of Life 04/30/2025

Ep 174.4 — Sun Afternoon Apr 2025 GenCon 04/16/2025

Ep 174.3 — Sun Morning Apr 2025 GenCon 04/16/2025

Ep 174.2 — Sat Afternoon Apr 2025 GenCon 04/16/2025

Ep 174.1 — Sat Morning Apr 2025 GenCon 04/16/2025

Ep 173 — Joseph Smith Wasn’t a Polygamist | O Brother, Where Art Thou? 04/01/2025

Ep 172 — All About Cults feat. Chris Shelton | Don’t Look Up 03/19/2025

Ep 171 — Death Penalty pt. 2 Mormon Violence, Religion and DP, Ethics and Morals 03/10/2025

Ep 171 — Death Penalty pt. 2 Mormon Violence, Religion and DP, Ethics and Morals 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. Show Notes: Trump v United States: Oral argument on the former president’s immunity claim: 23-939 Trump v United States (7/1/2024) Account of hearing between circa 3 and 9 June 1837 state of Ohio v Joseph Smith for threatening to take life: Joseph, in the Elder’s Journal, discusses the Kirtland Bank and Warren Parrish and Grandison Newell’s charges against hi: Orson Hyde, Life lessons learned: Danites: Danite Manifesto: The Danite Constitution and Theories of Democratic Justice in Frontier America: Journal of Mormon History Vol 30, No. 2, 2004: General Smith’s views of the powers and policy of the government of the United States circa 26 January - 7 February 1844: Journal of Mormon History Vol 33, No 1, 2007: The Coming Storm: The murder of Jesse Thompson Hartley: The wound the never healed: Official position on capital punishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: The Movement to Abolish Capital Punishment in America 1787-1861: “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: Arguments for and against the death penalty “Under sentence of death”: The movement to abolish capital punishment in Massachusetts: The 2% death penalty: Press Release: 10 facts about the death penalty in the U.S.: The Death Penalty — Your questions answered: Death penalty issues: 10 reasons why the death penalty is wrong: Arguments for and against the death penalty: Death penalty debate: John Brown: John Brown: The First American to Hang for Treason: John Brown (abolitionist): John Brown a Biography: A Look Back at John Brown: Bleeding Kansas: Pottawatomie Massacre: John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry: John Brown’s Provisional Constitution: The Rosenberg’s Historical Federal Executions: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: Atom Spy Case/Rosenbergs: The Rosenberg Trial: teacher handout: chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/ 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/ Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act of 1918 (1917-1918): The Espionage Act’s constitutional legacy: Hi-Fi Murders Hi-Fi Murders: How the Hi-Fi Murders changed life in Ogden: Innocence Project: Public Officials and Advocates Respod to SCOTUS’ Decision to Overturn Richard Glossip’s Conviction: RIchard Glossip: Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism: Speaking of Cults … Mormonism is a Compliance Culture: Other links: Email: Patreon: Patreon page for documentary: BlueSky: @ Other BlueSky: and Instagram: Merch store: Or find the merch store by clicking on “Store” here: One time Paypal donation: Venmo: @Shannon-Grover-10 /episode/index/show/glassboxpodcast/id/35602390

Ep 170 — Death Penalty pt. 1 02/19/2025

Ep 170 — Death Penalty pt. 1 We begin our next series, this time on Capital Punishment. We start with the history of crimes throughout written history that justified the death penalty. Then we get into colonial history and how the death penalty was built into the foundations of racist America. Multiple Supreme Court rulings have shifted the landscape. We end with the recent EO attempting to expand the powers of the death penalty. Death Penalty survey #1: Show Notes: History of the death penalty: Timeline of the history of the death penalty: History of the death penalty in USA: Death penalty in the U.S.: Capital punishment in the United States: On Crimes and Punishment by Cesare Bonesana di Beccaria, 1764: Overview of the death penalty and capital trials: History, current status, legal procedures, and cost: Crimes act of 1790: List of women executed in the United States since 1976: Amnesty International resources “The Movement to Abolish Capital Punishment in America, 1787-1861” by David Brion Davis: Study reveals racial bias in executions: “I just wanted to … stay alive” Who was WIlliam Furman, the prisoner at the center of a historic legal decision?: Furman v Georgia: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-supreme-court/408/238.html chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/ Gregg v Georgia: HIstorical Federal Executions: Judiciary Act of 1789: EO on expanded Death Penalty Equal Justice Initiative Texas Department of Criminal Justice on DP McCleskey v. Kemp EJI on McCleskey v. Kemp Racial bias in death penalty Furman v Georgia Wilkerson v Utah The Movement to Abolish Capitla Punishment by David Brion Davis Abraham Johnstone address Slave Executions in the US Execution statistics in US Thomas Paine opposing execution of Louis XVI History of lynching in America . Confronting hte legacy of lynching in America Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism: Recent Live Show Book Club on Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson: Email: Patreon: Patreon page for documentary: BlueSky: @ Other BlueSky: @bryceblankenagel.bsky.social and @shannongrover.bsky.social Instagram: Merch store: Or find the merch store by clicking on “Store” here: One time Paypal donation: Venmo: Shannon-Grover-10 /episode/index/show/glassboxpodcast/id/35338265

Ep 169 — 3 Mormon Lawsuits; Spotlight 02/05/2025

Ep 168 — Terryl and Fiona Givens | The God Who Weeps 01/22/2025

Ep 167 — Callis, Kimball, Skousen, Gilbert–Utah & BYU Police State | Minority Report 01/08/2025

Ep 166 — All Media! 12/25/2024

Glass Box Podcast

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