The Cultural Hall Podcast

Melissa Inouye Ep. 326 The Cultural Hall
With her unique mix of humor and candor, empathy and idealism, Inouye draws upon her academic training in Chinese history and religious studies, her rich cultural heritage, her experiences raising a family in an international setting, her tangle with cancer, and her resilient faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ to unfurl vibrant reflections on the enduring question of what it means to be a Latter-day Saint today.
If you would like to donate to her family GO FUNDME
 

David B. Ostler has lived and served on four continents as a bishop, stake
president, mission president, and director of a Church historical site and visitors' center.
He wrote Bridges: Ministering to Those Who Question and Healing Our Divides:
Answering the Savior’s Call to Become Peacemakers. He is a retired business
executive who managed domestic and international businesses focused on improving
health care. With Rachelle, they have six wonderful children, some of whom no longer
believe in Latter-day Saint teachings. They split their time between Northern Virginia
and Midway Utah.

For many of us, faith and hard work are often seen as the keys to overcoming challenges. But what does it look like to stay faithful when “more faith” and “more work” do not make things better? What does one say when one cannot express praise? How do we maintain connection to God from within our pain? In Even in the Darkest Hour, Michael Huston illustrates how a close relationship with God is premised on authenticity: including sincere, faithful expressions of our frustration, anger, and pain. With captivating insight and drawing from a rich scriptural history, Michael Huston helps us to understand that lament—faithfully taking our complaints to God—has the power to transform us, our families, and our communities by anticipating deliverance and opening the possibility for newness in our lives.
Michael Huston currently resides in central Maryland. He received degrees from Utah State University (Logan, UT), American University (Washington, DC), and Wesley Theological Seminary (Washington, DC). Though he spent much of his youth west of the Mississippi, he has lived on the east coast for more than twenty years. He and his wife have four children. You can find him at wonder.annotated on instagram and Wonder Annotated on facebook.
Get your copy of Even in the Darkest Hour by Michael Huston
Reach out to contact@theculturalhall.com
Join us on Patreon!
Journey Through the Psalms by Denise Dombkowski Hopkins
“Murmur Not” by Elder Neal A. Maxwell
Emily Adams Ep. 692
Divine Quietness by Emily Robison Adams

“Escape from Germany,” is the true recounting of a miraculous yet unsung WWII event, releasing in theaters April, 2024. Hitler’s army was rapidly closing borders in August of 1939 while eighty-five American missionaries were serving their church inside Germany. As the German military preparations escalated, word came to speedily move those LDS missionaries to safety in adjacent countries. Taken from the personal diaries of those missionaries, this riveting story is a testimony that God truly leads and protects His servants, opens doors, and provides timely inspiration. The harrowing escape of these missionaries from Nazi Germany as World War II started is one of the most remarkable but little-known events in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

T.C. Christensen is an American cinematographer, film director, and writer best known for his work on IMAX films and true, historical movies including 17 Miracles, Ephraim’s Rescue, The Fighting Preacher and The Cokeville Miracle. Christensen is also a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Christensen lives with his wife Katy where he continues to be schooled in the fine arts of putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher and closing drawers all the way.


Check out Escapefromgermanyfilm.com
Check out many of TC Christensen’s movies on TUBI (it’s free)
TC Christensen Ep. 233

 

* Check out the Little Lessons Podcast
* Check out The Cultural Hall Holy Week episodes
* Check out our YouTube channel
* Email us at contact@theculturalhall.com
* Join us on Patreon!
* Influencer and mom of 8 “discontinuing” her marriage
* Find the Shaytards on Youtube
* Check out Under the Influence podcast
* Sister Ardeth Kapp passes at age 93
* Church donates $7.35 million to American Red Cross
* How the church cared for those in need in 2023
* Jimmer Fredette finally made it to the Final Four
* Family Name Assist feature (?) now available
* Part of 114-year-old meeting house destroyed
* Liberty Wells historic preservation
* Ruby Franke journal entries released
* Ruby Franke on 20/20 on YouTube
* Check out Annette Luthy Lyons’ YouTube channel
* Why aren’t there more Mormon professional tour surfers?

Tour the Kirtland Temple with Lachlan Mackay
Community of Christ member, Lachlan Mackay, reflects on sale of Kirtland Temple

New Temples April 2024
350 Temple OAC (A(nounced/Operation/Construction)
Doubled the number of temples in 8 years
177 OAC 8 years ago
Big cities that get more than 1-Brisbane, Houston
 
Uturoa, French Polynesia

2nd in French Polynesia

Papeete Tahiti in 83


30,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 100 congregations in French Polynesia.
Serving 2 stakes

Chihuahua, Mexico

25th in Mexico
3rd in the state of Chihuahua since 2003

Colonia Juarez
Ciudad Juarez


1.5M LDS and 1875 congregations
Serving 4 stakes

Florianópolis, Brazil

23rd in Brazil

1st in the state of Santa Catrina


1.5M LDS and 2175 congregations
Serving 9 stakes

Rosario, Argentina

7th in Argentina
Nearly half a million members, 725 congregations
Serving 10 stakes

Edinburgh, Scotland

1st in Scotland, 4th in UK
185k members, 300 congregations
Serving 6 stakes

Brisbane Australia South Area

2nd in Brisbane, Queensland
6th in Australia since 2003
155k members, 300 congregations
Serving 6 stakes

Victoria, British Columbia

NW of Seattle and SW of Vancouver
2nd in province since 2010
11th in Canada
200k members, 500 congregations 
Serving 2 stakes

Yuma, Arizona

7th in AZ since 2017
Border of Mexico and California
440k members, 925 congregations 
Serving 2 stakes

Houston Texas South Area

2nd in Houston since 2000
9th in state
385k members, 750 congregations 
Serving 8 stakes

Des Moines, Iowa

First in the state

SD last Western state to not have a temple.

8 total




29k members, 70 congregations 
Serving 5 stakes

Cincinnati, Ohio

3rd in the state

4th if you count Kirtland


65k members, 130 congregations 
Serving 6 stakes

Honolulu, Hawaii

4th in the state, 2nd on Oahu
75k members, 145 congregations 
Serving 6 stakes

West Jordan, Utah

29th temple in Utah
NW of Oquirrh Mtn and S. Jordan temples
2.2M members, 5400 congregations 
Serving 15 stakes

Lehi, Utah

30th temple in Utah
Between new Saratoga Springs temple and Mt Timp
2.2M members, 5400 congregations 
Serving 20 stakes

Maracaibo, Venezuela

2nd in the country 

Caracas dedicated in 2000


175k members, 230 congregations 
Serving 11 stakes

Scott Christopher is a veteran film, television, stage, and voice actor as well as an author, speaker, corporate trainer and lifelong humorist. Scott is currently the host of the exciting new series, “A Marvelous Work,” on the Scripture Central YouTube channel. He is the father of five, grandfather of two, and husband to one. They live in an empty nest in the Nashville area.
A Marvelous Work on YouTube

In this episode Andrew Skinner and Kerry Muhlestein discuss the events of Easter Sunday. They revel in the reality of the resurrection, and explore the profound witnesses we have of that blessed event.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews and books here:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel
Episode 778 & The Easter Connection
Other Holy Week Episodes:
Palm Sunday
Holy Monday
Holy Tuesday
Holy (or Spy) Wednesday
Holy (or Maundy) Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
 
Some of Kerry Muhlestein’s books below (click the covers).

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
Andrew C. Skinner was a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was written. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned his BA degree in history from the University of Colorado. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European history specializing in Judaism.
Skinner taught for four years at Ricks College and has filled three assignments at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member and taught Near Eastern studies. He has served as director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, dean of Religious Education, and chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or coauthor of over one hundred publications, including Jerusalem: The Eternal City; New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ; Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: The Unidentified Fragments from Qumran Cave 4 (an analysis of all the unidentified Hebrew and Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll texts); Scriptural Parables for the Latter Days; and Gethsemane.
The Scriptures are Real YouTube 
The Scriptures are Real ...

In this episode Andrew Skinner and Kerry Muhlestein discuss the events of Holy Saturday. They cover the burial of the Savior, and also the things we know He did while His body was in the tomb but His spirit was in the Spirit World.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews and books here:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel
Episode 778 & The Easter Connection
Holy Week Episodes So Far:
Palm Sunday
Holy Monday
Holy Tuesday
Holy (or Spy) Wednesday
Holy (or Maundy) Thursday
Good Friday
 
Some of Kerry Muhlestein’s books below (click the covers).

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
Andrew C. Skinner was a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was written. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned his BA degree in history from the University of Colorado. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European history specializing in Judaism.
Skinner taught for four years at Ricks College and has filled three assignments at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member and taught Near Eastern studies. He has served as director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, dean of Religious Education, and chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or coauthor of over one hundred publications, including Jerusalem: The Eternal City; New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ; Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: The Unidentified Fragments from Qumran Cave 4 (an analysis of all the unidentified Hebrew and Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll texts); Scriptural Parables for the Latter Days; and Gethsemane.
The Scriptures are Real YouTube 
The Scriptures are Real Podcast 

In this episode Andrew Skinner and Kerry Muhlestein discuss the events of Good Friday. They talk about the Savior’s trials, and about His suffering on the cross, and His death.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews and books here:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel
Episode 778 & The Easter Connection
Holy Week Episodes So Far:
Palm Sunday
Holy Monday
Holy Tuesday
Holy (or Spy) Wednesday
Holy (or Maundy) Thursday
Some of Kerry Muhlestein’s books below (click the covers).

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
Andrew C. Skinner was a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was written. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned his BA degree in history from the University of Colorado. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European history specializing in Judaism.
Skinner taught for four years at Ricks College and has filled three assignments at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member and taught Near Eastern studies. He has served as director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, dean of Religious Education, and chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or coauthor of over one hundred publications, including Jerusalem: The Eternal City; New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ; Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: The Unidentified Fragments from Qumran Cave 4 (an analysis of all the unidentified Hebrew and Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll texts); Scriptural Parables for the Latter Days; and Gethsemane.
The Scriptures are Real YouTube 
The Scriptures are Real Podcast 
Out of the Dust
 
*This post contained Amazon affiliate links.
 
 
 
 

In this episode Andrew Skinner and Kerry Muhlestein discuss the events of Holy (or Maundy) Thursday. The discuss the powerful events and teachings at the Last Supper, and then explore the profound suffering of Gethsemane.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews and books here:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel
Episode 778 & The Easter Connection
Holy Week Episodes So Far:
Palm Sunday
Holy Monday
Holy Tuesday
Holy (or Spy) Wednesday
Some of Kerry Muhlestein’s books below (click the covers).

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
Andrew C. Skinner was a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was written. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned his BA degree in history from the University of Colorado. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European history specializing in Judaism.
Skinner taught for four years at Ricks College and has filled three assignments at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member and taught Near Eastern studies. He has served as director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, dean of Religious Education, and chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or coauthor of over one hundred publications, including Jerusalem: The Eternal City; New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ; Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: The Unidentified Fragments from Qumran Cave 4 (an analysis of all the unidentified Hebrew and Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll texts); Scriptural Parables for the Latter Days; and Gethsemane.
The Scriptures are Real YouTube 
The Scriptures are Real Podcast 
Out of the Dust
 
*This post contained Amazon affiliate links.
 
 
 

In this episode Andrew Skinner and Kerry Muhlestein discuss the events of Holy Monday. They talk about the cursing of the fig tree and the Savior’s teachings in the temple, including teachings about hypocrisy.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews and books here:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel
Episode 778 & The Easter Connection
Holy Week Episodes:
Palm Sunday
Some of Kerry Muhlestein’s books below (click the covers).

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
Andrew C. Skinner was a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was written. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned his BA degree in history from the University of Colorado. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European history specializing in Judaism.
Skinner taught for four years at Ricks College and has filled three assignments at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member and taught Near Eastern studies. He has served as director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, dean of Religious Education, and chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or coauthor of over one hundred publications, including Jerusalem: The Eternal City; New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ; Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: The Unidentified Fragments from Qumran Cave 4 (an analysis of all the unidentified Hebrew and Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll texts); Scriptural Parables for the Latter Days; and Gethsemane.
The Scriptures are Real YouTube 
The Scriptures are Real Podcast 
Out of the Dust
 
*This post contained Amazon affiliate links.
 

In this episode Andrew Skinner and Kerry Muhlestein discuss the events of Holy (or Spy) Wednesday. The talk about how we don’t know very much about what happened on this day, and explore the possibility that the Last Supper may have taken place on Wednesday, rather than Thursday.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews and books here:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel
Episode 778 & The Easter Connection
Holy Week Episodes So Far:
Palm Sunday
Holy Monday
Holy Tuesday
Some of Kerry Muhlestein’s books below (click the covers).

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
Andrew C. Skinner was a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was written. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned his BA degree in history from the University of Colorado. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European history specializing in Judaism.
Skinner taught for four years at Ricks College and has filled three assignments at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member and taught Near Eastern studies. He has served as director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, dean of Religious Education, and chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or coauthor of over one hundred publications, including Jerusalem: The Eternal City; New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ; Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: The Unidentified Fragments from Qumran Cave 4 (an analysis of all the unidentified Hebrew and Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll texts); Scriptural Parables for the Latter Days; and Gethsemane.
The Scriptures are Real YouTube 
The Scriptures are Real Podcast 
Out of the Dust
 
*This post contained Amazon affiliate links.
 
 

In this episode Andrew Skinner and Kerry Muhlestein discuss the events of Holy Tuesday. They talk about finding the fig tree withered, and more of the Savior’s teachings at the temple, including His lament over the temple and how that led to His great prophecy about its destruction and the Last Days.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews and books here:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel
Episode 778 & The Easter Connection
Holy Week Episodes So Far:
Palm Sunday
Holy Monday
Some of Kerry Muhlestein’s books below (click the covers).

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
Andrew C. Skinner was a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was written. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned his BA degree in history from the University of Colorado. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European history specializing in Judaism.
Skinner taught for four years at Ricks College and has filled three assignments at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member and taught Near Eastern studies. He has served as director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, dean of Religious Education, and chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or coauthor of over one hundred publications, including Jerusalem: The Eternal City; New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ; Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: The Unidentified Fragments from Qumran Cave 4 (an analysis of all the unidentified Hebrew and Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll texts); Scriptural Parables for the Latter Days; and Gethsemane.
The Scriptures are Real YouTube 
The Scriptures are Real Podcast 
Out of the Dust
 
*This post contained Amazon affiliate links.
 

In this episode, Kerry Muhlestein and Andrew Skinner discuss what the Holy Week is, and why it is important, and why we should commemorate it. They talk about the traditions of other faiths and how it can and should be meaningful for Latter-day Saints. They then explore the meaning, and power of Palm Sunday, and how it can affect us today.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel
Episode 778 & The Easter Connection
Some of Kerry Muhlestein’s books below (click the covers).

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
Andrew C. Skinner was a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was written. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned his BA degree in history from the University of Colorado. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European history specializing in Judaism.
Skinner taught for four years at Ricks College and has filled three assignments at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member and taught Near Eastern studies. He has served as director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, dean of Religious Education, and chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or coauthor of over one hundred publications, including Jerusalem: The Eternal City; New Testament Apostles Testify of Christ; Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: The Unidentified Fragments from Qumran Cave 4 (an analysis of all the unidentified Hebrew and Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll texts); Scriptural Parables for the Latter Days; and Gethsemane.
The Scriptures are Real YouTube 
The Scriptures are Real Podcast 
Out of the Dust
 
*This post contained Amazon affiliate links.

Sean Donnelly is an Area Relations Manager based in SLC. He supports the teams in all aspects of public relations, government relations and communication efforts. He chairs the Africa government relations sub-committee in the USA. He is the managing editor of Africa Newsroom.
Sean has lived and worked in 9 countries, and in prior life worked for a US listed company for 9 years in the UK office as a senior manager of large departments.
He also spent 20 years in management consulting in diverse industries across Europe and Africa, focused mainly on executive development and organizational effectiveness, marketing and strategy and was running his own company.
He served with his wife as mission leaders in Madagascar and interim mission leaders in the Congo. He is a fluent French speaker. He was a sought-after motivational speaker and later
author of a top-selling personal effectiveness book in South Africa. He combines years of corporate experience with a strong academic understanding, he has an MBA from Bond
University Australia. His outstanding competence is people leadership and organizational effectiveness in emerging market economies. He now has vast experience working in
international areas and at headquarters for the Church.
He joined The Church in 1983 and went on mission 11 months later to Switzerland, Geneva. He served as a Bishop at age 29, Stake Presidency, Mission President twice, Stake Audit
Chairman etc. He has travelled to most of the countries in Africa many times, he understands intimately the socio-economic and political context, and most important how to
work with the people and politics in Africa.
He is married to Dianne, and together they enjoy nature conservation, wildlife photography, outdoors and life.

Kerry Muhlestein returns to The Hall for the third time with his latest book, The Easter Connection: Made Whole with God Through Christ.
About the Book:
From His agony in Gethsemane to His death on the cross, the Savior’s selfless acts in His final days in mortal life afford us an unparalleled gift: the opportunity for an eternity spent with those we love, most especially our Heavenly Parents.
In this moving exploration of the biblical account of Holy Week, Dr. Kerry Muhlestein illuminates the powerful theme of eternal unification achievable only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
This Easter, find the hope, healing, and wholeness made available through the incomparable sacrifice and Resurrection of the Savior of the world.
Find Kerry Muhlestein’s other TCH interviews and books here:
Episode 407 & I Saw the Lord: Joseph’s First Vision Combined from Nine Accounts
Episode 490 & God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel

 
 
 
 
 
About the Author

Kerry Muhlestein is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU with a Ph.D. in Egyptology and Hebrew Language and Literature from UCLA. He is the Director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He hosts the podcast The Scriptures Are Real.
He is also the author of many books, including Learning to Love Isaiah, which helps us understand Isaiah in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.
He has also written extensively about the Abrahamic Covenant and the Book of Abraham. He has six children and one grandson.
 
 
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Howard Parr worked as a photojournalist in the luxury watch industry for nearly a decade. He found a photography project featuring ovarian cancer survivors in partnership with top-Swiss brand Jäeger Le-Coultre. His painting and photography can be found in collections throughout the world. Howard is co-founder of an auto finance software company with his wife of 25 years, and co-founder of non-profit PeakU, mitigating dating and violence with a multi-level curriculum for elevating healthy relationships. He and his wife are grateful to live in Utah and enjoy Mountain biking, skiing and Hiking with their dogs.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints has acquired the Kirtland Temple, Nauvoo Mansion House, Red brick store  among other numerous artifacts for 192.5 Million Dollars
 
Our Interview with the Church History Sites Director
Kirtland Temple Fan Fiction Episode 667
Cover Picture By John Hamer at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=221768
 

Richard Bernard is an experienced teacher, speaker, and unabashed technology geek. Because of his dyslexia, Richard has struggled his entire life to find how to manage his time and to study and understand the scriptures. He found the answer in technology and came to see that what he learned is applicable to everyone. He loves technology and has been teaching its use since the mid-’80s.
He and his wife, Amy, served a two-year service mission at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, helping missionaries to study the scriptures effectively.
He is passionate about the Gospel Library and journaling and has been a guest speaker worldwide and a speaker at BYU Education Week and RootsTech. (thebusylatterdaysaint.com)
Richard is a busy grandfather to 34+ grandchildren, from his late and current wives. He has had several careers including a professional musician with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and insurance salesperson, and an ASL teacher.
He is currently serving an indefinite mission in the Priesthood Family Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the responsibility of helping members worldwide to engage in daily scripture study and to use the Gospel Library as a tool to enhance gospel knowledge. You can find out more about Bro. Bernard at thebusylatterdaysiant.com.

* Have suggestions for future guests? Reach out at contact@theculturalhall.com
* You Are Receiving Revelation, Now Act On It! By Loren G. Dalton
* Stimulating More Personal Revelation With the Gospel Library App, interview on Leading Saints podcast
* Join us on Patreon!

He was called in April 2021 to serve an indefinite mission in the Priesthood and Family Department and speaks for ward and stake devotionals, family home evenings, youth conferences, Relief Society and Priesthood firesides, and one-on-one instructions on how to study the scriptures and incorporate the Gospel Library in their daily study. He can be reached at rbernard@churchofJesusChrist.org

 

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* Thousands attend interfaith concert with Tabernacle Choir in Manila
* Church music website received major update
* Teachers can now take attendance in the tools app
* Get your own copy of The Book of Mormon for Gen Z
* BYU Women’s basketball guard Ari Mackey gets baptized
* Steven Kapp Perry’s In Good Faith podcast
* Estimated 20,000 attend CES date events
* Church brings fresh water to Filipino community
* Josh Holt Ep. 421 and 422
* Josh Holt sues Nicolas Madura over alleged trauma
* New prison branch forms in Cape Verde
* Jail branch president Jim Ep. 491
* New group photo of the 12 apostles available
* 7-year-old performs anthem at BYU basketball game
* List: 12 most religious states in America
*

Zachary Wright was born in American Fork, UT. He served his mission speaking Spanish in North Carolina and the Dominican Republic. He currently attends BYU studying psychology, but loves writing, and studying LDS theology and history. His biggest desire is to help other people bring them closer to each other, and ultimately bring people closer to God. He has recently become a part of a new critical thinking podcast on FAIR called Me, My Shelf, & I, with fellow hosts Jennifer Roach and Sarah Allen.
 

* Find Zachary Wright at FAIR
* By Study and Faith: Cognitive Dissonance on YouTube
* Jennifer Roach The Cultural Hall Ep. 520
* Don Bradley The Cultural Hall Ep. 372
* Join us on Patreon!
* Check out F.A.I.R (Faithful Answers, Informed Response)
* Find Me, My Shelf, & I on Apple Podcasts
* Join us on The Back Row!

Michael Austin is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. He is the author of 8 books, including Rereading Job, Buried Treasures, and, most recently, The Testimony of Two Nations: How the Book of Mormon Reads and Rereads the Bible.
Get your copy of The Testimony of Two Nations by Michael Austin
Find more books by Michael Austin at Greg Kofford Books
Find more about BCC (By Common Consent) Press at BCCpress.org
Find more about the Association for Mormon Letters at associationmormonletters.org
Find more about the Mormon History Association at mormonhistoryassociation.org
What is BYU Pathway?
Reynolds vs United States
Join us on Patreon!
Let us know what you think at contact@theculturalhall.com

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christians have always shared a fundamental belief in the connection between personal salvation and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While having faith in and experiencing the atonement of Christ remains a core tenet for Latter-day Saints, some thinkers have in recent decades reconsidered traditional understandings of atonement.
In Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Atonement, Deidre Nicole Green and Eric D. Huntsman edit a collection that brings together multiple and diverse approaches to thinking about Latter-day Saint views on this foundational area of theology. The essayists draw on and go beyond a wide range of perspectives, classical atonement theories, and contemporary reformulations of atonement theory. The first section focuses on scriptural and historical foundations while the second concentrates on theological explorations. Together, the contributors evaluate what is efficacious and ethical in the Latter-day Saint outlook and offer ways to reconceive those views to provide a robust theological response to contemporary criticisms about atonement.
Deidre Nicole Green is Assistant Professor of Latter-day Saint/Mormon Studies at the GTU, where she offers courses on Christian theology and philosophy of religion. Her research focuses on constructive feminist theology and philosophy of religion, drawing on the thought of Søren Kierkegaard to respond to contemporary issues in these disciplines. She is co-editor with Eric D. Huntsman of Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Atonement. Prior to joining the GTU in 2022, Green was a postdoctoral researcher at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University. She has held research fellowships in Copenhagen and Zürich and conducted ethnographic research in Botswana, Rwanda, and South Africa.
Eric D. Huntsman received his BA in Classical Greek and Latin from Brigham Young University and his MA and PhD in Ancient History from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the BYU faculty in 1994 in Classics and Ancient History, and then transferred to Religious Education in 2003, becoming a full professor of Ancient Scripture in 2015. From 2012 to 2012, he served as the coordinator of the Ancient Near Eastern Studies program in the Kenndy Center, and he has been serving as an associate director for academics at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies since 2022. His publications focus on the New Testament Gospels, especially John, and on the Infancy and Passion Narratives (that is, Christmas and Easter!). Eric serves in the Provo Temple and sings with the Tabernacle Choir, and he and his wife Elaine are the parents of two children, Rachel and Samuel.
Get the book.
This page contains affiliate links.
 

Articles of News Below, but First: ANNOUNCING THE CULTURAL HALL BOOK CLUB!
Our first meeting will be via Zoom in April, specific date TBD.
That means you have plenty of time to read the book and get ready!
It also means you have time to do the one required thing to be part of the discussion: BECOME A PATREON SAINT.
Click Here to Purchase At One Ment by Thomas McConkie
ABOUT THE BOOK:
At the heart of the gospel is a radical message of hope: we are capable of unlimited development, of becoming even as Christ is. But what does this path of transformation look like and feel like in practice? For centuries, so much of Christianity has focused on what to believe. Thomas McConkie redirects this conversation to the simple but potent practices we can engage in body, heart, mind and spirit—awakening us to a greater measure of the Sacred right here and now. “At-one-ment” becomes a spiritual reality in which we can all participate, not just a historical event in which a select few believe.
In a clear and elegant sequence, McConkie describes ancient and modern approaches to awakening the mind, purifying the heart and healing the body, as well as common challenges that come up along the way. Whatever the reader’s personal beliefs, this book is intended to complement their worldview and provide practical, actionable steps toward realizing a greater fullness of all that they are meant to become.
Thomas has visited The Hall before! Check him out in Ep 246
 
Click Here to Purchase At One Ment by Thomas McConkie
Now for Articles of News!

* Utah Jazz trades have unintended consequences
* Former BYU runners smash Olympic marathon trials
* Conner Mantz on Instagram
* Clayton Young on Instagram
* Wall Street Journal article on marathon trials for Paris Olympics
* Utah company provides thousands of white shirts for missionaries in Zimbabwe
* DACA recipient who was stuck in Mexico now home in Utah
* Church helps build nursing and midwifery center in Kurdistan
* The Church and World Food Program collaborate in the Caribbean
*

After his long and successful career as a coach and a high school administrator, Mark Hugentobler was “sentenced” to prison by his local school board. He became academy principal within the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, Utah. Arriving at the “Island of Misfit Toys” he soon recognized that his perceptions of the prison system were completely inaccurate. He found a world without hope. He came to realize that the Department of Corrections was not, as most people think, doing all they could to help “correct” inmates. It became clear that the system was dysfunctional and was in fact helping inmates become better criminals rather than helping them become better people. He came to realize that most of those incarcerated there would readily receive help and wanted to change but could only do so by exercising extreme personal effort, overcoming countless obstacles present in the current system.
He soon identified the vast, unexplored opportunities to help inmates: providing hope and purpose through education. He also gained the viewpoint of seeing prison life through an inmate’s eye, realizing the true story of life behind bars. During his eight years “down” he saw enrollment in the prison academy jump from 200 to nearly 1,200 students and enacted, firsthand, a model of the change that is possible in a broken system. If only someone would listen.
All My Friends are Felons: Finding Hope For the Utah Department of Corrections
All My Friends are Felons podcast
Portia Lowder Episode 564
Travis Richey Episode 570
Join us on Patreon!
 
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George Handley is a professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities at Brigham Young University.  His training is in Comparative Literature, focusing on the literatures of the Americas. His publications include two books on inter-american themes: “Postslavery Literatures in the Americas” (Virginia 2000), which is a study of the representation of slavery and family history in novels from the U.S. and the Caribbean, and “New World Poetics: Nature and the Adamic Imagination of Whitman, Neruda and Walcott” (Georgia, 2007), which is a critique of the imagination of nature in inter-american poetry.  (hum.byu.edu)
In George’s most recent book, Lowell L. Bennion: A Mormon Educator, he examines Bennion’s work against the background of a changing institution that once welcomed his common-sense articulation of LDS ideas and values but became discomfited by how his thought cast doubt on the Church’s beliefs about race and other issues. (press.uillinois.edu) Handley and his wife, Amy, have four children and live in Provo.

* Email us and let us know your thoughts at contact@theculturalhall.com
* University of Illinois Press ‘Introduction to Mormon Thought’ series
* Visit the Bennion Center for Community Engagement
* Become a Patreon Saint!
* Emily Belle Freeman Ep. 167
* Living Faith Book Series from the Neal A. Maxwell Insitute for Gospel Scholarship
* Learning to Like Life: A Tribute to Lowell Bennion by George Handley
* Lowell L. Bennion: A Mormon Educator by George Handley

Buy Lowell L. Bennion: Mormon Educator
*This page may contain Amazon affiliate links.

 

* Associated Press story about Elder Kearon
* Deseret News story about Elder Kearon
* Victor Wembanyama’s favorite author is Brandon Sanderson
* 5 BYU women’s soccer players selected in NWSL draft
* Ken Niumatalolo named head coach at San Jose
* What Is “Meet the Mormons?”
* “Thumb Follow Me” on YouTube
* Why Jack Barlow’s mission was delayed
* Davis Archuleta lands memoir deal with Dey Street Books
* David Archuleta Ep. 467
* Kristin Stewart thinks Twilight is “such a gay movie”
* How football and faith have come together for Michigan lineman
* Vacant (maybe) haunted (maybe?) Orem home burned down
* Elder Renlund visits Cambodia, announces donation for heart hospital
* Local RS group leaves winter clothing in Central Park
* Virtual FSY sessions available for youth in US and Canada
* Video: Truth and Distortion: The Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt Story
* Former Church lead...

Darren Parry is the Chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the American West Heritage Center, the Utah State Museum board, and he serves on the Advisory Board of the Huntsman Cancer Institute.  He teaches Native American History at Utah State University.
Darren is working to create the Boa Ogoi [Big River] Cultural Interpretive Center, an educational center that will share the story of the Bear River Massacre.
2 On January 29, 1863, the U.S. Army attacked the Shoshone encamped at the Bear River, near present-day Preston, Idaho, and slaughtered 250 to 500 Shoshone people, including women and children. Public reports of this massacre were officially given by the U.S. Army and by Latter-day Saint settlers, but the Shoshone survivors also kept a history. (byustudies.byu..edu)
Darren is the author of The Bear River Massacre: A Shoshone History, available in paperback and on kindle.
If you would like to reach out to Bro. Parry, you can email him at darren.parry@utah.edu.
Darren Parry Episode 324
Watch the digital recording of the 2023 Pioneer Day Concert
Volunteers plant 8.500 trees at Bear River Massacre site
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Donate to help build an interpretive center at wudaogwa.org
Join us on Patreon!
 
*This page may contain Amazon affiliate links.

 

* Top Whatever of 2023 Ep. 755
* Leave us a review! (Do it on Apple here.)
* Community of Christ calls first-ever female prophet-president
* Utah Area Genesis Group
* YM General Presidency launches new social media channels (Thanks, Pres. Freeman!)
* New leadership in the Presidency of the Seventy
* Musicians invited to submit covers for “Come, Follow Me” song of the week
* Listen to Songs of Devotion
* New managing director for Church communication
* The Sherinians Ep. 68
* A Reddit rabbit hole about Aaron Sherinian and pronouns
* West End Collegiate Church housing Church congregation for 3 years
* West End becoming a multi-faith, multi-use center
* You won’t believe the Tabernacle Choir’s most popular song!!!!
* Has Mormon Church LOST Utah???
* Relief Society birthday devotional March 17
* Watch the Worldwide Relief Society Devotional
* Utah brewery discontinues beer after trademark complaint
* Church implements maternal and newborn care project in Sierra Leone

In his new book, Mike seeks out the gospel principles to be found in cinema. There are topics and quotes from sci-fi, romance, thrillers, the classics, action films, westerns, and more. Although a compilation of wonderful quotes is certainly enjoyable and entertaining, it’s the thoughtful commentary tying it all together with gospel insights that completes the book’s purpose.
Mike Winder is the author of 14 published books and holds an Honors BA in History and an MBA from the University of Utah. Active in public affairs, Mike served four years as a West Valley City Councilman, four years as West Valley City Mayor, and six years as a legislator in the Utah House of Representatives. Today, Mike Winder is city manager of Millcreek, Utah, and involved with the boards of both Friends of Traditional Banking and St. Mark’s Hospital.
Mike and his sweetheart Karyn just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They are the proud parents of four: Jessica (married to Cory Lee), Michael, John, and Grace—the latter whom helped her dad as the research assistant for this book.
Grace Winder is a high honor roll student at Granger High School taking AP and Concurrent Enrollment classes. Co-captain of the Granger Swim Team, she is also on the Varsity Track Team and a member of West Valley City’s Youth City Council. Grace’s hobbies include piano playing, singing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She also takes care of her two bunnies, Daisy and Stormy, whom she loves dearly.

* Hidden in Hollywood: The Gospel Found in 1001 Movie Quotes
* Mike Winder Episode 43
* Join us on Patreon!
* Follow Grace Winder on Instagram

*This page may contain Amazon affiliate links.

Joseph M. Spencer is a philosopher and an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. He is the author of seven books and dozens of articles and book chapters. He has served as the editor of The Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, the associate director of The Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar, and a vice president of The Book of Mormon Studies Association. He edits, with Matthew Bowman, the book series Introductions to Mormon Thought.” He, his wife Karen, and their five children live in Provo, Utah.
Check out Joseph M. Spencer’s Amazon author page.
A Word in Season: Isaiah’s Reception in the Book of Mormon

Other Titles and Topics in This Episode:
An Other Approach to Isaiah Studies by Joshua Sears
The Annotated Book of Mormon by Grant Hardy
 
The Isaiah Problem in the Book of Mormon by Sidney Sperry (PAPER)
What is a patriarchal blessing? (CHURCH ESSAY)
 
Listen to Joseph M. Spencer’s other appearance in The Hall:
EPISODE 531 with Matthew Bowman and Joseph Spencer
Let us know your thoughts on this or any episode!
Join us on Patreon!
 
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Emylee McIntyre is a mother, member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, podcaster, and life coach. For many years, Emylee has dealt with depression.   Medication and the tools she has learned have helped her find joy and overcome many challenges.  She now uses these tools to help coach others in finding joy in their lives, specializing in depression coaching for moms. (limitlessfemalecoaching.com)
Find out more about Emylee at limitlessfemale.com, and check out her podcast, Limitless Female.

* Jody Moore Episode 558
* Jody Moore Coaching
* Patrick Q. Mason Episode 468
* Join us on Patreon!
* Let us know if you love this episode, or any episode!

Richie T talked to fellow hosts as well as several Patreon Saints about the top stories of 2023.(Become a Patreon Saint here.)
Robert Mortensen

* How to find your 3rd cousin once removed at the grocery store
* Nate Eaton Ep. 738, 697, and 416
* East Idaho News coverage of Lori and Chad Daybell case
* Kenneth Rooks advances to steeplechase world championship finals
* How did Bro. Rooks do at the finals?
* Sarah Jane Weaver interview with Kenneth Rooks
* Church announces uniform standard for ward and stake boundaries

Aaron Ryan

* How the SEC believes the Church has billions of dollars
* Church’s statement on SEC scandal
* Church introduces background checks for leaders in the UK
* Push to require clergy to report abuse stalls in Utah

Meghan the Mitch

* Ruby Franke arrested for child abuse
* Ruby Franke to testify against Jodi Hildebrandt
* What Ashley Hatch learns from not being included in World Cup roster
* Ashley Hatch named 2021 Golden Boot winner
* In Memoriam:

*

Jane Saavedra lives in Elko, Nevada with her husband and three children.  One of her sons is, in Jane’s words (which is a great term), medically complicated. He was born with Crouzon Syndrome, which is a genetic syndrome where the seams of the skull fuse abnormally (chop.edu)
Jane’s sister Kim recommended Richie talk with Jane, as she is a wonderful example of perserverance, kindness, and acceptance the differences in others.
Richie and Jane discuss the need for kindness, acceptance, discussing with children in primary and at home the need for openly discussing differences and welcoming others.
What is Crouzon Syndrome?

Ross Palfreyman is an author, a natural storyteller, and a former attorney who has taken a lifetime of faith and biblical study and turned it toward an important and timely reflection on the role of service and joy in our lives. In his book, Joy in the Brambles, Ross shows us how to navigate the dense thickets of choices we are faced with day to day. He gives us a compass that points us toward joy as our sacred connection to God and shows us that joy consists in service and an orientation toward others.
LINKS:
Website: http://Lebsockventures.com
Facebook: Ross H Palfreyman
Instagram: Instagram (@rhpalfreyman)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-palfreyman-192b469/
*This page may contain Amazon affiliate links.

Articles of News 12.6.2023 Russ 

Let us know if you want to sponsor previous episodes! 
Join us on Patreon! 
No-cost Church magazines now available in the Pacific area 
Check out the picture of Prosper’s new football stadium 
McKinney Texas Temple site announced 
BYU football service opportunities showcased 
Kevin Franke, husband of Ruby Franke, files for divorce 
Light the World Giving Machines light up Times Square 
Prager U asked who a modern-day prophet was; Saints responded 
McKay Coppins Ep. 384 & Ep. 749

“Romney: A Reckoning” by McKay Coppins 
5-year old raped in Arizona 
AP News: Recordings show how Church protects itself from child sex abuse 
After fire destroys Salvation Army unit, Church steps in to help 
Church provides Chicago residents with warm clothes 
Apostate Cigars draws from symbols and stories from the Book of Mormon 

Pastor Jeff
Jeff McCullough is an Evangelical pastor who has spent the last year learning everything there is to know about Latter-day Saints and the Church. (Sarah Griffin, LDS Living)
Pastor Jeff created a YouTube channel to chronicle his journal called Hello Saints.  On his YouTube page, Jeff says that his channel is devoted to fighting criticism with curiosity as he invites dialogue between Christians and Mormons.  Are Mormons Christians? What do Christians and Latter-day Saints agree and disagree about? (YouTube.com/hellosaints)
Pastor Jeff released his first video in March of 2022. To his surprise (but not his wife’s) his videos now receive hundreds of thousands of views. To continue his journey, Jeff and his family have moved to Utah, and feels that his work is far from done. “Until and unless I feel that more people are getting in the game to maintain this space and to build bridges, I want to remain here. . . . I really feel that the ability to courageously and patiently stand in tension is so critical for truly meaningful relationships and a pursuit of truth,” Jeff says. “I think that’s where God works.” (LDS Living)
Check out Kurt Francom on Leading Saints
Check out Kurt Francom on This Week in Mormons
Join us on Patreon!
Let us know your thoughts on this or any episode at contact@theculturalhall.com
 
 

Leah Sottile is the author of When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell and a Story of Murder, Faith and End Times. As a freelance journalist, her features, profiles, investigations and
essays have been published by the Washington Post, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Outside, The Atlantic and High Country News.
She is the host of the podcasts Burn Wild and Two Minutes Past Nine, produced with the BBC, and the National Magazine Award-nominated series Bundyville.
Sottile’s National Magazine Award-nominated Bundyville podcast is paired with a textual longform journalism version at Longreads.com and was produced in collaboration with Longread and Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Both the podcast and textual version of Bundyville investigate conflicts over public lands in the American West, federal jursidiction over them, the Bundy ranching family’s involvement in a 2014 armed standoff with federal officials in Nevada and the 2016 armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, and the myriad cast of associated characters in the world of patriot, milita, anti-government, religious, and state-seperatist movements.
Leah got her start the music editor for the Spokane Washington alt-weekly newspaper The Inlander, where she won the 2011-2012 Mental Health Reporting award. (Leah Sottile – Wikipedia)  She has since had her investigations and essays have been featured by the Washington Post, The New York Times Magazine, Playboy, Outside, The Atlantic, Vice and several others. She is currently the T. Anthony Pollner Distinguished Professor at the University of Montana School of Journalism. (reddcenter.byu.edu)
Sign up for Leah Sottile’s newsletter at Leah Sottile.com
Ammon Bundy Ep. 137 pt. 1
Ammon Bundy Ep. 137 pt. 2
Church statement on “The White Horse Prophecy”
Join us on Patreon!
LDS Avow—Another Voice of Warning website
“Every week in church, I’m going, can I come out?” by Leah Sottile
 
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Opening Exercises

* Email us!
* Discussion connecting Elder Ballard and Tim Ballard
* Latter-day Saint Chapels Around the World Daily Facebook page
* Church denounces Tim Ballard’s “morally unacceptable” activities
* John Buck Ep. 83
* Join us on Patreon!
* Episode For The Lifers Ep.737
* Hidden True Crime on YouTube

Lighter News

* Missionaries help fight childhood hunger during Thanksgiving service project
* “The Mansion” by Henry Van Dyke
* The First Presidency’s 2023 Christmas message
* What can you do at Temple Square while it’s under construction?
* Tabernacle Choir Tabernacle Choir 2023 Christmas Concert
* Tabernacle Choir 2022 Christmas Concert available for purchase
* Bells at Temple Square holiday concert cancelled
* Music & the Spoken Word schedule
* Keith McMullin to retire as head of Deseret Management Corp.
* 2023 Light the World initiative invites all to Let Your Light Shine (in)
* Contribute to the daily conversation about Light the World on Facebook
* Passing of Pres. Ballard ends 6th longest leadership tenure in church history
* Jeffrey R. Holland called as new acting president of the quorum of the 12 apostles

Darin Scott is an American actor, writer, and director of English, Scottish, and German decent, born in the small town of Vernal, Utah. Most of his childhood and adolescence (12 years) was spent in Vancouver, Washington. A month before Scott’s seventeenth birthday, his father died of a heart attack. As the youngest and last of five children in the home, Scott became the man of the house.
PrePurchase Tickets to The Oath
The school stage is where Scott’s passion for acting began but he was also very into sports. After playing college football at Brigham Young University-Idaho, Scott finished his BA at the University of Utah. His football days led to his first acting role in the Disney film “Going To The Mat,” working with Khleo Thomas as the football jock, “Yardley”. The following year, Scott booked another role in Disney’s “Halloweentown High,” where he worked with Academy Award Nominated, Debbie Reynolds, as well as Teen Choice Nominated, Lucas Grabeel. Scott read for the role of Wylie in Disney’s “Buffalo Dreams” and had the director all but convinced until he was asked his age (being 25 at the time). Though Scott is typically cast in younger roles, in this case, the director took Scott’s age a bit too literally. Scott took a few roles in independent films and then landed a lead role in Discovery Channel’s “I Shouldn’t Be Alive.”
In spite of his brewing film success, with a young family, Scott relocated to California to pursue a law degree. Shortly after moving, he booked a role in “127 Hours” where he worked with Golden Globe Winner (and Academy Award Nominated), James Franco. Although the role turned out to be smaller than anticipated, as the entire wedding scene was cut from the final edit, it did steer Scott from law school. He withdrew after one semester to attend Playhouse West Acting School in North Hollywood. While studying there, he booked roles in a number of films, including the title role of the mountain man scout Ephraim Hanks in “Ephraim’s Rescue,” where he showed his ability to carry a film. Later, Scott was also direct-cast as a younger character version of Emmy-Nominated, John Heard, in “Counting For Thunder.” Not letting his law background go to waste, Scott followed by landing a supporting role as the lead Defense Attorney in “Just Let Go,” where he worked opposite Emmy-Nominated Henry Ian Cusick and Sam Sorbo (Jenkins). Scott continued his success working opposite Teen Choice Winner, Josh Lucas, in Kevin Costner’s acclaimed, Emmy-Nominated and Golden Globe winning series, “Yellowstone”.
Scott is also the writer and director of over 30 commercials and short films, including the third all-time highest crowdfunded short film on Kickstarter in 2017, “Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty.” In late 2021, Scott made his feature directorial debut, writing, directing, and starring in “The Oath,” based on his award-winning short film, “Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty,” also starring Billy Zane, Karina Lombard, and Eugene Brave Rock. “The Oath” is set to release in theaters in 2023.
Let us know what you think about this or any episode!
Check out The Oath’s Kickstarterlaunch video
Join us on Patreon!
Check out the trailer for The Oath at oathmovie.com

Stephen LeSueur is a former journalist, author and historian.  His book “The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri” won the John Whitmer Historical Association award for best book in 1987.
Stephen worked for over five years as the editor of “Washington Technology,” and is a former journalist for “Deseret News,” covering national security issues and the defense industry. (SteveLesueurl.com)
Stephen ‘s latest book “Life and Death on the Mormon Frontier: The Murders of Frank LeSueur and Gus Gibbons by the Wild Bunch” is now available.
“The Wild Bunch was the largest and most notorious band of outlaws in the American West. Led by two gunmen better known by their aliases, Butch Cassidy (Robert LeRoy Parker) and Kid Curry (Harvey Logan), the Wild Bunch was an informal trust of thieves and rustlers that preyed upon stagecoaches, small banks, and especially railroads from the late 1880s to the first decade of the twentieth century.”(Metmuseum.org, author unknown)
Join us on Patreon!
Find more about your family history at FamilySearch.org

Gerrit Dirkmaat is an associate professor of Church History and doctrine at Brigham Young University. He has worked as a writer and historian for the church history department, working on the Joseph Smith Papers. In addition to his work for BYU and on various journals and academic boards, Gerrit hosts a church history podcast called “Standard of Truth,”
Click here to read “The Standard of Truth” quote by Joseph Smith.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube or become a Patreon Saint to watch it on Facebook.
Click here to read the Church of Jesus Christ’s statement regarding the Joseph Smith daguerreotype.
Gerrit Dirkmaat and Michael Hubbard McKay authored “From Darkness Unto Light: Joseph Smith’s Transalation and Publication of the Book of Mormon”.
Gerrit is well versed in The Council of Fifty; minutes from these meetings are included in The Joseph Smith Papers.
Volume I of The Brigham Young Journals is now available.
Check out “A Bunch of Richards” Episode 733
Read all about the Joseph Smith Papers at JosephSmithPapers.org
 

Dustin Grabau serves Wasatch County as the County Manager. After graduating from BYU with a master’s in public administration, Dustin was employed by Provo City. After completing a six-year tenure there ending as the Budget Officer, he joined Wasatch County in 2019 as the Assistant County Manager. After serving as the Interim County Manager for six months, he was appointed the County Manager in January 2022. Dustin and his wife are from Houston, Texas, and now reside in Heber City with their five children.

Dustin’s email is DGrabau@wasatch.utah.gov.

Temple Ticker

Temple Dedications

McAllen Texas Temple– #183

Dieter Uchdorf 

Visited the Border Wall; called it a symbol of division 

The wall “is a sign of individual problems and challenges, but here at the temple you are in a place of peace,” “The Spirit and your love for one another have no borders.”
“in a world with a lot of walls, we need to continue to build bridges.”
“The spreading of the restored gospel did not stop at political or social boundaries; it expanded on both sides of the Rio Grande.”


5 Stakes in Texas 

4 Stakes on the Mexican Side are not assigned to the temple 






Feather River California Temple – #184

Ulisses Soares

Received a letter from a man in Yuba City informing him of the portuguese community in the area
Paid tribute to the Tumber family who sold his peach orchard.
Celebration of religious diversity in the city, little opposition to the temple.


7 Stakes from Redding to Lincoln




Temple Groundbreakings 

Modesto California Temple

Gary B. Sabin:

paid tribute to John Davis, a widower with three children, who arrived in Modesto in the winter of 1905; he and his posterity formed the foundation of the Church in the area


Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen:

“Please come often to the temple grounds and feel the peaceful surroundings”


Same week that 2 wards were consolidated in Modesto




Temple Site Announced 

Budapest Hungary Temple

Announced in April 2019
Site located in a modern housing development in Northern Buda.
Single Story Temple of 18,000 sq. ft with an arrival center and patron housing
The president of Hungary, Katalin Novák, came to Salt Lake City and met with the First Presidency on September 26th. 

Temple was discussed


Missionaries first came to Hungary in 1885, left after WWI, and later returned in 1988.

5,200 members in 20 congregations, 1 stake, 2 districts in Hungary 






Construction Approvals 

Taylorsville Utah Temple 

New Traffic pattern on 4700 South 

Traffic signal at Chentelle drive will be removed 
Replaced with a raised median that will restrict left turns 
Sable Circle will be opened up at 2700 West for vehicle access
New roundabout at Chentelle & Sable, in front of temple




Cody Wyoming Temple

Will opposition fade and property values rise?

Example of Billings




Heber Valley Utah Temple

Part 1 – Richard Ostler
The “Good Ship Zion” represents The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all the good it can bring into our lives. But not everyone feels welcome and secure in the boat.
Instead of putting the responsibility on others to get comfortable – or to figuratively stop rocking the boat – we can all work in our circles of influence to improve the Good Ship Zion for everyone, as we journey together to the safe harbor of God’s presence. “It’s just a really big boat.”
This book addresses:

* Loving members who are “foyer sitters”
* Is it okay to turn down a calling?
* Ministering to those with church-generated pain or trauma
* How should we treat those who leave the Church?
* Supporting members dealing with death
* Better support for single Latter-day Saints
* Supporting couples in their decisions about children.

Through the power of storytelling, former YSA bishop Richard Ostler invites all of us to listen, learn, and love so we can do our part to make the Church more welcoming. This book – which is supportive of the Church, its leaders, and doctrine – is an extension of Ostler’s enormously popular podcast Listen, Learn & Love, and his previous two books. Visit his website.
Part  2 – Richard Turley
Turley has written more than 20 books, including Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hoffman Case and Vengeance is Mine: The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its Aftermath.
“The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has commissioned former Assistant Church Historian and Recorder Richard E. Turley Jr. to write a new biography of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The book will be called “Joseph the Prophet.”
President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency made the announcement at the end of his keynote remarks at the seventh annual Joseph Smith Papers conference in the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City on Friday, September 15, 2023.
“With the completion of the Joseph Smith Papers [in June 2023], a firm foundation has been laid on which additional works can be solidly built,” President Oaks said.
The new biography will take years to complete. Teams aiding on the project include Church History Department scholars, including many who worked on the Joseph Smith Papers volumes and who collectively have already devoted decades of study to the Prophet. Staff and volunteers of the Family History Department are also contributing their skills in local research and building databases to help answer important questions. Professors from BYU have joined seasoned legal scholars and interns from the J. Reuben Clark Law School to study the legal papers of Joseph Smith and his family.
The biography will rely on the research of these and other scholars, who are expected to generate a number of publications with detailed findings on which the biography can then rely. The biography itself will be written as a narrative for a general audience and is expected to garner a wide readership.
He has served as the managing director of the Church Historical Department (as it was then called) when the Joseph Smith Papers were launched in June 2001 and served as chair of the project’s editorial board, as well as a volume editor. He was managing director of the Family History Department when FamilySearch was launched and later served as managing director of the Church’s Public Affairs and Communication Departments.” (Church Newsroom)
Part 3 Richard Bushman
Renowned historian Richard Lyman Bushman presents a vibrant history of the objects that gave birth t...

 

335 Total Temples
153 Announced by Nelson (46%)
Savai’i, Samoa

2nd in Samoa (one in American Samoa)
Separate Island from the Apia Temple
6 Stakes
Prime Minister Visited with First Presidency on Thursday 


Cancún, Mexico

24th in Mexico (2nd on Yucatan Peninsula)
Closest to the Merida Yucatan Temple
Newish city in Quintana Roo that has grown to 1 million 
6 Stakes


Piura, Peru

8th in Peru 
Far Northwestern Peru near Ecuador 
6 Stakes, one district 


Huancayo, Peru

9th in Peru
Central Peru in the Highlands north of Lima 
Means “place of the rock” in the Quechua language
8-10 Stakes, one district


Viña del Mar, Chile

5th in Chile 
Central coast of Chile 
Valparaíso/Viña Metro area was previously the metro area with the most stakes without a temple.
Apostle Parley P Pratt resided in the area in 1851-1852

His Son, Omer Pratt is buried in Valparaiso 
Returned without converts and without learning much Spanish.
Missionaries didn’t return for 100 years.


12 stakes, 3 districts


Goiânia, Brazil

21st in Brazil
Capital of the State of Goiás (3 Hours from Brasilia)
5-8 stakes, 2 districts 


João Pessoa, Brazil

22nd in Brazil
Northeastern Coastal Brazil 
7 stakes, 2 districts


Cape Coast, Ghana

3rd in Ghana 
Southwest coast of Ghana (historic sites)
7 stakes, 3 districts


Calabar, Nigeria

5th in Nigeria 
Not too far from Eket or Aba, but separated by the Cross River
4 stakes, 1 district 


Luanda, Angola

First in Angola
Portuguese speaking country in Southwest Africa  
First mission organized in 2013
1 stake (2018), one district 


Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

4th temple in the DRC (25 in Africa)
In the Kasai Region, relatively close to the recently announced temple in Kananga
6 stakes


Laoag, Philippines

13th in Philippines 
Northwest coast of Luzon 
4 stakes, 2 districts 


Osaka, Japan

5th in Japan
2nd on Honshu 
7 stakes, 2 districts 


Kahului, Hawaii (Maui)

3rd in Hawaii
Church was first established in Maui

George Q Cannon and first missionaries arrived in 1850
First chapel inPulehu
Home to

Gaylamarie G. Rosenberg is an adjunct professor in the Department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University. She earned BS and MS degrees in education and family sciences/family life education and human development from BYU. She has been teaching classes on relationships and religion since 1991 and currently teaches the Eternal Family course. Gaylamarie and her husband, John, are the parents of two daughters. Currently serves as Relief Society president in her ward in Lindon.
She’s the author of Our Savior from Self-Doubt.

 

* What is Stage 2 Kidney Disease?
* It’s not too late to send Richie a ‘September’ JibJab
* Let us know your thoughts!
* Shane Reese, new BYU president, inaugurated
* Updated BYU honor code
* Ruby Franke, mommy blogger, arrested for abuse/neglect
* More on Jodi Hildebrand, Ruby Franke’s business partner
* Tim Ballard sexual misconduct allegations
* Tim Ballard calls allegations ‘baseless’
* Judge denies bail for Exitus founder
* ‘Sound of Freedom’ producer accused of groping underage victim
* Tim Ballard considers run for Senate seat
* Dave Rose to be inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame
* BYU Women’s Soccer ranked #1 in the nation
* BYU football beats Arkansas
* BYU loses to Kansas
* Puka Nacua taking NFL by storm


Temple Open House Begins

Okinawa Japan Temple

Open for tours until October 7th
Temple Design and Church in Okinawa History fact sheet
After WWII, US servicemen arrived in Okinawa (Such as  Neal Maxwell & Boyd Packer.) 
One Japanese Stake and one English district on the Ryukyu islands. 

“There are nearly 2,000 Japanese and American members who worship at various churches throughout Okinawa each Sunday”
It is fitting that we have members of both the American and Japanese communities here today. Church members in Okinawa have served side by side for over seventy years.


Arches and windows are inspired after Shurijo Castle, Nakagusuku Castle, and Sogenji Temple.

Connor Boyack has won awards, spoken on a lot of stages, and many people have said nice things about me, but he takes the most pride in the impact his work has on others: the child who learns how the world really works through our Tuttle Twins books; the elderly woman whose medicine is no longer banned; the ex-convict whose life is no longer ruined by the government for years after release; or the hustling teenager who launches their entrepreneurial venture.
He’s addicted to changing the world for the better, one life at a time. He says he does so primarily through the non-profit he founded, Libertas Institute, which he describes as “one of the country’s most impactful think tanks that helps reform policies in my home state and across the nation.”
Grab his book How Not to Suck at Life: 89 Tips for Teens and his series about the Tuttle Twins.
*This page contains Amazon affiliate links.

Shaun Barrowes was a Top 30 Contestant on American Idol, Season 7, received an Emmy Nomination for his song, “Army of Kings,” and has performed with Janelle Monae, Imagine Dragons, Lindsey Stirling and many others.  He recently worked with Jackie Chan when he wrote the theme song for Jackie’s USA Green Heroes tour.  His original song released in 2019, “Being Awesome,” has received over 380 Million views on YouTube.  
Shaun Barrowes’ ludicray journey began when he launched his debut album, Big Bang Theory, a bombastic, jazz-fusion album.  After years of rejection in Los Angeles, commonly known as “paying your dues,” Shaun Barrowes found new purpose with his music when he wrote the love ballad, “When I Take Your Hand.”  This became the anthem for many weddings across the nation as brides flew Shaun to their weddings to perform for their first dance.  
​This kickstarted a new phase in Shaun’s career, as he hit the pavement and toured the USA.  His small but growing audience encouraged him to audition for American Idol, a brand new TV show at the time.  It took seven seasons before Shaun Barrowes was finally convinced.  He auditioned and made it to the Top 30 before being cut and seeing his Idol journey come to an end.  But this validation from the three original judges only stoked the fire, as Shaun immediately returned to the road with new opportunities.  
​He went on to write the theme song for Epic Games’ Shadow Complex, one of the games they released before their famed Fortnite.  He then won the Slice the Pie songwriting contest for his original song “I Still Loved You.” During his touring, he had the privilege of performing with Janelle Monae, Brian McKnight, Lindsey Stirling, Imagine Dragons, the Doobie Brothers, and many others. 
​His Live for Music Tour in the 2010s brought his music to hundreds of high schools across the US and Italy, as tens of thousands of choir and band kids performed his songs.  He was the featured guest performer at Drum Corps International in Indianapolis, and again for Bands of America and the Fame Show Choir National Championship.     
​In 2018, he produced the Reel Sessions series that eventually took him and a dozen artists to London to record at the world-famous Abbey Road studios.
Shaun worked with Jackie Chan in 2019, writing the theme song for his Green Heroes US tour, and then with the Ninja Kidz, writing and producing their theme song, Being Awesome.    
​For four years, 2018-2022, Shaun Barrowes has been hard at work writing his very first novel, a young adult fantasy series, The Paradise Planets.  A musical series with a 9-song album and a graphic audiobook featuring 25+ voice actors, this proves to be the most ambitious project of Barrowes’ career.  
Learn more about his book series, which has a soundtrack, at Paradise Planets.
The audio is worth getting, or you’ll miss half the point! Get the audio version of the first book in his series The Fallen from Paradise.
 
*This post includes affiliate links.

 

* Where to get your online marriage license
* Let Richie T. know your thoughts on marriage
* Brother Kyle’s YouTube channel
* Corporals Corner on YouTube
* Four new area authorities called in Africa
* How many temples are in Africa?
* Church builds new bridge in DR Congo
* Pat Stuart’s opinion piece on Cody Wyoming Temple
* Tabernacle Choir releases new single
* Taylor Frankie Paul pleads guilty
* Former scout leader now facing rape charges in Pennsylvania
* Former youth leader, Tim Ballard supporter, sentenced for possessing child pornography
* Manase Fainu appeals stabbing conviction
* Members mark 100 year anniversary of first Hispanic congregation in Salt Lake Valley
* Church donates $10 million to UNICEF to help mothers and children
* Donny Osmond’s son revealed in ‘Claim to Fame’ finale
* Donny Osmond speaks on ‘Claim to Fame’
* Don’t say ‘Mission Trips’!!!
* BYU joins Big 12

He didn’t know that this episode was going to be all about him.
 
I didn’t know what we would talk about it.
 
We were both VERY surprised.

Ryan Ward is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Otago. He teaches classes on drugs, addiction, behavior, and policy and research methods. He conducts research on the neurobiological basis of learning and motivations for drug use. He lives with his wife and five children in New Zealand.
He’s the author of And There Was No Poor Among Them: Liberation, Salvation, and the Meaning of the Restoration.
 
*This page includes an Amazon affiliate link.

The Bible and the Latter-day Saint Tradition takes a comprehensive and inclusive approach to understanding Bible scholarship’s role in Mormon history, exploring these differences for both scholars and students. A diverse group of contributors presents an accessible resource to mediate between Latter-day Saint traditions and the broader context of biblical history, literature, and scholarship.
Each essay provides a synopsis of relevant major scholarly views and delivers new insights into varied crosscurrents of biblical studies.
The book is edited by G. Petrey, Cory Crawford, and Eric A. Eliason.
Check out The Bible and the Latter-day Saint Tradition.
 
*Amazon affiliate link above.

Christine Blythe is the executive director of the Mormon History Association. She was previously the William A. Wilson Folklore Archives Specialist at Brigham Young University and a scholar of vernacular religion and belief. Christine is currently co-president of the Folklore Society of Utah.
Christopher James Blythe is assistant professor in English at Brigham Young University. He is the author of Terrible Revolution: Latter-day Saints and the American Apocalypse (Oxford University Press, 2020) and was co-editor of the Journal of Mormon History.
Jay A. Burton is an archivist and Church history specialist in the Church History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is a founding editor of the Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies.
1) Where did the idea for this project come from, how did the book come about, and
what’s next from here?
2) What do you guys mean by “scriptures of the Latter Day Saint tradition”?
3) In the book, you talk about the Joseph Smith Canon. What do you mean by that, and
how does it differ from other canons?
4) The foreword by Philip Barlow is a great endorsement for the project. Can you tell us
about how that came about?
5) Why would a Latter-day Saint want to read a book on non-LDS scripture?
6) Christine co-wrote a chapter on the Lectures of Faith. For those who don’t know,
can you tell us about the lectures and then tell us why did the LDS and RLDS churches
get rid of them?
7) Jay’s chapter is on the revelations of Sidney Rigdon. One of the interesting things
you introduce is that Phebe Rigdon helped with these revelations. Can you tell us more
about that?
Purchase Open Cannon here.
 
*This page may include Amazon affiliate links.
 

Tammy Hill is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and ASSECT Member. She’s a professor for the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University, where she teaches courses on Marriage Preparation, Marriage Enhancement and Healthy Sexuality in Marriage.
She hosts the Live Your Why Podcast on Apple and Spotify.
She’s written a children’s book called God Made Girls and Boys.
Visit her website and follow her on Instagram.
 
*This page may include Amazon affiliate links.

Jill Farnsworth Geigle is a passionate advocate for and defender of children. Her motivation to fight child sexual exploitation is her own 8 wonderful children. In 2008, Jill and her husband, founded the Arizona Family Council with a mission to protect children against pornography through education and legislation.
After receiving her M.Ed. from Columbia International University, she began developing curriculums to help parents and educators build pornography resistance in children. She travels locally, nationally, and internationally speaking with parents about child sexual exploitation. These experiences inform her as she creates parent and teacher friendly curriculums.
She worked with Defend Young Minds to develop a curriculum for elementary age children called Brain Defense, which is used in homes and schools around the country. Her book, Prepare Your Child- Pornography Resistance, will be released in April of 2023.
Currently, Jill is the Director of Parent and Child Advocacy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, working to develop the tools and support needed to prepare children to be resistant to sexual exploitation.
Visit her website.
Get your copy of her book, Prepare Your Child.
 
*This page may contain Amazon affiliate links.

Jeff Stewart is a healthcare consultant, inventor, award-winning playwright, and father of seven. He was the Jeopardy! College Champion when he was a student at BYU and was runner-up in the Tournament of Champions.

His book Living: Inspiration from a Father with Cancer begins “This morning I tried to donate my kidney. This afternoon the transplant team told me I can’t. I have cancer.”
 
“Beautifully written and powerful. Frank and funny and totally honest and much needed in the cancer conversation.” –Marc Silver,  author of Breast Cancer Husband
 
In Living, Stewart shows us the cancer journey through the eyes of a scientist and father. He captures He faces his possible mortality in ways that help anyone affected by cancer. Along the way, he shares the life lessons he has prepared for his own children in case he’s not there to tell them himself.

Get your copy ofLiving: Inspiration from a Father with Cancer.

*This page may include Amazon associate links.

In this episode, Richie chats with the authors of She Did: Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Faith, by Bekki Hood and Emily Cushing.
Bekki Hood grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, until she moved to Arizona for her education. She earned a master’s degree in English at Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Idaho State University. She currently works as a counselor in Layton, Utah, and she teaches introductory writing courses at BYU.
Emily Cushing was raised in South Jordan, Utah, and met her husband in their middle school math class. Her love of learning led her to become a teacher. She earned a master’s degree in teaching and learning at Brigham Young University and has taught, among other places, in Tonga and Myrtle Beach. She currently teaches in the Education Department at Utah Valley University. She enjoys reading, running, traveling, living in foreign places, and, above all, spending time with her family.
Check out their Instagram.
And get their book, She Did.
 
*This page may contain Amazon affiliate links.

Richie chats with Richard Turley and Barbara Jones Brown, historians and the authors of Vengeance Is Mine: The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its Aftermath.
About the Authors:
Richard E. Turley Jr. was a long-time historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a co-author of Massacre at Mountain Meadows. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Historical Association’s Herbert Feis Award and the Historic Preservation Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Turley also represented relatives of the Mountain Meadows Massacre victims in their successful petition of the federal government to grant National Historic Landmark status for the atrocity site.

Barbara Jones Brown is the director of Signature Books Publishing and former executive director of the Mormon History Association. She also provided content editing for Massacre at Mountain Meadows. She holds an M.A. in American history from the University of Utah and a B.A. in journalism and English from Brigham Young University. While researching her genealogy after beginning work on Vengeance Is Mine, Brown discovered that, like the earlier Mountain Meadows Massacre historian, Juanita Brooks, she is a direct descendant of one of its perpetrators.


About the Book:

* Sequel to the groundbreaking Massacre at Mountain Meadows.
* Reveals the aftermath of the Mountain Meadows Massacre as never before.
* Based on previously unused archival records and new transcriptions of shorthand documents from John D. Lee’s trials.

 
Get your copy of Vengeance Is Mine: The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its Aftermath.

 
*This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.