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On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews, host Steven Pynakker interviews independent researcher Mary Ann Clements about why scholars of Mormon History should pay attention to the polygamy truther/skeptic movement, a recent phenomenon among Utah-based Latter-day Saints arguing that Joseph Smith never practiced polygamy. Mary Ann shares her recent presentation from the Sunstone Symposium and argues that polygamy skeptics can positively contribute to the intellectual discussion of Mormon history. Afterwards, Steve and Mary Ann chat about the challenges of addressing historical questions in the Mormon tradition where knowledge can come from both reason AND revelation. #josephsmith #brighamyoung #polygamy #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #mormonhistory #utahhistory #utah #nauvoo #pluralmarriage #sunstone Here are some links provided by Mary Ann: Secret Covenants: New Insights on Early Mormon Polygamy book: https://www.signaturebooks.com/books/p/secret-covenants Richards manuscript of 1843 revelation on plural marriage: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/bd73df43-5eb1-4446-b8da-f20612b1da16/0/0 Kingsbury manuscript of 1843 revelation on plural marriage: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/revelation-12-july-1843-dc-132/1 Draft deed to Hyrum Smith, 12 July 1843: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/deed-to-hyrum-smith-12-july-1843-draft/1 Draft deed to Emma Smith and children, 12 July 1843: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/deed-to-emma-smith-and-others-12-july-1843-draft/1 Links to support Mormon Book Reviews: Venmo Link: https://account.venmo.com/u/mbrven PayPal Link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mormonbookreviews?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/mormonbookreviews Channel Merch Store: https://www.mormonbookreviews.com MBR Email: mormonbookreviews@gmail.com mormonbookreviews@gmail.com

Jacob Hansen and Jim Bennett recently agreed to have a conversation about Church Communication Director for The @churchofjesuschrist Aaron Sherinian. Jacob and others have expressed concerns about his hiring in the past as well as some comments he made at the recent @fairldsorg conference about "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". Jim Bennett wanted to bring out to the public and Jacob that the Church doesn't appreciate his approach. I was asked to mediate this conversation and I hope that we can have a civil discourse in the comments. This episode is totally unedited with no added commentary. #jacobhansen #jimbennett #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #doctrineandcovenants #josephsmith #lgbtq #lgbt #gaymarriage #bookofmormon #evangelical #stevenpynakker #fairlds #communityofchrist #brighamyoung #aaronsherinian Links to support Mormon Book Reviews: Venmo Link: https://account.venmo.com/u/mbrven PayPal Link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mormonbookreviews?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/mormonbookreviews Channel Merch Store: https://www.mormonbookreviews.com MBR Email: mormonbookreviews@gmail.com

On today's episode of Mormon Book Reviews, I'm excited to have back on Cheryl L. Bruno of The Journal of Mormon Polygamy. She asked to come on MBR to respond to Brian Hales after he was interviewed by me. I think that this is an important conversation and I hope we can continue to keep it civil about this very delicate and sensitive issue. #josephsmith #brighamyoung #polygamy #mormonhistory #utahhistory #utah #nauvoo #pluralmarriage #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #communityofchrist #rlds #churchofjesuschrist #evangelical #mormonbookreviews #stevenpynakker Links provided by Cheryl: Link to Eliza R. Snow saying why she lied in Nauvoo: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/741a9858-76d8-4e4b-afa5-75f2b5c51f23/0/22 Eliza Partridge letter: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/c6746061-f36c-46ed-8961-03f8c2369d5d/0/39?lang=eng Helen Mar Whitney letter: https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/documents/fe30c01d-42d7-45f9-97ae-34c40fb2b9eb/page/816e8843-f55b-49d1-ae99-88c93c5021fd?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1hhzxtE0ufsBhciOjHqWrFDCCH5WNqdwrmETN2n6m0SR2dgNm2y762BfE_aem_Wx5wQ2IHTpOAdi15T8u2Og Times and Seasons polygamy denial: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/times-and-seasons-1-october-1842/14 Crafting a Sacred Story article by Cheryl and Michelle: https://journalofmormonpolygamy.org/jmp/article/view/4/16 Link to Brian Hales website about polygamy: https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/about-laura-hales-brian-hales/ Link to Karen Hyatt's website about polygamy: https://josephtoldthetruth.org/ Links to support Mormon Book Reviews: Venmo Link: https://account.venmo.com/u/mbrven PayPal Link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mormonbookreviews?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/mormonbookreviews Channel Merch Store: https://www.mormonbookreviews.com MBR Email: mormonbookreviews@gmail.com

Last week I was a guest on the podcast Inside Out with Jim Bennett and Ian Wilks. We had a wonderful and spirited conversation about Book of Mormon origin theories and our perspectives! With permission, I am able to post the video version here on MBR. #bookofmormon #thebookofmormon #bible #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #josephsmith #scriptures #mormonhistory #evangelical #communityofchrist #churchofjesuschrist #mormonbookreviews #stevenpynakker Links to support Mormon Book Reviews: Venmo Link: https://account.venmo.com/u/mbrven PayPal Link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mormonbookreviews?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/mormonbookreviews Channel Merch Store: https://www.mormonbookreviews.com MBR Email: mormonbookreviews@gmail.com

Researcher Brian Hales returns to Mormon Book Reviews to talk with Steven Pynakker about the new Topics and Questions essay recently released by @churchofjesuschrist about Joseph Smith and Polygamy, the 50 year history of the Church after the Martyrdom, the 1886 Revelation of John Taylor, and what should happen to members of the Church who don't believe that Joseph Smith practiced it. This is a very sensitive topic and I hope we can approach it with charity and respect. #josephsmith #brighamyoung #polygamy #mormonhistory #utahhistory #utah #nauvoo #pluralmarriage #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #communityofchrist #rlds #churchofjesuschrist #evangelical #mormonbookreviews #stevenpynakker Links Provided by Hales: https://mormonpolygamydocuments.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Eyewitnesses-of-Joseph-Smiths-involvement-with-polygamy.pdf Eliza-Zina-Bathsheba—Witnesses of JS’s polygamy https://mormonpolygamydocuments.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Eliza-Zina-Bathsheba.pdf Hales Denying the Undeniable https://mormonpolygamydocuments.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Hales-JMH-7-2018-Denying-the-Undeniable.pdf Interpreter JS was a polygamist https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/joseph-smith-monogamist-or-polygamist/ Handout: https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/JS-Pluralist-FINAL-2-1.pdf Link to Journal of Mormon Polygamy: https://journalofmormonpolygamy.org/jmp Link to Topics and Questions Article: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/book-of-mormon-translation-joseph-smith-plural-marriage Links to support Mormon Book Reviews: Venmo Link: https://account.venmo.com/u/mbrven PayPal Link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mormonbookreviews?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/mormonbookreviews Channel Merch Store: https://www.mormonbookreviews.com MBR Email: mormonbookreviews@gmail.com