Settle in for Movie Night! Aaron and Eric each picked movies that they argued had LDS or interesting religious themes. Do you agree or have other picks? Let us know on discord! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh YouTube channel! Thanks Eric! https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat/pla…

Today we chat about prophecy, the book of Jarom, and what it means for us to be living in the middle. We draw especially on Sharon J. Harris’s brief theological introduction to Enos, Jarom, Omni. Check it out! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh YouTube channel! Thanks Eric! https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat https…

The recent Worldwide Relief Society Devotional was awesome! One quote caused a bit of a kerfuffle, which sets the stage for part 3 of our series on women and priesthood. But the devotional really was great! Go watch it! And also listen to this episode :) Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh YouTube channel! Thanks E…

Credit, authority, the danger of hierarchies, and how Jewish whiskey relates to fiction, equity, and legislation. Join us in our second of a multipart series on women and the priesthood. Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh YouTube channel! Thanks Eric! https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat https://www.youtube.com/@Fac…

Our first of a multi-part series on women and the Priesthood of the Church. Themes for this part include defining terms, Priesthood vs. religious office, and Priesthood in the past. Join us! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh YouTube channel! Thanks Eric! https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat https://www.youtube.com/…

Women LDS Relief Society leaders are no longer allowed on the stand in the Bay Area, as covered in Peggy Fletcher Stack’s SL Tribune’s article. On this show, we talk about activism in general, our reaction to this change (not great) and discuss how we think our personal responsibility for revelation needs to be balanced with our need for change to …

Did you know that we as members of the Church believe in the Book of Revelation? Let’s have some fun and open some seals! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh New YouTube channel! Thanks Eric! https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat Look, playlists! https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat/playlists Dialogue Podcast Network ht…

In 1st Corinthians, Paul teaches about protecting the weak ones by avoiding the appearance of evil. Is this applicable to online discourse? Should we avoid the musty corners of church history or should we investigate? Is there harm in causing doubt, or will that doubt come anyway and is best met head on, guide in hand? We want to frankly look at th…

Spoilers for the Barbie movie!! The Barbie movie takes people into the presence of God and delivers them to the real world. Join us as we discuss the LDS endowment, existentialism, and heavenly mother as we revel in one of the best movies released in years. Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh Dialogue Podcast Netwo…

We welcome Tanner McAlister today as we discuss two articles on the translation of the Book of Mormon. We kick things off using our season’s reference, “Yet to be revealed”, from BYU studies. Grant Hardy’s article “The Book of Mormon Translation Process”, provides an excellent discussion of possible problems and resolutions in the translation of th…

Two for one! Grace vs. works is one of our favorite topics, and the foreknowledge of God is another! The two articles from BYU Studies we are covering today relate to each other in fascinating ways. Join us as we discuss how we can approach Grace using LDS and Protestant theology, and how the paradoxes of omniscience can be used to discover more ab…

When exactly are we supposed to be obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law? Nathan Oman’s article on Civil Disobedience in Latter-day Saint Thought took us down a winding road exploring this question. Ride along! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh Dialogue Podcast Network https://www.dialoguejournal.com/podcasts…

Our church’s framing of the apostasy and restoration is changing, and Miranda Wilcox wrote about it! How we narrate our religious history affects our general understanding of Christian history, and can help us better appreciate the centuries of progress between the ancient apostles and 1820. Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.g…

So, was Jesus married? Our holiday edition of our series on open questions follows Christopher James Blythe’s article on the same question. Conspiracy, Assassin’s Creed, Dan Brown, this one’s got it all. Lots of great links in the show notes! See you next year! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh Dialogue Podcast N…

Agency is critical to the plan of salvation, and the adversary wanted it gone. But how? Philip L. Barlow wrote a banger of an article in Dialogue looking at prevailing theories, and argues the theology yields critical implications for how Mormons interact with government, politics, and church organization. It’s a great read!!! Philip L. Barlow has …

We welcome William Morris aka Wm, founder of A Motley Vision, onto our show to talk about the BYU studies article, The King Follett Discourse: Pinnacle or Peripheral?, by James E. Faulconer and Susannah Morrison. We talk about the nature of individuality, intelligence, and our own eternal destiny, as revealed by Joseph Smith and studied by prophets…

It’s a two for one today as we look at two BYU studies articles on whether God ever has or is currently progressing, and on progression in the afterlife. Go deep with us! It’s so much fun! Plus Hadestown makes an appearance! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh Thanks to our sponsor! Check out Beyond the Witch's Woo…

Welcome to season 5! In this season we are studying the recent BYU Studies Quarterly issue 60:3: “Yet to be revealed, open questions in Latter-Day Saint theology.” In each of the articles, an unsettled, open question is presented along with viewpoints from LDS authorities, theologians, and scholars. The goal is not to resolve or debate but to prese…

Mormons love the Old Testament and everything about the Jewish faith and culture. Join us as we go into the history of Judaic influences on the LDS faith, and the sometimes complex relationship between our faiths. Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh Colonialism - The Board Game Struggle, by No Pun Included https://…

A fun primary lesson led to a deeper discussion of historicity and truth in the book of Joshua. Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh What Do We Mean When We Say that the Scriptures Are True? By Michael Austin https://bycommonconsent.com/2021/05/23/what-do-we-mean-when-we-say-that-the-scriptures-are-true/ Wiki: the c…

Reading scientific papers requires a critical mindset, but often ‘critical’ has a negative connotation. How can we apply critical reading to scriptures and conference addresses? This is especially relevant in the context of recent conference addresses and discourse in the Mormon community on Heavenly Mother (see especially Dialogue’s spring issue, …

Dr. Eugene England and Elder Bruce R. McConkie really didn’t agree on many points regarding the nature of God and the destiny of souls. For today’s show, we highly recommend Rebecca England’s essay linked in the show notes! We cover it briefly but it’s worth your time! D&C 1:30 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/1?…

Happy new year! We revisit older shows, adding updates on finance (billions of dollars worth), the Provo temple, the Devil in church meetings and certain prophecies about the color of horses. Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh More about the deseret alphabet and Unicode by Kenneth R. Beesley: https://www.unicode.o…

Starting off with the history of the People’s Park in Berkley, we segway into discussing Emily Kaplan’s article in the Washington Post, “The Rise of the Liberal Latter-day Saints.” It’s a great article and has generated lots of discussion, especially around LBGTQ issues. Join us! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh…

Brigham Young loved the Deseret alphabet, and so do we. It’s so cool looking and old and kinda weird. It’s perfect Mormon history and it’s forever enshrined in Unicode. Let’s take a look! Link to new Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh Start here! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deseret_alphabet English Phonotypic Alphabet, deve…

Did you know they had smallpox vaccines in the 1700s? Join us as we kick off season 4 of Face in Hat with some history and then an in-depth look at one of the most important modern miracles, the mRNA vaccine against Covid 19. Link to new Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh The Plague Year: The mistakes and the struggles behind…

We missed posting this one during Pride month, but it’s relevant! Join us for a conversation with local beloved Berkeleyite Paul. We hear how his relative worked on the Oakland Temple in the 50s, and about Paul’s life being gay in San Francisco in the 80s. He loves the temple, and hearing his testimony was delightful. Thanks Paul! David O. McKay an…

We had too many great stories to fit into our Church building program episode so here’s some more from Aaron’s uncles!By Aaron Brewster & Eric Jepson

Aaron’s Grandpa was a building missionary who built churches all over the pacific northwest. We welcome Aaron’s uncles onto the show (yay!) who helped build these churches as the family moved from location to location. We were very happy to hear what it was like on the ground during one of the most rapid expansions in the church’s history. Thanks f…

Temple renovations in Manti were scheduled to remove murals by LDS painter Minerva Teichert, but that decision was reversed. Join us as we look into her story and work, art in the church in general, and how remembrance and ritual soaks in our very beings. Minerva Teichert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva_Teichert The Deseret Alphabet https://e…

This was a fun one and we went all over the place. From a really great 1700s poem on truth, to BYU spy rings, to the nature of character in education, join us as we look at what church education looked like in the 60s and speculate on how it might have been different today. David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory A Prince and WM…

How did the church become international? How much more do we have to go? Let’s look at David O. McKay’s contribution and see how we can apply it to our present church. David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory A Prince and WM Robert Wright https://www.amazon.com/David-McKay-Rise-Modern-Mormonism/dp/0874808227 Liken the scriptures …

For Black History Month, we study Chapter 4 of David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism: “Blacks, Civil Rights, and the Priesthood.” The ban on black people holding the Priesthood was lifted in 1978. The people, politics, and circumstances leading up to it, particularly in McKay’s time in the 50s and 60s, makes for a difficult, but fascinati…

Following our theme of change in the church, we look at how our approach to media has changed over the last half century, from the early days of broadcasting to recent attitude shifts regarding social media and embracing new forms of communication David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory A Prince and WM Robert Wright https://www.…

What do we do when we disagree with family, neighbors, and friends over things so important to us that it seems impossible to reconcile? David O’McKay’s fundamental belief in free agency and love of those around him meant he respected other’s beliefs and lived a life of tolerance, while still taking action when he thought it was needed. In this epi…

Today we discussed McKay Coppin’s article “The Most American Religion”, published in The Atlantic. It’s a great read or listen (find the audio link in the article!). We were particularly interested in his discussion of how our desire for acceptance affects how we interact with others as people of faith, and we applied that to our own experiences be…

David O’McKay helped strengthen interfaith relationships during his tenure as President of the Church, yet Mormonism and the Catholic Church had a rocky relationship in the late 50s. Thanks to several key events and the loving patience and ministry of Catholic Bishop Duane Hunt, the rift was healed and David O’McKay’s own attitude was changed. Can …

‘Tis the season for a show about politics! Join us as we look at political polarization in the 50s and 60s and trace its effects all the way forward to 2020. David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory A Prince and WM Robert Wright https://www.amazon.com/David-McKay-Rise-Modern-Mormonism/dp/0874808227 The Law of Consecration https:/…

Ever heard of the baseball baptisms? Missionary Work during David O’Mckay’s presidency has some swings! Come for the crazy stories and stay for the embarrassing ones. We continue reading “David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism,” this time chapter 10, “Missionary Work”. Whence the Early Baptismal Challenges, by Angela C. https://bycommoncon…

During President McKay’s tenure, the church tripled its membership. The reorganization of the church to handle this unprecedented growth was known as ‘correlation’. How did this process affect the church, its quorums and auxiliaries? What were some of the side effects? We again use David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism as a reference for …

Welcome to season 3! We introduce our themes for the year, and after that take a deep dive on baptism. This year we’ll be focusing on change in the church, and how our expectations of true doctrine clash with the realities of a people-led church. Notes: “I’m coming to the conclusion that 1933 was the hinge upon which modern Mormonism pivoted: It wa…

The second season of Face in Hat concluded with the previous episode regarding Christopher Columbus and Black Lives Matter. We'll be starting our third season this fall with more episodes, continuing as part of the Dialogue podcasting network. In the meantime, enjoy Eric’s lecture, "Triangulating God: Eighty-seven Angles on the First Vision." In it…

“Bioshock Infinite can make you feel uncomfortable.” - Kevin VanOrd. So will 2020. We talk about civic religion in the video game Bioshock Infinite and how it relates to the apotheosis of Christopher Columbus and racism in the church. We end with a discussion of the current nationwide protests and affirm that #BlackLivesMatter. We thank @BenjaminEP…

We love the Fall. Adam, Eve, fruit, the whole thing. Today we talk about the LDS perspective on the Fall, including what LDS scriptures bring to understanding this monumental event. Nifty poetry too! A Harmony of the Creation Accounts, from the Pearl of Great Price Student Manual https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/the-pearl-of-great-p…

We take a break from our LDS miscellany to discuss the current pandemic using the recent conference as a backdrop. Please note the upcoming world-wide fast on Good Friday. “We will conquer the coronavirus, apostle Holland says” https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/04/05/latest-sundays-lds/ April 2020 World Report https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSq…

Spoilers ahead! We welcome David, a fellow Berkeley Wardian, as guest to the show today to talk about the final episode of the Good Place and its parallels with LDS views on redemption and exaltation The Good Place https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place Sacred time vs. profine time https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_return_(Eliade) The Seven Deadly …

He was lookin’ for a podcast to steal. He was in a bind, ‘cause he was way behind, but we wouldn’t accept him as a sponsor for this episode, so neener neener. Here’s some references! Gospel topics article https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/satan Wiki! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan Recency bias https://en.wikipedia.…

Doubt and skepticism is a recurring theme on Face in Hat. Today we look at President Uchtdorf’s 2013 talk, “Come, Join with Us”, which includes the now famous phrase “doubt your doubts.” What does this mean and how do different people in the church interpret it? “Come, Join with Us”, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Oct 2013 General Conference sess…

Mormons have interesting proscriptions. Some are more open to interpretation than others, and how they are interpreted has changed over our history. We look at the Word of Wisdom, rated R movies, and the Sabbath day as three examples. D&C 89: The Word of Wisdom https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89 Word of Wisdom g…

Albert Einstein, C. S. Lewis, Carl Sagan, Paul. Talking about evolution, Adam and Eve, death, and the March of Progress takes us on quite the journey! Wiki on Mormon views on evolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_views_on_evolution Meanwhile, in Ohio… https://local12.com/news/local/ohio-house-passes-bill-allowing-student-answers-to-be-scie…