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Through its many forums, Sunstone serves these Latter-day Saints and many others for whom life and faith is a wonderful but unique adventure. Sunstone brings together traditional and non-traditional Latter-day Saints, promoting an atmosphere that values faith, intellectual and experiential integrity. Sunstone is an independent organization, and does not have any official ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

E120: What's in the Sacred Sauce?What do Latter-day Saints mean when they say temples are sacred? Intrepid reporter Step...
05/28/2026

E120: What's in the Sacred Sauce?

What do Latter-day Saints mean when they say temples are sacred? Intrepid reporter Stephen Carter braves three tours of the Lindon Temple to find out. (Hint: It’s definitely not the symbolism.)

https://wp.me/p2QXnQ-gxg

Sunstone is pleased to welcome Scott Barrett as Sunstone's new Strategic Growth and Advocacy Director. Scott is a 9th-ge...
05/03/2026

Sunstone is pleased to welcome Scott Barrett as Sunstone's new Strategic Growth and Advocacy Director.

Scott is a 9th-generation member of the Mormon community, his ancestor Benjamin Benson converting in Kirtland in 1832. Raised LDS in Denver and South Florida, Scott served a mission to the Philippines, studied at USU, and eventually landed in Nebraska, where he and his wife Jentry make their home.

Scott stepped away from active religious practice in 2018, but maintains a deep connection to Mormon culture, history, and community. He joined the Sunstone board in 2024 and has helped organize and presented at many Sunstone symposia.

Scott is an addiction scientist specializing in behavioral neuropharmacology. His intellectual passions include Mormon history, literature, art, and social sciences. He has done scholarly work on the social psychology of conspiracism and Mormon conspirituality, as well as the history of Mormon teachings on Israelite lineage.

Embodying Sunstone’s motto “More than one way to Mormon,” Scott cares deeply about building community and fostering genuine dialogue across the full breadth of Mormon experience.

E209: From Villains to Heroes: Mormons in Italy's "Tex" ComicsPolygamists, Danites, and guns! The Italian cowboy hero Te...
02/23/2026

E209: From Villains to Heroes: Mormons in Italy's "Tex" Comics

Polygamists, Danites, and guns! The Italian cowboy hero Tex has met with them all over the course of more than 75 years of comic book stories. But the portrayal of Mormons in the series has changed significantly, as presented by Michael Homer in this episode.

https://wp.me/p2QXnQ-gl8

E208: Religion Is Dangerous. You Should Try It!New York Times columnist Ross Douthat thinks that believing in the divine...
02/05/2026

E208: Religion Is Dangerous. You Should Try It!

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat thinks that believing in the divine and joining a religion is not only a rational thing to do, it’s the best way to interact with reality. But what happens when you come out the other side of belief? Stephen Carter analyzes Douthat's book "Believe: Why Everyone Should be Religious," in this episode of the Sunstone Podcast.

https://wp.me/p2QXnQ-giK

E207: Joseph Smith: Not Boring.As a non-Mormon scholar, John G. Turner spent years researching Joseph Smith's life as he...
12/08/2025

E207: Joseph Smith: Not Boring.

As a non-Mormon scholar, John G. Turner spent years researching Joseph Smith's life as he wrote a biography of Smith. He found out that nothing about Joseph Smith's life was boring; for better or for worse. In this episode, Turner compares the young Joseph Smith as he produced the golden plates with the older Joseph Smith as he practiced polygamy.

https://wp.me/p2QXnQ-g6I

We're celebrating 50 years of Sunstone and want to thank you! From now through the end of the year, every donation of $1...
10/02/2025

We're celebrating 50 years of Sunstone and want to thank you! From now through the end of the year, every donation of $15 or more made through Sunstone.org will receive a thank you gift in the mail from Sunstone!

Stickers, pint glasses, t-shirts, Symposium tickets, casserole dishes, and more! Make a donation today so we can thank you with a piece of Sunstone merch to kick off the next 50 years in style.

Make your donation at https://sunstone.org/donate/ and let us mail you something fun!

$15 - 50th sticker pack
$50 - 50 year pint glass, stickers, Sunstone lip balm
$150 - "More than One Way to Mormon" tee or tank (as stock/available sizing permits), 50 year pint glass, stickers, Sunstone lip balm
$300 - Golden Jubilee Spiced Orange Jelly, MTOWTM tee or tank, 50 year pint glass, stickers, Sunstone lip balm
$500 - Etched glass casserole dish, Golden Jubilee Spiced Orange Jelly, MTOWTM tee or tank, 50 year pint glass, stickers, Sunstone lip balm
$1,000 - Two 2026 symposium tickets, etched glass casserole dish, Golden Jubilee Spiced Orange Jelly, MTOWTM tee or tank, 50 year pint glass, stickers, Sunstone lip balm
$2,000 - White salamander Poster (as stock permits), Two 2026 symposium tickets, etched glass casserole dish, Golden Jubilee Spiced Orange Jelly, MTOWTM tee or tank, 50 year pint glass, stickers, Sunstone lip balm

https://sunstone.org/donate/

Russell M. Nelson pushed the fast-forward button on the Church’s VCR of change. At his first conference after becoming p...
09/29/2025

Russell M. Nelson pushed the fast-forward button on the Church’s VCR of change.

At his first conference after becoming president, he directed that the word “Mormon” be removed from the Church’s and world’s lexicon, something he had wanted to do for decades. During his presidency, Sunday meeting hours were reduced from three to two, the visiting and home teaching programs were changed to the ministering program, the temple endowment ceremony was changed three times, and the waiting period between a civil and temple marriage was lifted.

But probably the most dramatic change was the reversal of the November 2015 policy, which banned the children of same-sex couples from being blessed or baptized. Nelson had been the policy’s most vigorous defender (and, some said, its author, as then-president Thomas S. Monson was incapacitated). He said that the policy was God’s will and then claimed the reversal to be God’s will as well.

Nelson became the most quoted of presidents, direct references to his teachings and prophethood in general conference more than tripling the general conference references to Thomas S. Monson and Gordon B. Hinckley during their presidencies.

Nelson also had a major impact on Church teachings. He made covenants a strong focus of LDS discourse, popularizing the term “covenant path” and emphasizing obedience to it. References to Christ’s grace and God’s unconditional love in Church discourse plummeted during his presidency.

Along with shedding the term “Mormon” and making an image of the Christus into the Church’s logo, the Church divested itself of much of its unique imagery and practices. For example, art options for church buildings were changed to focus on the New Testament. Church-sponsored pageants came to an end. And just recently, the Church sent out instructions that members use new terms that resemble those used in mainstream evangelical Christianity, such as replacing “sacrament meeting” with “Sunday worship service.”

Before Nelson’s presidency, change in the Church was slow, often emerging only after working its way through many councils in the upper echelons. But Nelson set a precedent for quick change in line with his own revelations. Whether the next president will follow this pattern, and whether Nelson’s other legacies will stick, remains to be seen.

https://wp.me/p2QXnQ-fRTE205: Perfectionism: Mormon Style.Is your life a sermon? Do you imagine your every action being ...
09/16/2025

https://wp.me/p2QXnQ-fRT

E205: Perfectionism: Mormon Style.

Is your life a sermon? Do you imagine your every action being narrated by a general authority? In this episode, Stephen Carter dives into perfectionism, showing how it manifests in people's lives, and proposing a few odd ways to escape it. (Hint: Not through fasting and prayer.)

Symposium audio is available now! Only $5 each or FREE with a recurring donation of any size! Set up your donation or sh...
08/28/2025

Symposium audio is available now!

Only $5 each or FREE with a recurring donation of any size!

Set up your donation or shop individual sessions now and start listening right away here: https://sunstone.org/digital-symposium/

https://sunstone.org/digital-symposium/Our 50th anniversary symposium was spectacular, but we're not ready to move on ju...
08/19/2025

https://sunstone.org/digital-symposium/

Our 50th anniversary symposium was spectacular, but we're not ready to move on just yet. All the audio from this year's conference is now available! Buy individual sessions or save 60% when you buy the whole collection! Audio is available for immediate download, so make your selections and start listening right away!

https://sunstone.org/digital-symposium/

Address

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Wednesday 10am - 6pm
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Friday 10am - 6pm

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