Sunstone Podcasts

Sunstone Podcast is a weekly podcast presenting an interview or roundtable discussion with prominent LDS and non-LDS autors, artists, speakers, humanitarians, and others with interesting views on Mormon history or contemporary life.  Designed to cross-fertilize with SunstoneBlog.com and other Sunstone forums, it will often draw its guests from authors featured in current and recent issues of Sunstone magazine, from symposium presentations and panels, and from discussions and suggestions generated on the blog.


Episodes available are:

• Sunstone Podcast #13—Don Bradley: The Grand Fundamental Principles of Mormonism: Joseph Smith's Unfinished Reformation
• If you've thought there was nothing new to discuss about the connections between Masonic influences on early Mormon history and theological development, you haven't yet read Don Bradley's article "The Grand Fundamental Principles of Mormonism: Joseph Smith's Unfinished Reformation" in the April 2006 Sunstone. But even more than the new understandings about Mormonism and Masonry, [...]
• SunstonePodcast #012–John Gustav-Wrathall: A Gay Mormon's Testimony
• This podcast is an interview with John Gustav-Wrathall, author of a recent essay in Sunstone magazine titled "A Gay Mormon's Testimony" that describes his journey out of Mormonism and then back again. He asks and gives wonderful, compassionate answers to the question of why God would lead him to leave the LDS Church and then, [...]
• SunstonePodcast #011–Irreconcilable Differences: Emily Pearson Tells Her Story
• We're excited to announce the posting of a new SunstonePodcast!  In it, Emily Pearson, daughter of Gerald and Carol Lynn Pearson, reflects on the ways her life has been affected by growing up as the daughter of a gay man and then, years later, marrying one. Many SunstonePodcast listeners may know that former husband: [...]
• SunstonePodcast #010–Mormon Mantras: A Journey of Spiritual Transformation
• In this podcast, Sunstone editor Dan Wotherspoon interviews Phil McLemore, author of the cover article of the April 2006 issue, "Mormon Mantras: A Journey of Spiritual Transformation." In it, Phil speaks about his experiences as a Mormon convert turned Church Education System employee turned Air Force chaplain who, after thirty years of struggle to attain [...]
• SunstoneClassic Podcasts #005 & #006–Carol Lynn Pearson's Story, and the Book of Mormon as an "Anti-Masonic Bible"
• We proudly announce the release of 2 new (old) Sunstone Classic Podcasts:
• SunstoneClassic 005: Carol Lynn Pearson–Personal Recollections of Marriage, Life, Love and Death: In this Sunstone Classic episode, Carol Lynn Pearson (LDS poet and author) discusses her journey with her husband, Gerald, as he struggled with homosexuality, AIDS, and ultimately death. This presentation was first [...]
• SunstonePodcast #009–Tracking the Sincere Believer: "Authentic" Religion and the Enduring Legacy of Joseph Smith Jr.
• In this edition of SunstonePodcast, Sunstone magazine editor Dan Wotherspoon interviews Professor Laurie Maffly-Kipp, author of the article, "Tracking the Sincere Believer: 'Authentic' Religion and the Enduring Legacy of Joseph Smith Jr.," in the December 2005 issue of Sunstone and available here.
• Maffly-Kipp discusses the obsession with Joseph Smith's "sincerity" as the lens for looking at [...]
• SunstonePodcast #007: Cool Mormons Everyone Should Know — Jana Riess
• In this edition of SunstonePodcast, Dan Wotherspoon interviews Jana Riess, religion book editor for Publisher's Weekly, co-author (with Christopher Bigelow) of Mormonism for Dummies, and author of five other books including The Book of Mormon: Selections Annotated and Explained (Skylight Paths, 2005), and What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide (Jossey-Bass, 2003). [...]
• SunstonePodcast #006: "Confessions of a Mormon Boy" Arrives Off-Broadway
• Actor, playwright, and stand-up comedian Steven Fales debuted his one-man play, "Confessions of a Mormon Boy," as a reading at the 2001 Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium. In this play, Fales tells the captivating story of his failed attempt to overcome his "same-sex attraction" through "reparative therapy," which resulted in his divorce and excommunication from the [...]
• SunstonePodcast #005: Godwrestling
• In this episode of SunstonePodcast, Dan Wotherspoon interviews Rick Jepson about his November 2005 Sunstone article entitled, "Godwrestling: Physicality, Conflict, and Redemption in Mormon Doctrine."
• Rick is a nursing student at Utah Valley State College in Orem, Utah. He is married with two children. He trains and competes in several styles wrestling. He presented an early [...]
• SunstoneClassic Podcast #004:  Ostracize, Condole, or Congratulate: What to do When Missionaries Come Home Early
• Missionaries who return early from their missions for any reason face an unusual problem of re-entry into conventional Mormon life. This session from the 2002 Salt Lake Sunstone symposium addresses several questions surrounding early missionary return, including: What percentage of missionaries return early? Why do missionaries who are given an honorable release for medical reasons [...]
• SunstonePodcast #004: Richard Dutcher - God's Army 2 - States of Grace
• Today we interview Richard Dutcher, often dubbed "the grandfather of Mormon cinema", about his latest movie: "God's Army 2: States of Grace".  To catch the trailer, click here.
• Throw away all your preconceived notions about "Mollywood" (as it's now being called). "States of Grace" is unlike any "Mormon movie" yet to be released.  As [...]
• SunstonePodcast #003: The New Missionary Discussions and the Future of Correlation
• In the latest edition of Sunstone Magazine, John-Charles Duffy explores "The New Missionary Discussions and the Future of Correlation".
• In this podcast, John-Charles discusses the history of official missionary discussions within the Church, the new LDS missionary program entitled "Preach My Gospel", and the future of correlation.
• Click here to listen.
• SunstoneClassic Podcast #003: Jan Shipps & "No Mormon Church?  What's Going on Here?"
• This SunstoneClassic podcast hails from the 2001 Washington D.C. Sunstone Symposium.  It was released around the time that the LDS church made the formal announcement regarding how they wished to be referred to in the media (LDS Church, not Mormon Church, etc).
• SunstonePodcast #002: The Mormon Struggle with Assimilation, An Interview with Armand Mauss
• Ever wonder why the LDS church started out so revolutionary/controversial, then made huge strides towards becoming more mainstream and even progressive, and then retrenched itself a bit into increased orthodoxy or convervatism?  In this SunstonePodcast episode, we interview Armand Mauss, author of The Angel and the Beehive: The Mormon Struggle with Assimilation.
• SunstoneClassic Podcast #002: "Mormonism and Science: Issues for the Coming Century"
• This SunstoneClassic podcast hails from the 2001 Salt Lake City Sunstone Symposium.  It features Duane Jeffery, professor of zoology at Brigham Young University, in a discussion of science in general, and evolution in specific, as they relate to the LDS church, Brigham Young University, and young LDS scholars.  Moderating the discussion is Keith [...]
• SunstoneClassic Podcast #001: "A Last Look at Lowell's Legacy"
• Lowell L. Bennion was a legendary LDS educator, author, and humanitarian. He taught at the University of Utah Institute of religion for twenty-seven years, and then served as Associate Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology for another ten. Among many other accomplishments, he also founded a directed the Teton Valley Boys Ranch, and directed [...]
• SunstonePodcast #001:  Sunstone Past, Present, and Future
• For those of you who are not aware, we recently published our first podcast at Sunstone, entitled: "Sunstone Past, Present, and Future".
• In this inaugural episode of SunstonePodcast, we interview Mike Stevens, Board Chairman of the Sunstone Education Foundation, and Dan Wotherspoon, editor of Sunstone Magazine.