Is this the end?! In this season 5 finale, we discuss the decision to intensionally end the production of this podcast, reflect on why we started it, our current positions on faith and disbelief after these last 5 years, how doing this has changed our lives and our relationship to each other, and where we intend to go from here. We also discuss the…

The siblings are joined by special return guest Brother Jordan to talk about the predatory organization (or cult) known as Twin Flames Universe, which claims that ‘You can have Harmonious Twin Flame Union if you choose to take the spiritual journey all the way to your natural destination of eternal love’ … also, make a lot of personal sacrifices an…

The siblings discuss the documentary series ‘Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God’, the cast of characters, their motivations, the grotesque circumstances of their leader’s demise, and the consequences of her absence. And of course they make comparisons to other religions, cults, and the rise of their female leaders in particular. They also discuss…

Sister Lisa shares the story and meaning of her first tattoo, an update on her feelings around her grad school experience, and her thoughts on reading ‘The Testaments’ by Margaret Atwood. The siblings then discuss recent thoughts around death and the treatment of remains, and their potential preferences for their own bodies. — The Common Mormon: Pa…

Sister Lisa shares her struggles and thoughts on her grad school experience as she prepares to be a therapist, and how her religious past informs her approach and understanding of the system. The siblings read some *fascinating* articles on tithing from the most recent issue of Liahona, and discuss how much they think about this whole Mormonism thi…

Sister Lisa shares more eyebrow-raising notes from her BYU-Idaho classes. Dating, sexuality, gender and marriage roles, revelation, ’NCMO’, suppressing desire, boundaries, bogus statistics, terrible advice & more! — Christopher Columbus episode of Everywhere You Go is Bullsh*t: http://tinyurl.com/ymnp8aw8 http://siblingsinzion.com http://facebook.c…

Sister Lisa shares highlights from her notes taken during several classes at BYU-Idaho, including some real whoppers from ‘Prep for Temple Marriage’ that drive Brother Dan to bewilderment and the both of them to giggles. --- The ExMo Candle Co. - https://exmocandles.com/ --- http://siblingsinzion.com http://facebook.com/siblingsinzion http://instag…

Bonus material from our episode ‘Christian & Atheist Walk Into a Bar’ - Comparing Christian and Mormon hymns, the power of music and art in relation to faith in God, as well as a Christian perspective on Stoicism and the precariousness of interpreting the Bible. Bonus points to those who have seen SLC Punk! - https://youtu.be/6qr-wDh95TM…

Dan and Lisa welcome Brother Bryan, a Christian who was previously involved with the Four Square church and now associates with the Church of the Nazarene. Bryan and Dan have had several fruitful discussions around Faith, Atheism, Christian denominations, biblical literalism, similarities and contrasts in their respective religious experiences, and…

For those who have already read or are quite familiar with the 'King Follett Discourse', this episode of our reading and commentary is abridged to contain less of the text read aloud. You can find the complete version previously published ... --- In this episode the siblings read and comment on 'The King Follett Discourse', its theological signific…

In this episode the siblings read and comment on 'The King Follett Discourse', its theological significance, and its influence on Mormonism. In April of 1844, Joseph Smith spoke to a crowd of many thousands (saints and detractors alike) and delivered what would be the most directly recorded public address of his life, and the last such address he w…

The siblings return to kick off Season 5! No plan, just going for it. They talk about what is 'working for them', current events in Mormon world, 'Keep Sweet' and the FLDS, Book Reports!, how they've changed since starting this podcast, and how they will be approaching this season's content and schedule. --- AP article on abuse in the LDS church - …

In this season’s finale, the siblings welcome special guest Brother Jordan to tell his story of converting to the LDS church at 18, going the Missionary Training Center *twice*, serving a mission in Buenos Aires where he was held at gunpoint multiple times and suffered from ‘Jeep Butt’, attended BYU for a year before finally deciding to stop playin…

Sister Lisa concludes the journey of reading from her past as she shares exchanges between herself and the President of the Florida Jacksonville Mission, where she devoted 18 months to proselytize for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stress, fear of failure, indoctrination, cognitive dissonance, rejection, judgement, repression, and…

Sister Lisa concludes sharing excerpts from the many emails she sent to family and friends each 'Preparation Day' while she served a mission for the LDS church. Training other missionaries, feelings of inadequacy, ‘dying’ a missionary death, explaining the mormon slang term ‘trunky’, and convincing herself that it all was worth it … somehow … This …

Sister Lisa shares excerpts from the many emails she sent to family and friends each 'Preparation Day' while she served a mission for the LDS church. Stories of drunk men giving blessings, flat tires, slammed doors, cognitive dissonance, snake bites, and stalking the local Florida population. This episode is also available entirely on video on YouT…

In this bonus episode you will hear a special presentation of the Latter-Day Lesbian podcast on which Brother Dan was a guest! LDL is a podcast about an 'Ex-Mormon gay girl trying to figure out her life'. That girl is Shelly and her partner and co-host is Mary, a former evangelical christian. For more than three years Dan has been the audio produce…

We return to Sister Lisa's journals as she shares from her time serving a mission in Jacksonville, Florida for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many companions, many breakdowns, many prayers, many letters, many tears. Much indoctrination ... This episode is also available entirely on video on YouTube, complete with helpful (and funn…

In this episode, Brother Dan concludes in sharing his written ‘Shower Thoughts’ beyond Mormonism. This set of musings trend towards mortality, atheism, philosophy, religiosity, logical fallacies, nature, humanism, and the future. ‘Religion really is a further complication on top of something we don’t understand truly, but we as humans have a proble…

In this episode, it is Brother Dan’s turn to share his own writings - ‘Shower Thoughts’ you might call them. This set of musings came while studying The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its history and doctrine, and contemplating its validity in the real world as well as its role in his life. ‘I want to study Joseph Smith because I want…

As we continue in Sister Lisa’s journals, we arrive at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah - where young men and women encounter a kind of ‘indoctrination bootcamp’ before heading out for 1.5-2 years to spread 'the gospel' 24/7. She shares her experience of acquiescing to the control over her life including her communications, reading mat…

Sister Lisa continues her journey through the many journals she kept during her young life as a Mormon. She recalls her time at BYU-Idaho, the insulation it encouraged, her decision to leave and serve a mission for the church, and her first experience with the LDS temple endowment. ‘They have you surrounded on all sides, so you might as well surren…

The first in a series of episodes in which Sister Lisa presents entries from the many journals she kept during her young life, essentially documenting her indoctrination in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Girl’s summer camp, Personal Progress, Seminary, Father’s blessings, and the intervention that convinced her to go to BYU Idaho …

Before the next season starts, the siblings present a bonus chat to get things rolling: What they’ve been reading, watching, thinking about … Talking their way through the cognitive reframing of Christmas traditions outside of religion, and a preview what’s ahead in Season 4! --- Alan Watts 'The Book' - https://bit.ly/3GOxQkn Freaks & Geeks - https…

In this third season finale: the siblings use a random scripture generator to compare the text, tone, and perceived value of verses from the books of the Bible and the Mormon scriptures: The Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. Lisa also applies her Mormon missionary brain to provide the perception of the believer. Th…

The siblings conclude reading the Mormonism 101 article published by the LDS church which presents a series of ‘frequently asked questions’ and answers that leave a lot to be desired when it comes to honesty and candor. Topics covered include: garments, polygamy, race relations, the location of the garden of eden, baptism for the dead, missionaries…

An FAQ article was published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nearly a decade ago in an effort to help educate the news media and the curious public about their particular brand of Christianity. This recently became the source of some hubbub around the unique Mormon teaching that faithful members may become gods of their own plane…

After Armando’s interview (in the previous episode), Dan left the microphones on as they kept talking into the evening … The nature of God, the possibility of alien visitation, virtual reality and simulations, evolution, gullibility, purpose, what makes other lifeforms special to humans or Gods & more in this bonus episode. This conversation was br…

In this episode, the siblings invite one of Brother Dan’s oldest friends to talk about being a former Pentecostal Christian and Youth Pastor. Armando Santoyo discusses his connection to Dan over the last 20+ years, the faith he used to have, how he was converted to the Foursquare Church and groomed to be a leader, the challenges it presented to his…

The siblings convene for a mid-season check-in and catch-up! They review the recent episode featuring their faithful Mormon sister and what they took away from it. Dan shares points of interest from his current reading of ‘American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith’ and Lisa shares hers of ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ as well as the…

For the first time, Dan & Lisa are joined by the other sibling of the family - Lacey! Lacey is still an active, believing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while Dan & Lisa are very much Ex-Mormons. They discuss their experiences growing up in the faith, how their relationships have changed and improved as they have evolved…

In this special episode, the siblings ask each other a series of questions about their lives, their Mormon upbringing, and their self-reflection that they don't already know the answers to. From 'Who is your favorite comedian' to 'Have you ever contemplated suicide?' - there's introspection, revelation, and laughs! --- http://siblingsinzion.com htt…

In this bonus episode - after the discussion of 'A New Earth' and its concepts Lisa has some questions about attention, perception, emotional responses, acceptance, and making 'right' choices. --- http://siblingsinzion.com http://facebook.com/siblingsinzion http://instagram.com/siblingsinzion http://twitter.com/siblingsinzion YouTube: https://bit.l…

The siblings discuss their reading of 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle - author of 'The Power of Now', spiritual 'teacher', proponent of mindfulness, and friend of Oprah ... They share the passages and ideas that made them say 'Hmm!' as well as those that made them say 'Hmmm ...' They also talk about the industry of spirituality and self-help, and na…

The siblings discuss common misconceptions and misattributions of atheism, especially from theists. Primarily they discuss the exemplary debate between renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens and christian apologist William Lane Craig, as well as the chapter entitled ‘Are Atheists Evil?’ in the short book ‘Letter to a Christian Nation’ by Sam Harris.…

In this third season premiere episode, the siblings discuss the recent documentaries on NXIVM: 'The Vow' and 'Seduced', the crimes of convicted leader Keith Raniere, and the parallels they draw with their experience inside and out of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - especially Lisa's 18 months on a mission for the church and ho…

In the second season finale: the siblings discuss passages and themes from the book 'The Universal Christ' by Richard Rohr. They compare this larger, more inclusive, more inviting and unifying view of the Christ with the one they grew up with, and those that seem to permeate the modern Christian population. 'If the overly personal (even sentimental…

The siblings read the first of Ezra Booth's letters, which were written following his short but notable membership in the LDS church in 1831. He was convinced of Joseph's prophetship after he witnessed what he considered a miraculous healing. However, after his expectations of further miraculous events and prophecies were unfulfilled, he quickly sa…

The siblings check in to share what they are grateful for, some very nice messages sent in by listeners, thoughts on the election, the NXIVM cult documentary series 'The Vow', fear of strangers, and the progress Lisa has made in her existential crisis by decreasing anger, increasing acceptance, and 'choosing new prophets'. --- Website: siblingsinzi…

The siblings discuss their reading of 'The Denial of Death' by Ernest Becker; how it contradicts their old Mormon understanding of an eternal self and how it informs the realistic understanding of the immediate, natural, fearful, fascinating, transient life in a human body. 'This is the terror: to have emerged from nothing, to have a name, consciou…

The siblings finally return ... with no agenda but to catch up. What have they been doing instead of making new episodes? Answers include: watching the entire series of 'Lost', reading books like The Denial of Death, Mormonism Unvailed, and The Universal Christ (future episode material) ... experiencing multiple existential crises, dealing with fam…

The siblings discuss some of Sister Lisa’s favorite passages of ‘21 Lessons for the 21st Century’ by Yuval Noah Harari, author of ‘Sapiens’ and ‘Homo Deus’. Subjects covered include: Technology evolution and data privacy, the pursuit of happiness, globalization, immigration, ethics before the Bible, monotheism, racism, and intellectual honesty. ‘I …

They say the gospel is so simple that a child can understand it. Let us see how well Sister Lisa, former missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, having ingested marijuana drugs into her brains, can explain the timeline of events once Jesus returns and the real party begins: Resurrection!! After attempting to lay out the traj…

With all this scariness in our current earthly existence, death might be on the brain a little more lately. But don't worry, you will live again! Also, you already lived before! In this episode, the siblings intend to speak on the concept of resurrection and the Mormon teachings about it but end up being sidetracked into first talking about the uni…

Heavenly Father, are you really there? The siblings discuss the act of praying, the mechanics of a Mormon prayer, and interpreting results as God's answer or the outcome of probability. They also discuss their experiences with prayer as believers, confronting the call to pray as non-believers, the seemingly nonsensical act of praying at all when Go…

To kick off season 2, Brother Dan and Sister Lisa discuss the experience of 'feeling the spirit', and how it is not exclusive to any religion or faith-based reward system. Often referred to as The Holy Spirit in Christianity, Mormons like to call the third personage in the Godhead 'The Holy Ghost'. What's his story? How can he be everywhere we want…

In this bonus episode, the siblings are reunited after Sister Lisa returns early from China (news of the coronavirus broke right after this was recorded). Over some traditional Chinese Baijiu, they talk about her experience in China and Hong Kong, her reasons for returning early, being triggered by The Handmaid's Tale, reading The Universal Christ …

Early in production of this season, we recorded a special addendum to shout-out some other Ex-Mo creators that have been influential in our journeys but, forgot to include it! Today we thank them, and you. Check out the various links below. Talk to you next year! --- Heart of the Matter: https://bit.ly/3EkTgoi Mormon Stories: https://www.youtube.co…

In this first season finale, the siblings further examine the Word of Wisdom - a health code of sorts which was presented to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1833. Since then, parts of the WoW have been further elaborated and treated more or less as commandments (alcohol, tobacco, hot drinks), while others seem to b…

The siblings conclude their overview of the Mormon temple ceremonies with discussions on the 'prayer circle', 'sealings', and 'conversing through the veil' with 'signs and tokens' (secret handshakes). They watch and react to some of the videos of these ceremonies on YouTube and Lisa relates her own personal experiences of her many times participati…