In Episode 3 of this series, Patrick begins by responding to excellent audience feedback on the 3-Voice Framework from Episode 2. He then highlights a recent Mormonism Live episode that makes a compelling case for the Book of Mormon as a 19th-century text, pointing to 34 doctrines from the early 1800s. But many of those doctrines appear directly connected to debates within Campbellism in Ohio and Pennsylvania—debates Sidney Rigdon was having with Alexander Campbell and Walter Scott. Should that raise new questions about Book of Mormon authorship? A future episode will explore the Campbellism connection more deeply. The heart of this episode focuses on stylometry, also known as wordprint analysis. Patrick explains how researchers create a digital profile of an author’s unique writing habits, then reviews two of the eight major wordprint studies. The second study includes intriguing findings about Joseph Smith’s personal writing style compared to the broader LDS canon—and even identifies a strange anomaly in the early Doctrine and Covenants during the Book of Mormon dictation period. Join us for a thoughtful look at the evidence behind one big question: who authored the Book of Mormon?

Tune in to Mormonish Podcast on Tuesday, June 23rd at 6 pm MT! President Dallin H. Oaks recently declared that the Church will soon have more missionaries than at any point in its history. But what do those numbers actually mean? This episode takes a closer look at the Church’s missionary statistics, the impact of lowering the missionary age for young women, and the growing role of service and senior missionaries in the overall count. We also examine how today’s numbers compare with previous missionary surges, what metrics are being emphasized, and whether record missionary totals necessarily translate into record growth or a more faithful rising generation. Join Ron Yogason and Mormonish as we separate the headlines from the data and explore the bigger picture behind the missionary stats.

In this episode of our continuing series on Book of Mormon authorship theories, Patrick lays the groundwork for understanding how the Book or Mormon is constructed, which is an essential part of considering the Book of Mormon authorship theories. In this episode we consider Rob Terry's work. Data Scientist Rob Terry utilized the BYU Book of Mormon text database to deconstruct the structure of the Book of Mormon. He demonstrates in this Wheat and Tares article https://wheatandtares.org/2020/04/23/book-of-mormon-wordprint-studies-in-2020/ how the Book of Mormon has 3 discrete “voices”. First, the Narrator Voice. This voice contains many attributes that are consistent across the book, regardless of whether the speaker is Mormon, Zeniff, or Helaman. Next, the Sermon Voice is interspersed in the narrative and contains unique attributes across the book, whether in the voice of Alma, Samuel the Lamanite, or Amulek. Finally, in the second half of the book, there is a Late Voice which muddies the clear switching between Narrator and Sermon Voices we see in the first half of the book and introduces a new set of attributes not seen in the other 2 Voices. Terry illustrates the Voices in many graphs to help the audience visualize how the book is constructed. The 3-Voice Framework must be accounted for by any Book of Mormon authorship theory and complicates the notion that the book could have been dictated without an underlying text. Finally, in the episode, we briefly show how the framework helps explain the Book of Mormon wordprint study results.

Why is it so hard to admit we're wrong? In this episode, Mormonish dives into the fascinating and often uncomfortable ideas presented in Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. This popular book explores the powerful psychological mechanisms of self-justification, cognitive dissonance, and the stories we tell ourselves to protect our beliefs, decisions, and identities—even when the evidence suggests we may have gotten things wrong. With our guests Kendel Christensen and Cameron Stringham, we discuss how these insights apply to everyday life, relationships, politics, religion, and personal growth. Why do people double down on mistaken beliefs instead of changing their minds? How do intelligent, well-meaning people convince themselves that they are right? And what can we do to become more open to correction and self-reflection? Join us for a lively conversation about one of the most important—and humbling—books on human behavior ever written. Thank you so much for watching Mormonish Podcast! ***How to DONATE to Mormonish Podcast: If you would like to help financially support our podcast, you can DONATE to support Mormonish Podcast here: Mormonish Podcast is a 501(c) (3) DONATE HERE: https://donorbox.org/mormonish-podcast

Who wrote the Book of Mormon? For nearly two centuries, believers, skeptics, historians, and scholars have wrestled with that question. Is the Book of Mormon what it claims to be—a divinely inspired ancient record translated by the gift and power of God? Was it the product of Joseph Smith alone, created through his own imagination and abilities? Or might other individuals, such as Sidney Rigdon have played a role in its creation? In this special series, we take a deep dive into the competing theories surrounding the authorship of the Book of Mormon. We'll explore the traditional faith-based narrative, examine arguments for Joseph Smith as the sole author, investigate claims of possible collaborators and influences, and review the historical evidence, documents, word print studies, and scholarship on all sides of the debate. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or simply curious about one of the most fascinating questions in religious history, join us as we examine the evidence and ask: Who really authored the Book of Mormon?

For decades, Latter-day Saints have been encouraged to study the scriptures deeply and seek personal revelation. But has the Church's increasingly structured "Come, Follow Me" curriculum changed the way members engage with scripture? Is there something wrong? In this episode, a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints raises thoughtful questions about the balance between guidance and independent study, and study questions about scripture content versus the feelings of the reader. Is the curriculum so highly curated that members are only encountering selected passages and approved interpretations? Are important stories, difficult texts, problematic narratives, and broader scriptural themes being overlooked as a result? And what is gained—or lost—when scripture study becomes increasingly correlated and standardized? Do members of the LDS church think they are studying and reading the scriptures when in reality they aren't?

In this episode, Patrick circles back to questions that came up after episode 305, “Was Sidney Rigdon the Real Founder of Mormonism?” From there, the conversation goes deeper into how the Book of Mormon may have been dictated, pulling together both long-standing research and newer findings to paint a fuller picture of the process. The episode also walks through the proposed plan Sidney Rigdon may have used—not just in producing the Book of Mormon, but in shaping Mormonism itself. That includes a timeline of what both Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were doing prior to 1831, helping to show how their paths may have intersected and influenced each other. Along the way, Patrick explains how the Rigdon Theory fits together with Dr. John Lundwall’s newer “Sermon Magic” theory discussed in episode 308, highlighting where the ideas overlap and reinforce one another. One of the standout moments is a deep dive into seven different wordprint studies. The episode breaks down what those studies should look like if a single author were responsible, compared to what they actually show. The results consistently point toward multiple authors, and Patrick explores just how unlikely it would be for all seven studies to independently reach the same “wrong” conclusion—essentially close to zero. Finally, the episode zooms out to look at the bigger picture: five categories of evidence and a total of 72 individual data points. All of it is weighed against the Sole Author Theory to see if it can still hold up under scrutiny. The conclusion? It doesn’t.

The mayor of Fairview Texas, John Hubbard reads through and discusses a letter he wrote to LDS leadership to request they lower the steeple height of the LDS temple being built in his city. He also reads and discusses the response he received from the LDS Temple Department, as well as his reply to that response. The letters are very revealing and you won't want to miss this!