Episode #131: Mormon Lore & Stories W/Christopher Blythe (Host of the Angels & Seerstones Podcast)
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When you look at any society one of the things that binds those societies together are stories. It has been that way since man first gathered around a fire and talked with other people. Not only do those stories bind us together, they inform us and newcomers to the society what that particular society is about. Today on the podcast I have Christopher Blythe on talk about Mormon lore and stories. Now Christopher has a podcast named Angels & Seerstones that dives into this subject and is one of my favorite podcasts. During our conversation we talk about the importance of stories to society, why it is we find a little reluctance to talk about those stories, I share a very personal story of my own, and even end up exploring the dark side of stories and lore by talking about the Chad & Lori Daybell incident.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dave-kirkenbower/support00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,720
When you look at any society,
one of the things that binds
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those societies together are
stories.
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00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,640
It's been that way since man
first gathered around a fire and
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talked with other people.
Not only do those stories bind
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us together, they inform us and
newcomers to the society what
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00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,400
that particular society is all
about.
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Today on the podcast I have
Christopher Vlive on to talk
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about Mormon lore and stories.
Now Christopher has a podcast
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named Angels and Seer Stones
that dives into the subject and
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00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,440
is one of my favorite podcast.
During our conversation we talk
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about the importance of stories
to society today, why it is we
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find a reluctance to talk about
those stories.
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I end up sharing a very personal
story of my own and even end up
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exploring the darker side of
stories in lore by talking about
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the Chad and Lori Daybell
incident.
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That and more on this episode of
the Mormon Renegade podcast.
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So a few weeks back I told you
about a new online merch store I
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Well, after a few weeks of
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the top right of the landing
page, or click the link in this
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episode's show notes, you'll see
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We have shirts, hats, bags, cups
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Now this is just the beginning.
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Now all the proceeds I get from
this are going to go right back
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over to mormonrenegade.com and
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press the Renegade supply button
or click the link in this
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episode.
Show notes and get yours today.
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You're listening to the Mormon
Renegade podcast.
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So up until now the podcast has
really been a one man show.
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Well, as I've gotten busier,
it's been harder and harder for
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me to get everything done that I
need to do.
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So starting today Mason Vogel is
going to be joining me on the
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podcast.
Go ahead and say hi Mason.
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Hello everyone.
Thanks for having me on Dave.
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I'm really happy to be here,
dude.
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I'm super excited that you're
here.
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Mason will be helping me by
controlling all the tech as well
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as helping out with some of the
editing.
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All right, so let's go ahead and
let's just jump right into the
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episode here.
Chris, what's going on, man?
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How are you?
Great to be here.
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Dude, I'm so happy to have you
on.
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I gotta tell you what I am a fan
of of Mormons getting, you know,
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kind of more vocal, right.
I don't care if that's LDS
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folks.
I don't care if that's that's
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fundamentalist.
I'm just, I'm excited because
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quite frankly, we, I always feel
like we need to be a little more
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forward facing on this stuff.
Right as because like
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Mormonism's kind of weird,
right?
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I remember when when I received
my testimony of the Book of
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Mormon, I remember I was like, I
don't really want to be a Mormon
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because you know, there there's
so much in there as a Mormon
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that that has has some baggage
and stuff.
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And so anytime I see someone
like yourself that that jumps
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online and is willing to put
themselves out there, I just
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think it's a great, great thing.
What was the name of your
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podcast for everybody so
everyone can hear it?
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Angels and seer stones.
Dude, that is that is a cool
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name.
That is a cool name.
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What?
What was the impetus behind
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this?
The name is just because it
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represents the peculiar right.
This is the 2 two sides kind of
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folk magic and supernatural
experiences that people might
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raise their eyebrows about.
You know we've Christine and I
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have wanted to do a podcast for
a really long time.
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I think it was it was probably
it was a 4th of July.
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We were doing a long walk in
Provo to get to the to the
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parade and we were brainstorming
things as we went and I said you
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know we need to start a podcast
named Angels and Seer Stones and
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I started sketching out some
ideas and then we put it on hold
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for several years.
And then this past summer we we
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had a lot of time around a
house.
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We were with someone who was
going to pass away coming up.
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And I don't know if you've had
that experience, but it means
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there's a lot of time and we
just said let's let's go for it,
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let's do something.
And we wrote a few episodes and
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it's pretty, pretty incredible.
You know, we were and in the
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beginning we were excited that
we'd have 100 listeners and now
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we're at 7000.
So it's a, it's a fun thing and
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it feels good to be able to
share ideas.
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And, you know, Christine and I
both are professional
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folklorists.
So we write these articles for
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academic audiences and they get
1000 reads across their
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lifespan.
And now we, you know, and we
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spent six months putting on an
article and now you can put out
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a video that shares ideas and it
comes to its audience the next
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day.
I mean, it's wonderful.
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Yeah you I I've listened to some
like one of my favorites was was
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the episode you did on and I'm
gonna try to remember how it was
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phrased.
I might get this wrong but pre
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birth experiences.
Yeah.
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And and do that.
Yeah, that one resonated me,
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resonated with me so much
because I'm a guy.
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Me, me and me and my wife Amber.
We adopted a set of twins 18
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years ago now and we we had some
incredible experiences and and
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as you were going through some
of that, I mean it just
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resonated with me incredibly.
And so that's the kind of stuff
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you broach, right.
And and some of it.
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And and correct me if I'm wrong,
this would kind of you kind of
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like look at old Mormon lore,
for lack of a better word,
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right.
And you kind of look at that
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What, what was the impetus for
that?
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What you look at, you know, this
is, this is what I do.
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So I teach classes at Brigham
Young University.
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I teach contemporary legends.
I have a class called Myth,
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Legend of Folk Tales.
And then I have an introduction
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of folklore class and an
American folklore class.
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And every one of these we have,
you know, 6 lectures or so just
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on latter day.
St. folklore and students share
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stories.
And you know, what I really
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found as a folklorist is a lot
of the stuff I think is old 19th
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century people don't talk about
anymore.
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And if they do, they talk about
hush tones.
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Well, I think that's kind of
true.
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But people still have these
stories, right?
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People still have miraculous
experiences.
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They've heard them.
They're from their mom or their
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grandma or their missions, and
they talk about them, but they
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don't talk about them at church,
right?
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They talk about them at home,
around a campfire, when they're
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when they're hanging out with a
friend.
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You know, all sorts of different
scenarios.
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Maybe you just talk with your
kids about it.
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And that to me is really what
being a latter day saying it's
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about, right?
There's this official side of
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our faith and there's also the
side that we consider sacred and
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we keep it in small circles.
And so yeah, I love that sort of
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thing, whether it's pre birth
narratives or dream telling or
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you know, even visions, right?
All of these are or you know, I
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have a lot of episodes on
apparitions in the temple.
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These are things people claim to
have and because we're careful
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who we tell them, a scholar
could just assume these stories
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dried out, right?
We haven't, we haven't had a
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revelation for 100 years sort of
thing.
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But I think once you talk to
people on the ground, you find
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out this is a vibrant faith
that's still really charismatic.
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Maybe not as much as eighteen
third, right?
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But still going on.
You know, and and I think as a
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guy who was never a Mormon at
all, right, I'm the first Mormon
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on either side of my family.
One of the things that one of
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the things that drew me to to
being a Mormon was was this idea
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of of no, no, no.
The these experiences that you
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read about in in ancient
scripture, they're still here,
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right.
And and you can still have some
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of those, you know and and in
some ways Chris, I feel like if
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we're not having those
encounters with the divine a
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little bit, we're kind of
missing out on on more the some
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of the cooler parts of
Mormonism.
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Absolutely.
You know, I think sometimes I
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meet lottery Saints who don't
believe in the supernatural like
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I do.
And I think, gosh, I have more
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in common with a Pentecostal or
a Roman Catholic than this guy
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who doesn't believe in the sort
of supernatural elements of the
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faith.
And you know, so I I I think
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that's just, that's right on.
You know, both my wife and I are
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converts too, and we both serve
missions and the life of seeking
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an encounter with the divine is
why we're Latter Day Saints as
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well.
So that speaks to me.
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And I think I know that there's
broad audience in the show, but
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I think right now the LBS Church
has never been more active in
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pronouncing personal revelation
revelations from Prophets.
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You know we had a President
Holland give a talk at general
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conference in which he very
clearly implied he had a near
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death experience in the past
couple years and talked about
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that.
I I think we we've maybe from
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Wilford Woodruff.
Wilford Woodruff talked about
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miracles constantly.
I don't know from Lorenzo Snow
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to Thomas S Monson.
Have we had that emphasis on
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revelations, visions, talking to
the dead, all of these things?
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And now President Nelson is
speaking actively about that.
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It's it's kind of exciting.
So for me, you're sorry, very
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neat in the upper core of our
identity that's in those
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experiences and sometimes we
lose it, right, maybe mid 20th
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century.
We're not talking about as much,
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but I think it's on the way
back.
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You know, I I think and and
certainly from from my faith
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community, those things are are
picking up and accelerating as
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well, right.
And and a lot of people I talk
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to there seems to be an uptick
in this, right.
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And it's it's almost like we're
kind of hurtling towards an
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event, right.
And there's little things that
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are beginning to happen where
where it's like K buckle up son.
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You know you're about you're
you're about to see some stuff
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the show's coming so to speak,
right.
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And and and I find that
extremely fascinating that that
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you're seeing that on the LDS
side.
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I'm seeing that on the
fundamentalist side and and
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quite frankly I I've spoken to
people who aren't even Mormon,
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who are starting, you know, guys
you never would have thought
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right guys like I I have a next
door neighbor right now.
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We're just renting a place.
But but he's, he's a Baptist,
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right?
And we always have that
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uncomfortable conversation,
'cause I'm pretty much in the
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Bible Belt now, right?
And it's like, I see you dress
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up every week, Where are you
going to church?
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And I'm like, well, you better
sit down.
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This is gonna be a minute.
But we we have this great
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conversation.
He's like, you know, in in our
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church right now, there's a lot
of people who are talking about
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seeing some stuff that's kind of
in the realm of supernatural.
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I was like like bad
supernatural.
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And he's like, no, just just
visitations.
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So yeah we're I I feel like all
of us who who who are trying to
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find the Savior for some reason
we're we're you know as time is
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progressing here and and quite
frankly just one guy's opinion.
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I think we're getting close to
some major events that have been
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foretold in scripture.
It's it's almost like these
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these these kind of
manifestations are happening and
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and that's why I think your your
podcast is so timely right.
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Because I think we have become
somewhat removed from from
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engaging with those experiences
because quite frankly we've
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we've lived in an age where I
think we've tried to explain
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00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,000
everything and man has kind of
been like well we got this all
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figured out you know the this
this is caused by this and so it
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it's fascinating cause a lot of
your your podcasts they go back
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a ways right.
They go back to to the 19th
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century and it's interesting to
see how they they handled those
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and they interacted with with
those as well.
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Oh absolutely.
You know I I think that's true.
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I think people are thinking
about the supernatural right
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This and I use supernatural to
be the divine to right this
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00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:42,520
otherworldly I think and I think
Latter Day Saints are really
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cautious to say we're not weird
right.
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There's this emphasis to say,
hey, you know, and I guess what
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I want to be is the sort of
Latter Day St. that that never
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hides the sort of radical faith
that is my religion, right?
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There's something here.
I know, I know you think it's
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absurd, not you that angels show
up to to teenagers, but I think
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it really happened.
Right?
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So.
So I want to own that and I
237
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never want to be ashamed of it.
And so the podcast plays into
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that.
You know, I don't have a a
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testimony of any individual
story.
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I share maybe a couple.
But of the worldview of this
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idea, I I really want us to to
grasp onto it.
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And sometimes we have lost
ideas.
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These are, these are people, as
you mentioned in the 19th
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century, that had a very active
experience with the
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00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,920
supernatural.
When they built temples just
246
00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:46,480
like we do, they had
experiences, they saw things,
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00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,520
they heard voices.
But the difference is they wrote
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00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:54,720
it down and they talked to each
other about it and I think we're
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we're less likely to do that.
And so I think today we do see
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upticks and that and maybe it's
because the Internet makes it so
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people can again communicate
with other like minded
252
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individuals.
But something's going on for
253
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sure.
I think it's.
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I think it's a neat thing.
When I talk about these
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experience with students at BYU,
they're for the most part really
256
00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:18,960
open to it.
You know, a few of them will be
257
00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,440
like, oh, that really weirded me
out, Doctor Blythe.
258
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But most of them say, oh, I had
no idea.
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00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:28,960
You know, I had, I've had
several students want to write
260
00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:32,760
papers about how there's been a
decline in spiritual gifts in
261
00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:34,520
the church.
You know, like that's the
262
00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,240
premise of the of the paper.
How do how do we explain this?
263
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And usually by the end of the
class and of course I tell them
264
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they can do it by the end of the
class, they usually come to me
265
00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:44,760
and say, I don't think that's
right anymore.
266
00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:46,400
I I just don't think we talk
about it.
267
00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,880
And so something shifts in their
minds as they think about it.
268
00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:55,520
But pretty fascinating.
That tie with the 19 past is
269
00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,000
really important for us, of
course, Right?
270
00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,040
Right.
Let me ask you this, why is it
271
00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:05,920
you think that maybe the the
last 50-60 years, whatever it's
272
00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:09,480
been, I say 50 years and I'm
like we're six years, that's six
273
00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,600
years away from the 80s is all.
But we'll we'll go back a little
274
00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:15,520
further, right.
We'll say from the 40s to to on
275
00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,320
to today, Why do you think we've
been so hesitant as a people to
276
00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,280
share those stories or those
experiences with with each
277
00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,800
other?
Do you know, in my book Terrible
278
00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:34,800
Revolution, I trace this idea of
kind of a an idea that if I have
279
00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,680
a spiritual experience, I should
only share it with my
280
00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,880
stewardship, but I should only
share what my family is.
281
00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,840
I should only share it when I
feel the spirit tell me it's OK
282
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:47,680
in this setting to share it.
I trace those ideas really to to
283
00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:52,360
1913 and 1913.
We've already had statehood
284
00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:59,040
happen and then the dream mine
happens and this becomes a big
285
00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:01,880
deal.
So there's an official statement
286
00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:05,000
that's sent out.
In fact, in the book I focus on
287
00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,640
three statements, right?
19 OO 5 is when we have a
288
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:14,560
statement against the one mighty
and strong. 1913 is this dream
289
00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:19,839
mine experience.
And then 1918 is when Joseph F
290
00:17:19,839 --> 00:17:23,480
Smith gets up and says hey I
didn't I didn't actually have
291
00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:25,400
that vision that's circulating
about me.
292
00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,200
And also I know Edwin Rushton
and the White Horse Prophecy
293
00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,960
isn't real right.
So we have these three moments
294
00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,400
in which these the church is
kind of saying don't trust
295
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,400
unofficial sources even when
they claim to come from the
296
00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:42,560
Prophet.
If your neighbor comes to you
297
00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,480
and says I had a vision and I
want you to invest in my
298
00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,560
business, you can go ahead and
tell him no, that you need to be
299
00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,840
careful about sort of messianic
people that show up and say,
300
00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:58,000
hey, you need to follow me.
So the in this period, you know,
301
00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,560
the period of transition is
really focused on saying hold
302
00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,240
up, we need to be really
careful.
303
00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:09,200
And I think it's about being
good Americans.
304
00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:14,320
I think our prophecy literature
for the most part was about the
305
00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,600
collapse of the United States.
And now that we're part of the
306
00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:24,400
United States, it becomes it, it
becomes counter the big project
307
00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,320
if we're emphasizing that the
United States is gonna collapse,
308
00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,400
right.
And so by reining in these
309
00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:34,120
voices, this, these visionary
voices, you can kind of control
310
00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:36,360
the message that's coming out a
little bit better.
311
00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,480
And so I think that's where we
started and once those those
312
00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,000
policies are around, we stick to
it.
313
00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,560
I I also.
Think you know there is.
314
00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:53,080
This is it's AI mean.
It's a practical rule in 2023.
315
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,360
I like like when my neighbors
might not.
316
00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:00,960
I mean I want them to tell all
their experiences to me, but
317
00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:04,320
maybe I don't want them to
publish them far and wide
318
00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,640
because I don't want people to
think their experience
319
00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,640
represents something.
I think right, we're all Latter
320
00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:15,160
Day Saints and so if Denver
Snuffer shows up, maybe I don't
321
00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,560
want Denver Snuffer sharing all
of his visions at church.
322
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:24,400
Maybe I want Denver Snuffer to
be told to chill out, keep it to
323
00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:28,840
his home.
But that is a problem.
324
00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,280
So I think for the most part,
where we see this is that the
325
00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:35,520
church only really does
something when visions push
326
00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,000
against the community goals,
right?
327
00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,320
To build in temples, there's no
problem If I say I saw my mother
328
00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:46,640
in the temple or I heard a voice
say do the work for this person,
329
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:49,680
no problem for that.
If I have a vision that says
330
00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,640
you're going to have a baby,
nobody has an issue with that.
331
00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:57,920
But if I have something that
says gather to New Mexico, then
332
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,960
the church is going to have an
issue stepping out of the thing.
333
00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:04,520
So I think it's really
fascinating and some people just
334
00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,840
go beyond that and think you
can't talk about anything.
335
00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,960
Which is not too different than
you know, an individual who
336
00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:11,920
thinks you can't discuss
anything about the temple.
337
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:18,840
Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely.
You know, I remember well I'll
338
00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,600
I'll just share, share one of
mine, right.
339
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,080
I told you I resonated a lot
with the with those pre birth
340
00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:31,440
experiences so to speak so and
and this is going someplace so
341
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:37,040
everyone bear with me out there
but we had we had just moved all
342
00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:41,320
four of our kids from Boise ID
to the Eastern Shore of Maryland
343
00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,560
not quite across the continent
but it's pushing it right.
344
00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,960
I mean I'm only short by by
three or 400 miles going coast
345
00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,480
to coast and we moved out there
and we didn't know anybody
346
00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,400
right.
I mean, if you ever wanna know
347
00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:57,000
what it's like to be in the
Sanders family, it's we may get
348
00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,720
that bug and you know what?
We're we're we're going
349
00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:04,880
somewhere.
But we we get out there and and
350
00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,640
you know, it's it's a strain on
the kids, right.
351
00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:09,840
We're cognizant of that as
parents, right?
352
00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:11,920
We're we're uprooting them from
everything they know.
353
00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:17,000
And we're gonna go 2500 miles to
the east and we're gonna drop
354
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,000
shop right there and and set up
and go for it.
355
00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,840
And so times you know it's a
little rough on the kids And so
356
00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:26,680
I told Amber I was like let's
let's make this Christmas really
357
00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:28,880
good.
We're making good money.
358
00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:30,920
Whatever the kids want.
Just get it right.
359
00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,000
I mean they've been rock stars
through this whole process and
360
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,000
and I wanna I wanna make sure
they know how much I appreciate
361
00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:42,320
what they've done here.
And so it comes time and and and
362
00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,840
we tell our our five year old
Hannah was her name.
363
00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:47,480
I said Hannah.
What What do you want for
364
00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:49,400
Christmas, sweetheart.
And you know what What do you
365
00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,480
want Santa to bring ya.
And she goes, you know what I
366
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,280
I'm gonna get twin babies.
Not I want.
367
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,640
I'm gonna get.
And I said OK all right, well,
368
00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,160
we'll we'll we'll see maybe what
Santa can do, maybe he can bring
369
00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:04,560
you, you know, a couple of baby
dolls.
370
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,280
And she got really indignant,
Chris.
371
00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:10,440
I mean, she got way indignant.
She was like, no, I want real
372
00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:13,000
twin babies.
I'm like, well, sweetheart,
373
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,680
without giving a whole bunch of
biology away here, that's just
374
00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,640
not possible anymore, right?
Like, you know, the medical
375
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:21,920
reasons my wife had to have some
surgery.
376
00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:23,720
I'm like, look, that's just not
gonna happen.
377
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,120
And she kind of walked away a
little irritated, I could tell,
378
00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:31,000
right?
She had her mom's look to her.
379
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:32,840
She walked away from me a little
irritated.
380
00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:38,000
And so, you know, couple months
go by and right around her
381
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,360
birthday, I asked her again,
What?
382
00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:41,920
What do you want for your
birthday, sweetheart?
383
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,960
She's like, I want twin babies
now I'd forgotten about this,
384
00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,600
right?
Christmas is in December.
385
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,000
Her birthday's in April.
She's like, I want twin babies.
386
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,000
And I said, well, sweetheart,
you know what?
387
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,360
We we can certainly see what we
can go down the store and find
388
00:22:57,360 --> 00:22:58,920
for you.
And she again, she said, no,
389
00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:00,720
they're gonna be real babies.
And this time.
390
00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:05,120
And she said they're a little
boy and a little girl and again
391
00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:07,560
was just like, this is going to
happen.
392
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:13,000
And so a few months after that,
I get the call from Idaho
393
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,320
Department Health and Welfare
Child Services.
394
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,360
You know, my sister had given
birth to a set of twins.
395
00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:21,120
She kind of left him in the
hospital and it was an
396
00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:24,520
emergency.
So I they asked if we'd be
397
00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:27,880
interested in adopting.
And you know, because my wife is
398
00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,360
awesome like that.
She's like, yes, absolutely we
399
00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:32,840
will.
So I flew back to Idaho about a
400
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,160
month ahead of time, bought a
house, got everything set up.
401
00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:41,520
Then I flew back out, picked up,
you know, all the kids and Amber
402
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,360
and we started driving out.
And now when when I get to
403
00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:47,160
Idaho, these twins are in
horrible condition, I mean,
404
00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:51,000
absolutely horrible condition.
And so I tell Amber, I was like,
405
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:55,320
let's not tell any of the kids
about about these twins yet
406
00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,400
because we don't like, we don't
know if they're going to live
407
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:05,040
kind of a thing.
And so the time in the in the
408
00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:07,640
month I was there, I would go to
work and then go right to the
409
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:09,440
hospital, 'cause I have nothing
else to do, right?
410
00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:14,440
I'm essentially a bachelor again
in a five bedroom house with a
411
00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:18,360
lawn chair ATV and some ESPN and
an Xbox, right?
412
00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:20,400
That's that's my that's my
existence.
413
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:25,240
So I I spent a lot of time up
the hospital and as I held them
414
00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,560
they started to perk up more and
and things you know they made
415
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,920
great great great advances
thanks to the doctors and some
416
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:33,320
blessings and those sorts of
things.
417
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:41,120
So then we we end up going to
back to to Maryland.
418
00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,440
I pick up Amber and the kids and
we're driving out and we get to
419
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,480
we were right on the border of
of like Pennsylvania and Ohio.
420
00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:55,000
We were in the Ohio River
District area or excuse me, Ohio
421
00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,480
River Valley area.
And I'll never forget it.
422
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:05,720
We stopped off at an old an old
Ruby Tuesdays and I was like,
423
00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,920
OK, you know we'll tell them
here what's happening, right,
424
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:11,000
'cause they're not dumb, they
can feel it.
425
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,280
You know we're in a hurry.
We're we're not, we're not
426
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:18,760
hanging out.
And finally tell the waitress, I
427
00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:22,960
want a seat in the back, right.
I want something as private as I
428
00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,600
can get.
And and she accommodated me and
429
00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:31,040
she was super nice.
And I get back there and I just
430
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,960
tell them I said, hey, you know,
here's the scenario.
431
00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,800
There's these two babies that
we're going to be adopting.
432
00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,840
And all of a sudden Hannah lifts
her head up and her eyes get
433
00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:43,080
this big and she's like twin
babies.
434
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,400
Really.
And I'm like, Yep, absolutely
435
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,200
twin babies.
And.
436
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,480
And she's going and she goes one
boy and one girl.
437
00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,120
And this whole time I'm not
making the connection.
438
00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:55,400
Right.
And I'm like, yeah, one boy and
439
00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:57,680
one girl.
And and she like, slaps the
440
00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:02,160
table and she just says, I told
you, I told you you wouldn't
441
00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:03,640
listen.
But I told you, I mean, she's
442
00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,440
shouting it.
And so when when I heard yours
443
00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:09,920
that, you know, your episode on
that, that really resonated with
444
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,360
me.
But for the longest time, for
445
00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:17,080
the longest time, I I was scared
to share that, right?
446
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,960
Because one, it just seems
unbelievable.
447
00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:28,560
And two, I felt, you know, if I
share this, am I gonna get
448
00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:33,240
looked at as a nut job?
Am I gonna get looked at as as
449
00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,440
one of those guys?
Right.
450
00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,320
And.
And so that concerned me right
451
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:41,760
now.
After a time, I found that no, I
452
00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,560
could share that, but it had to
be the right setting, right?
453
00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,440
And I think setting has a lot to
do with with being willing to
454
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:49,600
talk about these.
Things.
455
00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:54,840
Yes.
You know President Nelson
456
00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,640
Russell and Nelson had this
experience I thought around the
457
00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:04,480
episode right where his wife has
met this child, this male child
458
00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:07,560
that's going to be born with
their family except she keeps
459
00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:11,040
having girls.
So you know eventually they
460
00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,520
think there's no way we're going
to have another kid and then it
461
00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:19,160
happens and then Russell and
Nelson has a dream or some
462
00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,840
experience with this child right
before he comes sort of thing.
463
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,320
These are these are powerful
things.
464
00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,680
I mean I think we can trace them
back a really far in the
465
00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:34,080
restoration Dodd is all about
family.
466
00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:39,920
So I, you know, I'm pretty
hesitant to share mine, but I
467
00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:44,280
had two dreams about my children
before they came.
468
00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:50,040
One one is my third kid didn't
have a dream and my wife is very
469
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:53,400
upset with me about this.
He didn't get his own dream, but
470
00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,640
he was born during the eclipse.
So that's cool.
471
00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,400
But my first child, I had a
dream.
472
00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:04,080
You know, Christine got pregnant
and I was late to the baby
473
00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,200
blessing.
This is kind of a common theme
474
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,960
and and Latter Day Saints dream
life, right?
475
00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,280
You're late to your your kids,
men, late to the baby blessing.
476
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,640
This is like our first
responsibility as dads.
477
00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:20,640
We go in there and I'm a chubby
guy.
478
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,360
That's the context for this.
If you're just listening, I look
479
00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:28,520
up on the stage.
I look up on the stage and
480
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,760
there's a chubby kid surrounded
by others.
481
00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:32,400
And I said, oh, that must be my
son.
482
00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:35,160
And so I'm running up there
giving a blessing and a guy
483
00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,720
steps for me and says no, no,
no, that's not your son.
484
00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,400
And they pull this little skinny
kid out from behind him and puts
485
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:45,160
him in front.
And I said, oh, and which is
486
00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:46,840
just fun, right?
So I, you know, I told
487
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:50,880
Christine, well, we're having a
boy and of course my son's like
488
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,040
a twig.
None of my kids take after me in
489
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:59,480
in size, but that was fun.
My next son, I had an experience
490
00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:05,680
that still really has a major
impact on me.
491
00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,440
I woke up in the dream middle of
the night.
492
00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:15,200
My child has already been born
and it's on my wife's thighs.
493
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:19,360
She's still asleep.
And I pick up this baby and it's
494
00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:24,520
a boy and he has roots coming
off of his head, kind of a, you
495
00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:29,480
know, like he's part tree.
And so I wake up and I think,
496
00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:32,560
what is this?
And I I didn't know what to make
497
00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:34,040
of it.
I said maybe we're supposed to
498
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,400
name him something, you know,
dealing with trees or or roots
499
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,840
or maybe there's something else.
But then when he was born, he
500
00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:46,800
was born on the call.
And so he had the root of his,
501
00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:49,480
of his growth, right.
The thing that made it so he
502
00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:53,040
could get nutrients in his
mother still still wrapped
503
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:54,600
around his head when he was
born.
504
00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:59,080
So isn't that interesting?
I think there are, they're just
505
00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:01,160
little signs.
I mean, we're supposed to get
506
00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:04,160
revelation about the things that
that matter to us.
507
00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,840
And, you know, I've, I've never
had an experience that says, you
508
00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,800
know, start a business or you
need to move to this town to be
509
00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,760
safe.
But about family, you know,
510
00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,960
these are the experiences I
regularly have and I can, I can
511
00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:19,680
trust God's going to give in to
me.
512
00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:20,880
I think that's a very latter
day.
513
00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:24,440
Same thing when I interview
people as a folklorist, that's
514
00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,920
usually where they can pinpoint
and say, oh, do you know what?
515
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,960
My mom actually met me before I
was born.
516
00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,440
I met, I meet so many people at
BYU who have a story about how
517
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:35,960
their mom met them, which I
think is very fun.
518
00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:37,000
Right.
Right.
519
00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:40,400
Think you were the child from
one of these visions, right?
520
00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,200
You twins that showed up to your
big sister.
521
00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,000
That's crazy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
522
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,360
No, it was, it was one of those
things that that I will hold
523
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:54,120
dear in my heart till I die and
and something that was really.
524
00:30:55,320 --> 00:31:01,320
Yeah, absolutely.
Let me ask you this question as
525
00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:05,520
a man who's into to folklore,
specifically, you know, Mormon
526
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:10,800
folk folklore.
What's the one war that we all
527
00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,280
swear is true that you later
find out isn't?
528
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,440
Want more from the Mormon
Renegade podcast?
529
00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,440
Head over to the Mormon Renegade
Rumble page to see all the
530
00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:26,240
videos from the podcast and the
Fundamental News Program for
531
00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,720
free.
Still not enough?
532
00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:33,240
Then join the Mormon Renegade
Locals page by clicking the red
533
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,480
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534
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:41,360
access to podcast transcripts,
renegade exclusives, as well as
535
00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,880
weekly Life stream show with the
host Dave Sanders.
536
00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,600
Click the link in this episode's
show notes today.
537
00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:54,480
Let me ask you this question as
a man who's into to folklore.
538
00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:57,240
Specifically, you know, Mormon
folk folklore.
539
00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:03,240
What's the one roar that we all
swear is true that you later
540
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:10,560
find out isn't there's?
There's probably plenty of
541
00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:12,040
these.
It depends on the era.
542
00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,920
You know, we do so well in
checking a story after it's big
543
00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:18,040
enough.
And so when did you join the
544
00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:21,200
church?
9595.
545
00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,560
So I joined the church in 95.
It was baptized on April 30th,
546
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:26,880
1995.
I was 14.
547
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:33,440
And the story then that was so
that's, I mean it started just a
548
00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:36,000
couple years later and you heard
too, was generals in the war in
549
00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,600
heaven, right.
Right.
550
00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:44,480
And the the church worked so
hard to squash this and it took
551
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,000
about a decade.
But eventually, you know, boy,
552
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,360
Kay Packer gives that talk.
That's like, hey, when someone
553
00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,000
tells this story, you have to
actually tell them it's not
554
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,120
true.
And I've never done that.
555
00:32:55,480 --> 00:33:00,040
I like, I like, you know I don't
think it has bad principles to
556
00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:01,800
it or anything.
So I'm not correcting people.
557
00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:05,320
But here's here's an example of
that just holding on.
558
00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:10,880
You know the the surety people
bring us back in the day when we
559
00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,920
were baptized, we still thought
Steve Martin was a closet
560
00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,880
Mormon, right.
We still, we still had these.
561
00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,640
We had these things that we were
all sure about.
562
00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:27,200
Oh, what else is big now?
You know, some things I I think
563
00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,280
we're so sure aren't true,
actually are true.
564
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:31,480
Right.
So.
565
00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:36,040
OK, you know, that's that's,
that's that's an interesting
566
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,840
thought, 'cause I do think that
in a weird way now, Chris, we
567
00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,560
live in an age of unbelief,
right?
568
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,240
I I think, I think we have seen
a transition that happened
569
00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:52,160
relatively quickly that but but
we're almost in an age of
570
00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:55,000
disbelief and I don't know if
that's maybe I thought about
571
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,120
this a little bit.
I don't know if maybe it's
572
00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,880
because of all the tech.
I mean the tech we have now like
573
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,520
when I was a kid there was no
Internet, right?
574
00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,120
Like my kids minds are blown.
I was like there was no
575
00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:08,080
Internet.
There was cell phones, but you
576
00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:10,639
worked on Wall Street.
If you had a cell phone and that
577
00:34:10,639 --> 00:34:14,800
bad boy, that bad boy was a
brick that you carried in a
578
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,159
suitcase cause the battery had
to be that big.
579
00:34:17,679 --> 00:34:22,960
And so, so I I think in some
ways the fact that we've had all
580
00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:26,719
this technological advancement
that quite frankly, I think, you
581
00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:29,920
know, if if people from the 19th
century could see they'd be like
582
00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:34,400
that's miraculous, right.
And so I think that that it has
583
00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:37,120
maybe tempered that or or at
least squashed it.
584
00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:41,719
But I think we are in an age of
of kind of disbelief, a little
585
00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:44,000
bit there.
That's I think that's right.
586
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:48,080
You know, so often people will
write me and say I'm so
587
00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:51,400
concerned about this story, will
you debunk it?
588
00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:55,280
And I think, well, I'm not
interested in debunking things.
589
00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,760
I'm interested in why things are
important to people, right as a
590
00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:01,360
folklorist.
And so and as the latter day
591
00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:06,000
saying so, I mean, I think there
are dangerous things out there.
592
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,080
If Chad Daybell stopped by my
house, right, maybe I'd set him
593
00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,960
straight.
But the average person who is
594
00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:16,160
who's really just trying to have
a relationship with God and
595
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:20,680
serve their family and go to
church and whatever, I think,
596
00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:23,280
you know, I think they need more
belief, not less.
597
00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:25,760
I don't know that the goal is
that they should be super
598
00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:27,840
cautious with every story they
hear.
599
00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:33,400
Within limits, sure.
But it is.
600
00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:38,920
It's we are in a moment I I, I
really think, you know the
601
00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:44,920
opening of my show we say the
Latter Day Saints tradition is
602
00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:49,800
about universalism,
apocalypticism and radical
603
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:53,200
belief.
And I think, I think that really
604
00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:58,480
is the the key to our identity.
When the rest of the world is
605
00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:05,120
beginning to question everything
and change everything, we think,
606
00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:11,080
oh, God actually still talks.
Of course we think Jesus raised
607
00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,040
from the dead, but he's called
prophets of an art today too.
608
00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:17,600
And I think people question all
of those things.
609
00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:22,680
And so it's neat to be part of
the people who are trying to
610
00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:26,880
hold on tight to keep it, the
relief around.
611
00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:30,160
And when we don't have it, we
probably should check ourselves
612
00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:33,760
a bit and say, wait a second,
'cause that sounds like doubt,
613
00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:34,720
right?
Right.
614
00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:37,600
Well, yeah, everything.
I think that's good.
615
00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,040
And and again, I think that's
the promise of Mormonism, right.
616
00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:43,280
I think that's one of the
promises of Mormonism.
617
00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,120
And quite frankly, it's it's
something that I see see as a
618
00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,800
major thrust of Joseph Smith's
ministry, right when when you
619
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,480
get down to what he's talking
about, he's like, I I've had my
620
00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:56,120
experience with the divine and
you know what?
621
00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:59,720
You can have yours.
And and sometimes I feel like
622
00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:04,520
sometimes I feel like, OK, too
chubby guys talk and I know we
623
00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:07,200
can both relate to this.
It's like if you look to this
624
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,880
great buffet and there's a whole
bunch of steak and yet all you
625
00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,040
partake of is a salad.
That's just dumb, right?
626
00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,400
And.
And and and that's what I worry
627
00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:21,760
about is happening to Mormonism.
Here is a little bit is that
628
00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:24,160
we're leaving the good stuff
untouched.
629
00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:29,760
Did did you watch Elder Ukdorf's
general conference talk a few
630
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:33,880
years years ago about he did a
parable of the cruise?
631
00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,800
Do you know?
All right, this is about a guy
632
00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,000
who gets on a cruise.
He's never been on a cruise
633
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:42,640
before.
He's going across the Atlantic,
634
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,360
and he's brought enough food for
himself, but just enough.
635
00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,320
He's really worried about money
and so on.
636
00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:51,640
And so he sits and he eats his
canned food in his room by
637
00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,320
himself.
And eventually at the end of the
638
00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:56,720
cruise he realizes everything
was paid for as part of the
639
00:37:56,720 --> 00:37:57,240
cruise.
Right.
640
00:37:57,240 --> 00:38:01,320
He could have been out having
fun and eating buffets and and
641
00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:03,480
he makes the exact same point
that you're making there, right
642
00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:07,480
there's we need to live up to
all the blessings God wants to
643
00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:09,560
give us.
And this is the essential
644
00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:16,000
blessing of the latter day St.
tradition It's it's that gods
645
00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:19,520
and that we can be part of that.
And I think you're right.
646
00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:24,080
I mean, the message of the
temple itself is that we should
647
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:28,200
be seeking after more truths and
and God wants to convey things
648
00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:31,440
to us.
And yeah, it's pretty awesome.
649
00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:34,400
Absolutely.
I I think the other thing that
650
00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:39,360
that is important from from kind
of a a sociological standpoint
651
00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:45,800
is that since mankind first
started to gather around a fire
652
00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:50,960
the thing that that bound and
even early civilization together
653
00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:52,600
we're we're these stories,
right?
654
00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:57,240
And and we see, we see this
certainly in American history.
655
00:38:57,240 --> 00:39:00,360
I'm a huge honk for early in
American history like a nerd
656
00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:03,560
like that was one of the main
reasons I went to Maryland was
657
00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:08,040
to just immerse myself in it and
you know there's the story of
658
00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:10,160
Washington cutting down the
Cherry Tree.
659
00:39:11,240 --> 00:39:15,120
Now we're fairly certain at this
point that that incident didn't
660
00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,680
happen.
However, there is there.
661
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,280
What?
What's that I.
662
00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:22,560
Didn't know.
I said, that's right, yeah,
663
00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:24,360
yeah, yeah.
It's 100 years.
664
00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:26,920
Our first account is 100 years
after it happened, right.
665
00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:29,360
So.
However, I think it still
666
00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:33,160
communicates some certain truth
there, right?
667
00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:37,360
That that Washington was a man
of incredible integrity, right.
668
00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:43,120
I think that can be proven and
and so it it's it's through our
669
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,240
stories right and and we hope
that we're only telling true
670
00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:49,160
stories now.
Inevitably certain stories get
671
00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:54,600
told that that may be partially
true or not true at all and
672
00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:57,200
sometimes I don't think that
that's with malicious intent.
673
00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:00,520
I think as things get passed
around the old telephone game,
674
00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:04,240
you know, those things get get
told differently, but.
675
00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:07,680
I think with a lot of these
stories, there's always an an
676
00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:09,520
echo there.
I shouldn't even say an echo.
677
00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:13,240
There is a truth that is usually
being communicated and that may
678
00:40:13,240 --> 00:40:17,720
make us have to to parse that
out a little bit.
679
00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:20,880
As a guy who deals in that, how
do you parse that out?
680
00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:23,640
How, how do you get to a point
to where you can be like, OK,
681
00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,760
I'm not sure on the details, but
I see what the thrust is here.
682
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:28,080
How?
How do you?
683
00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:29,440
How do you?
Extract that.
684
00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:35,880
So my principle, the way I
principally do this is that I
685
00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:38,000
don't debunk.
So I'm always if there's a
686
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,600
story, I'm always looking for
why someone would tell it.
687
00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:43,040
Why would this mean something to
them?
688
00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:46,960
And how does it fit in that
worldview that me and my
689
00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:51,440
audience does believe in, right?
That God speaks and that you
690
00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:54,240
know, the miracles happen.
And so I, I, I take stories
691
00:40:54,240 --> 00:41:01,880
seriously, but I work hard not
to, you know, So I might tell
692
00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,560
you the first time we had this
is 100 years after it allegedly
693
00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:06,680
happens.
You know, great example of this
694
00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:10,520
is Messiah Hancock or Oliver B
Huntington.
695
00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,400
These are these Gordon
Storytellers, right?
696
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:16,360
Their journals are full of
stuff.
697
00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:21,400
And I hope every word of it's
true, but I doubt it because
698
00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:25,160
they record incredible things
and statements from Joseph Smith
699
00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:29,200
that nobody else records, right.
But we have tons of journals.
700
00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:33,560
And so I started to think hmm so
when I use those sources I talk
701
00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:37,240
about ideas that were present.
You know he they think you know
702
00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:40,120
one of the great quotes.
I think it's Messiah Hancock.
703
00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:45,440
Joseph comes to him and says,
I'm John came before the flood.
704
00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:47,080
I came before the fire.
Right.
705
00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,280
Like I'm.
I'm leading the way for the
706
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,600
second coming of Christ.
Well I think that's true.
707
00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:54,240
I don't think Joseph said it.
And so.
708
00:41:54,960 --> 00:42:00,280
So I think there's about it
where, you know, as a sort of
709
00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:03,680
historian, folklorist, I can
pull back and say, look, this is
710
00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,240
an ID at the time.
It's possible Messiah Hancock
711
00:42:06,240 --> 00:42:09,720
even believes, you know, in his
memory that this happened.
712
00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,160
But there's just something about
storytelling.
713
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:15,240
You know, there's something
about the figure of Joseph
714
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:19,760
people sat down.
We have so many, you know, the
715
00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:22,720
rabbinical literature.
It's just full of these stories
716
00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:25,720
that rabbis told about the
prophets, about the Old
717
00:42:25,720 --> 00:42:28,040
Testament, and they're really,
really cool.
718
00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:35,360
And I don't say, oh, this story
about Enoch is thus true, but I
719
00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:38,480
say, here's an idea that's
circulating at that moment,
720
00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:41,160
right?
And then I can decide, like it
721
00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:44,840
or why someone would would
believe this at the time,
722
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:48,280
Where's it coming from?
Who would share this and what
723
00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:50,520
setting would they share it?
There's all sorts of those those
724
00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:53,240
folklore questions we do and
that's what I have my students
725
00:42:53,240 --> 00:42:57,960
really think about in our
classes and and it's important
726
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:04,800
that we just pull back and we
give, we give a little empathy
727
00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:09,200
to these folks sharing stories.
I think it's it's tough to be a
728
00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:14,520
storyteller, but I also think we
should be wary of individuals
729
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:20,200
who are deliberately seeking to
harm a faith community, right?
730
00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:22,840
So Mark Hoffman's the obvious
example.
731
00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:26,160
Christopher Namelka is an
obvious example.
732
00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:32,520
Samuel Schaefer, who who went to
prison five years ago, you know,
733
00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:36,560
had written dozens of forged
documents.
734
00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:38,680
I mean, they're just online
documents, not selling them or
735
00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:42,000
everything, but, you know,
alleged endowment ceremonies
736
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:44,480
performed by offshoots and so
on.
737
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:47,720
Really fascinating material, but
all made-up, right.
738
00:43:47,720 --> 00:43:51,880
And so someone gets this stuff
and then they think, oh, this
739
00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:54,880
is, you know, I've, in this
case, I've had to correct people
740
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:59,080
several times about different
documents and say, hey, if your
741
00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:02,640
goals actually tell the story of
this figure, you're you're using
742
00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:04,320
the wrong source.
Right.
743
00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:06,320
Right.
And that certainly happened when
744
00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:09,680
we had things like the
Salamander Letter or the Joseph
745
00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:14,600
Smith Third Blessed, who've
who've had major impacts on the
746
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,960
faith.
And and those are the dangerous
747
00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:21,840
ones, right?
Those are the ones that that end
748
00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:24,760
up doing harm and.
Yes.
749
00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:29,080
That's something that I think
when we're dealing with with
750
00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:37,720
Mormon lore and Mormon, Mormon
stories, so to speak, we have to
751
00:44:37,720 --> 00:44:41,440
be very careful to sort those
out, right, 'cause not every guy
752
00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:47,880
telling you a story is a guy who
is sincere, or sometimes they
753
00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:49,600
are sincere and they're just
deceived.
754
00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:53,440
I mean that's that's the other
thing and so you have to weigh
755
00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:58,840
that out and and I I think this
is this is really where where
756
00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:03,560
you can use Chad and Lori
Daybell as kind of a a poster
757
00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:08,120
child or or a case study and
what happens when this goes goes
758
00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:10,680
bad, right and that's something
you've covered as well.
759
00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:20,000
Oh this is this is so important.
You know, right now I'm if you
760
00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,760
watch any podcast on Chad and
Lori Daybell, you're going to
761
00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:28,840
hear that their ideas are all
from Tom Harrison and the book
762
00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:32,480
Visions of Glory.
You know they want, they want
763
00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:35,400
some direct link, someone to
blame for this.
764
00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:38,080
As if Chad and Lori aren't good
enough, right?
765
00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:43,240
But so they want to reach out
and bring in other Latter Day
766
00:45:43,240 --> 00:45:46,200
Saints stories and experiences
that maybe were influential.
767
00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:49,760
But when I read something like
Visions of Glory, I don't see
768
00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:52,360
the danger in it that other
people do.
769
00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:56,560
I won't subscribe to all of it,
but I don't see it as inherently
770
00:45:56,560 --> 00:45:59,160
dangerous.
I think things become dangerous
771
00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:04,560
when people actually bring the
extremism to it, right?
772
00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:08,120
I don't think it's dangerous if
someone thinks we should move to
773
00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:10,680
Rexburg.
That's not a dangerous story.
774
00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:16,440
But if you say sometimes kids
become zombies, well, then
775
00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:19,120
that's a perfect point to say.
That's the sort of story you
776
00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:26,120
need to address, right?
If you think, if you think God
777
00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:30,680
will inspire you to premeditate
a murder, well then yeah, that's
778
00:46:30,760 --> 00:46:33,480
a point that we should stop and
say what's going on here?
779
00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:37,400
And that is dangerous.
It happens.
780
00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:42,120
And in this case, my really
concern is that all of those
781
00:46:42,120 --> 00:46:45,800
stories become such an LDS
thing, right?
782
00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:48,040
With Chad and Chandler, Dabel.
The same thing that happened
783
00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:49,360
with the Lafferty brothers,
right?
784
00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:53,720
The idea.
So Americans tell the story of a
785
00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:57,320
of a Mormon murder and then they
say this represents something
786
00:46:57,320 --> 00:46:59,920
about Chris Blythe and Dave
Sanders, right?
787
00:47:01,320 --> 00:47:03,600
They they they extrapolate that
from it.
788
00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:07,640
And so one of the things I do
with the the the Chad and Laurie
789
00:47:07,640 --> 00:47:10,440
thing is trying to make sense of
the stories that they're
790
00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:12,960
telling, where they're getting
their ideas from, making sense
791
00:47:12,960 --> 00:47:18,440
of it, but also showing that
this is a it's gotten really
792
00:47:18,440 --> 00:47:22,240
twisted from a full Latter Day
Saints story, right?
793
00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:28,040
1800 kids are killed by neglect
and abuse every year.
794
00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:33,640
That a few of those kids might
be Mormon and even might be done
795
00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:38,120
for psychotic reasons probably
doesn't tell you much about my
796
00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:39,800
faith, right?
Right.
797
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:42,760
You know, I've.
I've read.
798
00:47:43,080 --> 00:47:46,280
So, you know, as a
fundamentalist, that's something
799
00:47:46,280 --> 00:47:48,600
I'm always on the lookout for,
right?
800
00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:51,240
There's a dude down South named
Warren Jeffs who did some
801
00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:55,440
damage, right?
I I like.
802
00:47:56,200 --> 00:48:02,360
I know this is super unkind,
but, like, when I get to the
803
00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:05,280
other side, I'm gonna be like,
can I just get one shot at him
804
00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:07,960
just just once?
I mean, just turn your head for
805
00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:12,080
10 minutes, let you know I just
give me some time.
806
00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:14,040
Lafferty brothers are another
thing, right?
807
00:48:14,480 --> 00:48:20,200
Where it painted, it painted the
rest of fundamentalism in this,
808
00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:22,480
in this light of they're
dangerous.
809
00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:27,000
They're spooky right now.
Truth is, it was one.
810
00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:30,200
It was one small part.
Just like you can't look at Chad
811
00:48:30,200 --> 00:48:35,360
and Laurie Daybell and then
assign that to the LDS Church.
812
00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:39,720
Because quite frankly, as I
read, as I read some of the
813
00:48:39,720 --> 00:48:45,000
stuff and and I haven't done the
research you have to me, Chad
814
00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:49,200
and Laurie Daybell seem as bad
as Mormon as, I don't know, a
815
00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,040
good Stephen King novel.
I mean, when you dive into it,
816
00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:54,040
it's some pretty horrific
things, right?
817
00:48:54,040 --> 00:48:58,920
I mean it, it doesn't resemble
Mormonism that I would recognize
818
00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:02,800
from the LES Church, from most
fundamentalists I know.
819
00:49:02,800 --> 00:49:06,800
I mean, it it it bears no, no
resemblance to to the religion
820
00:49:06,800 --> 00:49:12,240
that Joseph would have started.
You know Dave, this this is
821
00:49:12,240 --> 00:49:14,760
something you know, as we talk
about kind of leaving the
822
00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:17,720
academic side here when we talk
about how to tell when
823
00:49:17,720 --> 00:49:20,280
something's maybe not right, you
know, discernment.
824
00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:23,480
Joseph Smith is emphasizing our
ability to get revelation and
825
00:49:23,480 --> 00:49:25,040
then he's emphasizing
discernment right.
826
00:49:25,040 --> 00:49:29,880
Try the spirits shake angel's
hands know what they look like.
827
00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:32,720
You know, all sorts of stuff
where we're we're being taught
828
00:49:32,720 --> 00:49:36,320
to double check revelation.
And I think one of the great
829
00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:40,320
ones, Brigham talks about this
quite a bit is when someone's
830
00:49:40,320 --> 00:49:44,360
revelations are really just
about how great they are, right.
831
00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:47,920
If someone shows you and their
their major message is that
832
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:49,880
they're special.
They're the one, mighty and
833
00:49:49,880 --> 00:49:51,720
strong.
They should be an apostle.
834
00:49:51,960 --> 00:49:54,160
They should be the future you
know Levitical servant.
835
00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:57,600
You know whatever is you know
that doesn't make sense right.
836
00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:02,040
The message of just unless
you're Jesus unless it's the
837
00:50:02,040 --> 00:50:06,000
book of Matthew like the message
that you're special has never
838
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:08,000
been the message of a prophet.
Right.
839
00:50:08,200 --> 00:50:09,520
That that the prophet himself
is.
840
00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:13,760
And I think this is we see this
and it's a really easy way to
841
00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:19,160
detect like oh if every one of
your revelations is self-serving
842
00:50:20,160 --> 00:50:24,560
maybe we need to step back And
that's true even of ourselves,
843
00:50:24,560 --> 00:50:26,480
right.
If we're if we're believing
844
00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:29,040
we're getting revelations but
they're really just about how
845
00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:33,040
great we are.
And you know I think there's
846
00:50:33,040 --> 00:50:39,240
this this in the LDS church
there's a a desire for men to be
847
00:50:39,240 --> 00:50:42,360
bishops and stuff right.
And so they're constantly
848
00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:45,680
thinking about this.
And in fundamentalism there's
849
00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:49,400
sometimes a desire to be a
prophet, right, To hold the
850
00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:53,840
keys, to be the one that that's
next in line.
851
00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:57,040
You know, we have dozens of
schisms and things and I think
852
00:50:57,040 --> 00:51:00,640
those are all those are easy to
pinpoint and say, look, this is
853
00:51:00,640 --> 00:51:04,240
a really self-serving thing and
I think it's unhealthy.
854
00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:07,520
And so when I tell my friends,
and I've had more than one who
855
00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:12,040
come to me and say I think I'm
the one mighty and strong, I say
856
00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:17,160
I don't think you are.
And I said it to their wives too
857
00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:21,160
when they say it because I think
it's, I think it's unhealthy for
858
00:51:21,160 --> 00:51:28,440
them too, right.
Like the general belief is my
859
00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:30,200
belief.
I mean, I believe in messianic
860
00:51:30,200 --> 00:51:32,960
figures and the gods bring this
all together for the last days
861
00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:35,160
and so on.
But no, I don't think.
862
00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:38,840
I think this is something that's
all the way back from the 1850s
863
00:51:38,840 --> 00:51:41,480
and before Latter Day Saints who
want we want to be part of that
864
00:51:41,480 --> 00:51:44,320
last day's events.
And so we think instead of being
865
00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:47,480
like Brigham said, that great
man that the Bible says nothing
866
00:51:47,480 --> 00:51:50,240
about, we want to be somebody
specific.
867
00:51:50,840 --> 00:51:53,480
And it's certainly something I
read a lot about, so.
868
00:51:53,640 --> 00:51:58,440
You know, when when it comes to
guys, well, let me say this,
869
00:51:59,320 --> 00:52:05,200
when someone asks me how I'm.
I'm so certain that the Lord was
870
00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:08,440
the one who inspired the
Doctrine and Covenants and
871
00:52:08,440 --> 00:52:10,720
someone says, how do you, how do
you know that for sure?
872
00:52:10,720 --> 00:52:12,000
You know what?
What makes you say that?
873
00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:15,880
Well, I've had some, you know,
from from the spiritual aspect.
874
00:52:15,880 --> 00:52:17,800
I've, I've had a spiritual
witness of that.
875
00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:22,200
But if we look at this
forensically, no leader who's
876
00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:25,920
seeking to for just power would
ever write documents in which
877
00:52:25,920 --> 00:52:29,920
the Lord hands him his rear end
more than what Joseph gets it
878
00:52:29,920 --> 00:52:32,560
handed to him in the Doctrine
and Covenants by the Lord from
879
00:52:32,560 --> 00:52:36,720
time to time, right.
I mean the the Lord, the Lord
880
00:52:36,720 --> 00:52:38,640
gives it to Joseph a few times,
right.
881
00:52:38,880 --> 00:52:42,760
So going back to this thing of
self-serving, right, we don't
882
00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:44,920
get that out of the Doctrine and
Covenants a whole lot.
883
00:52:45,240 --> 00:52:49,520
We you know he he does chastise
Joseph as well as others from
884
00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:53,120
time to time and and it doesn't
have that same feel.
885
00:52:53,520 --> 00:52:59,480
The the other thing I would say
is that when it comes to the to
886
00:52:59,480 --> 00:53:03,160
the one mighty and strong, I've
always said if you gotta tell me
887
00:53:03,160 --> 00:53:05,240
you're the one mighty and
strong, you're not the one
888
00:53:05,240 --> 00:53:07,880
mighty and strong.
I hate to break that to you, but
889
00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:09,840
that's just hilarious to it,
right?
890
00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:14,480
I mean, that should be readily
apparent without you having to
891
00:53:14,480 --> 00:53:18,200
tell me.
So yeah, those sorts of things.
892
00:53:18,200 --> 00:53:21,960
See the other thing that that
I've noticed as I've encountered
893
00:53:21,960 --> 00:53:25,960
a few guys who were off their
their rockers they're really
894
00:53:25,960 --> 00:53:30,440
good too about not only having a
revelation telling them how good
895
00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:33,960
they are but sometimes they'll
even say oh and and and you're
896
00:53:33,960 --> 00:53:38,000
really cool too right.
Like I I've I've heard this and
897
00:53:38,000 --> 00:53:42,040
they'll kind of flatter you with
with that or another term is is
898
00:53:42,040 --> 00:53:45,760
kind of baffle you with BS but
that's that's kind of thing
899
00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:50,760
they'll they'll seek kind of
kind of you know vain flattery
900
00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:53,000
kind of thing.
Yeah.
901
00:53:53,160 --> 00:54:00,960
You know Dave, when I was 18, I
I was exchanging, I was
902
00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:05,840
corresponding with a latter day
schismatic leader and I can
903
00:54:05,840 --> 00:54:10,480
remember him one telling me I
was one of the 144,000 saying
904
00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:13,040
how are you so righteous?
You're so young, obviously
905
00:54:13,040 --> 00:54:15,520
you're one of these.
And then writing me a letter
906
00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:18,520
about how lonely he was, being
the only one to know he was a
907
00:54:18,520 --> 00:54:21,320
prophet, and how he needs me to
get that revelation too.
908
00:54:21,760 --> 00:54:25,920
I thought, oh, and as of course,
then I said, all right, I gotta
909
00:54:25,920 --> 00:54:28,000
get out of here.
But as an adult, I recognize
910
00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:29,960
that's really manipulative.
Right.
911
00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:33,600
There's something about that.
I think.
912
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:38,800
I think that's important that we
pinpoint the sort of, you know,
913
00:54:38,800 --> 00:54:44,200
the series of events that
happens for for some of these
914
00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:45,480
moments.
But yeah, you're right.
915
00:54:45,920 --> 00:54:49,400
Those are the things People have
revelations about themselves.
916
00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:53,080
And then they point to like,
immediate followers and say, oh,
917
00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:55,280
guess what?
You're really special too.
918
00:54:57,480 --> 00:55:00,040
And that's how you that's how
you bring people in.
919
00:55:01,600 --> 00:55:04,080
Certainly Chad Daybell's a great
example of that.
920
00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:10,000
In a couple weeks, I'm doing an
episode on multiple mortal
921
00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:17,000
probations, I guess I'll call it
Estates, and talking about how
922
00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:22,920
he used sort of mapping out
people's past lives in order to
923
00:55:23,160 --> 00:55:27,520
to gain more control, right?
To bring everybody in and let
924
00:55:27,520 --> 00:55:30,680
them know that they were
actually his children and past
925
00:55:30,680 --> 00:55:34,920
lives and so on.
Really fascinated and.
926
00:55:36,440 --> 00:55:39,920
Yeah but you know that's that's
something else I never you know
927
00:55:40,120 --> 00:55:43,320
myself I've never bought into is
is the idea of multiple mortal
928
00:55:43,320 --> 00:55:46,840
probations cause quite frankly
everyone who has them have
929
00:55:46,840 --> 00:55:48,800
either been Julius Caesar or
Cleopatra.
930
00:55:48,800 --> 00:55:51,320
Right.
It's never like me post the
931
00:55:51,320 --> 00:55:54,480
dunkart polar boy who gets run
over by the runaway dunkart.
932
00:55:55,000 --> 00:56:00,480
It's always somewhat super
important the the, the, you
933
00:56:00,480 --> 00:56:03,480
know, I've also said before for
guys who think they're really
934
00:56:03,480 --> 00:56:06,360
special and really important,
they have to be crazy.
935
00:56:06,360 --> 00:56:10,880
Because as a guy who I try to
stay very grounded, that seems
936
00:56:10,880 --> 00:56:13,400
like a lot of work and that just
doesn't suit who I am.
937
00:56:13,400 --> 00:56:16,360
I'd rather be on the couch
eating Doritos, but that's just
938
00:56:16,360 --> 00:56:17,400
me.
That's right.
939
00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:20,200
Well, hopefully hanging with our
kids, right?
940
00:56:20,200 --> 00:56:26,080
So like our real, I think
Section 121 makes it clear like
941
00:56:26,080 --> 00:56:30,480
there's leadership and so on, is
a whole bunch of trials.
942
00:56:30,720 --> 00:56:33,360
Like, you got to make sure
you're not being abusive and so
943
00:56:33,360 --> 00:56:34,400
on.
You're not practicing priest
944
00:56:34,400 --> 00:56:36,560
craft.
You're not manipulating.
945
00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:41,040
And at the end of the day, like,
you know the great thing we've
946
00:56:41,040 --> 00:56:45,040
been called to be as fathers,
this is the this is the
947
00:56:45,040 --> 00:56:48,200
restoration in action.
You don't have to imagine being
948
00:56:48,200 --> 00:56:51,480
a Bishop or a prophet.
You've already been given this
949
00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:53,480
work, and you can still get
Revelation for it.
950
00:56:53,480 --> 00:56:56,280
And so on so.
Right, absolutely.
951
00:56:57,680 --> 00:57:02,200
As as you've done done your
research on on all these
952
00:57:02,200 --> 00:57:06,280
different lores, all these
different events, what has
953
00:57:06,280 --> 00:57:09,960
surprised you the most in doing
all the research Cause like your
954
00:57:09,960 --> 00:57:12,640
your episodes average about 1/2
hour, right?
955
00:57:12,640 --> 00:57:15,240
Somewhere between 15 minutes to
1/2 hour I've noticed.
956
00:57:15,960 --> 00:57:18,800
But what people don't understand
is there's a lot of work that
957
00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:22,200
goes into that pre and post
production, right?
958
00:57:22,440 --> 00:57:25,800
So there's a ton of research
that has to be done on the front
959
00:57:25,800 --> 00:57:28,880
end.
So in all your research, what's
960
00:57:28,880 --> 00:57:31,920
one thing that that has just
surprised you as you've gone
961
00:57:31,920 --> 00:57:36,280
through this?
Are we talking about the Chad
962
00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:38,160
Devil episodes or the other
episodes?
963
00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:39,200
What are?
Any of them.
964
00:57:39,760 --> 00:57:40,760
Any of them.
Both of them.
965
00:57:40,840 --> 00:57:50,400
You know, I love.
I love learning stories.
966
00:57:50,400 --> 00:57:55,240
Learning stories that I've heard
told to me by someone you know.
967
00:57:55,520 --> 00:57:58,120
The Temple Apparition episodes.
One of my favorites.
968
00:57:59,320 --> 00:58:05,000
I once had this woman on my
mission say to me, I went to the
969
00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:08,440
temple today and the person
really didn't want to do their
970
00:58:08,440 --> 00:58:10,400
work.
And because whenever I tried to
971
00:58:10,400 --> 00:58:14,280
put on my clothes, it would be
pulled back like she's like
972
00:58:14,280 --> 00:58:17,160
wrestling with a spirit in the
temple, I thought, that's the
973
00:58:17,160 --> 00:58:18,920
weirdest thing I've ever heard
of my life.
974
00:58:20,160 --> 00:58:24,240
And and then I found that there
are many accounts of people
975
00:58:24,240 --> 00:58:29,800
saying just this thing.
And so often the thing I think
976
00:58:29,800 --> 00:58:33,160
so interesting is that the story
that I think's obscure, maybe
977
00:58:33,160 --> 00:58:37,440
related to just one person, is
actually an experience and a a
978
00:58:37,440 --> 00:58:39,960
story that resonates with us so
much that's actually been told
979
00:58:39,960 --> 00:58:42,320
many, many times, even maybe
sometimes even when people don't
980
00:58:42,320 --> 00:58:48,120
even realize it, that this sort
of experience brings similar of
981
00:58:49,640 --> 00:58:53,360
similar stories about it and
similar experiences, of course
982
00:58:54,120 --> 00:58:58,720
with Chad Dabel.
Do you know the thing that has
983
00:58:58,720 --> 00:59:04,560
surprised me the most is all of
the people?
984
00:59:05,760 --> 00:59:12,360
Well, I'll tell you this,
learning where Chad developed
985
00:59:12,360 --> 00:59:16,440
ideas.
And so we're we're studying, you
986
00:59:16,440 --> 00:59:19,960
know, this one guy and the
terrible theology he developed
987
00:59:19,960 --> 00:59:21,640
that led to the murder of these
kids.
988
00:59:24,000 --> 00:59:30,600
But he's he's kind of just a a
sponge for ideas that he brought
989
00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:35,240
in and then twisted and so you
know his ideas of four States
990
00:59:35,640 --> 00:59:41,040
and exalted gods coming down,
he's, I mean he's practically
991
00:59:41,040 --> 00:59:45,440
plagiarizing this from people we
can just specifically pinpoint,
992
00:59:46,200 --> 00:59:49,760
including people that I've
studied in the past.
993
00:59:49,760 --> 00:59:53,200
And you know, on this, this
reincarnation episode, I'm going
994
00:59:53,200 --> 00:59:58,880
to talk about a man I met when I
was a teen who told me I was a
995
00:59:58,880 --> 01:00:01,840
fourth estate being and that I
was one of the 144,000.
996
01:00:01,840 --> 01:00:10,600
And this man, actually, I I said
how, How is it?
997
01:00:10,640 --> 01:00:13,320
How does Chad Dabell's theology
borrow from that thing?
998
01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:18,840
I heard from this guy 25 years
ago now, and just last week I
999
01:00:19,160 --> 01:00:22,200
was talking to one of Dabell's
former friends interviewing him.
1000
01:00:22,920 --> 01:00:28,000
And I learned that indeed he had
found this man's writings and
1001
01:00:28,000 --> 01:00:29,640
they meant something to him.
You know, he was, he was
1002
01:00:29,640 --> 01:00:30,960
developing his theology from
him.
1003
01:00:32,080 --> 01:00:36,440
And so all the ties that you can
find and you know individuals
1004
01:00:36,440 --> 01:00:39,640
who are out, you know,
unfortunately they're seeking,
1005
01:00:39,960 --> 01:00:44,520
seeking light but making it
very, very dark as they do so.
1006
01:00:46,200 --> 01:00:52,240
But that to me was was shocking.
It's very interesting.
1007
01:00:52,800 --> 01:00:55,920
And of course the biggest shock
to this is that this man somehow
1008
01:00:57,160 --> 01:01:00,360
had so many people believing he
was such a great guy.
1009
01:01:01,440 --> 01:01:03,400
I don't understand how that
works.
1010
01:01:04,960 --> 01:01:09,440
I really want to think that if
you would harm a child that
1011
01:01:09,440 --> 01:01:14,000
there's some way I could see you
and recognize the danger, you
1012
01:01:14,000 --> 01:01:18,360
know, and maybe some of us would
have been able to, but it's sure
1013
01:01:18,360 --> 01:01:20,520
a a tragic story that so many
weren't.
1014
01:01:21,480 --> 01:01:24,480
Absolutely.
And and I think I think that's
1015
01:01:24,480 --> 01:01:29,040
where this idea of of
storytelling can can really kind
1016
01:01:29,040 --> 01:01:33,320
of go off the rails, right.
Because look, I don't know the
1017
01:01:33,400 --> 01:01:37,200
the the Chad Dabell story and
and Lori Dabell story as well as
1018
01:01:37,200 --> 01:01:39,920
you do.
But I imagine that it doesn't
1019
01:01:39,920 --> 01:01:46,360
start out dark, right?
It gets that way over some time,
1020
01:01:46,880 --> 01:01:49,160
right.
And so maybe while it might be a
1021
01:01:49,160 --> 01:01:53,360
little fringe to begin with, it
doesn't end at just being
1022
01:01:53,360 --> 01:01:55,600
fringe.
It goes in a different direction
1023
01:01:56,800 --> 01:01:58,560
and and I think.
That's right.
1024
01:01:59,600 --> 01:02:04,640
I I also I remember I heard my
dad say something once and and
1025
01:02:04,640 --> 01:02:08,720
he said a madman will always
tell you who he is you just have
1026
01:02:08,720 --> 01:02:15,680
to be willing to listen and and
sometimes I think that that
1027
01:02:16,000 --> 01:02:22,360
maybe not necessarily believe
but take them serious right you
1028
01:02:22,360 --> 01:02:24,840
see something going in a weird
direction.
1029
01:02:25,400 --> 01:02:29,360
I think it's super important at
that point to before it goes off
1030
01:02:29,360 --> 01:02:32,080
the rails to try to get that guy
back on track, right?
1031
01:02:32,440 --> 01:02:34,200
Put an arm around and be like
dude, you are.
1032
01:02:34,440 --> 01:02:36,520
Flirting with some.
Bad stuff.
1033
01:02:37,880 --> 01:02:40,840
And so that.
I think that's part, part that
1034
01:02:40,840 --> 01:02:45,120
that can be part of the danger,
right, is that you gotta, you
1035
01:02:45,120 --> 01:02:49,480
gotta be able to set some bounds
and have kind of a, a, a, a feel
1036
01:02:49,480 --> 01:02:51,880
for when something's going off
the rails.
1037
01:02:52,000 --> 01:02:55,040
And that's, I think that's
hugely important when you deal
1038
01:02:55,040 --> 01:03:00,480
with with a lot of this.
You know, in this case there are
1039
01:03:00,520 --> 01:03:05,160
there's, you know, energy work
and reincarnation and these
1040
01:03:05,160 --> 01:03:07,640
things.
There might be a warning sign
1041
01:03:07,640 --> 01:03:09,720
they're not things I've
subscribed to, but I don't think
1042
01:03:09,720 --> 01:03:12,720
there's anything inherently
dangerous in them.
1043
01:03:12,720 --> 01:03:15,680
Right.
But the second chat spells
1044
01:03:17,200 --> 01:03:18,800
second.
They're justifying an affair,
1045
01:03:18,800 --> 01:03:20,840
right?
There's moments that happened a
1046
01:03:20,840 --> 01:03:24,840
year before the murder where
every one of his friends should
1047
01:03:24,840 --> 01:03:28,680
have been saying what?
This doesn't make sense, right?
1048
01:03:28,680 --> 01:03:29,200
What?
How?
1049
01:03:29,200 --> 01:03:33,960
How could you reason this?
So I do think we can show a
1050
01:03:33,960 --> 01:03:37,240
decline.
And and I think it does start
1051
01:03:37,240 --> 01:03:41,960
with often in these stories, it
starts with the revelation that
1052
01:03:41,960 --> 01:03:45,560
you're really special, right?
And with that, it's not just
1053
01:03:45,560 --> 01:03:49,280
that you're gonna be a leader,
but it's that morality doesn't
1054
01:03:49,280 --> 01:03:51,840
function the same for you as it
does for other people, right.
1055
01:03:52,240 --> 01:03:55,840
Dave Sanders needs to keep the
capacity, but not me.
1056
01:03:55,960 --> 01:03:58,040
I've had this revelation that
I'm an exception.
1057
01:04:00,200 --> 01:04:03,880
So I think you're right.
There are these these revealing
1058
01:04:03,880 --> 01:04:07,800
moments where where people
should jump ship.
1059
01:04:08,480 --> 01:04:14,000
Yeah, all right.
I I wanna go back to to to to
1060
01:04:14,000 --> 01:04:17,520
kind of the the happier side of
of lore here for a minute.
1061
01:04:17,560 --> 01:04:18,800
Let's do it.
Hey, Yeah.
1062
01:04:19,680 --> 01:04:22,520
We we we kind of we we kind of
went down a dark Rd. there for a
1063
01:04:22,520 --> 01:04:25,080
minute.
Chris, I don't envy you for
1064
01:04:25,080 --> 01:04:26,680
having to do the daybell stuff
either.
1065
01:04:26,680 --> 01:04:29,840
Let's just get that, you know,
like, you know, the.
1066
01:04:30,240 --> 01:04:33,160
Daybell stuff.
I'm only gonna keep up till
1067
01:04:33,160 --> 01:04:36,280
September.
I I It really bothers me.
1068
01:04:36,280 --> 01:04:37,360
This is the third time I'm
doing.
1069
01:04:37,360 --> 01:04:41,680
I'm using this as a rough draft
for a book, but you know, I even
1070
01:04:41,680 --> 01:04:44,480
named it a different name.
So it's Angels and Seer Stones
1071
01:04:44,480 --> 01:04:48,520
is the big podcast, and then
it's Demons and Pendulums is the
1072
01:04:48,560 --> 01:04:52,840
Chad based health podcast.
I wanna make sure clear they're
1073
01:04:53,000 --> 01:04:55,320
separate projects.
Yeah, yeah, I was.
1074
01:04:55,760 --> 01:04:59,520
I was gonna say don't don't get
rid of those entirely.
1075
01:04:59,520 --> 01:05:02,800
Because look, to be honest with
you, I thought about doing the
1076
01:05:02,800 --> 01:05:07,840
Chad and Daybell stuff, and I'm
like, so when I saw you were
1077
01:05:07,840 --> 01:05:09,960
doing them, I'm like, Oh yeah,
I'm just going to point people
1078
01:05:09,960 --> 01:05:11,360
that direction.
I don't want to touch it.
1079
01:05:11,800 --> 01:05:16,400
So good, good, good on you.
Well, hopefully the impact dies
1080
01:05:16,560 --> 01:05:19,480
down.
Yep, Yep, absolutely.
1081
01:05:19,840 --> 01:05:23,280
So, So back to kind of the the
lighter side of this stuff.
1082
01:05:24,680 --> 01:05:28,960
When when your, your
run-of-the-mill Mormon has this,
1083
01:05:29,240 --> 01:05:33,000
these experiences, what would
you recommend they do with them?
1084
01:05:33,400 --> 01:05:36,440
Right.
We we've talked about there's
1085
01:05:36,440 --> 01:05:39,920
kind of a time and a place for
everything, but at the same time
1086
01:05:39,920 --> 01:05:42,360
you can be too guarded in these
things.
1087
01:05:42,720 --> 01:05:45,280
So, So what?
What does the average member do
1088
01:05:45,280 --> 01:05:51,000
with these things?
Well, I think one, we should
1089
01:05:51,000 --> 01:05:54,040
write them down.
I believe that I think we should
1090
01:05:54,040 --> 01:05:57,960
share them and our families.
I don't think we have.
1091
01:05:58,080 --> 01:06:00,800
I mean I suppose there could be
some things we wouldn't share
1092
01:06:01,320 --> 01:06:05,600
with our families but for the
most part I think we want people
1093
01:06:05,600 --> 01:06:08,000
to know about our interactions
with God.
1094
01:06:10,600 --> 01:06:13,920
I, in fact I was just got off
the phone with someone whose
1095
01:06:13,920 --> 01:06:16,920
father had told them about a a
vision that he'd had.
1096
01:06:16,920 --> 01:06:21,240
You know this is a faithful
church guy you know this the the
1097
01:06:21,240 --> 01:06:23,240
vision is just about sort of
spirit world thing.
1098
01:06:24,560 --> 01:06:27,600
You think about Russell and
Nelson, right before he's called
1099
01:06:27,600 --> 01:06:33,640
his prophet, does a Roots tech
meeting, a Roots tech
1100
01:06:33,640 --> 01:06:35,200
conference, you know, a
genealogy thing.
1101
01:06:35,840 --> 01:06:40,400
And he brings a vision that his
grandpa had about the spirit
1102
01:06:40,400 --> 01:06:42,320
world, about seeing his own
father.
1103
01:06:43,320 --> 01:06:47,480
And what he does in this meeting
is he brings up his grandkids to
1104
01:06:47,480 --> 01:06:50,520
read them this story.
And so we all watch this.
1105
01:06:52,080 --> 01:06:54,880
And I think that was sort of
providing an example, right?
1106
01:06:54,880 --> 01:06:56,760
We we share it with our
posterity.
1107
01:06:56,760 --> 01:06:59,760
We share it with our family, and
this functions as a really
1108
01:06:59,760 --> 01:07:03,120
sacred space.
This is the homes, a temple,
1109
01:07:03,200 --> 01:07:05,800
because we can do things in the
home we wouldn't do in other
1110
01:07:05,800 --> 01:07:08,360
settings, and it's a sacred
spot.
1111
01:07:08,360 --> 01:07:10,520
And so one of that is that we
can share these great
1112
01:07:10,520 --> 01:07:15,800
experiences there.
I think you can also have
1113
01:07:15,800 --> 01:07:19,200
moments where you build trust
with someone, with this person.
1114
01:07:19,920 --> 01:07:24,280
And in those cases, you might
feel inspired to share something
1115
01:07:24,320 --> 01:07:27,640
that you wouldn't share over the
pulpit, right, Or write in a
1116
01:07:27,640 --> 01:07:30,920
book.
I So I think we should write
1117
01:07:30,920 --> 01:07:32,600
them.
I think we should share them.
1118
01:07:32,600 --> 01:07:35,440
So we shouldn't put up these
huge, you know, never, never
1119
01:07:35,440 --> 01:07:39,840
share them.
Boyd K Packer says that the key
1120
01:07:39,840 --> 01:07:42,960
is to make sure you feel the
spirit tell you before you share
1121
01:07:42,960 --> 01:07:45,560
one of these things.
And when you share someone
1122
01:07:45,560 --> 01:07:49,760
else's sacred experience, you
make sure that they shared it in
1123
01:07:49,760 --> 01:07:52,440
a public setting.
You make sure that they they're
1124
01:07:52,440 --> 01:07:55,240
the ones taking the lead on how
widely it should be shared.
1125
01:07:56,080 --> 01:07:58,240
So if they only told you
privately, of course you would
1126
01:07:58,240 --> 01:08:00,240
never share someone else's
experience, right?
1127
01:08:02,040 --> 01:08:05,440
Whereas if they told you in
front of a group of 1020 people,
1128
01:08:05,920 --> 01:08:08,960
you might be able to share that
experience at some future time.
1129
01:08:09,560 --> 01:08:11,080
Gotcha.
Gotcha.
1130
01:08:11,760 --> 01:08:14,760
Yeah, I I guess that would be
would be my thing right.
1131
01:08:14,760 --> 01:08:19,040
Like I think because we we are
living in the time we are an an
1132
01:08:19,040 --> 01:08:22,279
age of kind of disbelief right.
Even within religion which I
1133
01:08:22,279 --> 01:08:24,560
find which I find interesting
right.
1134
01:08:24,560 --> 01:08:29,359
I've heard people try to to I I
shouldn't say debunk but maybe
1135
01:08:29,359 --> 01:08:34,359
explain you know how Joseph went
about formulating the Book of
1136
01:08:34,359 --> 01:08:37,279
Mormon and those sorts of things
and I'm like do we need to do
1137
01:08:37,279 --> 01:08:39,840
this right.
Do we need to go down this road
1138
01:08:41,200 --> 01:08:44,200
we're all stepping right.
Right.
1139
01:08:44,319 --> 01:08:46,560
Let let's just let the history
stand.
1140
01:08:46,560 --> 01:08:51,000
Let's let Joseph say what it is
he said happened happened.
1141
01:08:51,640 --> 01:08:57,840
But I I guess for me this is
something that that I don't
1142
01:08:57,840 --> 01:09:01,240
think you should necessarily
seek after but when they do
1143
01:09:01,240 --> 01:09:06,319
happen I I I think as long as as
the message is is one that that
1144
01:09:06,800 --> 01:09:11,680
promotes faith in the savior
promotes you know family unity
1145
01:09:11,760 --> 01:09:14,200
those sorts of things.
I think that that those are
1146
01:09:14,200 --> 01:09:16,760
gifts and I think we need to
treat them as such.
1147
01:09:17,160 --> 01:09:21,240
Right.
I've, I've often said just like
1148
01:09:21,240 --> 01:09:23,680
a jewelry box.
You know, I remember my my
1149
01:09:23,680 --> 01:09:27,840
grandmother had a jewelry box
and she would keep really
1150
01:09:27,840 --> 01:09:31,840
special jewelry in there.
And so it might not be jewelry
1151
01:09:31,840 --> 01:09:35,560
that she gets out every day, but
when the occasion calls, it was
1152
01:09:35,560 --> 01:09:37,000
there.
And sometimes I think these
1153
01:09:37,000 --> 01:09:38,560
stories are kind of like that,
right?
1154
01:09:38,560 --> 01:09:43,000
You want to keep them someplace
special and safe, but you also
1155
01:09:43,000 --> 01:09:44,520
want to wear them from time to
time.
1156
01:09:44,640 --> 01:09:48,080
And you want to be able to to
not necessarily show them off,
1157
01:09:48,080 --> 01:09:53,279
but but to to put them on and to
to allow them to speak for
1158
01:09:53,279 --> 01:09:55,680
themselves.
Love it.
1159
01:09:55,920 --> 01:09:57,080
And.
And we should learn these
1160
01:09:57,080 --> 01:10:00,280
stories too, you know,
Especially stories for the 19th.
1161
01:10:01,320 --> 01:10:05,320
We should learn them and be able
to share those and not not be
1162
01:10:05,320 --> 01:10:09,840
ashamed of those stories, of
course, both our own and last
1163
01:10:09,840 --> 01:10:14,000
ones.
Yeah, I really like that jewels
1164
01:10:14,000 --> 01:10:18,360
that we bring out from time to
time and and and of course in
1165
01:10:18,360 --> 01:10:21,760
the best settings are when
someone wears their jewels.
1166
01:10:21,760 --> 01:10:24,600
So, right, right.
Yeah, that's a great message.
1167
01:10:25,200 --> 01:10:29,360
Well dude, that's good stuff.
Where can where can folks find
1168
01:10:29,360 --> 01:10:34,520
Find your podcast?
They can find it everywhere, but
1169
01:10:34,520 --> 01:10:37,800
Apple podcast or YouTube is what
usually people go to.
1170
01:10:37,800 --> 01:10:42,160
I think like 60% of our.
So you do video or just audios?
1171
01:10:45,480 --> 01:10:47,680
Do you do video or?
Just only do audio.
1172
01:10:47,880 --> 01:10:53,400
OK, we just do audio, but on
YouTube you can see a nice image
1173
01:10:53,520 --> 01:10:56,080
as you hear nice her voice.
Nice.
1174
01:10:56,480 --> 01:10:59,920
Yep, I I did that for AI did
that for a while.
1175
01:11:00,880 --> 01:11:04,440
I'm.
I'm on Rumble and I I went with
1176
01:11:04,440 --> 01:11:10,920
just the logo for a while and
Yep, Rumble and I I did that for
1177
01:11:10,920 --> 01:11:13,800
a while where I just had kind of
the logo up and then people kept
1178
01:11:13,800 --> 01:11:16,080
were like well we'd like to see
we'd like to see it.
1179
01:11:16,080 --> 01:11:18,440
I'm like really once you look at
me you're you're you're going to
1180
01:11:18,440 --> 01:11:23,520
regret this decision I'm trying
to save you pain but but anyway
1181
01:11:23,720 --> 01:11:28,040
I I gave them the option but
awesome good stuff.
1182
01:11:28,120 --> 01:11:31,080
Well, OK.
My wife, my wife is beautiful,
1183
01:11:31,080 --> 01:11:35,920
so people would want to see her.
But you know the the contrast
1184
01:11:35,920 --> 01:11:38,600
isn't something I want won't go
in live.
1185
01:11:39,240 --> 01:11:43,440
No, no, I I will say this, but
both both the girls have have
1186
01:11:43,440 --> 01:11:45,800
declined.
They went on somebody else's
1187
01:11:45,800 --> 01:11:47,560
podcast but they won't come on
mine.
1188
01:11:48,880 --> 01:11:50,760
So hate that for what it's
worth.
1189
01:11:50,760 --> 01:11:54,640
Well, that's they.
Yeah.
1190
01:11:54,720 --> 01:11:58,280
Yeah, they they won't be.
I have husband and wife.
1191
01:11:58,320 --> 01:12:00,520
I will.
'Cause that would be a really
1192
01:12:00,520 --> 01:12:02,720
good episode.
I mean that That's like, I could
1193
01:12:02,720 --> 01:12:04,400
just turn on the mic and walk
away.
1194
01:12:04,400 --> 01:12:08,400
I mean, that's perfect.
But no, that that's good stuff
1195
01:12:08,400 --> 01:12:11,360
for sure, man.
Well, dude, as these things keep
1196
01:12:11,360 --> 01:12:13,840
going on, as you keep doing
these episodes, let's get back
1197
01:12:13,840 --> 01:12:16,040
on here from time to time,
because there's some specific
1198
01:12:16,040 --> 01:12:19,880
ones I'd like to ask you about,
in particular, the three knee
1199
01:12:19,880 --> 01:12:22,000
fights, that sort of stuff,
Right.
1200
01:12:22,320 --> 01:12:25,440
Get a little more specific, but
I won't, I won't take up any
1201
01:12:25,440 --> 01:12:27,760
more time, any more of your time
tonight.
1202
01:12:27,760 --> 01:12:30,040
I appreciate you coming on, man.
I'd be happy to.
1203
01:12:30,040 --> 01:12:32,840
Maybe we should do a White Horse
Prophecy one down the road.
1204
01:12:32,840 --> 01:12:35,240
Dude, that'd be awesome.
That'd be awesome.
1205
01:12:35,360 --> 01:12:37,040
I'm down.
I'm down.
1206
01:12:37,040 --> 01:12:39,320
Let's do that.
That'd be good.
1207
01:12:39,800 --> 01:12:40,800
Awesome.
All right.
1208
01:12:40,800 --> 01:12:42,600
Sounds good.
Thanks again, Chris.
1209
01:12:42,760 --> 01:12:43,640
Bye everybody.