Gospel Tangents Podcast
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Gospel Tangents Podcast
A 360-degree view of Mormonism. We interview the best Mormon scholars, scientists, and clergy from all restoration branches, including LDS, Community of Christ, Strangites, Bickertonites, Temple Lot, Remnant, etc.
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When Faith & DNA Collide (Simon Southerton 2018 interview)
We’re talking about where faith & DNA collide. This is a throwback episode from my 2018 interview with Dr Simon Southerton. We’ll discuss how this for...
Raising Kids in Polygamy
In the final segment, the Ericksons tackle the practical side of raising kids in polygamy. They discuss whether they expect their kids to be polygamis...
Women Bless the Sick? “I’ve Actually Done That” (Ericksons 3 of 4)
Rick Bennett asks the hard questions about gender and race within independent fundamentalism. Do women bless the sick? The Erickson family—Joshua, Mel...
Authority Without a Church: How Independent Mormons Claim Priesthood (Ericksons)
The Ericksons introduce a massive new scripture project for Independent Mormons and all Restorationists. We discuss the contentious issue of priesthoo...
2nd Edition Sister Wives (Ericksons)
The largest group of Mormon polygamists don’t belong to a group! I’m talking to the Ericksons: Joshua, Charlotte, & Melissa who purchased the Sister W...
Supporting Hard Questions: LDS Faith Journeys
Rick Bennett and Kurt Francom announce the launch of the Gospel Tangents Network and its new community forum, LDS Faith Journeys.org, designed to supp...
Lost Interview with Troy Ables: A Final Tribute
I was surprised to learn that Troy Ables passed away on Thursday, Jan 15, 2026. In this special episode I’m sharing a previously unpublished interview...
Brigham Didnt Dissolve Relief Society? (Katie Rich & Heather Sundahl)
Brigham didnt dissolver Relief Society! That’s what Katie Rich’s recent article on Brigham Young & the Relief Society claimed. It goes against the his...
FBI & Feminists: Shocking Embezzlement Scandal at Exponent II (Katie Rich/Heather Sundahl)
The most shocking part of Exponent II‘s history is the organization’s “FBI embezzlement story.” In 2017, the board discovered that a trusted treasurer...
ERA & Ordain Women Controversies (Katie Rich/Heather Sundahl)
Award-winning authors Katie Rich and Heather Sundahl explore 2 controversies: Ordain Women & Equal Rights Amendment in the sometimes turbulent history...
Apostle Shuts Down Claudia Bushman??? (1 of 4 Katie Rich/Heather Sundahl)
Mormon women led by Claudia Bushman started the Exponent II organization in Boston while her husband Richard Bushman was stake president. Claudia caus...
Decade of History: Celebrating the 2025 Book Awards and Most-Watched Moments (GT Live)
Happy New Year to all the listeners and readers! As we step into 2026, I gave my second annual Gospel Tangents 2025 Book Awards. (Click the link for 2...
Bombs in Salt Lake (Curt Bench 2017 interview)
As we end 2025, I thought I’d share an old interview titled “Bombs in Salt Lake.” This is from my first year with Curt Bench. Curt actually called Mar...
Dan Vogel Unlocks Book of Abraham
Historian Dan Vogel breaks down the complex history of the Book of Abraham, beginning with the 1835 purchase of Egyptian mummies in Kirtland, Ohio. Ra...
Dan Vogel on the Evolution of Joseph Smith’s First Vision (2019 interview)
We’re diving deep into the evolution of First VIsion accounts with Historian Dan Vogel. He offers a deep dive into the historical developments of earl...
Strangite Priesthood-Beaver Island Preview Gary Weber (5 of 6)
Recently, I had the fascinating opportunity to delve into the beliefs practices, and Strangite priesthood views with Gary Weber of the Strangite Churc...
How Interracial Marriage Fueled the LDS Priesthood Ban 1847-1852 (Rick B)
Interracial Marriage is critical to the reasons for a priesthood/temple ban on black LDS Church members. For many years, the official position of the...
*Blacks, Women & Priesthood in LeBaronism (Jacob Vidrine 13 of 13)
Can women hold priesthood in LeBaron Mormon fundamentalism? Jacob Vidrine from Church of the Firstborn surprised me with his answer about women & prie...
Christmas Special! When Was Christ Born? (Rick B)
When was Christ born? I held a livestream to tackle some of the most enduring mysteries surrounding the Christmas story, diving deep into scholarly de...
Why Mormon Fundamentalists Restrict Blacks (Jacob Vidrine 12 of 13)
Many Mormon fundamentalists restrict blacks from joining despite the 1978 revelation that allowed black men to hold the priesthood. This is considered...
From Adam-God to Adoption: Jacob Vidrine’s Discovery of Polygamy, Rebaptism, & LeBaronism (11 of 13)
The path to LeBaronism began when the speaker gained a testimony of the Adam-God doctrine, then accepted principles like rebaptism, eventually leading...
Notorious Polygamist: Tom Green’s TV Family, Child Polygamy, & Utah Prosecution (Jacob Vidrine 10 of 13)
Tom Green gained notoriety for appearing on television with his plural family, which led to Utah prosecuting him after discovering one wife was “very...
How Fred Collier Defined the Ross LeBaronite Movement (Jacob Vidrine 9 of 13)
Fred Collier is one of the patriarchs of Ross LeBaron’s Church of the Firstborn. Fred tried to take over after Ross’s death and even converted Tom Gre...
Eccentric Prophet’s Controversial Radio Ministry & Authority Claim Jacob Vidrine (8 of 13)
Ross Wesley LeBaron played the role of eccentric prophet. The second oldest son of patriarch Alma Dayer LeBaron Sr., carved a distinct path in Utah. R...
Evil Ervil LeBaron (Jacob Vidrine 7 of 8)
Evil Ervil LeBaron was a killer. He killed not only his brother Joel LeBaron, but had his wives kill rival Rulon Allred. He was known to have a hit li...
Peculiar Mormon Fundamentalist Schisms 1950s (Jacob Vidrine 6 of 8)
1950s were a tumultuous time for Mormon polygamists. Not only did police jail many for polygamy, but there were Mormon Fundamentalist Schisms. Many gr...
Only Polygamy in Heaven? (Jacob Vidrine 5 of 8)
Will there be polygamy in heaven? We’re diving into Ross LeBaron story with Jacob Vidrine of the Church of the Firstborn. I’ll also ask Jacob if polyg...
LeBaron Succession (Jacob Vidrine 4 of 4)
Jacob Vidrine discusses LeBaron succession! You may have heard of Ervil, Joel, and Ross LeBaron. Who took charge after Alma Dayer LeBaron died? Check...
Benjamin F Johnson (Jacob Vidrine 3 of 4)
Jacob Vidrine tells how authority transferred from Benjamin F Johnson in Nauvoo to Alma Dayer LeBaron and the LeBaron groups. Check out our conversati...
Council of 50 Connection: Secret Priesthood & LeBaron Legacy (Jacob Vidrine 2 of 4)
Let’s look into the unique authority claims of the Church of the Firstborn, also often referred to by the term Ross LeBaron-ite. They claim authority...
Jacob Vidrine – Church of the Firstborn (1 of 8)
I’m excited to introduce Jacob Vidrine, a member of Church of the Firstborn. This is a group that is part of the LeBaron fundamentalist group. Jacob i...
JFS-Architect of Controversial LDS Orthodoxy (Bowman 4 of 4)
Joseph Fielding Smith is the architect of controversial LDS orthodoxy. He has some controversial writings about Blacks and Ezra Taft Benson. We’ll als...
How Wes Walters’ Revival Research Forced Mormon Historians to Confront the 1820 Story (Sandra Tanner 5 of 5)
A key figure who accelerated the historical crisis for both the Tanners (who left the group in 1962) and Pauline’s church was Wes Walters, a Presbyter...
Jerald & Sandra Tanner’s Apostolic Scolding (4 of 5)
Jerald and Sandra Tanner received an apostolic scolding by LeGrand Richards over the First Vision! By the early 1960s, Sandra and Jerald Tanner were d...
Missing 1832 First Vision Account (Sandra Tanner 3 of 6)
Sandra Tanner discusses one of the most intriguing episodes in Mormon history: her early inquiry into the missing 1832 First Vision account. (She didn...
Shocking Truth: Murderers in Celestial Kingdom? Challenging Sandra Tanner’s Faith (2/6)
Will there be murderers in Celestial Kingdom? An Institute Teacher’s answer challenged Sandra Tanner’s faith back in the 1950s. We’ll talk about this...
Pioneers of Criticism: Sandra Tanner, Pauline Hancock, & Quest for the Original Church of Christ (1 of 5)
Before Stassi Cramm became the first woman to lead the Community of Christ, Pauline Hancock led the Church of Christ. Sandra Tanner was baptized in ab...
How Tanners Identified Hofmann Forgery (Sandra Tanner)
This is a throwback episode from 2018. Sandra & Jerald Tanner were the first to identify a Hofmann forgery. They were the first to claim the Salamande...
Pregnant Possibilities: Joseph Smith’s Polygamy
A presentation titled Pregnant Possibilities was given by Mark Tensmeyer, Joseph Stanford, Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, John Kidd, & myself (Rick Bennett.)...
Don’t Ask Peggy Fletcher Stack’s Opinion! (4 of 4)
Today is Peggy Fletcher Stack’s 40th wedding anniversary. A few months ago, I asked Peggy Fletcher Stack’s opinions. Central to Peggy’s thirty-plus-ye...