In Part Two of our conversation with Claire and Marc Headley, we dive into the details of how they finally escaped the Sea Organization and the events that led up to that decision. We will also discuss other topics such as the FBI's investigation into Scientology, why they have spoken out against the church since leaving, and how Scientology responds to critics.

Claire and Marc also open up about their ongoing mission to help others break free, including their work with the Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation, which provides resources and support for those leaving Scientology.

You will not want to miss this captivating story of escape from a very dangerous organization.

___________________

YouTube

At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.

Our overall mission is to:

1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology

2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis

3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today

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📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Prepare yourself for an EPIC non-Mormon story! This week we are introducing Claire and Marc Headley, who were born into the Church of Scientology and have a remarkable escape story that we are excited to share with you.

Both Claire and Marc were members of the Sea Organization within Scientology, where the church’s elite-level leaders work and are required to sign a billion-year contract of servitude. During their time there, both worked closely with David Miscavige, the current leader of Scientology, and witnessed his brutality firsthand.

In this first part, Claire and Marc discuss the foundations of Scientology, what it was like to be raised in it, and how they came to join the Sea Org. They also share insider information on high-profile members such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, and even address the mystery of what happened to Shelly Miscavige.

Then, join us on Wednesday for part two of this interview, where they share their incredible story of escaping the Sea Org and talk about their work with the Mike Rinder Aftermath Foundation.

So strap in and enjoy this stranger-than-fiction story!

___________________

YouTube

At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.

Our overall mission is to:

1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology

2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis

3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today

One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories

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Join this channel to get access to perks:

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Our Platforms:

🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes

🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1

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📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

We are back again with Dr. John Turner in part 15 of the Joseph Smith Podcast, covering his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” Join us as we explore the dramatic events of 1834 when Joseph Smith led Zion’s Camp, from Kirtland, Ohio to Clay County, Missouri. This episode dives deep into the historical and spiritual implications of Zion’s Camp –including Joseph Smith’s controversial prophecies, the hardships faced by the Saints as refugees, the question of prophetic failure, and the lasting theological impact on the Latter-day Saint movement.

Topics covered today include:

-The story of Zelph the White Lamanite

-Joseph Smith’s dog “Major”

-The thunderstorm that may have saved Zion’s Camp

-The tension between Governor Dunclan and Joseph Smith

Like, comment, and subscribe for more deep dives into Mormon history and theology.

Please purchase the book ⁠here⁠.

To support this series please donate ⁠here⁠. One half of all donations will go to Dr. Turner for as long as he is participating in the series.

___________________

YouTube

At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.

Our overall mission is to:

1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology

2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis

3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today

One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories

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Join this channel to get access to perks:

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Our Platforms:

🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes

🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1

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Contact us:

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📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

We are thrilled to have Sandra Tanner as a guest on our LDS Discussions series this week! Along with John, Julia, and Nemo, Sandra is here to offer commentary on three new essays recently released by the LDS Church, addressing the issues of Book of Mormon translation, polygamy, and Joseph Smith’s character.

In part one of this two-part episode, we will focus on Joseph Smith’s “translation” of the Book of Mormon and on polygamy.

Among the topics we’ll cover:

-“Translation” vs. “Revelation”

-Joseph’s use of the seer stones

-What became of the Eight Witnesses

-The polygamy manifestos

-The Nauvoo Expositor

You won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation with the one and only Sandra Tanner, as we dissect the essays point by point and offer a unique perspective on these issues.

___________________

YouTube

At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.

Our overall mission is to:

1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology

2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis

3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today

One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories

Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories

Join this channel to get access to perks:

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Our Platforms:

🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes

🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1

🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772

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Contact us:

📧 MormonStories@gmail.com

📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

This week, we’re sitting down with Benson Lawson, who made the bold decision to decline his Mormon mission call. In the LDS community, serving a mission is often seen as non-negotiable—an expectation placed on nearly every young man. For those who choose differently, the backlash can be overwhelming.

Benson is bravely sharing his story with us, opening up about the pressure, the stigma, and why a mission wasn’t the right path for him.

Join us as we explore the reasons why a mission is not right for everyone, and what affect this choice can have on a Mormon man in particular.

___________________

⁠YouTube⁠

⁠Show Notes⁠

At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.

Our overall mission is to:

1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology

2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis

3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today

One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories

Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories

Join this channel to get access to perks:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join

Our Platforms:

🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes

🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1

🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772

🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories

📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast

🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF

Contact us:

📧 MormonStories@gmail.com

📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

We are back today for part two of our examination of the CES Letter vs. the Book of Mormon. The CES Letter is perhaps one of the most influential documents in Mormon studies, and for years the LDS Church has criticized it and its author, Jeremy Runnells. Is this a fair treatment by the Church, or are Jeremy's questions on church doctrine valid?

In this series, we are going point by point through the questions raised in the CES Letter to discuss how they line up with the Book of Mormon, as well as the responses the Church has provided thus far.

Some of the questions we’ll cover include:

-Why is there no archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon?

-Where did the events of the Book of Mormon actually take place?

-Why does the Book of Mormon share so many similarities with other books from Joseph Smith’s time?

-Does the Book of Mormon reflect a Trinitarian view of God?

Join us today as we attempt to answer these questions—and more.

___________________

YouTube

Show Notes

At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.

Our overall mission is to:

1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology

2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis

3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today

One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories

Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories

Join this channel to get access to perks:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join

Our Platforms:

🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes

🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1

🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772

🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories

📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast

🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF

Contact us:

📧 MormonStories@gmail.com

📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Today we are very excited to welcome Danny Rensch to the podcast! Lovers of chess may know Danny as an international chess champion and co-founder of Chess.com—but did you know he was also raised in a cult?

In this interview, Danny discusses the release of his new book, Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life, which tells the story of his upbringing in the Church of Immortal Consciousness. Groomed by the cult’s leader, Steven Camp, to become a chess grandmaster, Danny was separated from his family at a young age and taught that his ultimate purpose in life was to bring awareness to the religion through chess.

Join us to learn more about:

-The Church of Immortal Consciousness, their beliefs, and its founders

-Danny’s training with alcoholic chess master Igor Ivanov

-Danny’s struggles with substances and addiction, and how these were fostered by “the collective”

-Danny’s career as a chess master and how it ultimately led him to co-found Chess.com

Danny Rensch’s book Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life is out now! Let’s help him get on the bestseller list by purchasing the book here.

___________________

YouTube

Show Notes

At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.

Our overall mission is to:

1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology

2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis

3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today

One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories

Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories

Join this channel to get access to perks:

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Our Platforms:

🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes

🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1

🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772

🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories

📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast

🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF

Contact us:

📧 MormonStories@gmail.com

📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

We are here today with part fourteen of our Joseph Smith: The Podcast series with Dr. John Turner. Today we are continuing on with chapter thirteen of his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” The chapter is titled “Zion is Fled” and covers the years 1883-1834 in Missouri. In this episode we explore one of the most turbulent periods in early Mormon history. We dive into the Missouri conflict of the 1830s, the Saints’ rising tensions with their neighbors, and the violent clashes that shaped both Mormon identity and leadership.

We also discuss:

-The growing resentment of Non-Mormons

-The destruction of a Mormon printing press by mob violence

-Slavery in Missouri and how that related to the Saints

-Doctor Philastus Hurlbut affidavits

-The Solomon Spaulding Manuscript

-The 1833 Meteor shower

-How persecution shaped and influenced the Saints’ identity

This conversation wrestles with big questions: Why did violence erupt? How did Joseph Smith and the Saints respond to failed prophecies? And what do these early struggles reveal about faith, leadership, and survival in a hostile America?

Please purchase the book ⁠here⁠.

To support this series please donate ⁠here⁠. One half of all donations will go to Dr. Turner for as long as he is participating in the series.

___________________

YouTube

Show Notes

At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.

Our overall mission is to:

1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology

2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis

3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today

One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories

Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories

Join this channel to get access to perks:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join

Our Platforms:

🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes

🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories

✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1

🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772

🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories

📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast

🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF

Contact us:

📧 MormonStories@gmail.com

📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117