Ep. 43: LDS chaplain: God's plan does NOT need Satan

The Church of Jesus Christ's abuse helpline exists to assist local leaders when dealing with cases of child abuse or any number of other crisis situations. Some people believe the helpline exists only to legally protect the Church or to cover up abuse, rather than help victims. Our guest in this interview, Kate Lauck, is a former helpline employee, an investigative attorney specializing in child abuse, and survivor of child abuse herself. In our discussion she addresses the rumors, corrects the record, and reveals in no uncertain terms what she would do if nefarious things were actually going on behind the scenes with the helpline.

In April 2026, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed a federal lawsuit against the Open Stories Foundation (Mormon Stories) and Dr. John Dehlin, causing a stir of mixed reactions among members of the Church. Today I have the lead attorney of that very lawsuit, David Jordan, on the show to answer some tough questions, and even respond to a few public claims made by Dr. Dehlin. David Jordan is the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah. He's currently a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP, specializes in commercial and complex civil litigation, and is currently spear-heading the Church’s ongoing lawsuit against John Dehlin and the Open Stories Foundation.

When it comes to tithing, what counts as income? Should we be paying on our gross or net? Do we lose blessings by paying less? And if we have to choose, should we pay our tithing... or feed our kids? Aaron Brewster is a Certified Public Accountant and has served as a ward financial clerk multiple times in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this episode we’re going to be asking him some tough questions surrounding tithing.DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this conversation qualifies as financial advice and should not be taken that way. This conversation also does not represent the stance or doctrine of the Church, and all tithing decisions are ultimately between the individual and the Lord.

The scriptures teach that there is opposition in all things, but does that include opposition from Satan? Is Satan "necessary" for agency to exist? And why is that a question Latter-day Saints should care about? Grant Arnold is here to talk about it. Grant Arnold is a chaplain in the United States Air Force and the author of the BYU Religious Educator article, “War a Good Warfare: Understanding Agency in the Plan of Salvation.”

How ancient are "modern" LDS temples, really? Is it worrisome that we find Masonry in our own ordinances? What is at the heart of temple worship? Ben Spackman is back and he's here to set the record straight! Ben Spackman is a Latter-day Saint Bible scholar. He’s got a bachelor’s in Near Eastern studies, a Master's in Near Eastern languages and civilizations, and a PhD in the history of Christianity. Latter-day Saints around the world are studying the Old Testament in 2026, and in this episode we’re going to be talking about ancient temples versus modern temples: what we get right when we compare them, what we get wrong, and what we may be misunderstanding.

In this episode, David sits down with author and researcher Jeff Strong to talk about the data on why some people leave the Latter-day Saint faith. Jeff points out four cultural tensions that can sometimes be out of balance, but that we can improve! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@keystoneldsInsta: https://www.instagram.com/keystonelds/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keystoneldsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/keystonelds/Website: https://www.keystonelds.com

CORRECTION: At about ⁠18:50⁠ we refer to the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. However, Nathan intended to refer to the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act.What do we do when “obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” collides with the practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Nathan Oman discusses major ways in which legislation has influenced the trajectory of the Church over time.Nathan Oman is a Latter-day Saint and law professor at William & Mary Law School. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, and he’s the author of Oxford’s recently published book, “Living Oracles: Law and the Latter-day Saint Tradition.”YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@keystoneldsInsta: https://www.instagram.com/keystonelds/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keystoneldsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/keystonelds/Website: https://www.keystonelds.com

In this interview, David Snell sits down with Evangelical pastor Kyle Beshears to talk about Latter-day Saint history, controversy, and Kyle's new book, "40 Questions about Mormonism." YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@keystoneldsInsta: https://www.instagram.com/keystonelds/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keystoneldsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/keystonelds/Website: https://www.keystonelds.com

Using secular sources, Justin Dyer responds to false claims surrounding membership retention in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dr. Justin Dyer is a professor of religious education at BYU. He’s got a Ph.D. in human and community development. He has published over 80 academic studies and has been cited over 3,000 times in academic research. He teaches classes on family, religion, and statistics. He recently published research on Latter-day Saint Religiousness, Well-Being, and Retention. When I saw this eye-opening data he uncovered, I had to bring him on the show.

Genesis teaches that Adam and Eve were our first parents. Or does it? LDS historian Ben Spackman is back, and in this episode we'll be discussing the historicity of Adam and Eve's story, and whether modern revelation can agree with modern science. Ben is here to blow minds and write dissertations...and he's all out of dissertations. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@keystoneldsInsta: https://www.instagram.com/keystonelds/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keystoneldsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/keystonelds/Website: https://www.keystonelds.com