Radio Free Mormon – Radio Free Mormon

RFM detailed the bar complaints against him in the last episode for playing a Halloween prank on the sister missionaries; how those bar complaints were filed by members of the secret combination Mormon missionary group known as “The Cavalry,” and how those complaints were dismissed by the state bar association. This show will discuss recent developments of that story, particularly how Jaxon Washburn has chosen to thrust himself to the forefront of the controversy by writing and then cross-posting an inflammatory and defamatory blog about the situation. Joining us tonight on the panel are Kolby Reddish, Randall Bell, and possibly some other special guests. Join us, won’t you?

Why do apologists want to hide the truth about the LDS Church? Likely because the truth makes their job of defending Mormonism so much harder. Two Mormon apologists from FAIRMormon tried to shut my podcast down by filing bar complaints against me! This is their story. Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t go well for the two apologists. This one you won’t want to miss! Original Video of RFM’s  “They Can’t Handle The Truth”

Join RFM immediately after each session of General Conference for an entertaining and insightful recap! Radio Free Mormon! Watching General Conference so you don’t have to!

Join RFM immediately after each session of General Conference for an entertaining and insightful recap! Radio Free Mormon! Watching General Conference so you don’t have to!

Join RFM immediately after each session of General Conference for an entertaining and insightful recap! Radio Free Mormon! Watching General Conference so you don’t have to!

Join RFM immediately after each General Conference Session as he gives an entertaining recap! Radio Free Mormon! Watching General Conference so you don’t have to!

Joseph Smith was a treasure seeker in his youth. But it didn’t end there. The religion he founded, and the book he dictated into existence, also bear unmistakable signs of his treasure-seeking activities, specifically the process he used to locate buried treasure. Dr. John Lundwall shares his new theory that the Book of Mormon fits best within the framework of performative spell-casting by a treasure-seeking Joseph Smith. Radio Free Mormon shares his perspective on how this framework also fits astonishing well when laid alongside the LDS Temple endowment ceremony. Joseph Smith’s ceremonial magic is with Mormonism late and soon, as it turns out. You won’t want to miss this show!

Former Bishop Nathan Hinckley joins the show, together with a very special guest appearance from his wife, Amy! Together they tell us about their journey through Mormonism; a journey that ultimately led both of them out of the church just three short years ago. This is one you won’t want to miss!

Dr. Randall Bell brings fresh new research to Mormon Studies in this fascinating episode of Radio Free Mormon! Apologists claim the presence of an ancient Hebrew literary form called “chiasmus” proves the Book of Mormon to be ancient. “Not so fast,” says Dr. Bell, who shares with us a much more plausible source for chiasmus in the Book of Mormon than being put there by ancient American Jews whom DNA studies show didn’t exist. This is an episode you will want to not only watch, but share with your friends and family! The more we study the Book of Mormon, the more apparent it is a product of early 19th Century America!

We’re having a party! And by “we,” I mean Radio Free Mormon and Kolby Reddish. What are we celebrating? Finally getting through our over-one-year dismantling of Austin Fife’s “Lite on Truth” Letter! And everybody is invited to this party! You will be able to join us in the studio by way of streamyard link. We will be going over our favorite parts of the twenty-episode series, together with what Kolby’s computer AI program can tell us by breaking down all sixty-plus hours of content! This will be a great send-off to Austin Fife and his aptly named “Lite on Truth Letter”!

RFM blows up one of the most popular apologist theories for how the Book of Mormon can still be divinely inspired . . . even though it contains indisputable elements from Joseph Smith’s 19th Century environment. It’s called “The Expansion Theory.” It was created by Blake Ostler. And Mr. Ostler is not going to be happy about the thrashing RFM gives his theory. After this episode, the only thing that will be left of Ostler’s “Expansion Theory” is a mushroom-shaped cloud on the horizon. Don’t miss this one!

What is it like to be a Mormon missionary in Japan? RFM reflects on different aspects of his mission through the use of some recently acquired letters he himself wrote while serving his mission almost half a century ago!

This week, Radio Free Mormon gathers an all-star panel of Mormon influencers to respond to President Dallin H. Oaks’ recent devotional address delivered at Brigham Young University on Tuesday, February 10. Front and center is Oaks’ warning about “speculation and false information in podcasts and on social media” — and his counsel to avoid being persuaded by those voices. Instead, he urges members to seek out “faithful, well-informed friends,” renew covenants weekly, attend the temple regularly, and stay firmly on the covenant path. So what does it mean when Church leadership cautions members about podcasts… in a media landscape where podcasts are one of the primary spaces for discussion, nuance, and historical transparency? Is this about protecting faith? Controlling narrative? Reducing doubt? Or something more complicated? Our panel dives deep into the psychology behind information control, authority, and epistemic trust. Who gets to define “well-informed”? Why are certain conversations labeled speculation while others are framed as revelation? And what happens when members are told to avoid sources that challenge official claims? Expect thoughtful analysis, sharp humor, and candid reflection as we explore what this devotional signals about the Church’s current moment — and what it means for creators, critics, and everyday members trying to navigate faith in the digital age. If you care about truth, trust, and who controls the story, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

THEY NEVER DESTROYED THE HELPLINE RECORDS! Did RFM just catch the LDS Church lying about its CSA Helpline records? In order to avoid turning over Helpline records, the Church has previously sworn all the records are destroyed at the end of each day. Now suddenly, in order to defend itself against the allegations of Beau Oyler, a former bishop, the LDS Church miraculously goes back to August of 2013 and . . . finds the Helpline records for one particular phone call! How is that possible if those records were destroyed at the end of the day? How indeed? Watch this eleven-minute clip from the February 6, 2026 Mormonism After Dark show for details!

RFM and esteemed co-counsel Kolby Reddish dissect Chapter 12 of Austin Fife’s “Lite on Truth Letter.” They completely decimate the apologetic attempt to make excuses for why Mormon prophets have a historically disastrous record of making failed prophecies and disavowed doctrinal pronouncements. Astonishingly, some new apologists such as Austin Fife and Jacob Hansen are trying to stake out the position that it’s okay for prophets to get doctrinal pronouncements wrong . . . but you can totally trust everything else they say! You can imagine the fun we have with this! Join RFM and Kolby for a fun romp through the ridiculousness that has become Mormon apologetics!

What does it say when you have to lie to defend your religion? Time to get a new religion? Not if you’re Jacob Hansen! For Jacob, lying is all in a day’s work for a Mormon apologist. Radio Free Mormon was an apologist for ten years back in the 1980s. RFM got to the same point as Jacob Hansen; where he realized he was actively misleading his audience to convince them Mormonism was true. That’s when RFM gave up apologetics. When Jacob Hansen got to that same point, however, that’s when he doubled down. In this podcast, RFM exposes how Jacob Hansen misrepresents fundamental teachings of the LDS Church in order to win an argument. Talk about selling your birthright for a mess of pottage! What this shows us incontrovertibly is that the Mormon Church cannot be defended as it is; it must first be changed into something else. And even then it isn’t defensible. Check this one out and share it with your friends whenever the subject of Jacob Hansen’s credibility comes up!

This is it! The final episode! Words cannot express how happy Kolby and RFM are to finally be finishing their two-man demolition of this piece of apologetic dreck presented to the world by Austin Fife as “The Light and Truth Letter.” But after 58-hours of commentary from these two post-Mormon attorneys, spanning over an entire year, we can see quite clearly why it will be known forever after as “The Lite on Truth Letter.” And thank YOU so much for following us all the way through this adventure! It has been one helluva ride! We hope you will enjoy us for the after-party in a few weeks. And Austin? You’re invited too! Love you, man! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Beginning with the classic fringe belief that “aliens built the pyramids,” Radio Free Mormon teaches you the simple but powerful technique that can defuse and destroy virtually any apologetic argument in favor of Mormonism. This silver bullet works every time! Apologists, beware!

The evisceration of the Light and Truth Letter continues! RFM is joined by Kolby Reddish as they continue their debunking of Austin Fife’s pride and joy. In this strange chapter, Austin claims he left Mormonism after he stopped believing in God. Then, using only common sense, he reconstructed a new version of God that just happened to match the Mormonism he just left. “More strange than true”? Join us as we explore not only Austin Fife’s faith journey, but also the question of evil in a world governed by a God who is allegedly both all-powerful and all-loving. Does such an idea make sense? And do Austin’s attempts to solve the problem of evil hold water? Listen to the evidence and you decide!

Black Skin A Curse From God? Rumors have been swirling recently that the LDS Church is changing certain verses in its African language translations of the Book of Mormon; certain verses that in the English Book of Mormon talk about black skin being a curse from God. The rumor is that those verses have been changed in African language translations so as to keep Africans from knowing that the Book of Mormon calls black skin a curse. Radio Free Mormon investigates those rumors and reports the facts!

WHY MORMONS HAVE TO LIE ABOUT MORMONISM. RFM and Kolby Reddish take Austin Fife out behind the woodshed yet again in this newest analysis of “The Light and Truth Letter.” The more Austin defends the LDS Church, the deeper the hole he digs for Mormonism. In Chapter 19 titled “Critical Myths,” Austin Fife proves that truth should be no obstacle in defending the Mormon Church. RFM and Kolby are right there to point out all the lies, half-truths and distortions that Austin must use to make Mormonism defensible. And then they address the real elephant in the living room: Why do Mormons have to lie in order to defend Mormonism? This is one you won’t want to miss!

When Radio Free Mormon says this is the show the LDS church doesn’t want you to see, he’s not kidding! The LDS church already took down the original version of this episode by lodging a copyright strike against it with YouTube. But now, what with Dallin H. Oaks being made president of the LDS church, and what with excommunications on the rise again, this message has never been more timely! Is there a connection between increasing church discipline and President Oaks’s injunction to local leaders that they need to excommunicate more members? Listen, and you decide

Radio Free Mormon and Kolby Reddish dissect chapter 17 of Austin Fife’s Light On Truth Letter. Easily the worst chapter so far, Austin inadvertently reveals a lot about himself, including the fact that the way he deals with critics of Mormonism is to “stop listening to them.” This was surprising from somebody who wrote an entire book to address their arguments, but there you have it. Austin also lets us know that he systematically mischaracterizes critics of Mormonism as the worst people on the planet so he can make Mormons look good by comparison. It is a tour de force of bad apologetics. And you get a front row seat! Don’t forget your popcorn! And remember to fasten your seatbelt. It’s going to be a bumpy night!

A lot of people feel down around the holidays. So did RFM! But a few years ago, RFM stumbled across some wisdom from a guy who lived 2,000 years ago that turned everything around. And maybe it will for you, too! RFM shares how he used to be in love with Christmas as a boy, how he parted ways with Christmas in a messy break-up, and how after a long period of alienation, they finally got back together. Join RFM as he tells the wonderful stories that led him through this experience, and how he gained an unexpected insight into the authorship of D&C 132 along the way! This message is for everyone who loves Christmas, and for those who used to love Christmas and would like to love it again!

Radio Free Mormon is joined once again by esteemed co-counsel Kolby Reddish to take apart yet another chapter of Austin Fife’s “Light On Truth Letter.” RFM and Kolby agree this has got to be the crappiest chapter in an otherwise crappy book. But sometimes, the crappier the chapter, the longer it takes to break down. We point out numerous logical fallacies Austin Fife engages in to try to make Mormon plural marriage defensible, many of which Austin Fife mentioned earlier in his own book! That’s right! Austin Fife sets forth in the first chapter of his book a list of logical fallacies to be aware of when used by critics. This turns out to be a timely warning, as Austin Fife proceeds to employ pretty much every logical fallacy he lists; seven of them at least in this chapter alone! Join RFM and Kolby as they continue the work of making mincemeat of this mouse, Austin Fife!

In this episode, Radio Free Mormon welcomes Bill Reel into the studio for a deep-dive investigation into a troubling pattern coming out of the Ward Radio camp. RFM walks viewers through clear, point-by-point evidence that Ward Radio’s Jonah Barnes is presenting another scholar’s research as if it were his own. Bill acts as the jury weighing the evidence and speaks to why this matters for anyone trying to do responsible Mormon scholarship. And in the end you get a front row seat as RFM attempts to catch a thief. They also explore what happens to a community when influencers cut corners, how repeated plagiarism undermines trust, and why ethical standards in religious commentary are more than just academic nitpicking. With RFM’s legal mind and Bill’s grounded ethics teaming up, the two present a compelling case that pulls no punches while keeping the conversation accessible, sharp, and genuinely eye-opening.

I have been putting off telling this story for all nine years I have been podcasting. Beyond that, I have never shared this story publicly, and privately only with a handful of close friends. This occurrence happened in 1979, when I was nineteen years old. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before or since. It stands as a singularity in my lifetime. This is the story of how I met Satan. And yes, I instantly regretted it. So turn out the lights, gather close to whatever device you’re watching this on, and listen to this absolutely true story, likely to send shivers down your spine.

The question of whether Mormons should be called “Christian” is all the rage. But it was also a much-debated question back in the 1980s when RFM was at the height of his Mormon Apologetic career. Radio Free Mormon brings his years of experience and perspective to this question and gives the final and authoritative answer to whether Mormons are Christian. Case closed!

Is it really possible that the LDS Church is removing the racist passages from the Book of Mormon? Not from the English version, but instead from the versions prepared for distribution in developing nations such as in Africa? Join RFM as he reviews the evidence and make up your own mind!

RFM is joined by Summur Rayn and Charles (aka “Black Priesthood”) to discuss important current issues facing Black Mormons throughout the world, including Africa. You won’t want to miss this thoughtful and penetrating conversation.

RFM is joined by special guest Dr. Julie Hanks to respond to the scurrilous accusations made against her by Jacob Hansen! This is going to be a lot of fun!

Join Radio Free Mormon for a thoughtful (and sometimes irreverent) breakdown of the Saturday Afternoon Session of General Conference. This session often hides some of the most telling comments, and RFM is here to dissect every word, nuance, and contradiction. Expect humor, history, and a clear-eyed look behind the pulpit polish.

Traditionally the most “high-profile” session of the weekend, the Sunday Morning Session gets Radio Free Mormon’s full treatment. From prophetic posturing to carefully crafted soundbites, RFM highlights what’s said on the big stage—and what’s quietly avoided. If you want the conference decoded, this is the session to watch.

The Saturday Evening Session is often framed as a “special” gathering, but what actually got said? Radio Free Mormon brings his signature wit and insight to peel back the layers of the evening talks. Whether it’s soft rebranding or subtle shifts in doctrine, RFM helps you see what’s really going on.

Join Radio Free Mormon for a thoughtful (and sometimes irreverent) breakdown of the Saturday Afternoon Session of General Conference. This session often hides some of the most telling comments, and RFM is here to dissect every word, nuance, and contradiction. Expect humor, history, and a clear-eyed look behind the pulpit polish.

Radio Free Mormon kicks off our General Conference coverage with a deep dive into the Saturday Morning Session. From the opening talks to the themes that set the tone for the weekend, RFM brings sharp analysis, quick wit, and insider knowledge you won’t hear in Sunday School. What did the leaders say, what did they leave out, and what does it all really mean? Tune in and find out.

Mormon apologists lean on chiasmus as one of their strongest evidences for the Book of Mormon. Radio Free Mormon takes us through a fascinating exercise, demonstrating that chiasmus also appears in . . . Radio Free Mormon podcasts! If chiasmus in the Book of Mormon proves it was written by ancient Hebrews, what does chiasmus in RFM prove? This episode blows apart the myth that chiasmus is evidence for the Book of Mormon. Case Closed!

The Book of Mormon makes it clear that the gifts of the Spirit are a sign of salvation. If a church has the gifts of the Spirit, it is a true church that leads to salvation. If a church does not have the gifts of the Spirit, it is a false church that leads to damnation. How does the modern LDS Church fare when this test from the Book of Mormon is applied to it? Not well, I’m afraid. Ultimately, the Book of Mormon has the unfortunate honor of destroying modern Mormonism. Tune in for the details!

Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt gave the keynote address at the recent FAIR apologetic conference. The theme was that we can still trust modern prophets in spite of how badly past prophets have goofed things up. RFM reviews this talk as a sort of open letter to Elder Corbitt, explaining in detail why none of the arguments in his talk are persuasive. If you want to see how Mormon leaders play word games, this show is for you!”

RFM is joined once again by his faithful lawyer sidekick Kolby Reddish as we review chapter 11 of the light on truth letter. In this episode, we show why it is that spiritual experiences are not a good way to arrive at truth, and they should probably not be used to ascertain whether any religion is correct, up to and including Mormonism. Join us on our testimony roundup, won’t you?

RFM covered the excommunication of Brandeis Hebrew scholar David P. Wright a few weeks ago. Now we cover the paper written by David P. Wright that got him excommunicated! The paper shows how Joseph Smith used the Epistle to the Hebrews from the Bible in his creation of the Book of Mormon. Professor Wright’s paper is a tour-de-force, and the LDS Church once again shows its penchant for excommunicating the best and the brightest of its members.

RFM is joined once more by Kolby Reddish as they break down the Light and Truth Letter. In chapter 10, Austin Fife argues the LDS temple endowment ritual is better explained by links to the ancient Near East, as opposed to the contemporary Masonry going on in Joseph’s own backyard. In presenting his case, Austin Fife never tells you exactly what the correspondences are between the LDS temple and Masonry. RFM and Kolby Reddish show the connections, and once you have seen them, it is hard to believe Joseph Smith came up with the names, signs, tokens, penalties and symbols of the LDS temple in any way other than from Masonry. Watch and decide for yourself!

Did David O. McKay lose his testimony of the Book of Mormon? Not as a kid or young man, but while serving as the ninth president of the LDS Church? Incredibly, the evidence actually seems to support the idea! Join Radio Free Mormon as he sets forth the case that David O. McKay, the most popular president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 20th Century, did not believe the Book of Mormon to be ancient, but instead believed that Joseph Smith himself wrote it. This is one you won’t want to miss!

Defenders of the Book of Mormon point to the war chapters as evidence of its truth. Tonight, Radio Free Mormon reviews five important aspects of the war chapters and comes to a decidedly different conclusion. The war chapters, far from vindicating the truth of the book of Mormon, end up being the book of Mormon’s final Waterloo!

He Was Too Honest About Mormon Scripture—So They Made Him Pay!  David P. Wright, a brilliant scholar of the Hebrew Bible, once taught at BYU—until his academic integrity put him at odds with LDS orthodoxy. In 1989, he was fired for holding views deemed incompatible with Church doctrine. But the campaign against him didn’t stop there. After securing a position at Brandeis University, a General Authority issued instructions to excommunicate him—all triggered by a scholarly paper showing literary parallels between the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. In this episode, RFM walks you through the evidence—Wright’s own words, the paper that sparked the backlash, and the Church’s behind-the-scenes moves to silence him. This is the story they didn’t want you to know.

Radio Free Mormon shows six places where Joseph Smith used Josephus, a two thousand year old historical source, to supplement Smith’s scriptural productions. By this method among others, Joseph Smith fulfilled the Book of Mormon prediction that he would restore ancient truths that had become lost.

Mormonism uses many thinking errors to promote its message. RFM sits down with Dr. Randy Bell and Kolby Reddish, Esq., to identify the top twelve logical fallacies, together with examples from Mormon sources! This will be a lot of fun!

The Nephite monetary system is a weak spot in the Book of Mormon narrative. It rarely gets discussed because it is so infrequently studied. RFM is going to change all that with this episode, in which he takes a deep dive into the Nephite monetary system, only to find that it has more problems than solutions.

Attorneys RFM and Kolby Reddish tackle chapter 8 of the Light on Truth Letter titled, “Fruits of the Church.” The entire chapter is a logical fallacy!

In this powerful episode of Radio Free Mormon, six bold and insightful women join RFM to dissect the explosive “Women in the Church” chapter from Austin Fife’s controversial Light and Truth Letter. With raw honesty and lived experience, these women share how the Church’s teachings on gender have shaped—and in many cases, harmed—their spiritual journeys, relationships, and sense of self. Together, they expose the psychological toll of patriarchy dressed up as revelation, confront long-standing cultural assumptions, and offer a window into what true spiritual autonomy looks like. This isn’t theory—this is real Mormon women, telling the truth.