Evangelical Student at BYU Has a New Podcast! w/ Leah Marett

[@jesswillans3222]

As a Latter Day Saint who attended Liberty university, I very much resonated with this experience. But I wouldn’t change a thing! I’m proud to be a LU alum, and hopefully you feel the same about BYU. I think people in general are typically kind as a default way of being, and religious individuals are hopefully striving to make that a core part of who they really are, especially if you take Jesus as the example. I believe we worship the same God and Christ despite theological differences and unique ways of conceiving and understanding God. Thank you for doing this podcast!

[@hewhohasearstohearlethimhe4284]

Mormons absolutely do not worship the God, nor the Jesus of the Bible. The whole mormon religion is a 100% false manmade fraud. Anyone with just a little Biblical understanding can easily discern this. Mormonism is the religion of the completely Biblically illiterate, of the accursed of God, and of the vessels of wrath made for destruction. Repent, all of you!

[@BridgetJJ]

I watched both this interview and your last interview with Leah, Steve. Some thoughts from a (former) fellow evangelical at BYU. I attended from 2001 - 2005, earning a BA in classics, and I was the president of the BYU Evangelical Christian club (it had a few different names) from about 2002 to 2004. - In the 80s, the Mormon church actually wanted to diversify the faculty at BYU, so they made a number of non-LDS hires. These included evangelical law professor David Dominguez, Baptist education professor Eula Monroe, and Roman Catholic chemistry professor Juliana Boerio-Goates (who is in an interfaith marriage to LDS chemistry professor Steven Goates). Dr. Boerio-Goates and Dr. Monroe each told part of their stories in *Finding God at BYU,* edited by S. Kent Brown, Kaye T. Hanson, and James R. Kearl (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, 2001), 53-62 & 183-94. These three surely have some interesting stories to tell, if they are still around. - The original evangelical at BYU (that I know of) was Carol Avery Forseth, who told her story in *Faith Under Fire: Living with the Latter-day Saints* (Denver: Accent, 1989). This was re-released for the SLC Olympics as *Gentile Girl: Living with the Latter-day Saints* (??: Crossroads, 2002). Forseth covers an interesting era of BYU history, including the founding of the BYU Baptist Student Union. I believe she was also there in the 70s before the so-called “priesthood ban” was lifted. - My friend Sarah Taylor (who was at BYU just after me) has a chapter on her experience there in *Talking Doctrine: Mormons and Evangelicals in Conversation* (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), edited by Richard Mouw and Robert Millet, 100-10. - I do hope to tell my own story someday, but my story was made vastly more complicated by my decision to marry a Mormon ~2.5 years into my education, and our divorce 11 years later. (I am now re-married to an evangelical.) The *Daily Universe* did a few stories about me as an evangelical on campus at the time: universe.byu.edu/.../other-faiths-find-niche-on.../, universe.byu.edu/.../byu-was-right-fit-for.../ - You may want to look up Scott McKinney from Orem EV Free, if he is still around. He has some interesting stories. It was Mormons who converted to his church in the 90s that caused BYU to implement its “no apostates allowed” policy. This caused great tension for those of us who had Mormon students who wanted to convert and exit the church, but could not openly do so without being kicked out of the university. But they all made their way out eventually. - I must recommend any evangelicals at BYU connect with Eric D. Huntsman in the religion department, whom I always called “the evangelical Mormon.” He has some very interesting interfaith stories to tell. It’s a long story, but he actually stopped me from joining the LDS church. I appreciate Leah’s story and her willingness to build positive bridges with Mormons; I’m glad to hear there are still Christians carrying on this work. It shows real grace and maturity that she was never into counter-cult literature, and it takes a tough evangelical to stay at BYU for 4 years. In some ways she seems to have had far more patience than I ever did, meeting with the missionaries and attending “her” assigned ward for 1.5+ years. I once faked not living in my own apartment on campus to dodge the missionaries. 🤣 I do want to say: Carol Avery Forseth transferred out of BYU after two years. She realized having a degree from BYU was something she was going to have to explain on her résumé for the rest of her life. As someone who has one of those degrees for ~18 years now and constantly has to explain that I’m not and was never Mormon, let me just say: Forseth was right. I mean, sometimes it’s a great conversation starter and rather exotic in certain evangelical circles, but most of the time, it’s just weird. So I know Leah has graduated, but I would strongly recommend that evangelicals who feel called to BYU consider transferring out after 2 years, or just come as visiting students for summer terms a few times. My two cents.

[@MormonBookReviews]

Thanks for your feedback and links to such great resources! I would definitely love to have you on my program.

[@BridgetJJ]

@@MormonBookReviews I'd be happy to be on your program, but fair warning, my stories are wild and occasionally dark!

[@MormonBookReviews]

@@BridgetJJ Cool!

[@jaredvaughan1665]

Welcome to the fulness of the restored gospel that one day will cover the whole earth.

[@DiffQ_Bro]

Who is that prominent evangelical apologist who attacked Steve?

[@MormonBookReviews]

He is prominent in some hyper-calvinist quarters, and he likes to "debate" Mormon apologists. I've brought up his name in the past, but I don't want to cause a public quarrel.

[@David-ke1uv]

I would be interested to know if Leah's comment that "some (LDS students) are not willing to have respectful conversations" applies more to returned missionaries on campus, other students or both equally?

[@StevenRetz]

Sounds like a nice little channel you got there. Even when I was a believing member I did not want to go to BYU.

[@RoyEbarle-pq4of]

Pls. Regards to this beautiful girl tsssssssssshhhhh... Keep quiet 😅