Kyle Beshears (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor in Mobile, Alabama and has taught courses on religion at the University of Mobile. He is the author of 40 Questions About Mormonism (Kregel Academic), and is presently writing on the development of LDS doctrine and practices during the life of Joseph Smith.
I wanted to speak with Kyle to discuss his extensive research into the life of Joseph Smith and his perspective as an Evangelical pastor on the cultural landscape of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We explore his recent book and his unique journey of humanizing a figure he does not view as a prophet, yet has come to empathize with as a fellow minister
Some highlights from this episode include:
"Humanizing" Joseph Smith: Kyle shares surprising details from his research of the Joseph Smith Papers, including Joseph’s love for his dog, Major, and how Joseph’s pastoral care for a grieving mother on Christmas Eve changed Kyle's perspective.
An Evangelical at General Conference: Kyle discusses his first-ever experience attending a session of General Conference in person and his observations on the "Christocentric" nature of the talks.
Three Categories of Perception: A breakdown of how most Americans currently view Latter-day Saints, ranging from indifference to a "knee-jerk" suspicion born of the "countercult" movement.
"Going to Jail" Quote: A discussion of Albert Mohler’s famous line regarding theological disagreement versus cultural agreement: "I don't believe we're going to go to heaven together, but there's a possibility that we might go to jail together".
Building Better Relationships: Practical advice for Latter-day Saints on how to overcome the "deficit of trust" when speaking with Evangelicals by focusing on the Bible and showing genuine fruits of the Spirit.
You can find more of Kyles’s work at the following links:
- https://www.kylebeshears.com/p/40-questions-about-mormonism
- https://www.kylebeshears.com/
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Conversations to Refresh Your Faith.
For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.
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Apr 19 202657 mins