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UGP 141 - Passport to Heaven - Micah Wilder - Book Interview - Part 3

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In this week's episode, Micah shares more from his new book and talks about hurricanes, the Love Elders, and how God used the leadership of the LDS Church and their missionary policies to help him see why following the Mormon religious system would never bring salvation or eternal life. He shares candidly about how the love of God was changing his heart. Micah shared this about the impact of the 4th hurricane:

"I remember this sickness in my stomach that I was going to put on a white shirt and tie and try and convert people to Mormonism when I knew that people were devastated. People had lost homes, they had lost power, they had trees through their roofs, and I remember praying about it and talking it over with my companion."
In the end, Micah and his missionary companion decided to put on street clothes and do what Jesus would do - not proselytize, but give people help where they needed it most. That decision came with a price. Listen to the podcast


Show Notes for UGP 141
UGP 140 - Passport to Heaven - Micah Wilder - Book Interview - Part 2

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We continue our series of interviews with Micah Wilder's whose book is out soon! Micah talks candidly about the Pentecostal pastor, the Baptist pastor, and the enigmatic Eric -- all people God used to draw Micah's heart to faith, grace, and the love of Jesus. His love for Jesus ultimately led to his dismissal from his mission. Over the next several episodes, Lynn and Joel talk to Micah about his faith journey and what led him to write his book, Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew.

As a special promotion, we are offering Micah's new book for a donation to the podcast. You can get your book, listen to this episode and all our past episodes, access the show notes, and subscribe to the podcast for free here: https://unveilinggracepodcast.com


Show Notes for UGP 140
UGP 139 - Passport to Heaven - Micah Wilder - Book Interview - Part 1

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Exciting News! Micah Wilder's book is out soon! Micah was a zealous and committed LDS missionary when a Baptist pastor challenged him to read the New Testament with the eyes of a child. As he read the Bible to prove this pastor wrong, God pursued and captured Micah's heart with his love and grace. His love for Jesus ultimately led to his dismissal from his mission. Over the next several episodes, Lynn and Joel talk to Micah about his faith journey and what led him to write his book, Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew.


Show Notes for UGP 139
UGP 138 - Totally Devout LDS - till Jesus showed up - Mireille Koester

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Like her husband Charles, Mireille was a totally devout, born-in-the-covenant Mormon. They both served missions, met at BYU, got married in the Mormon temple. Life was good till Charles started having doubts (see the previous episode). Fearing for her husband's eternal destiny and their eternal marriage, Mireille begged God to change him. God's answer rocked her world. This is part 2 of three episodes with Charles and Mireille and the God whose grace brought healing to their lives and marriage.


Show Notes for UGP 138
UGP 137 - When I Needed Jesus He Showed Up - Charles Koester

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Charles was an all-in, totally devout, born-in-the-covenant Mormon. His nickname while on his LDS mission in Guatemala was "Flecha" (Arrow) because he was that straight-arrow about his LDS faith. He served, returned, graduated from BYU, married his RM wife, started a family, and joined the ranks of leadership in his local ward. Then things started to unravel, but when they did, Jesus showed up and changed everything. This is part 1 of three episodes with Charles and Mireille and the God whose grace brought healing to their lives and marriage.


Show Notes for UGP 137
UGP 136 - Archaeology-Prophecy-Statistics that Support the Bible - Dr Steven Crane - Part 3

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For centuries people have questioned the Bible's reliability. How much of what it talks about is rooted in reality? In this episode, Dr. Steven Crane walks through MAPS - a guide to establishing the Bible's trustworthiness using Manuscript evidence (last podcast), Archaeological finds (for the likes of King David and Pontius Pilate), Prophecy (who could have seen that coming), and Statistical probabilities for so many of the details about the Bible's content and conservation. Dr. Steven Crane has traveled the world researching these questions, including three trips to the Holy Land. It's a fascinating, fast-paced, and fact-filled episode that will help you separate truth from fiction when it comes to our Bible and why we can trust it. Whether wanting to deepen your faith, or learn how to better defend it, the next 27 minutes will help your life and relationships flourish.


Show Notes for UGP 136
UGP 135 - Has the Bible Been Changed-What the Evidence Shows - Dr Steven Crane - Part 2

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Did the Council of Nicea invent the Bible in 325 AD? Did a bunch of guys in robes and pointy hats go around changing the text and sabotaging the meaning? How do we know today's translations of the Bible really reflect what the original authors wrote? What evidence is there people haven't changed the text over the last 2000 years? Dr. Steven Crane has traveled the world researching these questions. He's seen some of the oldest manuscripts for the Bible and read parts of the text for himself. In this episode, he does a rapid-fire review of the manuscript and textual evidence and even compares the evidence for the Bible with some of the oldest literary works from antiquity. It's a fascinating, fast-paced, and fact-filled episode that will help you separate truth from fiction when it comes to our Bible and why we can trust it.


Show Notes for UGP 135
UGP 134 - How to have Grace and Clarity in LDS - Non-LDS Conversations - Dr. Steven Crane - Part 1

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After growing up as a pastor's kid in Salt Lake City, Steven Crane followed God's call to Idaho to start a new church. It grew from a house church of 7 to 111 in a rented space, to now over 3,000. Steven shares what was at the core of his teaching that led to this growth, and the types of questions he asks Mormons so his conversations with the LDS people are full of grace and clarity.


Show Notes for UGP 134
UGP 133 - Grace, Healing and Forgiveness After Sexual Abuse - Pua - Part 3

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<<Some of the content of this episode relating to sexual abuse and suicide may be disturbing to some listeners and is intended for an adult-only audience.>>

Pua picks up where she left off in episode #132, talking openly about the sexual abuse that started as a young child and continued till she was 11 years old. Her mother's unwillingness to believe her, and her father's pressure to not bring charges against perpetrators who were part of the family and LDS leadership (her father was NOT one of her abusers) pushed her to the brink of suicide. God's love and grace brought supernatural healing and forgiveness. Pua now radiates a love and joy that to her once seemed completely out of reach, and today she ministers to others.


Show Notes for UGP 133
UGP 132 - Her Warrior Heart was Pursued by Grace - Pua - Part 2

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What happens when a devout LDS teenager sneaks out of her house at night to attend a Christian church with her non-LDS boyfriend? In this episode, Pua shares how God used this event to pursue her heart, and the conflict this created with her Mormon Hawaiian warrior family heritage. She also outlines the Mormon Plan of Salvation which she memorized and shared with others starting in elementary school, and how this contrasts with the biblical plan of salvation. Her story radiates her love for Jesus who rescued her from what she calls a time of hell.


Show Notes for UGP 132
UGP 131 - Descended from Hawaiian Royalty and LDS Pioneers - Pua - Part 1

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When Mormon missionaries arrived in Hawaii in the 1850s one of their first converts was Pua's grandfather, John Kahumoku. Besides being one of the first Hawaiian Mormon missionaries he also assisted in the translation of the Book of Mormon. In this fascinating episode, Pua weaves in Hawaiian history while sharing what it was like growing up in a devout LDS family with ties to the royal line. She also talks about how God began leading her out of Mormonism to a relationship with Jesus.


Show Notes for UGP 131
UGP 130 - Sorting out Priesthood Authority and Grace - Ritch Sandford - Part 3

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Last episode Pastor Ritch Sandford mentioned the top four topics Mormons identified as being different from historic, traditional Christianity. We only covered the first two, so this episode we talk about the final two. These are (1) who has Authority (and how do you get it) and (2) Grace, what is it, and how it relates to faith and works. Once again the conversation takes some surprising turns, and Lynn shares candidly how much her Mormon understanding changed on these subjects as she learned what the Bible really had to say about them.


Show Notes for UGP 130
UGP 129 - Talking Trinity and Prophets with LDS - Ritch Sandford - Part 2

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Pastor Ritch Sandford identifies the top four topics Mormons identified as being different from historic, traditional Christianity as he met with them and talked to them. The top two things Mormons felt Christians got wrong had to do with Trinity and Prophets. In this episode, Ritch shares the talking points he's used to avoid debate and build bridges, and what he learned from listening to the LDS perspective. What he shares is surprising and even unexpected. A little grace goes a long way.

Show Notes for UGP 129
UGP 128 - An outsider connecting with Mormons - Ritch Sandford - Part 1

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It’s hard to drop into a new culture all alone and start living and working in a place where you know no one. It’s even more difficult when you’ve come to start a new Christian church in a place where the majority of people don’t want or feel like they need what you have to offer. Yet, that is exactly what today’s podcast guest did seven years ago. Today Ritch Sandford pastors a thriving church in South Jordan, Utah. In this episode, he shares what he learned about the Mormon religion from his LDS friends and neighbors.


Show Notes for UGP 128
UGP 127 - New Age and LDS Commonalities - Dale T - Part 2

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Spirits, angels, demons, looking to the dead for guidance, not to mention human potential for godhood - these are all themes common to both New Age and LDS worldviews. We explore these with Pastor Dale as he, Lynn, and Joel discuss why we are so attracted to these subjects, and the potential dangers of looking to find our significance and sense of belonging outside a relationship with the God who created it all.


Show Notes for UGP 127
UGP 126 - What To Do When Spiritual Authorities Collide - Dale Thackrah - Part 1

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This episode continues our look at the marriage tensions arising when a relationship has one spouse in a performance-based religion and the other has transitioned (or is transitioning) out. Our guest, Dale Thackrah is a pastor and biblical counselor at Redeemer Bible Church in Gilbert, AZ. Together, he, Lynn, and Joel offer biblical and practical advice on growing in your new-found faith even in the face of opposition and rejection by your spouse. Biblical submission never means being a doormat or putting up with abuse. Rather, submission is far more about trust in a loving and good God than it is about fear of another human being.


Show Notes for UGP 126
UGP 125 - Help! I No Longer Believe like my spouse - Part 2

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What happens to a marriage and family when one spouse realizes their performance-based religion is false and chooses to leave? What are they supposed to do if their mate continues loyal to the church or organization and has no desire to see or hear the truth they've found? In part 2 of this conversation, Lynn and Joel explore the scriptures and share stories that speak specifically to this issue. They also offer practical help to the Latter-day Saint spouse, as well as the newly Christian spouse on how to navigate the tense and troubled waters stirred up when spouses no longer believe the same. Favorite quote: "I was afraid if I messed up God would be mad at me and my flowers would die."


Show Notes for UGP 125
UGP 124 - Help! My Spouses No Longer Believes like me - Part 1

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What happens to a marriage and family when one spouse realizes their performance-based religion is false and chooses to leave? What are they supposed to do if their mate continues loyal to the church or organization and has no desire to see or hear the truth they've found? Lynn and Joel explore the scriptures and share stories that speak specifically to this issue. They also offer practical help on how to navigate the tense and troubled waters stirred up when spouses no longer believe the same.

Show Notes for UGP 124
UGP 123 - Mom, Jesus is here - Grant and Hilary - Part 2

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Hilary was torn and uncertain. She, her husband Grant, and their five children were attending both a Christian church and the LDS ward. Grant had accepted salvation by grace as his only way back to God the Father, but Hilary was still unsure. One morning while at the Christian church she asked her five-year-old daughter what church she liked best. Her daughter replied, "Mom, Jesus is here."
Hilary explains what she discovered that led her to finally conclude Joseph Smith was not a true prophet and his church was not the true church. Grant and Hillary also share how the grace of Jesus has brought healing to their lives and marriage. Join us for part 2 of their story. It's an episode with lots of laughter and hope.

Show Notes for UGP 123
UGP 122 - Chased by a Pursuing God - Grant and Hilary - Part 1

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Grant and Hilary were life-long Mormons, regular temple attenders, living the LDS dream with their two adopted children. Then Grant's lapsed LDS brother asked him to research the Book of Abraham. What started as a quest to bring his brother back to the fold turned his world upside down. Fearing the worst for his marriage, Grant quietly continued his quest for truth, till a question from his wife brought the whole thing to light. Grant and Hilary share candidly the crazy ways God was pursuing both of them, chasing them into the arms of a Jesus they wanted, but could never find as Mormons.

Show Notes for UGP 122

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