Please join us for a live episode with Roger Hendrix - one of the highest ranking Latter-day Saints ever interviewed on Mormon Stories Podcast. Roger served as CES Director, Bishop, Stake Presidency Member, Mission President, and served for 18 years as a Trustee on the board of the Deseret Trust Company (called to the position by President Gordon B. Hinckley). Today we are discussing the Church’s renewed emphasis on the Atonement, its place in within Western Christianity, and whether recent shifts represent genuine change, pragmatic adaptation, or strategic rebranding. We dig into uncomfortable questions about wealth, humanitarian efforts, racial history, LGBTQ issues, missionary growth, and the Church’s ability (or unwillingness) to acknowledge past harm. The discussion also looks forward: What is the future of Mormonism? Will the Church change its stance on same-sex marriage, women and the priesthood, or the Word of Wisdom? How are Apostles chosen, how does power function at the top, and what would it take -if anything -to bring former members back into activity? This episode includes thoughtful pushback from multiple perspectives, audience comments, and a lightning round of predictions that gets very real, very fast! Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:05:53 Rodger’s opening thoughts and the Church’s emphasis on the Atonement 00:10:58 is this move a smart step for the Church? 00:14:30 The history of religious movements 00:25:38 The membership and retention rate in Africa 00:32:00 Degree Granting Program in Africa - BYU Pathways 00:40:31 The church’s focus on Africa and whether it’s a money venture, part of the Restorationist movement, or some other reason 00:47:20 Nemo pushing back against Nelson’s love for the people in Africa 00:52:39 Roger Hendix apologizes on the part of Roger Hendrix for the racist actions of the Church 01:02:59 Elder Cook’s claim that the church is growing in every area in the world 01:10:39 The emergence of secularism: faith in the pragmatic arts 01:19:26 The mission age change for women 01:35:34 How wealthy is the Church? 01:48:35 Dynamics within the Quorum (top leadership) 01:57:09 Todd Christofferson being called as the Second Counselor 02:01:34 How Apostles are selected in the Church 02:15:16 Discussing the new temple announcements 02:26:51 Lightning Round of Predictions 02:27:15 Will the church will accept same-sex marriage? 02:31:06 Will the Church allow women to hold the priesthood? 02:38:21 Will the church allow tea and coffee? 02:44:14 People being excommunicated for believing that Joseph Smith did NOT live polygamy 02:51:45 Will the church asking less of people, weaken the membership? 02:53:59 Addressing John’s substack about attending the church 03:00:54 Would people on the panel ever attend church again? 03:10:12 What would it take to bring the panelists back into full activity? ------------------------ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117