Let’s Get Real with Stephen Jones

What if poverty is not only a financial problem, but a spiritual one? President Brian Ashton explains why intelligence is widely distributed, but opportunity is not. He shares how BYU–Pathway Worldwide combines faith, education, practical skills, and employment to help people build lasting self-reliance instead of depending on temporary handouts. From students surviving on one meal a day to returned missionaries coming home with nowhere to live, this conversation reveals how poverty can limit far more than income. It can suppress hope, confidence, leadership, and divine potential. President Ashton shares why lasting change requires more than money. It requires opportunity, spiritual identity, education, work, and the belief that every person can become more than their circumstances suggest.

For years, many Latter-day Saints have looked at declining activity rates and wondered the same thing: Is the Church failing? In this episode, I sit down with BYU Studies Editor-in-Chief Justin Dyer to examine what the data actually says about retention, religiosity, mental health, and why people leave faith. What we found surprised me. While religious participation has declined dramatically across the United States, the data reveals that Latter-day Saints continue to retain active members at higher rates than nearly every other Christian denomination. The question may not be, “What’s going wrong with the Church?” but rather, “What is happening to religion, community, and identity as a whole?” We discuss the four major groups of people who leave the Church, why many never completely close the door on returning, how politics increasingly shapes religious belief, and what predicts whether someone stays connected to faith over time. We also explore a striking idea found in Doctrine and Covenants Section 1: that God foresaw the challenges of our day and provided guidance for navigating them. According to Justin’s research, the strongest predictor of whether someone remains connected to their faith isn’t simply church attendance or religious habits. It’s whether they consistently experience God in their lives. Whether you are a parent worried about a child who has left the Church, someone wrestling with questions about faith, or simply trying to understand what is happening in our culture, this conversation offers both data and hope.

Most people don't walk away from their faith in a dramatic moment. They don't deconstruct overnight. They slowly stop caring. In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with David Snell from @keystonelds to talk about the quiet threat that is pulling more people away than doubt or hard questions. What happens when your faith was built on other people and they let you down? What do you do when belief stops feeling simple and starts becoming complicated? Why do so many people get stuck right there? We talk about why apathy matters more than controversy, the difference between borrowed belief and personal conviction, and how faith naturally moves through stages of simplicity and complexity. We also break down why testimony is something that must be built over time instead of relying on a single answer. This is not a conversation about easy solutions. It is about what actually holds when things get difficult. If you have ever felt your faith drifting, this episode will help you understand why and what you can do about it.

Many people think faith is declining. Ben Hancock has worked behind the scenes on one of the world’s top podcasts, alongside voices like Chris Williamson of "Modern Wisdom" and interacting with some of the most influential thinkers in media. From the inside, he noticed something unexpected. Not open hostility, but a quiet dismissal of faith in certain elite circles. At the same time, he is seeing something very different on the ground, especially among young people. Not decline. A quiet return. In this episode, we explore: • What it is like being a Latter-day Saint inside high-level media circles • The gap between elite perception and lived reality • Why the “faith is dying” narrative does not tell the full story • What might actually be happening right now If you have ever wondered whether faith is really disappearing, this conversation will challenge what you think you know.

Which chapter of scripture includes a vision of God, an attempted human sacrifice, and a phrase many believe justified a racial priesthood ban? And have we been reading it wrong? When Abraham 1 describes Pharaoh as “cursed as pertaining to the priesthood,” what did that actually mean? Was it about race? Was it restriction? Or have later generations read their own assumptions back into the text? Latter-day Saint historian, Don Bradley, explores how Abraham 1 reshapes our understanding of Abraham’s story, why he was nearly sacrificed, and what Joseph Smith may have understood about Pharaoh’s “curse” that radically challenges modern interpretations. What if the passage that has caused so much confusion and pain was never saying what we thought it was?

What if the Bible’s most dangerous distortions don’t come from bad intentions, but from skipping its preface? Many people experience faith as exhausting. Commandments feel heavy. Scripture feels fragmented. And belief slowly collapses into rules. This conversation challenges a core assumption: that the Bible explains itself from page one. Without a restored frame of identity—without knowing who you are before being told what to do—the Bible can be misunderstood, misused, and even weaponized. This episode reframes the Old Testament through a single, often-overlooked key that changes how scripture reads, how God is understood, and why faith so often turns into burnout. If you’ve ever felt tension between obedience and relationship, this conversation may change how you read everything that comes next. If you'd like to support our content, consider making a donation. https://scripturecentral.org/donate

Every day, millions of people around the world are turning to FamilySearch, not because of marketing or trends, but because of something much deeper happening beneath the surface: a global movement of identity, belonging, and human connection. In this conversation with Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, former Executive Director of the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we explore why 98 percent of the people who use FamilySearch are not Latter-day Saints, yet are contributing to one of the most ambitious projects in human history: building the family tree of humanity. This is not just a story about genealogy. It is a story about roots, memory, resilience, and what unfolds when technology, spirituality, and human longing intersect. Inside this episode, you will learn: • Why hundreds of millions use FamilySearch every year • How global archives, AI tools, and more than 130 years of record gathering fuel the world’s largest family history database • The emotional science behind family narratives and resilience • How wars, disasters, and endangered archives have created urgent preservation efforts • Why nonreligious users are powering a movement with profound spiritual implications • What “gathering Israel” looks like in the digital age • How African oral genealogies, Ukrainian archives, and worldwide records are reshaping family identity This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered: “Where do I come from?” “Who do I belong to?” “And why does family history matter now more than ever?” Whether you are religious or not, whether you have used FamilySearch or are hearing about it for the first time, this conversation looks at what it means to be human and why the world is suddenly flocking to discover its story. If you'd like to support our content, consider making a donation. https://scripturecentral.org/donate

Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants is one of the most talked about and debated revelations in scripture. Some people say it just doesn’t sound like Joseph Smith, which has left a lot of questions about who actually wrote it. Dr. Paul Fields, an expert in stylometry — the statistical study of writing style — joins Stephen Jones to take the emotion out of the debate and look at the evidence. Using data, history, and faith, he puts this revelation to the test to find out who really wrote Section 132. What he discovered might not just answer a question about authorship. It might change the way we think about revelation itself. Knowhy: https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/what-does-the-science-of-stylometry-indicate-about-the-authorship-of-doctrine-and-covenants-132

What’s it really like to sit across from a living prophet and give him feedback on his words? In this episode of Let’s Get Real with Stephen Jones, Sister Reyna I. Aburto, former Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, opens up about her deeply personal experiences with President Russell M. Nelson—moments that changed how she sees revelation, leadership, and discipleship forever. She shares what it felt like the day President Nelson unexpectedly invited her and the other sisters of the presidency into his office to read and critique his upcoming talk—“Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel.” From his humility and love to the way he truly listened, Sister Aburto saw firsthand how revelation unfolds at the highest levels of the Church. She also reflects on her gratitude for President Dallin H. Oaks, the tenderness behind his often “stern” demeanor, and her confidence that the Lord continues to guide His Church through inspired servants.

Among many other things, President Nelson forever transformed the way we see temples. But what happens before temples are announced? Former Executive Director of the Temple Department, Elder Larry Y. Willson shares remarkable behind-the-scenes experiences of working closely with President Russell M. Nelson. Elder Wilson recounts the pivotal moment when President Nelson, newly called as prophet, looked at a carefully crafted 15-year temple plan and boldly said, “I would feel better about your plan if there were another zero.” That prophetic vision transformed temple building from dozens to hundreds, reshaping the Church’s future forever. Alongside these historic insights, Elder Wilson also shares deeply personal stories of President Nelson’s ministry—from his surprising text messages of encouragement during times of illness, to his genuine warmth and consultative leadership style in councils. Come listen to firsthand accounts of how President Nelson balanced global leadership with individual, personal ministry. This episode gives a rare and intimate look at how revelation, leadership, and love guided the Church during a period of historic change.

When most people think about humanitarian work, they think about money. But is there more to it? Sharon Eubank, director of Latter-day Saint Charities, believes that the real power to change lives comes from something much deeper. In this episode, Sharon shares her experiences working in places devastated by war, poverty, and natural disasters. From standing at the wreckage of the Sri Lanka tsunami to learning from everyday acts of kindness in her own neighborhood, she reveals that the gospel of Jesus Christ carries a greater capacity to transform lives than money ever could. True humanitarianism begins with listening, respecting agency, and offering dignity. Whether you’ve wondered how you can make a difference in the world or in your own community, this conversation will help you see that the most powerful humanitarian work begins right where you live.

Everyone says Gen Z is leaving religion… but what if they’re actually leading a spiritual revival? In this episode of Faithful Anyway, I sit down with David Butler to talk about what’s really going on with today’s rising generation. Are they rebelling against faith—or are they spiritually starving for something deeper, more real, and more rooted in who God really is? We unpack the misconceptions, the pain points, and the surprising hunger that so many young people have for truth, grace, and connection with God. If you’ve ever wondered whether faith is dying or being reborn in a new form, this conversation is for you.

Many faithful Saints silently wrestle with the same question: “Why do I still feel broken?” In this powerful episode, Dr. Kawika Allen unpacks the hidden spiritual struggle of scrupulosity—anxiety disguised as righteousness—and how it convinces even the most devoted disciples that they’re never enough. What if the reason you feel unworthy isn’t because you’ve failed, but because you’ve been trying to earn what was never meant to be earned? We explore the toxic grip of maladaptive perfectionism, the lies it tells, and the liberating truth that Christ’s grace meets us in our mess—not after we’ve cleaned it up. If faith has started to feel more like a burden than a blessing, this conversation will help you rediscover the rest and relief that comes from receiving, not performing for, the Savior’s love.