Glass Box Podcast

CULTS! Well, one specifically. We start this episode with a brief rundown of Steven Hassan’s BITE model of cult mind control. We hone in on the element of “Information” control within the larger BITE model to discuss how important controlling information is to the longevity of any cult. That leads us into our longer segment where we finally begin our review of Saints: The Standard of Truth, the new authoritative history book of early Mormonism published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Part 1 discusses the early history of the Joseph Smith family, the supernatural visitations, the acquisition of the Gold Plates, and the authorship process of the Book of Mormon. Does this book cross the threshold of being New Mormon History, or is it simply a more sophisticated treatment of the same Old Mormon History? Yes, this segment is long, but mining mountains for minute morsels is a tedious task. We wrap with some happy news about repurposing defunct oil wells for green energy.   Show Notes: