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Mormon Stories Podcast

536: Tom Phillips, the Second Anointing, and Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland Holland Pt. 2 - The 2nd Anointing and the Aftermath

Mormon Stories Podcast

Dr. John Dehlin

Religion & Spirituality

4.65.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2015

⏱️ 64 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

tomphillipsIn June of 2012 I interviewed Tom Phillips, former LDS church stake president in London, England U.K. In this interview he discusses the following:

  • His early experiences as a bishop and stake president in the LDS church, along with is friendship with LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland.
  • His experience receiving a secret/sacred LDS church ordinance called the "Second Anointing," wherein he was anointed by the hands of Elder M. Russel Ballard, and assured exaltation in there hereafter.
  • His subsequent loss of faith over historical and scientific issues with the church.
  • His direct correspondence with then friend, LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, over these troubling issues.
  • The pain, suffering, and ultimate divorce that he and his family experienced as a result of his faith crisis.
  • Additional detail about Tom's story can be found here.

At the time I conducted this interview I was in deep discussions with my stake president, Mark Jensen, over my status with the church, and my ability to baptize my son. Out of fear of church discipline, and as a sign of good will to President Jensen, I decided to not release this episode via Mormon Stories podcast, and instead granted permission to Tom to do with it as he saw fit.

Over the subsequent months and years I have come to regret this decision made largely out of fear, and want to publicly apologize to Tom for it. I now feel it is appropriate to release this interview, not because I seek to show disrespect for the LDS church or its temple ordinances, but because Tom's story a very poignant example of the pain and suffering that can come about as many LDS members continue to experience legitimate struggles with the LDS church's truth claims.

Since this interview openly discusses secret/sacred LDS temple ordinances, listener discretion is strongly advised.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Good morning.

0:07.8

Mormon Stories podcast is a production of the Open Stories Foundation.

0:11.9

All donations to Mormon Stories are fully tax deductible and go directly towards keeping

0:16.3

the podcast alive and towards building a community of support for Mormons like you.

0:21.1

To support the podcast or to join the community, please become a monthly subscriber today at

0:26.7

MormonStories.org.

0:27.7

I'm going to go ahead and read from Mormon doctrine what it says about calling an election

0:34.4

sure.

0:35.4

Is that all right?

0:36.4

Sure.

0:37.4

Yeah.

0:38.4

It says those members of the church who devote themselves holy to righteousness living

0:42.9

by every word that preceded forth from the mouth of God make their calling an election

0:48.5

sure.

0:49.5

That is, they receive the more sure word of prophecy, which means that the Lord seals

0:55.2

their exaltation upon them while they are yet in this life.

0:59.7

All right.

1:00.7

Peter summarized the course of righteousness which the saints must pursue to make their

1:05.8

calling an election sure and then referring to his experience on the mount of transfiguration

1:11.8

which James and John said that those three had received this more sure word of prophecy

1:19.3

and then it refers to 2 Peter chapter 1.

1:22.6

I know goes on to say Joseph Smith taught quote after a person has faith in Christ repents

...

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