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Episode 5 of Apostates explores the original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called in 1835, examining how only three remained faithful throughout their lives while eight faced Church discipline (one died in a battle). Through detailed stories of Thomas B. Marsh, John F. Boynton, and Orson Pratt, we uncover the human struggles behind early church leadership—pride, financial crises, personal conflicts, and theological disagreements. We discover how some found their way back through humility and forgiveness, offering timeless lessons about faith, leadership, and the deeply personal nature of religious conviction.

Sources

• Essay_Bios_D&C Central
• Reddit_75% of Q of 12 Excomm
• Reddit_Excomm 12
• Video_Be Thou Humble_Thomas B Marsh_ComeBack
• Wikipedia_Various pages - one for each Apostle
• BYU RSC_Various pages - one for each Apostle

AI Prompt

Examine the faithfulness of Mormonism's original Twelve Apostles. 8 were disfellowshipped or excommmunicated, 3 remained faithful, and 1 died in the line of duty. Briefly discuss the rise and fall or each member of the original quorum of the Twelve one by one. Start with the faithful 3, then the apostate 8, then the single martyr. Next, pick three of the most interesting of the 8 apostates to do a deeper dive into their falling from grace. Make your selection of the 3 based on how interesting and engaging their stories are. How and why did they fall from grace? What did they do after leaving the Church? Of the 8 who were disciplined 2 came back and were rebaptized. Why did they rejoin? What happened to the other 6 after they left the Church? What do the experiences of the original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tell us about Jospeh Smith's character and ledership? What key takeaways for today's LDS members?

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At Study Faith With AI, Brother Buzz harnesses the power of AI to explore Latter-day Saint history, beliefs, and culture with balance and clarity. Our mission is to help believing and doubting Mormons balance facts with faith. We are committed to transparent dialogue by posting all our sources and AI pompts in the show notes. Listen along, then follow the sources to dive deep! AI powered by Google LM Notebook

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