Evangelical Student At BYU? Leah Marett's Story
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- On the latest episode of Mormon Book Reviews, Steven Pynakker has a conversation with a fellow Evangelical who is currently attending Brigham Young University! Leah Marett felt called by God to attend BYU when she was a senior in high school. Although she had her parents support, many in her faith community were quite perplexed to say the least. Leah's story is truly remarkable and compelling. She is fascinated by the history, culture, and people of Mormonism. Being an Evangelical student at "The Lord's University" can be like walking a tight rope. Leah details what its like to share her faith, make new friends, dating LDS boys, and why she loves BYU. I want to thank Leah for coming on and I know the audience will appreciate the conversation.
Links to support Mormon Book Reviews:
PayPal Link:
www.paypal.com...
Patreon Link:
/ mormonbookreviews
Channel Merch Store:
www.mormonbook...
Links to some books discussed in the interview:
Our Search for Happiness:
www.amazon.com...
No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith:
www.amazon.com...
The Case for Christ:
www.amazon.com...
So interesting, I was a missionary at BYU when I met Leah, she is a such an inspiring woman!! 🥰
You are so sweet!! Thank you! And it was a pleasure to meet you and get to know you a bit.
Awesome interview, Steven. This is why I watch. Always something to learn and a spirit of sharing.
Thanks!
I am another NeverMo nerd. I have just always loved them. Not sure why I have this calling. I am 60 years old. I have been following Mormons for more than 30 years. Love them ! And love you guys ! Thanks so much for sharing !
Amazing story! God has a work for each one of us.
Thanks for sharing, this is very interesting to hear.
Well spoken, virtuous, lovely.
There needs to be more young women like her everywhere.
That was a nice presentation. You are very articulate. Love is critical in our world. It is important to find truth. Truth in science and truth in religion will mesh perfectly. Truth can be found in all religions. Our ultimate quest should be to find truth!
Hey I don’t know how to contact you Steven but I watched you on Mormon stories and now I understand your heart. Ignore all my negative comments. Love you brother.
Thanks for taking the time to watch the MS interviews! It means a lot. Here is my email mormonbookreviews@gmail.com if you'd like to contact me
@@MormonBookReviews Okay thanks. I will definitely reach out.
Kansas! Great! I served my mission there many many years ago. Grat people but couldn't get used to the humidity
Its the book of Jude, not Acts.
I personally think that it is great, but it begs the question, Why would a Calvin Evangelist go to BYU?
To buy spiritual or intellectual food, or to search out the nakedness of their beliefs?
I hope it is as you said, to learn more about religion, and not the latter. Fawn Brodie's have their place in the world, but beginning with an open mind is never that easy.
Joseph in Egypt accused his brothers of being spies.
Genesis 42:9 Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
Perhaps your opinion of the Doctrine and Covenants was set from the beginning. A jurist cannot unknow what they came knowing, but they are asked to set everything aside, and focus only on the information provided at the trial. I sense that you added your prejudice to the book at a time when you might have given it a fair review. Did everyone make sport of the Doctrine and Covenants, as you were claiming it would condemn you to the Telestial Kingdom? Anyway, what's so bad about that? Most Gentiles lament departing from the Garden. The Telestial Kingdom is a more glorious place than the Garden of Eden, and polar opposite to a fiery furnace.
The soldiers were likely just having some good natured fun, but to those who love Jesus Christ their mocking was absolutely intolerable.
Luke 22:64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?
Concerning the general rejection of modern revelation, why would a Gentile who believes in Christ doubt that God would speak in modern times?
Most Christian Gentiles consider the so called Apostolic Creeds to be from God: that declares the Bible is complete and God cannot add to it. By men's logic, in the early centuries of the Catholic tradition, it was believed that God cannot speak again.
Bible prophecies indicating the rejection of modern revelation aren't lamented by the Gentile churches, but praised, because men have determined that the gifts of the spirit, that were ordained and set forth by Christ, are no longer needed, and beneath the modern man.
The Old Testament child prophet Samuel lived in a similar time: 1 Samuel 3:1 And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
Samuel was too young to reject the idea that God could speak to him.
Shouldn't we expect that we might be living in a time when men reject modern revelation?
Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
We are living after the day when the Lord gathered the Jews back to Israel.
Amos 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will build it as in the days of old.
Shouldn't we expect the Book of Mormon, or if not, another such book?
Isaiah 29:11-12 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed.
Isn't it true that we live in a time when men's hearts are departing farther and farther from the Lord?
Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
How can you love God, anymore than a country love their dictator? If God will burn the majority of the world in never-ending fire, words of praise and honor may be given, but only out of fear; a love of self, and of self preservation is the natural result of those precepts.
Isaiah 29:14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder....
The Book of Mormon came just a little while before the blossoming of the Middle East.
Isaiah 29:17 It is not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest.
Only the meek, those who consider themselves the deaf and the blind, will open up their hearts to read the Book of Mormon just humbly as when they first read the Bible.
Isaiah 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out obscurity, and out of darkness.
Isaiah 29:19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
It is natural that the restoration of the Gospel would be rejected by man.
Isaiah 29:20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off.
Isaiah 29:21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
Ezekiel also speaks of this book, the history of the tribe of Joseph being placed together with the Bible, or the history of the tribe of Judah. (See Ezekiel 37).
In Genesis, his brothers rejected Joseph and his dreams. The Lord did a marvelous work and a wonder. There was a famine in the land, and his brothers unwittingly came to their brother, Joseph for food. Joseph accused his brothers of being spies, to search out the nakedness of the land.
And for good reason. Imagine the implications: men who believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had to go to Egypt, as if Egypt could save them.
In the end, Joseph comforted his brothers, saying the Lord sent me into Egypt. Joseph's forgiveness is not to say, that we are justified in selling our brothers into slavery, or for killing Joseph Smith, or condemning the Lord's modern day prophecies. The Lord will show forth his hand, and those who cannot get past themselves and will not repent, will not receive the precious food.
Isaiah 29:24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
It is good to learn from each other. It is good that you came to BYU. It is good to buy food from each other. It is good not to bury talents but that we take them to the exchange and earn interest on the talents that the Lord lends to us.
I just hope that you allow yourself to see and listen as well as to speak and be heard.
BYU doors are open to a Calvin Evangelist. Hopefully you will receive a good value education. Don't forget BYU is good fruit. It is a pearl, a gem, a good school. Such a school should not be the expected result if Joseph Smith was a fraud. Good clean fun, in a chaste environment should not be the expected fruit if Joseph Smith was a predator of young girls as you assert. The restoration of the marriage covenant did not exclude the odd marriage relationships of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This was odd in the American context, but not as odd as some of todays marriages. Joseph and Emma was fruitful with children. Not so with any of his other marriages. The assumption you have given is a natural one, but it was more complex than what you allude to.
You can trust the words of Jesus, that good doesn't come from evil.
Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Accordingly, poisonous Cool-aide should be the result, if good fruit doesn't come from an evil tree.
It is no wonder that Calvin University is world class. I wouldn't recommend going there and then point the finger of scorn at Calvinism. It is a good school because it is the fruit of a good tree.
BYU is also a good school. It is right what you said about the number of languages available there. Most returned missionaries probably understand their new languages better than you think.
BYU is also the fruit of a good tree, a tree not deserving of anyone attending just to spy out the nakedness of the land, of the church, or of it's leaders.
I agree about the BoM and D&C I don't agree about LDS / Brighamite doctrines that contradict them.
@Kenneth Madsen
Here are some of my replies to your questions:
1. You wrote: “Concerning the general rejection of modern revelation, why would a Gentile that believes in Christ doubt that God would speak in modern times?
Answer: God’s plan of redemption was revealed and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Read Hebrews 1:1-2: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”
The OT prophets pointed to a coming Messiah. So, we don’t need prophets today as the Messiah has already come.
2. You referenced Amos 9:11 and wrote: “shouldn’t we expect the Book of Mormon or another such book?”
Answer: No. Read John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John is talking about how the Word of God became flesh in the form of Jesus. So, we don’t need another word or book as we have everything we need in Christ.
See Hebrews 9:11 - “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation”.
So we don’t need to set up temples or priesthoods today as Jesus is our High Priest and salvation and justification are only through Him and what He did for us on the cross.
3. You referenced Isaiah 29:18 where it says “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.”
Answer: Again this is pointing to Jesus, not the Book of Mormon.
Read Matthew 11:4-5 “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
Jesus was showing that He is the Messiah who was prophesied about in the Old Testament. The good news is we can be saved by His grace through faith in Him.
Romans 1:16a “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,”
@Kenneth Madsen Imagine taking the time to write this all out just to sound delusional. Half the scriptures you referenced are out of context and have your own microscopic view applied to it 2000 years later. Tough break my guy
@@gtf5392 Reportedly there are at least three views yours, mine, and God's.
The time frame of this miracle take-back was when?
A. Christ's death?
B. The Resurrection?
C. The fall of Jerusalem?
D. The death of the last Apostle?
E. Constantine's war under the symbol of the cross?
F. The Protestant Reformation?
G. The Declaration of Independence?
H. The end of WWII?
I. The reestablished of Israel?
J. The Seven Day's War of Israel?
K. The safe splash landing of Apollo 13?
L. The birth of your child?
I get that you've got it all figured out. Having two thousand years to defend the neo-Platonic view that Christ gave the powers only to be taken back immediately.
It is sad to think that either of us thinks we really know enough. Like Russia shutting down all media and outside internet. They don't have all the information needed to keep up with the west.
The Father of lies would support such a view. Surely if the Russian people try to know what the west knows they would be more able to see both sides and be free to learn the truth.
I can tell you that God hears prayers. That is a modern day miracle.
Abraham's servant prayed to find the wife for Isaac. I prayed to know if God disagreed with my choice concerning whom I selected to marry. The answer I received was just as dramatic for me as Abraham's servant's prayer was for him. It turns out that my address was my future wife's birthdate. The yyyy mm dd was the perfect match to my yyyy address mmth street, and d0d apartment number.
You can tell me that God doesn't perform miracles but Abraham's servant and I disagree.
I like the fact that you support your view on this. But your view belongs to you and your flock. Plenty of denominations don't share your passionate view against miracles.
Most consider salvation is a miracle. Most consider prayer rewarding. Why pray and ask for anything if God's hands are tied? Why does Jesus teach that the Father gives a fish to them that would ask for a fish as much and more so than any father would give to their child?
I just don't think the way you describe those biblical scriptures are the only way to view them.
We could do well to see it from each other's view and question our own view with the same rigor that a Russian ought to question their government's position.
I was born into an atheist family, we never spoke about religion; I read the bible by myself at 13.
Still wondering why it is, that anyone believes that Nonsense...
@23:00 Fawn's book is not very accurate, for example, the story about Joseph walking on water... Really?
I'm an x Pentecostal now atheist zen Buddhist who has an interest in the stories of others faith journeys. I say this with no disrespect as I enjoyed this interview. I think you would be more effective if you kept your hands in your lap and not on your chin. and really I enjoyed this interview.
Thanks for the recommendation. I notice I do that. I'll work on it!
@@MormonBookReviews I didn't even notice it until it was pointed out. I think you are fine.
I know that I don’t know what you have read about what Joseph Smith said….hoping to know, but I still know he was a prophet.
Hugh Nibley said of the book, “No Man Knows My History”, “No, Mam, that’s not history.”
A question for you our fellow sister in Christ. Are you aware that Mary was between the age of 12-14 since it was the custom and culture to marry between these ages for a female during that time period? So God asking this of Mary and later to his people in the Latter Days to enter into a polygamous relationship during the early restored period of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Day Saints, this would not have been an uncommon practice as well since it came from our Father in Heaven who gave Mary the honor of motherhood during her years of 12-14. When God commands a people to multiply it is not by our laws but by his. Who are we to say what age is appropriate when God himself was father to Jesus from a young mother of age 12-14?
"If it bleeds it breeds" is NOT the way you should look at the appropriate age for a potential spouse.
First
BYU is a shell of its former glory. Too bad you didn't attend when nibley was around. Now you got professors teaching that Joseph was gay and inferring that the Savior might have been gay. Back in nibleys day you would have been hard pressed getting in without being mormon. Most Mormons who wanted to go couldn't get into byu, it's not like that anymore. What I'm sayin is your getting watered down Mormonism not the Mormonism that made the desert blossom like the rose. Hopefully you can still get a good education cause you won't get the the Restored Gospel in all its fullness and that's exactly what you went there for if not to join at least to study. Good luck to you.
ua-cam.com/video/m0NmUKtDJrw/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/BFiMbNUUklk/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/D3LhUZeoh4Q/v-deo.html
lol I don’t think byu was better because of homophobia. What a ridiculous take. Some programs at byu today are top 10’s and 20’s in the nation, which can’t be said for byu 20+ years ago when it was just a religious school in the mountains out west.
College is more competitive now than ever and academically byu has kept up. Keep believing your weird homophobic bs though buddy. That’s what Jesus would do right?
When you seek answers from the Book of Mormon instead of the Bible, God can't help you because you have turned your back on Him. Therefore this leaves the door open for Satan (II Corinthians 11:14-15) to step into your life with a false christ or prophet showing you "signs and wonders" to lead you away from the real Jesus of the Bible who is God the Son 2nd person of the Trinity. God Himself warns us about this in MATTHEW 24:23-24 "Then if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ! or There! do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect..."
Mormons teach and believe that their jesus is the brother of Satan, which contradicts what God says in His Bible that Jesus is God the Son 2nd person of the Trinity.
So Mormons, which Jesus do you believe in?
A. Your jesus of the Book of Mormon who is the brother of Satan.
OR
B. The Jesus of the Bible who is God the Son 2nd person of the Trinity.
Which church do you belong to?
@mikelawlor1533
A church that believes that the Bible is the word of God.
And that God did not sent any angel from heaven to Joseph Smith.
GALATIANS 1:6-9
"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who CALLED you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed..."
@@AlbertJLouie and which church is that ?
Thou shall not lie
Or does not command not for you and your church
@@mikelawlor1533
Unlike Mormons, I don't lie.
I am the most truthful person you'll ever meet.
@@AlbertJLouie
I’ve never met you
You talk like a narcissist. Are you always right , always smarter than the rest,
People deserve what you do to them , because of that ?
That’s a narcissist
Again , what is your church