56. Interview with Colin Hamilton (The Hamilton Boys, Part 1/2)

In this episode, Skyler sits down with his brother, Colin Hamilton, about his “Mormon Story”. Colin's story ended not in agnosticism/atheism or in "new age", but in Creedal Christian belief.

Skyler and Colin discuss their mutual (shared, though distinct) journey – while landing on several of Colin’s stories that may help the listener understand the Mormon worldview, and the Mormon experience for someone who (as a Mormon) actually cared about doctrine, and not just fuzzy experience. Colin's story includes bits of previously-believed Mormon theology, and currently-believed Christian theology, along the way.

Skyler and Colin Hamilton were baptized in the name of the Triune God on the same day, May 16, 2021 - along with their mother, at Life In Christ CRC. All have formally removed their names from the LDS church and, as part of their baptism, renounced the Mormon gods, prophets, and "gospel".

The two churches that have been their home are FBC Provo and Christ Presbyterian Church in Magna - along with some dear siblings at Christ Fellowship Church in American Fork.

 

Recommended resources: 

Lecture by Jeff Durbin; American Gospel; Sermon by Voddie Baucham 

Augustine’s Confessions 

The Forgotten Trinity; The King James Only Controversy by James White 

Simply Trinity by Matthew Barrett 

The Incarnation of God by John Clark and Marcus Peter Johnson 

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin 

Christian Apologetics by Cornelius Van Til

The One Christ: St. Augustine’s Theology of Deification by David Vincent Meconi 

Ironies of Faith by Anthony Esolen

The Family Worship Book by Terry Johnson 

Jason Wallace: here, here, here, here, here, here, and here 

• After Mormonism...Atheism? 
• After Mormonism...Now What? 

 

(Some) Mormon sources: 

Joseph Smith: here and here 

Lectures on Faith 

Brigham Young: here, here and here 

Waiting for World’s End: The Diaries of Wilford Woodruff, edited by Susan Staker 

Elias: An Epic for the Ages by Orson F. Whitney 

Ezra Taft Benson: here and here 

Our grandmother’s story is found in The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball (also: here); There was also a signed First Presidency Statement/Letter issued for, and read at, our grandfather’s funeral. 

• Also, Grandma Hamilton's funeral: here

 

A Gospel Trilogy by Cleon Skousen (also here) 

Earth In the Beginning by Eric Skousen 

Temple and Cosmos by Hugh Nibley 

LDS Temple transcript: here and here; A form of the transcript is in Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? by Jerald and Sandra Tanner (also: here) 

New Testament Witnesses of Christ by John Hall 

Eternal Man by Truman Madsen 

The Second Comforter by Denver Snuffer 

 

No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie 

Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn 

• Colin recommends a shorter book, The Angel and the Sorcerer by Peter Levenda if Quinn’s book is too lengthy or intimidating.

 

Conflict in the Quorum by Gary Bergera 

Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith by Linda King Newell 

“A Gift Given: A Gift Taken – Washing, Anointing, and Blessing the Sick Among Mormon Women” by Linda King Newell