On this week’s episode of Horsin’ Around we are pleased to have one of our dear classmates at CGU, Shiloh Logan, join us. Our conversation revolves around the intricacies of the Mormon “Liberty Community,” groups of Latter-day Saints that are informally organized around Ezra Taft Benson’s “Proper Role of Government” and the writings of W. Cleon Skousen. We further explore the ways that Satan lurks in the background of these ideologies, as well as Shiloh’s own professional, philosophical, and spiritual journey with the Liberty Community and Latter-day Saint conservatism more broadly. It truly is a Religious Studies romp as we delve into the ways that we “scripturalize” certain impulses in our political worlds by incorporating cosmic narratives that orient these political orientations, framing them as governed by God, Satan, and/or their emissaries. These narratives and their significance are then constantly renegotiated and incorporated when new events and people become introduced into the political world.

We also briefly touch on what was then breaking news (we recorded this conversation last Fall) about Operation Underground Railroad’s founder Tim Ballard getting into hot water both legally and with the institutional Mormon church and the early shockwaves that were beginning to go through Mormondom. In light of this last topic, we may have to bring Shiloh back to speak more about more recent developments in that infinitely fascinating interaction between an influential layperson and the upper echelons of Mormon leadership.