Jim Bennett’s idea for sustainable and honest faith includes a theological argument that recognizing the fallibility of religious leaders is not just a mistake to be acknowledged, but a central purpose of mortality and the plan of salvation. He suggests that a sustainable faith must be rooted in truth rather than the “demigod” status often assigned to prophets. Jim is the host of Inside Out where he discusses faith with Ian Wilks, someone on the outside of the LDS Church.
Jim Bennett is a podcast host, former political candidate, and descendant of prominent leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His personal and family history is deeply intertwined with Utah’s religious and political landscape, which serves as the foundation for his current work in faith reconciliation and political centrism.
Family and Political Background
The Bennett family history in Utah began with Jim’s great-great-grandfather, Richard Bennett, who traveled to Utah but initially refused to join the Church. After a fire destroyed his savings, he famously clashed with Brigham Young and chose to settle in Salt Lake City rather than Bear Lake. His son, John F. Bennett, eventually joined the Church and founded the Bennett Glass and Paint Company.
Jim comes from a long line of Republican politicians; his grandfather, Wallace Bennett, and his father, Bob Bennett, both served as U.S. Senators from Utah. Jim ran his father’s final campaign in 2010, which was marked by controversy over the TARP vote and resulted in a loss. This experience, combined with a dissatisfaction with the changing Republican Party, led him to co-found the United Utah Party, a centrist third party. He later ran for Congress and for Mayor of Sandy as a centrist candidate.
Faith and Religious Work
Jim is widely known within the LDS community for his line-by-line reply to the “CES Letter,” a document outlining various criticisms of Church history and doctrine. His response, which has been downloaded over 200,000 times, focuses on building a “sustainable faith” by acknowledging difficult issues rather than dismissing them.
He hosts the “Inside Out” podcast with Ian Wilks, a former member of the Church. The podcast aims to facilitate productive dialogue between faithful members and those who have left, avoiding the polarization often found in religious discourse. Jim was also a producer for the docuseries “An Inconvenient Faith,” which explores how individuals maintain their faith while confronting challenging aspects of Church history.
Key Philosophies
A central theme of Jim’s work is the concept of prophetic fallibility. He argues that viewing prophets as infallible “demigods” creates an unsustainable faith; instead, he believes the “central purpose of mortality” is to learn from mistakes. He asserts that:
- Trust over certainty: The current “faith crisis” many experience is actually a trust crisis caused by the institution’s perceived lack of transparency regarding its history.
- Honesty as a solution: He believes the Church would be healthier if it publicly apologized for past mistakes, such as the priesthood ban, to build long-term trust.
- Inclusivity: He advocates for a broader “big tent” approach to Mormonism, arguing that members should not be excommunicated for holding unorthodox views, such as polygamy skepticism/revisionism, as long as they remain committed to their covenants.
Jim is also a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and continues to engage in online discourse, despite facing significant harassment from both critics and orthodox members on social media platforms.
What are your thoughts on Jim’s perspective? Have you visited LDS Faith Journeys? Care to share your journey? What advice do you have for others to maintain their faith in a crisis? Is it really a trust crisis?
Don’t miss our other faith journeys: https://gospeltangents.com/tag/lds-faith-journeys/
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