Latter Day Bridge Builders

On Latter Day Bridge Builders, Ashton shares his mission story serving in Salt Lake City in the Family and Church History Headquarters Mission full-time and only about 35 minutes from his childhood home.Instead of proselytizing, Ashton worked service assignments at Temple Square, including the Family History Library (helping patrons, dealing with printers, shelving), the Church History Library, and the Joseph Smith Mrmorial Building doing behind-the-scenes support. Missionaries were instructed not to preach unless responding to questions.He describes living downtown with 90–100 elders in one apartment complex, shifting companionship rules over time, and the pros/cons of staying around the same group for an entire mission.Ashton also recounts encounters with general authorities (Gary Stevenson, Steven Snow, Elder Holland) and reflects on deifying leaders versus recognizing their humanity. He opens up about doubts over whether his mission “counted,” and ends with the takeaway: it doesn’t matter where you serve, but how you serve and treat others.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuil...📸 Follow us on Instagram: / latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: / latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridg...

Is the LDS Church a Cult? Who knows! But either way, people do call it a cult, and that doesn't seem like that will be changing any time soon. Join us as we talk about WHY people call it a cult. Is it just an inflammatory pejorative? Or does the term serve an important purpose?What does our choice of whether or not to refer to it as a cult say about our experience, and is it possible that someone could be having a legitimate experience that is different?We dig deep into our thoughts about how we've separated the LDS Church from other religions and organizations, and examine if those distinctions still feel like they hold water.This episode is a part of our Tackling Clichés series. 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders

Tiana Chambers is a community organizer and event planner who ISN'T a matchmaker (even though she matches people?). She sat down with us to talk about some of the trickier parts of dating across the wide LDS spectrum, including standards vs values, spirituality vs. religiosity, and curiosity vs. judgement. We even try to answer the age-old question: Why are LDS guys always asking for "noodles"???If you are currently LDS single, if you plan to be, or if you ever have been before, we think you'll hear something in this episode that makes you laugh, and something that makes you feel seen. #lds #mormon #prolds #exmormon #utah #utahdating 📸 Follow Tiana on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/shift.lds.dating🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders

Mitch is out, so Juliet and Ashton are flying solo and diving straight into one of the deepest fault lines in Mormon culture: gender and power. Juliet, a feminist who has left the church, and Ashton, an active Elders Quorum President, ask each other honest, uncomfortable questions about priesthood ordination, spiritual worth, what "wife material" really meant growing up, and whether incremental progress inside a flawed system is meaningful, or just a really small band-aid. No gotcha questions. Just two people trying to understand each other across a wide spectrum.Topics covered: the ebb and flow of women's roles throughout church history, whether gender equality is possible without ordination, the "separate but equal" problem, and what it actually feels like to consider speaking up from inside the institution.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders

A new apostle has been called: Clark Gilbert.What does that mean? And more importantly—what does it reveal about how we think about priesthood authority?In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch, Ashton, and Juliet talk candidly about:The appointment of Clark Gilbert and the reactions surrounding itAuthority vs. humanity in church leadershipThe difference between “letter of the law” and “spirit of the law”Real experiences with bishops and power dynamicsThe tension between revelation and accountabilityWhy training and checks might matter more than we admitAnd what it actually means to have a direct relationship with GodThis conversation gets personal. We talk about depression, temple recommends, leadership mistakes, and what happens when authority goes unchecked. But we also talk about growth, humility, and what healthy leadership can look like.At the end of the day, the big question is this:How do we honor faith while still protecting personal agency?If you’ve ever wrestled with church leadership, priesthood authority, or your own spiritual autonomy, this one’s for you.👍 Like & Subscribe💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments📲 Follow us on Instagram for updates and live episode announcementsIf you’d like to financially support the podcast, links are in the description below. We’re grateful for you.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders#LDS #Mormon #ExMormon #Priesthood #FaithCrisis #ChurchLeadership #ClarkGilbert #Deconstruction #SpiritualAutonomy #LatterDayBridgeBuilders

In this episode, we officially introduce the new co hosts of Latter Day Bridge Builders. Juliet, Ashton, and I talk openly about why this space exists and why building bridges in the LDS world can feel so hard.We get into what it is like to sit in the middle. Feeling too Mormon for some spaces and too ex Mormon for others. We talk about faith transitions, loneliness, nuance, and why dignity often gets lost when people are pushed to pick a side.This is not an episode about convincing anyone to stay in the Church or leave it. It is about what happens when certainty cracks, when beliefs change, and when people are just trying to be honest about where they are at without being reduced to a stereotype.We talk about why nuance feels threatening, why the middle can be the loneliest place to stand, and why curiosity and humility matter more than winning arguments.If you have ever felt caught between worlds, unsure where you belong, or hesitant to speak honestly about your faith or lack of it, this conversation is for you.Thanks for listening, for sharing, and for helping us build something better than the all or nothing conversations we are used to.If you would like to support the podcast, there is a Buy Me a Coffee link in the description.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders

In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch sits down with returning guest Stevie for a raw, unfiltered conversation about faith, doubt, and what it actually feels like to live in the tension between the two.Stevie shares her experience moving from spiritual certainty into a full-blown faith crisis; one that collided with postpartum depression, suicidal ideation, temple service, and deeply personal questions about God, authority, garments, and identity. Rather than offering tidy answers, this conversation lives in the uncomfortable middle: wrestling with belief, grieving certainty, questioning institutional boundaries, and learning to find peace without resolution.Together, Mitch and Stevie talk about cognitive dissonance, spiritual burnout, the pressure to “know” instead of wonder, and why love, curiosity, and honesty often matter more than being right. They also explore what it means to step outside religious labels, how judgment (both internal and external) shapes faith journeys, and why many people feel safer talking to those who’ve left than those who’ve stayed.This episode isn’t about deconstruction for its own sake, nor is it an attempt to reconvert anyone. It’s about making room for real people with real questions, and choosing compassion over certainty.If you’ve ever felt stuck between belief and disbelief, tired of tidy answers, or unsure where you fit anymore, this conversation is for you.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders

Serving a Mormon mission in Cape Verde, Africa completely changed my life. It made me more serious, more committed, and opened my eyes to a culture totally different from the white Utah bubble I grew up in. It also pushed me to my limits, exposed me to the church’s messy racial history, and left me with questions I couldn’t ignore.In this episode, I reminisce about my mission:- What it was like serving in Cabo Verde on those 10 islands off the coast of West Africa- Learning Portuguese and Creole and navigating totally different dialects- The high-demand, rule-heavy culture of LDS missions and how “obedience” shaped us- The tension between the church’s racist past and teaching Black Africans the restored gospel- Rapid baptisms, low retention, and whether we were really giving people informed choice- Why my own exit from the church took 18 months of wrestling while many converts joined in a few weeks- Going back for the 2022 Cabo Verde Temple dedication as a non-believer and feeling genuinely happy for the members thereTwo things can be true at once: my mission was one of the hardest, most beautiful, most confusing things I’ve ever done. I can see harm and still see real good. I can be out of the church and still be grateful for people who loved me and the structure it gave others.Whether you’re an ex-missionary, a believing Latter-day Saint, or somewhere in between, I hope this episode gives you language for your own “both/and” experience.👉 Tell me your story:What did your mission do to you? Do you resonate with anything I share here? Drop a comment and let’s talk about it—respectfully, thoughtfully, like actual bridge builders.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders

In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch reflects on four real life conversations that reshaped how he sees faith, empathy, and connection.Each of these moments with friends, mentors, and fellow Latter-day Saints revealed something deeper about what it truly means to listen instead of trying to be right.It’s an honest, thoughtful look at how bridge building works in the real world—not in theory, but across dinner tables, text threads, and long drives home.🧠 What you’ll hear:• How four conversations taught the “art of listening”• Why being open-minded matters more than being right• The role of nuance and empathy in faith discussions• Finding balance between belief, doubt, and respect🎙️ The Art of Listening is about humility, curiosity, and learning from people who see the world differently—and that’s what bridge building is all about.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuil...📸 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders🎥 TikTok: / latterdaybridgebuilders 📺 Subscribe for weekly episodes: ‪@latterdaybridgebuilders‬ ☕ Support the podcast: buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuildersIf this conversation resonated with you, or even challenged you, leave a comment. Let’s disagree without being disagreeable, and keep building bridges together.

It’s been a while. In this re-introduction, I share what’s happened since the last time you heard from me; why the podcast went quiet, what’s changed in my life and faith, and why I felt it was time to come back.A lot has happened since I first started Latter Day Bridge Builders. I talk about officially stepping away from the Church, what that process looked like for me, and how I’m learning to rebuild connection and meaning on my own terms. But more than anything, this episode is about coming back to what matters: empathy, nuance, and honest conversation between those who believe and those who no longer do.If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been here since the beginning, thank you for sticking around. Let’s start this again!Links Mentioned:My interview on Why I Stay Podcast → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uESfe5mwyw All my links, socials, and support options → https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders

Whether you were/are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not, you probably know about Mormon missionaries. They're the young adults with black name tags and are usually dressed in a white shirt and tie, or a dress/skirt. In this episode of LDBB, Garrett and Mitch talk about some of the LDS culture regarding missions. The goal of this episode is to build bridges with people who feel like they don't fit the traditional narrative regarding this "right of passage" in Mormonism. Whether it's from not serving a mission at the culturally accepted age, coming home early from a mission, not serving a mission at all, or not having a good mission experience; many members of the church feel like outsiders around this topic. Send us an email to LDSBridgeBuilders@gmail.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/latter-day-bridge-builders/donations

Christian Hägglund is a Swedish author, lawyer and Ex-member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In part 1 of this interview, he shares his experience growing up in the church in Sweden and how religious shame was a motivating factor in his life and mission. He also shares how he came across the teachings of Denver Snuffer and Max Skousen and how those teachings influenced him as a member of his local bishopric.Be sure to listen to Part 2 where we get into how some of these teachings can help people have more positive views on those who believe differently than them.Thanks for listening!Send us an email with comments, feedback and questions to: LDSBridgeBuilders@gmail.comBuy Christian's book What Lack I Yet? on AmazonSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/latter-day-bridge-builders/donations

We absolutely LOVE this interview we did with Paul Callister. Paul is a mental health counselor who practices in Bountiful, UT. See more about his practice here: Bountiful CounselingPaul received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University. The title of his dissertation is The Book of Mormon Topic Structure, Keyness Distinctions, and Collocates of Deity: Implications for Mental Health ProfessionalsIn the interview, we discuss some of Paul's dissertation findings and how it relates to the wider discussion of mental health and worldviews that Latter-day Saints have. We also talk about what ways members and ex-members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can better understand each other. If you would like to donate to support the podcast, you can submit donations to Mitch's Venmo, or by clicking the link at the bottom of the show notes. Thank you!Show Notes:https://www.dialoguejournal.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/latter-day-bridge-builders/donations