Mormon Stories Podcast

Today on Mormon Stories News, John Dehlin and Meggan Hayes are covering six stories involving the LDS Church, from a revealing Missionary Department job posting to newly released police interrogation footage, debates over tithing, and developments in Mormon culture and education.THE LDS CHURCH IS HIRING SOMEONE TO HANDLE MISSIONARY CRISESA Church job posting offers an unusually detailed look at how the Missionary Department handles problems involving missionaries, including health emergencies, worthiness concerns, arrests, and allegations of abuse. One responsibility is particularly revealing: protecting the interests of the Church, the missionary, and lastly, the victims.https://epej.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/ChurchEmployment/job/378249RYAN CHRISTOPHER HALL: MORMONISM ENTERS A POLICE INTERROGATIONNewly released footage from a 2024 investigation shows detectives confronting Ryan Christopher Hall, a former Maryland sheriff's detective and devout Mormon who was convicted. During questioning, investigators explicitly bring up Hall's Mormon faith, his troubled marriage, and Christian forgiveness. Hall ultimately received lengthy state and federal prison sentences.https://youtu.be/SP78F3l8OHsTITHING AND THE LDS CHURCH'S FINANCESAn article in Public Square Magazine examines tithing and Church finances. We'll look at the arguments being made about religious giving, financial stewardship, and the Church's substantial financial resources.https://publicsquaremag.org/faith/tithing-and-church-finances/WHEN AN OB-GYN FOLLOWS THE BRETHRENA video raises questions about the relationship between medical expertise, religious authority, and following Church leaders. What happens when professional judgment and religious expectations intersect?https://youtu.be/3cCCicEMj_MJULIE DE AZEVEDO on SOFT WHITE UNDERBELLYWe're also discussing Julie de Azevedo and a conversation that offers another perspective on Mormon life, identity, and experience.https://youtu.be/vOjAMMQhXqcBYU'S MEDICAL SCHOOL MOVES FORWARDBYU's planned medical school has reached an important accreditation milestone. Deseret News reports on the process and what it means for the university's effort to establish a medical school.https://www.deseret.com/faith/2026/10/15/how-byu-medical-school-earned-accreditation/From institutional priorities and financial transparency to religious authority and accountability, today's stories raise important questions about the relationship between the LDS Church and the people whose lives it influences.___________________Show NotesYouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In Part Two, we continue Patrick Brady and Dan Dorty’s story as Patrick becomes a Mormon bishop while privately struggling with his sexuality and his increasingly complicated relationship with Dan. Patrick discusses serving as a bishop, his approach to worthiness interviews, pornography and masturbation, the law of chastity, and his desire to create a safer environment for members of his ward. We also explore the Church’s 2015 policy concerning same-sex couples and its eventual reversal, and how these events affected Patrick’s faith. The conversation then turns to Patrick and Dan questioning their place in the Church, the SEC investigation, Church history, Patrick coming out to his wife, and his eventual decision to step away from Mormonism. Patrick reflects on marriage, family, faith, sexuality, and what happened when he finally took away the Church’s power to control him. ___________________Show NotesYouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

For this week's Mormon News Podcast, John Dehlin and Meggan Hayes look at Apostle D. Todd Christofferson's General Conference talk on gambling, a remarkably well-timed prediction from Latter-day Saint journalist McKay Coppins, a new documentary exploring the experiences of queer Christians, the latest development in the Bisbee abuse case, Dan McClellan, Flightless Bird and more.Months before General Conference, Latter-day Saint journalist McKay Coppins spent a year immersed in America's rapidly expanding gambling industry for The Atlantic. Then, just weeks before conference, he appeared on the Mormon Land podcast and predicted that Church leaders might soon address gambling directly.Then D. Todd Christofferson did exactly that. His October General Conference talk addressed sports betting, prediction markets, young people gambling, addiction, and even betting on the timing of the Second Coming. We compare his talk with Coppins' earlier reporting and look at just how much the two have in common.Christofferson's gambling talk also found an unexpected fan outside the usual General Conference audience. Political streamer Hasan Piker praised the Church's stance on gambling, saying, "It's hard for me not to give a shoutout to the Mormons on this one."Kathy Baldock is on the scene exploring what happens when LGBTQ identity and Christian faith intersect, including the experiences of people trying to find belonging in religious communities while navigating teachings about sexuality and identity.The Bisbee abuse case may be headed to the nation's highest court. Survivors are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their case involving clergy confidentiality and the failure of LDS bishops to report abuse they learned about through confession.Biblical scholar Dan McClellan continues his work separating what biblical texts actually say from the assumptions and doctrines that have accumulated around them. We take a look at his latest conversation and what it adds to discussions about scripture and religious authority.And finally, Flightless Bird enters the world of Mormonism, giving an outsider's perspective on Latter-day Saint beliefs, culture and the sometimes very unusual world surrounding the faith.___________________YouTubeShow NotesAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In Part 2 of this Mormon Stories interview, John Dehlin continues his conversation with Noah Rasheta, a former Mormon who became a Buddhist teacher and a host of the Secular Buddhism podcast. After leaving Mormonism and entering what he calls “seeker mode,” Noah began exploring Buddhism –not simply as a set of beliefs, but as a practical way of understanding suffering, relationships, grief, and everyday life. Noah begins explaining what Buddhism actually is, whether it should be considered a religion, and who the Buddha was. He introduces the Four Noble Truths and explores the Buddhist understanding of suffering, including the distinction between unavoidable suffering and the additional suffering we create for ourselves. Together, Noah and John Discuss the “first and second arrow” teaching, the happiness trap, and the idea that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can often influence how much additional suffering we create in response. Noah also shares personal experiences with panic and anxiety and explains how mindfulness and meditation became practical tools in his own life. The conversation becomes especially personal as Noah discusses the death of his father and how Buddhist practices helped him navigate grief. John and Noah explore mindfulness, grief meditation, contemplating death as a way of appreciating life, and the possibility of meeting difficult experiences with greater awareness rather than resistance. The discussion then expands into Buddhist ethics and philosophy, including right resolve, the dangers and benefits of absolute authority, the idea that no single worldview necessarily represents universal reality, the Buddhist principle of “do no harm,” and the concept of right livelihood. Noah also explains Buddhist perspectives on death and the afterlife and offers practical suggestions for people who are curious about exploring Buddhism for themselves. This episode is ultimately a conversation about what happens when we stop asking only, “What is true?” and begin asking, “How should I live?” Noah shares the practices and ideas that have shaped his life since leaving Mormonism and offers a thoughtful introduction to Buddhism as a path for engaging with suffering, uncertainty, grief, and the human experience. ___________________Show NotesYouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

For this week's Mormon News Podcast, John Dehlin and Meggan Hayes look at Nemo the Mormon getting international attention as LADbible takes a deep dive into his excommunication from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, plus new developments in the LDS Church's lawsuit against Mormon Stories, declining Latter-day Saint birthrates, former tradwives rejecting the movement, changes to the 2027 Come, Follow Me manual, and more.Nemo the Mormon's excommunication is already familiar to many in the Mormon world, but now his story is reaching a much larger international audience. LADbible's new documentary, Nemo vs the Mormon Church: The Cost of Speaking Out, explores Nemo's experience challenging Church leaders, losing his membership, and what came afterward.There are also new developments in the LDS Church's lawsuit against Mormon Stories. The Salt Lake Tribune reports on comments made by Church attorney David Jordan during an appearance on the pro-LDS Keystone podcast and why Mormon Stories' attorneys believe those comments could complicate the Church's case. John also joined Mormonism Live this week to discuss the lawsuit, the Church's claims, and what the documents actually show.We also look at a recent leadership session from the Highland Utah East Stake and what local Church leaders are being told.Latter-day Saints are still having more children than many Americans, but LDS family sizes and birthrates have been falling. The Salt Lake Tribune looks at the Church's long history of encouraging marriage and children, how those messages have changed, and whether Latter-day Saint couples are likely to reverse the trend.The New York Times is also looking at women who once embraced the tradwife movement and are now rejecting it. We discuss what they're saying about traditional gender roles, marriage, motherhood, and why some women are walking away from the lifestyle.Then, Mormon.ish takes a close look at the newly released Come, Follow Me 2027 New Testament manual, comparing it with the previous curriculum to see what's been added, removed, and reframed.And finally, a little Ted Lasso makes its way into the Mormon conversation.___________________Show NotesYouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

What does it mean to grow up Black and Mormon in an overwhelmingly white church?In Part One of our conversation with Mariama Nadworna, she shares her story of growing up in Sierra Leone before moving to the UK as a child. When her mother began investigating Mormonism, Mariama’s family eventually went “all in” on the church, embracing its teachings and community as they adjusted to life in a new country.Mariama describes how her Mormon upbringing shaped the way she understood race, worthiness, obedience, and her own identity. She also discusses growing up Black in predominantly white Mormon spaces, learning to navigate the world “from the outside in,” and feeling pressure to be exceptional in order to prove herself. We explore the church’s historical teachings about race, including the “Curse of Cain,” interracial marriage, and the priesthood ban, as well as the ways these teachings affected her understanding of her own worth.Mariama also reflects on her mission, dating, education, and the ways her African heritage and spirituality shaped her relationship with Mormonism. This episode ultimately begs the question: What happens when the community you seek belonging in will not accept you for who you truly are?___________________Show NotesYouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Today on Mormon Stories News, John and Meggan examine new Pew data on Mormon retention, the Church’s opposition to Idaho Proposition 1, questions surrounding David McConkie’s employment at BYU, a response from Suzie Greco, Elizabeth Smart’s Survivor Files, and Colorado State’s apology following anti-Mormon chants at a BYU football game.ARE MORMONS STAYING?New Pew data gives us another look at LDS retention in the United States. We compare the new findings with Church-focused retention research released earlier this year.https://www.deseret.com/faith/2026/06/05/latter-day-saint-faith-retention-united-states/https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/09/22/tradition-and-change-among-latter-day-saints-in-the-us/CHURCH OPPOSES IDAHO PROP 1The LDS Church has asked Idaho members to oppose Proposition 1, a reproductive freedom ballot initiative. We look at what has transpired since.https://www.eastidahonews.com/2026/09/read-letter-from-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saint-leaders-on-idaho-abortion-prop-1-initiative/DAVID McCONKIE AT BYUQuestions are being raised about BYU’s employment of David G. McConkie, who appears on a public offender registry. We look at the available records and what is being reported about his work at BYU.https://www.nsopw.gov/search-public-sex-offender-registries?search=https://www.icrimewatch.net/offenderdetails.php?OfndrID=31038418&AgencyID=54438https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/1wj58fx/byu_employs_convicted_sex_offender_david_g/SUZIE GRECO RESPONDSSurvivor advocate and researcher Suzie Greco responds following our previous coverage of the warning she says she received from LDS leaders.ELIZABETH SMART: SURVIVOR FILESElizabeth Smart is sharing a new series, Survivor Files, centered on survivor stories and experiences.https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_smart_official/reels/COLORADO STATE APOLOGIZES TO BYUColorado State apologized after fans directed derogatory chants at BYU during their football game.https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49986309/colorado-st-apologizes-byu-derogatory-chants-fans___________________YouTubeShow NotesAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In this episode, we continue examining Brigham Young’s life and his increasingly central role in the development of early Mormon polygamy. Join us as we discuss John Turner’s book “Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet” with John Turner himself. Today we are discussing the chapter “The New and Everlasting Covenant.”After returning from his mission to Britain, Brigham Young encounters a Mormon movement undergoing dramatic changes. Joseph Smith is deeply involved in plural marriage, John C. Bennett’s scandal begins to expose the complicated sexual and religious world developing in Nauvoo, and Brigham himself moves from uncertainty to becoming one of polygamy’s most prominent advocates. We examine the controversial story of Martha Brothertone, Brigham Young’s plural marriages and polyandrous relationships, his relationship with Joseph Smith, and the dynastic ambitions that connected plural marriage to Mormonism’s highest leaders. We also look at Brigham’s role in introducing Hyrum Smith to plural marriage and the enormous power differential created when these relationships were presented as commands from God. Finally, we turn to the death of Joseph Smith and the question of succession. Who would have succeeded Joseph if both Joseph and Hyrum had survived? Why wasn’t Brigham Young immediately recognized as Joseph’s successor? And how did the events surrounding Joseph’s death set the stage for the eventual rise of Brigham Young? ___________________YouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

I am incredibly pleased to re-release this 3-part interview with my wife of 33 years, Margaret (Margi) Weber Dehlin - first recorded in 2016 (a year after our excommunication from the Mormon church). I say "our" excommunication, because Margi felt that when they excommunicated me, they excommunicated our family as well.Part 1: Margi's life as a believing Mormon. This includes questions about how her family joined the LDS church in Washington D.C. during the 1970s, reflections on her own "conversion" to the church, Margi's favorite parts about being a believing, active Mormon, and the most challenging parts as well.Part 2: Margi's faith crisis and transition away from Mormon orthodoxy, including our time trying to remain LDS as semi-believers, and her experiences and reflections on my excommunication. Topics include the impetus for Margi's faith transition, how she/we "came out" to our children parents, extended family, etc. as unorthodox Mormons, and what the most difficult and rewarding parts of the transition were.Part 3: Margi's life and perspective now, as a post-Mormon, including reflections on her current beliefs and non-beliefs, her approach to nurturing a healthy/happy family without religion, how she approaches raising children without the church, and why she feels as though she and our family are happier and healthier than ever before after leaving the church.___________________At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.Our overall mission is to:1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religionsHelp us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor todayOne-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=mPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstoriesVenmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstoriesPaypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstoriesOur Platforms:Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MormonStoriesPodcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstoriesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcastDiscord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjFContact us:[email protected] Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In today's Mormon Stories News, John and Meggan are back with six stories raising questions about LDS leadership, institutional accountability, and the future of Mormonism. We respond to Skye's criticism of our previous coverage, examine abuse survivor advocate Suzie Greco's reported warning, and unpack Elder Kevin W. Pearson's striking remarks about a future Church with 50 million members. Plus, a new report explores the Church's emphasis on marrying young and having children, a video raises questions about service missionaries providing legal assistance, and BYU appears in a report on universities criticized for their treatment of LGBTQ students.SKYE RESPONDS TO MORMON STORIESSkye says John disparaged his marriage. We revisit the criticism and discuss how to address disagreements about mixed-orientation marriages without dismissing the people living them.https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFKB3iSzao/SUZIE GRECO WARNED?Survivor advocate and researcher Suzie Greco reports receiving a warning. We examine her account, her research into abuse and institutional structures, and the specific reforms she has proposed for the LDS Church.https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19QPkf4ApB/50 MILLION MORMONS?Elder Kevin W. Pearson speaks about the Church moving from 18 million to 50 million members. Is he describing an expectation for future growth?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqVNtE5pV3UMARRY YOUNG, HAVE MORE BABIES?A new KUER report examines the LDS Church's messaging around younger marriage, family formation, and modern motherhood. We discuss what that messaging means for young adults making decisions about their futures.https://www.kuer.org/health/2026-09-16/lds-church-younger-marriage-more-babies-modern-motherhoodSERVICE MISSIONARIES PROVIDING LEGAL HELP?A video prompts questions about the role of service missionaries in providing legal assistance. We look at what's being described and what questions it raises about missionary service and professional expertise.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H10ajNFcXABYU AND THE 15 WORST UNIVERSITIESThe Advocate includes BYU in its coverage of universities criticized for anti-LGBTQ policies and practices. We discuss the concerns behind the report and what they mean for LGBTQ students attending religious universities.https://www.advocate.com/news/education/15-worst-anti-lgbtq-universitiesJoin us today for the latest Mormon news, analysis, and conversation. Share your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe to Mormon Stories Podcast for more coverage of the LDS Church.___________________YouTubeShow NotesAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Four THRIVE events are coming — Rexburg, San Antonio, Boise, and St. George — and John Dehlin wants to make sure you hear about them IN ADVANCE this time.THRIVE conferences are for former and transitioning members of high-demand religions. They're about community, healing, and growth after Mormonism — meeting people who get it, picking up tools for navigating a faith crisis, and realizing you are not alone and you are not crazy.REGISTER FOR ALL FOUR AT: https://thrivebeyondreligion.com---------------------------------------------------------------------THRIVE REXBURG — Sept. 18–19, 2026 — $19---------------------------------------------------------------------"Brewing a New Story"Friday, Sept. 18: meet and greetSaturday, Sept. 19: speakersOur FIRST-EVER THRIVE in Rexburg, Idaho.Speakers:• Britt Hartley (keynote) — No Nonsense Spirituality• Renae Peterson• Erika Nordfelt• Nan Osborne---------------------------------------------------------------------THRIVE SAN ANTONIO — Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026 — $25---------------------------------------------------------------------9:30 AM – 5:00 PMWheatly Heights Sports Complex, Event Hall200 Noblewood Dr, San Antonio, TX 78220Speakers:• Alyssa Grenfell• Nathan Hinckley — singer and former bishop• Megan Conner• Elbert Fish• Meggan Hayes — Generally Unquotable / Mormon News Network---------------------------------------------------------------------THRIVE BOISE — Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026 — $29, INCLUDES LUNCH---------------------------------------------------------------------10:00 AM – 5:00 PMGalaxy/Wahooz Fun Center400 W Overland Road, Boise, ID 83642Speakers:• Dr. John G. Turner (keynote) — Professor of Religious Studies and History at George Mason University; author of "Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet" and "Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet"; co-host of the Joseph Smith and Brigham Young podcast series with John Dehlin• Amy Faragher, LPC — clinical insights for navigating a faith crisis• Kolby Reddish — LDS Discussions• Andrew Propst — kidnapped while serving a mission in Russia; his story became the film "The Saratov Approach"---------------------------------------------------------------------THRIVE ST. GEORGE — March 5–7, 2027 — $45 for all three days---------------------------------------------------------------------"Think Freely. Thrive Fully."Friday, March 5: 6:00 PM – 9:30 PMSaturday, March 6: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday, March 7: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PMDixie Convention Center1835 South Convention Center Drive, St. George, UT 84790Our biggest THRIVE yet. Speakers:• Michael Foley — "Your Momma's So Mormon She Won't Come To This Session: My Adventures In Trying To Make Utah Laugh"• Chris Bartlett — "Behind the Mask: An Actor Questions His Programming"• Sally Osborne & Lena Osborne — "When Everything Changes: Staying Connected Through Faith, Identity, and Family Transformation"• Kolby Reddish — "How to Understand Different Approaches to Faith"• Dr. Christine Marie — "Stop Judging. Start Helping"• Nomz Bistline — "Stop Judging. Start Helping"• Dr. John Lundwall — "Secret Works: Magic, Memory, and the Making of the Book of Mormon"• Dr. Julie de Azevedo — "What I Kept When I Left: A Life of Thoughtful Integration"Meet content creators, shop the tables, and connect with influencers, podcasters, and authors. Book through our preferred hotel partners for 20% off your stay.Event details: https://www.stgeorgethrive.org---------------------------------------------------------------------HOW TO REGISTER---------------------------------------------------------------------All four events: https://thrivebeyondreligion.comTickets are priced only to cover the venue and food — usually $19 to $45.WANT TO ORGANIZE A THRIVE IN YOUR AREA?Email [email protected] or [email protected] and we will help you put one together.

We are back with Michele and Mike Seamons in part 2 of this interview with the “Idyllic” Mormon family.In part 2, they detail how their picture of the Mormon dream can come with plenty of challenges. They build and lose businesses, move across the country multiple times, and repeatedly find themselves rebuilding their lives. Through it all, they respond by doubling down on their commitment to Mormonism and church service.Mike eventually finds himself serving as a bishop, where the responsibilities of counseling members and conducting disciplinary councils begin to change how he sees church leadership. At the same time, Michele’s relationship with the church begins to shift as music and other Christian influences introduce her to a different way of thinking about God.As their family and church lives continue to evolve, Mike and Michele begin confronting questions that will eventually force them to reconsider what faith looks like to them.https://seekwonderway.substack.com___________________YouTubeShow NotesAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In the second episode of the Brigham Young Podcast, Dr. John Turner –author of Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet –joins us to explore Brigham Young’s transformation from a passionate and fiercely loyal follower of Joseph Smith into one of the most important leaders of the early Mormon movement. We follow Brigham through some of the most turbulent years of early Mormon history –from the Kirtland Safety Society and the formation of the Quorum of the Twelve to the Missouri conflict, the Kirtland Temple dedication, and his remarkably successful mission to England.Along the way, we explore Brigham’s personality, his spiritual experiences, his practice of speaking (and singing) in tongues, his unwavering loyalty to Joseph Smith, and the growing tensions within the early church. Why did Brigham continue defending Joseph when other prominent leaders were turning against him? And what made Brigham such an effective leader despite not fitting the traditional image of a great preacher? The episode also takes a closer look at one of the most important questions surrounding Brigham Young: What did he know about Joseph Smith’s early experiments with plural marriage? We discuss the Fanny Alger controversy, Martha Brotherton’s accusations, Brigham’s time in England, the question of “proto-polygamy,” and Brigham’s later claims about when he learned that plural marriage was divinely commanded. Rather than reducing Brigham Young to either a heroic Mormon prophet or a one-dimensional villain, this series attempts to understand him as a complicated historical figure –deeply religious, shrewd, ambitious, loyal, sometimes harsh, and increasingly influential.If you wish to donate to support this series, please visit here: https://donorbox.org/brighamyoung___________________Show NotesYouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠Venmo ⁠⁠PayPal ⁠Our Platforms:🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠✳️⁠Spotify⁠🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠📱⁠TikTok ⁠🎮⁠Discord ⁠Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117