Mormon.ish

What do a $9 billion blood-testing startup and a church with a multibillion-dollar investment portfolio have in common? On Mormonish, we look at how Theranos and the LDS Church protected their reputations, kept information out of public view, and responded to people who asked hard questions. From the powerful names on Theranos’s board to the senior Church leaders who approved Ensign Peak’s shell-c...

You’ve left Mormonism… now what? Finding your people and building a new community can feel overwhelming, but our guest, Corrick Knight, hopes to make it easier—and a lot more fun—with the MoNoMo app! On this episode of Mormonish, we talk with Corrick Knight about the one-stop resource he created to help post-Mormons connect, explore, and build fulfilling lives after leaving the LDS church. MoNoMo...

Mormonish and The Good Book Club are joined by the wonderful Matthew Harris to discuss his book "The Founding Fathers and the Debate over Religion in Revolutionary America" co-authored with Thomas S. Kidd.) Our discussion explores whether America was built as a secular republic or a Christian nation. Matt's book shows the Founders' beliefs varied widely. Some were skeptics like Thomas Paine, while...

Can Mormons celebrate Halloween? It depends on who you ask! On this episode of Mormonish Podcast, Rebecca and Landon are joined by the wonderful Lila Tueller to explore LDS Halloween traditions and the dos and don’ts of this delightfully terrifying holiday from an LDS perspective. From ward parties and trunk-or-treats to witch costumes and spooky decorations, Halloween offers plenty of opportuniti...

What goes bump in the night in Mormon history? And why do stories of spirits, mysterious encounters, and messages from beyond continue to fascinate us? Join us for a special Halloween episode of Mormonish Podcast as we explore spooky stories from Mormon history alongside ghost stories submitted by our social media community. From encounters with departed loved ones to experiences that are a little...

Could a new data center put an important piece of Mormon history at risk? On this episode of Mormonish, John Hajicek and Ron Yorgason join us to explore John’s research into the historic Arthur plantation property near Liberty, Missouri, where a data center development raises questions about preserving the past. John shares his findings connecting the property to early Mormon history, Book of Morm...

In this episode, Ron Yorgason and Sarah Smith join Mormonish to discuss the Facebook support group they’ve started for parents who have stepped away from Mormonism while their children are serving—or preparing to serve—LDS missions. The group offers a place for post-Mormon parents to connect, share experiences, and talk through the challenges of navigating faith differences between themselves and...

A $2 million donation—and a quiet return. With the LDS Church now donating $3 million to the National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, TX, we’re revisiting our episode about the First Americans Museum’s decision to return the church’s $2 million gift. The LDS church also previously donated $2 million to the International African American Museum in South Carolina. The common thread? Each museum par...

“When the prophet speaks, the conversation is over.” “Follow the brethren.” “It’s wrong to criticize leaders, even if the criticism is true.” “This will all be sorted out in the next life.” “Doubt your doubts.” Sound familiar? Mormonish welcomes Unoriginal Jim to explore 40 thought-stopping phrases in Mormonism—and how they can shut down critical thinking and meaningful conversations. A thought-st...

In Episode 10 of this series, Patrick presents the final, and strongest, set of textual clues that point to the Book of Mormon’s author. First, he reviews the claim that the theology in the text is the result of early Joseph Smith Sr exposure with the “seeker” movement. Next, he demonstrates that two phrases from the regional dialect of the Ohio/western Pennsylvania area (where Rigdon grew up) app...

What makes people willing to surrender their individuality to a cause, a movement, or a group—and why can belonging become so powerful? In this episode of Mormonish Podcast, Rebecca and Landon are joined by Cameron Stringham and Kendel Christensen to discuss Eric Hoffer’s classic book The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements through the lens of Mormonism. Hoffer explores why peo...

In Episode 9 of this series, Patrick presents the third set of textual clues that point to the Book of Mormon’s author. First he reviews the likely causes that led to the many anomalies that show up in the second half of the Book of Mormon dictation, like the loss of the first 116 pages of text, changes in location and scribes, and the ongoing development of points of doctrine. Many students of Bo...

What’s changed in the 2027 Come, Follow Me New Testament manual—and what might those changes tell us about the direction of the LDS Church? In this episode, we’re joined by John Sobczak, a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who has done a detailed comparison of the new 2027 Come, Follow Me manual with the previous New Testament curriculum. John walks us through wha...

In Episode 8 of this series, Patrick presents the second set of textual clues that point to the Book of Mormon’s author. First he reviews evidence for an ur-text or underlying text of the Book of Mormon. This section includes discussion of many themes and stories from the Bible that are reworked in a sophisticated way in the Book of Mormon. A prime example is the reworking of the narrative on Melc...

What happens after you leave Mormonism? In this episode of Mormonish Podcast, we sit down with Madison Daniels, author of Letters to a Young Ex-Mormon: A Field Guide for Moving On, for a thoughtful conversation about navigating life after a faith transition. Madison shares some of his own personal history, what his journey out of Mormonism looked like, and what ultimately inspired him to write thi...

What are the real LDS temple attendance numbers—and how close to capacity are temples actually operating? In this episode, we’re joined by Clint Kimball and Ron Yogason to explore groundbreaking new temple-attendance data from FullerConsideration.com. The website—already home to the Temple Name Oracle, Patriarchal Blessing Revelator, and LDS Unit Closure Tracker—is now estimating temple activity,...

In this episode of Mormonish Podcast, we take a closer look at the dramatic changes unfolding at Temple Square and ask: Are we watching the leaked “Jesus Land” plans come to life? The Church’s newly announced Temple Square experiences place an unmistakable emphasis on Jesus Christ, while redesigned spaces and exhibits are intended to make Temple Square easier for visitors to navigate and to better...

What does a Utah craft beer have to do with the LDS Church’s lawsuit against Mormon Stories? More than you might think. In this episode, we revisit a previous Mormonish Podcast story about Bewilder Brewing and its Deseret IPA. The brewery was challenged by the LDS church over its use of the name “Deseret,” with trademark concerns ultimately leading to the beer being discontinued. Now, with The Chu...

A recent Church News article highlighted 25 years of LDS Church membership growth across the United States—but what do those numbers really tell us? In this episode, we’re joined by Ron Yorgason to dig beneath the headline percentages and take a closer look at the statistics. Which states are actually growing, what factors are driving those numbers, and does reported membership growth necessarily...

In Episode 7 of this series, Patrick begins by responding to recent listener feedback. He documents the many ways that post Mormons believe in conspiracy theories! Or better stated—collaborations or “constructed experiences” in early Mormon history. Patrick then responds to claims that stylometry is “junk science”. He compares this claim to early claims that DNA population studies and the Book of...

In this episode, we sit down with John and Rachelle Moyer, the creative team behind the new project Ex Mormon: The Musical, for a fascinating conversation about faith, humor, music, and the complicated journey of religious deconstruction. John and Rachelle share their backgrounds and personal faith journeys, what inspired them to create a musical soundtrack about the ex-Mormon experience, and why...

In Episode 6 of this series, Patrick begins by responding to recent listener feedback. He addresses the often-committed logical fallacy of thinking that the lack of “better” evidence for an early connection between Joseph and Sidney Rigdon is proof they didn’t meet at all. Patrick then reports recent findings that demonstrate the church is still refusing to make public the records that document 3...

Mormonish Podcast hits Las Vegas with Dr. Randall Bell for a weekend of magic, illusion, mentalism, and misdirection. But this wasn’t just for entertainment—we wanted to see these techniques in action and explore how performers capture attention, influence an audience, create a sense of wonder, and convince people they’ve witnessed something impossible. Then we turn the lens on early Mormonism. Fr...

We've all seen the increasing number of ads from LDS missionaries on social media. You know, the ones that don't mention they are from the LDS church until you find yourself filling out a contact form. The ads that ask if you're lonely, or having a hard time, or want a friend to take you to church, or invite you to wipe away your sins with baptism. Mormonish is joined by former LDS missionary ad s...

Over nearly two centuries, Mormonism has changed in ways both large and small. Doctrines once taught with conviction, policies once defended as divinely inspired, and practices once considered essential have quietly—or sometimes dramatically—been left behind. In this episode, we explore The Mormon Graveyard , a website that catalogs the beliefs, teachings, policies, terminology, and practices the...