Jodi Hildebrandt is not just the story of one deeply harmful therapist. She is a warning sign about what can happen when mental health care stops being guided by professional ethics, evidence-based treatment, and client well-being—and instead becomes filtered through rigid Mormon beliefs about sin, obedience, sexuality, shame, and worthiness. In this episode, Bill Reel examines the broader problem of Mormon health professionals who practice through a religious lens rather than a clinical one. The issue is not that a therapist happens to be Mormon. The issue is when Mormon ideology overrides sound therapeutic care—when a counselor’s loyalty to Church culture, moral judgment, patriarchy, sexual repression, or “saving the family” becomes more important than the emotional safety and autonomy of the client sitting in front of them. Using Jodi Hildebrandt as a case study, this episode explores how spiritual abuse can be repackaged as therapy, how vulnerable clients can be manipulated under the language of healing, and why Mormon-informed therapy can sometimes function less like treatment and more like ecclesiastical control with a license on the wall. This episode also includes two interviews: one with a former client of Jodi Hildebrandt, and another involving a different therapist whose Mormon worldview appears to have caused serious harm in a very different way. If you’ve ever wondered where the line is between faith-informed counseling and outright therapeutic abuse, this conversation is for you.

If anyone needs extra support as they work through their faith deconstruction, Bill Reel is a certified Somatic Informed Trauma Coach and you can look into his work at https://awakenandthrive.org/

#MormonDiscussion #JodiHildebrandt #LDS #ExMormon #Therapy #MentalHealth #ReligiousTrauma #SpiritualAbuse #Mormonism

The post Jodi Hildebrandt Wasn’t an Anomaly: The Danger of Mormon Therapists appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

What did the Nauvoo Temple endowment look like in its earliest form? In this episode of Mormonism Live, Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon examine one of the earliest published firsthand accounts of the Nauvoo Temple ceremony: Catherine Lewis’s 1848 narrative. Written only a few years after the events it describes, Lewis’s account provides a remarkable window into the temple rituals, secrecy, and theological ideas circulating during the Nauvoo period.

Together we’ll explore:

We’ll also examine Catherine Lewis herself—what we know, what we don’t know, and how historians evaluate the credibility of an early eyewitness whose account repeatedly intersects with other Nauvoo-era evidence. Whether you’re interested in Mormon history, the development of temple worship, or the origins of plural marriage, this episode takes a careful, source-based approach to one of the most significant primary documents from the Nauvoo period.

If you enjoy this work and would like to support Mormonism Live and the work of Mormon Discussion Inc., please consider making a tax-deductible donation: https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live

Looking for one-on-one support as you navigate a faith transition, religious trauma, or life after a high-demand religion? Bill Reel’s trauma-informed coaching: https://www.awakenandthrive.coach

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President Dallin Hoaks has gone on record giving us every reason we need to not trust what he says. In this episode, Radio Free Mormon brings the receipts, showing that the current president of the LDS Church is the kind of guy who will try to get you to believe something, even when he knows it isn’t true. That is quite the allegation! And RFM more than backs it up in this remarkable episode!

The post Dallin Oaks Exposed: RFM: 471 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

The LDS Church claims huge growth in membership numbers in Africa. But is this claim true? Or is it manufactured like the baptism numbers claimed for Central and South America back in the 1970s? During Mormonism Live last night, an African named Riya Ngambi called in and spilled the beans on the whole operation, showing how the Mormon Church baptism numbers reported for Africa are largely fictional, and do not represent a state of burgeoning membership as the Church claims!

The post Mormon Africa Baptism Fraud: RFM: 470 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

RFM and Bill Reel are joined by a special panel of Black Mormons and ex-Mormons in this important episode. What is it like experiencing Mormonism through the lens of race? Especially when that race paints you as a second class citizen? Are discriminatory practices and beliefs about Black people a thing of the past in Mormonism, or is there still more work to do? Join us as we listen and learn from our esteemed team of panelists!

If this episode was valuable, please:

Support Mormonism Live: https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live

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This week on A Mormon Newscast, we begin with the heartbreaking flash flood tragedy in Wayne County, Utah, where five members of one family lost their lives in one of the state’s deadliest natural disasters in recent memory. We also clear up confusion that spread through early media reports regarding the family’s relationships and discuss why these tragic events serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers of Utah’s flash flood season. Then we dive into another week of Mormon news and controversy. We examine the Church’s celebration of fashion designer Pono, bring you the latest temple developments, discuss Jana Riess’ newest article about Jesus and what it says about modern Mormonism, and cover the backlash surrounding Pawley’s Christian church comments. We also report on Mormon manslaughter charges, an alleged child sexual abuse offender getting married, and why the upcoming publication of William Clayton’s journals has thrust polygamy deniers back into the spotlight. Finally, we look at a proposal that could transfer ownership of Martin’s Cove from the federal government to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, raising interesting questions about stewardship, history, and one of Mormonism’s most sacred pioneer sites. Join us live as we unpack the week’s biggest stories, add historical context, and explore what they mean for members, former members, and anyone interested in Mormonism. Leave your thoughts in the comments. Which story do you think has the biggest long-term implications?

Donate to Mormon Newscast:

If you’re navigating a faith transition, religious trauma, or simply trying to make sense of your story after Mormonism, Bill also offers one-on-one trauma-informed coaching. You can learn more at: https://AwakenAndThrive.org

GoFundMe for Flash Flood Victims – https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-lydia-after-tragic-loss

The post Utah Flash Flood Takes Family’s Life – The Mormon Newscast appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Jacob Hansen has been slowly but surely losing his mind over the last several years. Okay. Not so slowly. But still. The past week has brought not one, but two, videos from Jacob that seem bent on proving he is now officially non compos mentis. Take a look at these new videos from Jacob and see if you agree his little choo-choo seems to be chugging around the bend!

The post Mormon Apologist Loses Mind: RFM: 467 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Tonight’s Mormon Newscast is packed with major developments affecting the LDS Church, Mormon culture, and the communities surrounding it. Our lead story examines the guilty plea entered by the brother of a sitting LDS apostle, D. Todd Christofferson, in a child sexual abuse case.

We also cover:

Join us live as we separate fact from speculation, provide historical and psychological context, and explore the stories shaping Mormonism today.

Leave your thoughts in the comments. Which story do you think has the biggest long-term implications?

Donate to Mormon Newscast:

If you’re navigating a faith transition, religious trauma, or simply trying to make sense of your story after Mormonism, Bill also offers one-on-one trauma-informed coaching. You can learn more at: https://AwakenAndThrive.org

#Mormon #LDS #MormonNews #MormonNewscast #MormonDiscussion #LDSChurch #ChurchNews #BYU #MittRomney #Rexburg #CSA #Mormonism

The post Mormon Apostle’s Brother Pleads Guilty ! appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Radio Free Mormon details the circumstances leading up to the guilty plea last Thursday in federal court by Wade Christofferson to CSA charges. What did D. Todd Christofferson know, and when did he know it? And based on the little information the Church has disclosed, D. Todd definitely knew about the danger his brother posed to small children at least as recently as 2020 or 2021. Which means if D. Todd had reported it to police at that time, the child abuse to which Wade just pleaded guilty would never have happened! This is inexcusable. It is definitely time for D. Todd Christofferson to step down from his position in the First Presidency, and to resign from his office as apostle! (This is a segment from the 7-13-26 Mormon Newscast previously aired.)

The post Elder D. Todd Christofferson Needs To Step Down! [RFM:466] appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

RFM was a Mormon apologist 40-years ago, and as part of that ended up writing a paper on Lehi’s Dream that was published in The Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. It is an important paper that continues to be cited by Mormon apologists in various publications and formats, even as recently as March of 2026, long after I have slipped the surly bonds of Mormonism, and reached out to touch the face of RFM. This is an important part of my story, and how it is that a dream I had when I was younger came true; but only in the strangest and most unlikely of ways!

The post They’re Still Using My Research: RFM: 465 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.