The Mormon Church is claiming their lawsuit against John Dehlin has nothing to do with freedom of speech. Of course not! They are just trying to sue John Dehlin into oblivion so he will agree it is wiser and less-expensive to stop criticizing Mormonism. It is so obvious that even church members are noticing and beginning to turn against the church. And the clumsy filings of the church, together with an even clumsier press conference, go a long way toward proving the Mormon Church is suing John Dehlin for all the reasons they say they are not. Listen and see if you agree! (This material originally aired on the Mormon Newscast on August 24, 2026.)

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Tonight on Mormon Newscast, the LDS Church says its trademark lawsuit against John Dehlin and Mormon Stories isn’t an attempt to silence a prominent critic—it’s about preventing consumer confusion. But does the Church’s latest court filing tell quite the same story as its original legal arguments? Our lead story examines the Church’s new opposition to Mormon Stories’ motion to dismiss, and whether the Church is clarifying its case—or backpedaling what this lawsuit was about in the first place.

Also on tonight’s Newscast:

• Sunday School Schedule Problems — The Church is preparing members for its new September Sunday schedule, including weekly 25-minute Sunday School, Relief Society, elders quorum, Young Women and Aaronic Priesthood meetings. But have they considered all the potential problems? Well, Someone has.

All of that and more on the August 24, 2026 Mormon Newscast.

If you want to support The Mormon Newscast, you can donate here:

And if you’re navigating faith transition or spiritual trauma and need support, 1-on-1 coaching and group work is available at: https://awakenandthrive.org/

The post The LDS Church Changes Its Story ? appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Mormon apologist Jacob Hansen has chosen the hill he wants to die on. That hill is his unusual position that even though prophets can be (and have been!) horribly wrong about doctrinal issues, they can still be trusted to teach us the truth. I know. I know. It doesn’t make any sense to me, either! But in this episode, we will demonstrate that not only is this actually Jacob Hansen’s position, but that he will in fact die on the particular hill. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Radio Free Mormon.

The post Lying About Prophets: RFM: 470 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

In June 1834, while marching with Zion’s Camp through Illinois, Joseph Smith and his followers came across an ancient Native American burial mound. Members of the group dug into the mound and uncovered a human skeleton—with what appeared to be an arrowhead among its ribs.

According to multiple members of Zion’s Camp, Joseph Smith then received a vision revealing the identity of the dead man. His name was Zelph. He was described as a “white Lamanite,” a warrior and “man of God” who had fought under a great prophet named Onandagus. Wilford Woodruff recorded that Onandagus was known across a territory extending from “the hill Cumorah” to the Rocky Mountains and that Joseph received this information “in a vision.”

But the story gets considerably more interesting when we dig deeper.

In this episode of Mormonism Live, we examine the earliest surviving Zelph accounts from Wilford Woodruff, Reuben McBride, Levi Hancock, Heber C. Kimball, and others. What did these witnesses independently agree Joseph said? Which details appeared later? And how did the story change as it was edited into the official history of the Church?

We also explore Joseph Smith’s own remarkable letter written during Zion’s Camp describing the group as wandering across the “plains of the Nephites,” examine the possible connections between Zelph, Cumorah, the Land of Desolation, and Book of Mormon geography, and look at what modern archaeology has discovered about the mound where the skeleton was reportedly found.

Was Zelph simply an unusual nineteenth-century frontier story? Or did Joseph Smith make a specific prophetic claim about an actual ancient person—one that potentially tells us where Joseph believed Book of Mormon peoples lived?

Zelph the White Lamanite: Digging Up Bones

This is where archaeology, Mormon history, Book of Mormon geography, and Joseph Smith’s prophetic claims collide.

The post Mormonism’s Zelph – The White Lamanite appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Why do intelligent, sincere women remain loyal to systems that often ask them to suppress their own intuition? In this episode, Bill Reel is joined by three thoughtful women- Jana Spangler, Julie De Azevedo, and Teresa Hobbs; for an in-depth conversation about the psychology of high-demand religion—not to criticize individuals, but to better understand the powerful social and psychological forces that shape belief, obedience, and identity. Together, they explore five well-established psychological concepts that help explain why leaving Mormonism can be so difficult: Pluralistic Ignorance Preference Falsification Cognitive Dissonance Identity Fusion Learned Helplessness Rather than remaining theoretical, these ideas are brought to life through personal stories, lived experience, and honest reflection. The discussion examines how mechanisms such as secrecy, surveillance, ritualization, conformity incentives, embodied obedience, fear of relational loss, and gendered hierarchy can gradually influence behavior and make resistance increasingly costly.

This conversation also asks difficult but important questions:

Whether you’re a faithful member seeking to better understand loved ones, someone navigating faith deconstruction, or simply interested in the psychology of belief and social influence, this episode offers insight into why intelligent, sincere people can remain committed to high-demand systems—and what healing can look like afterward. Please share your own experiences in the comments. Which of these psychological processes resonated most with your journey?

#Mormonism #LDS #ExMormon #FaithTransition #ReligiousTrauma #Psychology #HighDemandReligion #CultPsychology #Deconstruction #MentalHealth #WomenInMormonism #MormonDiscussion #BillReel

The post How Mormonism Breaks Down Women’s Resistance appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Tonight on Mormon Newscast, we’re following the money—and asking what the latest numbers actually tell us about the LDS Church. We begin with Ensign Peak’s newly released Q2 2026 investment report. The Church’s publicly disclosed U.S. securities climbed from roughly $53.67 billion to $60.82 billion in a single quarter, with enormous exposure to Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Micron, AMD and the broader AI boom. But how impressive is that performance when compared with the S&P 500—or a simple momentum ETF? We dig into what Ensign Peak bought and sold, its increasingly AI-heavy portfolio, and whether prophets, seers and portfolio managers are actually beating the market.

Also tonight:

The post The LDS Church Made $7 Billion & Still Lost to the S&P 500 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

RFM and Bill Reel host an august panel of Sunstone Symposium presenters and attendees, as they tell us fun and fascinating stories about what goes on behind the scenes of Sunstone! Join us! Mormon Studies were never so much fun!

The post Find Out What REALLY Happened At Sunstone 2026! appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Tonight on Mormon Newscast, our lead story centers on a significant development in the LDS Church’s trademark and copyright lawsuit against Mormon Stories Podcast. The ACLU of Utah and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have filed amicus briefs supporting Mormon Stories, raising concerns about the implications of the Church’s lawsuit for free expression, criticism, and online speech. We’ll break down what these organizations are arguing, why they decided to enter the case, and what their involvement could mean going forward. We’ll also cover several stories pointing toward the continuing challenge of Latter-day Saint disaffection and what may be driving younger generations—particularly women—away from the Church. Along the way, we’ll examine the controversy involving a Mormon beauty queen, the arrest of an LDS leader in Russia, and an Arizona court decision tossing out a child sexual abuse case against the LDS Church. We’ll also look at the Church’s newly announced Sunday School and Sunday meeting changes. Church leaders are emphasizing a more Christ-centered, home-centered approach with shorter classes and greater participation from members. Is this another meaningful step toward decentralization and member autonomy—or does the substance of authority remain largely unchanged even as the structure evolves? Finally, we pause to acknowledge two recent deaths in the broader Mormon community. We remember Carol Lynn Pearson, whose writing, poetry, advocacy, and willingness to confront difficult issues within Mormonism influenced generations of Latter-day Saints and former Latter-day Saints. We’ll also acknowledge the tragic death of 27-year-old LDS apologist Chandler “Chuck” Hendry, creator of Restored Truth, whose growing influence was evident in the considerable grief and affection expressed throughout the LDS apologetic community following his passing. Tonight on Mormon Newscast — August 10, 2026. News, context, analysis, and the Mormon stories behind the headlines.

The post LDS Church Lawsuit Gets Pushback From ACLU & EFF appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Kolby Reddish and RFM used their combined legal education, experience and acumen to break down and analyze the recent Arizona Supreme Court Case dismissing the lawsuit against the LDS Church for covering up child abuse in its ranks. If you’re wondering what the hell happened in Arizona, this discussion by two “Mormon Legal Eagles” should be just what you are looking for!

The post Mormon Church Wins Arizona CSA Case: RFM: 469 appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Can a church become so important that no amount of bad leadership, toxic culture, or personal harm should ever cause someone to leave? Recently, Elder Lawrence Corbridge made a striking statement: “Darth Vader could be your bishop. The culture could be like Alcatraz… If you see the Church as the kingdom of God on earth, then you will stay.” At first glance, this sounds like a call for faith. But beneath the surface lies a powerful psychological framework—one that asks members to separate their lived experience from their evaluation of the institution itself. In this popup Newscast, Radio Free Mormon, Rebecca Bibliotheca, & Bill Reel, examine why this way of thinking can be deeply unhealthy, how it shifts accountability away from institutions and onto individuals, and why it mirrors patterns commonly found in high-demand groups.

We’ll explore questions like:

Rather than simply criticizing one Church leader, this episode investigates the psychology of institutional loyalty and asks whether truth should ever require us to ignore reality. Whether you’re an active Latter-day Saint, someone navigating faith transition, or simply interested in the psychology of belief and high-demand organizations, this conversation offers a thoughtful framework for evaluating one of the most consequential questions anyone can ask: Should commitment to an institution ever come before evidence, experience, and conscience? Join the conversation below: Do you think Elder Corbridge’s statement reflects healthy faith—or unhealthy institutional loyalty? What was your reaction when you first heard it?

#Mormonism #LDS #ExMormon #FaithCrisis #ReligiousTrauma #Psychology #SpiritualAbuse #HighDemandReligion #MormonDiscussion #MormonNewscast

The post “You Will Stay” – When Loyalty Matters More Than Abuse ! appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.