In this stream, we take a close look at a candid confession from a prominent online therapist known for her anti-LDS content. Despite built-in expectations around cultural competence and rigorous prep, a recent social media Reel revealed surprisingly shallow background work before treating LDS and post-LDS clients.Is this standard therapeutic practice, or does it signal a deeper issue in the online ex-Mormon therapy niche? Let's break down the implications together.Feel free to join our community for Dads: https://strengthofdads.com/ Check out our upcoming retreat: https://strengthofdads.com/event-retreat Chapters00:00 Introduction and Panel Greetings02:00 Discussion of Church News: Gospel Foundations Class04:14 Reactions to Sunday School Changes07:05 The Purpose of Sunday School: Facts vs. Community09:54 Personal Experiences in Sunday School15:06 Controversy: Ashley B Therapy and Online Trends20:33 The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Shallow Learning28:42 Critique of Online Therapists and Cultural Bias40:10 The Power of Deep Study and Personal Growth43:02 Closing Remarks and Future Events#lds

A wife asks her husband to butter the toast. He agrees. Five seconds pass. She sighs, takes over, and calls him lazy and a child.That video is going viral. And tonight a licensed male LDS therapist sits down with us to explain what just happened — not to the toast, but to the marriage.Because that moment isn't about toast. It's the beginning of a cycle that researchers call demand-withdraw — one of the most well-documented patterns in couples therapy. One partner controls, the other retreats. The control increases. The retreat deepens. And the wife who took over the toast ends up with exactly the husband she was afraid of: checked out, disengaged, and going through the motions.We also get into the term "weaponized incompetence" — why it describes a real phenomenon, why it's being misapplied to ordinary male behaviour, and why framing your husband as someone attacking you with a weapon may be the fastest way to guarantee the marriage gets worse.This isn't a blame-the-wife conversation. It's a help-the-marriage conversation.Topics covered:— What the toast video reveals about the demand-withdraw cycle— What it does to a man when his wife treats him like a child in his own home— Why the control cycle produces the exact husband wives are afraid of— What "weaponized incompetence" gets wrong — and what it gets right— How to break the cycle — practical steps for both wives and husbands— What LDS couples specifically need to hear about this patternJoin the brotherhood at For The Strength of Dads:strengthofdads.comChapters00:00 Introduction and guest introduction02:01 Hayden Holm introduces the episode and guest Logan Bleazard04:26 Reaction to social media video about marriage dynamics07:12 Logan Bleazard discusses common patterns in marriage10:05 The importance of understanding control and agency11:57 Cycle of control and withdrawal in LDS marriages13:00 Breaking the cycle: practical advice for men and women18:40 Attachment panic and its effects on behavior22:21 Communication strategies and bids for connection30:42 How to avoid escalation and shame in conflicts43:19 Breaking the mothering cycle and fostering leadership50:50 The importance of small daily acts and appreciation55:02 Resources and where to find Logan Bleazard#lds

A year ago Dan Ockey did something most EQ presidents wouldn't dare. He threw out the rows, scrapped the traditional format, and rebuilt Elders Quorum from scratch — roundtables instead of rows, snacks and genuine conversation before the lesson, anonymous forms so men could share what they were actually struggling with without raising their hand in front of the quorum.We put him on the show. The episode took off. And tonight he's back with a year of results.What worked. What didn't. What surprised him. What he'd do differently. And how he's thinking about the biggest challenge yet — Elders Quorum being reduced to 25 minutes every Sunday starting in September.If you're an EQ president trying to build something real in your quorum — or a man who's watched your Elders Quorum slowly hollow out — this conversation is for you.Topics covered:— What Dan changed and why— What a year of results actually looks like— The wins, the resistance, and what he learned— How he plans to run a powerful quorum in 25 minutes— What every EQ president can steal from his model right nowChapters00:00 Introduction to Elders Quorum Transformation03:49 Implementing Change: Round Tables and Feedback05:11 Concrete Changes and Results in Elders Quorum10:04 Engaging Conversations: Surveying the Brethren16:09 Creating a Safe Space for Honest Discussions18:39 Real Stories of Transformation and Growth27:52 Engaging Youth in Real Problems29:44 The Importance of Feeling Needed30:33 Revitalizing Elders Quorum32:02 Measuring Engagement and Attendance33:58 Handling Pushback in Change35:03 Commitment to Change36:10 Implementing the Model38:11 Adapting to New Formats41:29 Practical Solutions for Lessons43:56 Maintaining Engagement with Snacks45:49 Creating a Better Experience47:09 Being the Change53:41 Proven Success Across OrganizationsWant to build brotherhood beyond Sunday? Join For The Strength of Dads:strengthofdads.com

For decades the church provided programs that built male community without men having to think about it — Scouting, Priesthood Session, stake athletics, the old Young Men program. Then, starting in 1980 and accelerating through 2018, those programs were simplified, consolidated, or removed entirely under a deliberate institutional direction: home-centered, Church-supported.The programs are gone. The expectation of brotherhood remains. And nobody has officially told LDS men whose job it is to fill the gap.Tonight we sit down to ask the honest question — are LDS men failing the church, or is the church failing them? We use President Hinckley's three things every member needs — a friend, a responsibility, and nourishing with the good word of God — as our diagnostic. And we ask what it actually looks like to build the brotherhood the programs used to provide.This isn't an anti-church conversation. It's a men-stepping-up conversation.Topics covered:— What "home-centered, Church-supported" actually means for men— What only the church can provide — and what falls on us— President Hinckley's three things and whether LDS men are getting them— The new convert problem — what happens when the home is empty?— What men are actually being called to build right nowReferences:President Hinckley:churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1997/04/converts-and-young-menChurch simplification history since 1980:thechurchnews.com/2019/4/4/23214936/simplifying-members-lives-reducing-strain-on-leaders-a-look-at-church-changes-since-the-1980sJoin the dads at For The Strength of Dads:strengthofdads.comChapters00:00 Introduction to the Conversation02:49 The Shift in Men's Programs06:13 Expectations vs. Reality in Church Programs09:02 The Role of Structure in Community Building11:53 The Crisis of Male Engagement14:58 Home-Centered, Church-Supported: What Does It Mean?18:13 Reframing Church Support21:08 Community and the Role of the Church24:06 Defining Church Support and Community Engagement32:03 Exploring Sunday School Dynamics35:07 The Role of Community in Learning39:33 Shifting from Lecture to Discussion44:19 The Importance of Community and Connection51:42 Retention and Support for New Members56:13 Family Home Evening: Tradition vs. Flexibility59:06 Navigating Church Programs: Build or Restore?01:02:32 Proactivity in Church Engagement01:06:44 Simplifying Church Responsibilities01:10:25 Empowering Local Leadership and Community01:13:20 Finding Purpose in Family and Ward01:16:38 Taking Responsibility for Spiritual Growth#lds

On the last day of Pride Month, the official Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Facebook account published a member spotlight featuring Pono Skousen — a fashion designer who spoke about learning to sew with Relief Society sisters and not having to choose between creativity and discipleship.It's a beautiful story. And it's only the first page.Two taps from the church's official post and you arrive at @church.ofmartin — the fashion brand he co-founded. The brand has produced a Pride capsule collection featuring two men in an intimate embrace, shoots featuring men in women's clothing posed in front of a portrait of Christ, and content clearly aimed at gay and ex-Mormon audiences. The brand name itself is a deliberate play on LDS church aesthetics.The temple recommend interview asks members whether they actively support or promote teachings, practices, or doctrines contrary to the church. That's not our standard — that's the church's own. Tonight we're not asking whether Pono meets it. We're asking whether anyone at the church's social media team checked the second page before publishing.Because a 14-year-old who follows the official church account just got a two-tap path to content that contradicts everything the church teaches — delivered with the church's implicit endorsement.Topics covered:— What the church's member spotlight said — and what two taps surfaces— The @church.ofmartin brand and what it signals— The temple recommend question that frames the doctrinal issue— What appears to have failed in the vetting process— What this means for youth who follow the official church accountJoin our community of faithful dads: https://strengthofdads.com/Chapters00:00 Introduction to Member Spotlights04:30 Pono's Story and Initial Reactions11:59 Controversy and Community Reactions20:24 Role of Parents in Guiding Youth27:55 The Impact of Social Media on Faith33:32 Navigating Church Social Media Controversies39:00 The Role of Men in the Church44:50 Highlighting Positive Male Role Models52:42 Proposing Solutions for Member Spotlights01:00:52 Empowering Dads in a Home-Centered Church

A woman made a video comparing gospel principles to a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Dr. Steven Hassan — cult expert, author of Combating Cult Mind Control, and creator of the BITE Model — responded by calling it evidence of LDS mind control.Tonight we watch the reel, read his own published guidelines for how to help someone leave a cult, and ask one question: did he follow them?He didn't follow a single one.His own books say don't mock, don't use sarcasm, don't attack the group, don't act out of contempt. In the reel he questions her intelligence, compares LDS members to psychiatric patients, calls the church "one of the wealthiest businesses on earth," and admits he "has issues with this kind of sweetness."We also dig into the BITE Model itself — the framework used to classify the LDS church as a destructive cult — and follow the logic all the way to its destination.Topics covered:— What Hassan actually said — and what he left out— His own rules for helping people leave cults — and how he violated each one— The BITE Model explained and debunked— Where his framework leads if you follow it all the wayFollow:  @latterdayscooby  Join our discord of dads:https://strengthofdads.com/Chapters00:00 Introduction to Cults and Cookie Monsters08:47 Dr. Stephen Hassan: The Cult Expert14:59 Critical Thinking vs. Blind Obedience19:51 The Nature of Cults and Influence24:57 The Liberal Use of the Term 'Cult'26:14 Exploring the Definition of Cults28:39 Financial Motives Behind Cult Accusations30:06 Political Cults: A Broader Perspective32:51 Personal Experiences with Cults34:45 Contradictions in Cult Expert's Advice37:17 Interfaith Conversations and Misunderstandings40:08 Understanding the BITE Model of Cults46:34 Cherry-Picking Information in Cult Discussions52:29 Exploring Guilt and Confession in Cults54:30 Critiques of the BITE Model56:20 Research Methodology and Its Flaws01:00:15 Applying the BITE Model to Various Organizations01:02:00 The Irony of Cult Accusations01:09:10 The Dangers of Overusing the Term 'Cult'

Your son will see pornography before he turns 13. That's not a warning — it's a statistical certainty. The question isn't whether it happens. It's whether you'll be the person he comes to when it does.Tonight Kurt Francom of Leading Saints joins us to reframe the conversation LDS culture has been getting wrong. Pornography isn't primarily a sin problem — it's a coping mechanism. And the shame response that most LDS men, parents, and spouses default to doesn't cure it. The research shows it fuels it.We cover what parents need to know before exposure happens, what spouses need to understand about their husband's struggle, and what actually breaks the cycle — because willpower and shame never have.Topics covered:— Why pornography is a coping mechanism, not a character flaw— The shame-use-shame cycle and why it makes recovery worse— What the church's official materials say vs. what men actually experience— What parents need to do before their son is exposed— What spouses get wrong about their husband's struggle— What actually breaks the cycle — ft. Kurt Francom, Leading SaintsFollow:  @LeadingSaints  Check out the Leading Saints Summithttps://leadingsaints.org/liberatingJoin our community of Dads: https://strengthofdads.com/Church resources: churchofjesuschrist.org/study/life-help/pornographyChapters00:00 Introduction to the Conversation05:29 The Impact of Pornography on Relationships12:55 Understanding Betrayal Trauma15:11 Coping Mechanisms and Maladaptive Behaviors23:27 Cultural Perspectives on Pornography32:11 Teaching Future Generations about Pornography35:46 Preparing Youth for Difficult Conversations38:04 Teaching Young Women About Relationships39:54 The Role of Parents in Sexual Education42:06 Creating Safe Spaces for Open Dialogue44:10 Continuing Conversations into Adulthood46:32 Normalizing Discussions on Intimacy and Pornography50:54 Resources and Support for Overcoming Addiction56:30 Sharing Stories to Reduce Shame01:01:34 Advice for Parents of Struggling Youth#lds

There's a song going viral right now claiming that every day is Father's Day — because dads don't pull their weight at home. It's catchy. It's funny. And it's making a very specific argument about your husband before he's walked through the door.Tonight we sit down with Roy Anderson and trace where this content actually leads — because this isn't just one song. It's a category of viral marriage content flooding LDS feeds right now, and all of it is telling the same story: women do everything, men do nothing, and resentment is the appropriate response.We go through five specific pieces of content — the viral song, Dr. Julie Hanks on invisible labor, a divorce lawyer's take on the mental load, a reel claiming women do 200% more housework than men, and a grandmother telling women to stop treating motherhood like a burden — and ask the question we always ask on this show: where does this path actually lead?Along the way we pull up the actual Pew Research study that the invisible labor argument is built on — and find a finding that didn't make it into the post. When both spouses work full time, the load is more or less evenly split. That detail changes everything.We're not here to say housework is perfectly equal. It isn't. But real data presented incompletely, in service of a predetermined conclusion, doesn't lead to stronger marriages. It leads to more resentful ones.Topics covered:— The "Every Day Is Father's Day" song and what it's actually arguing— Dr. Julie Hanks on invisible labor — and what she left out of the study she cited— Why women do more housework — and why standards gaps matter more than we think— The mental load nobody is counting: financial provision, career anxiety, long-term security— Granny Bibbins on why motherhood is a privilege, not a burden— Where this content leads if you follow it all the wayChapters00:00 Introduction to Parenting Challenges04:57 Reactions to Viral Parenting Content10:07 Invisible Labor in Parenting14:59 Communication in Relationships20:01 The Role of Gender in Household Responsibilities24:59 The Impact of Professional Advice on Marriages30:02 Finding Balance in Parenting Duties35:29 Weaponized Incompetence and Relationship Dynamics36:08 Framing Parenthood: Labor vs. Fulfillment38:30 The Reckoning: Addressing Societal Narratives39:27 Strength of Dads: Community Support for Fathers40:19 Granny Bibbins: A Voice of Wisdom41:01 The Value of Family Over Fame42:17 The Consequences of Modern Choices43:41 Debunking the Invisible Labor Narrative45:09 Understanding Housework Dynamics49:10 The Standards of Cleanliness in Relationships51:19 Communication: The Key to Relationship Success54:37 Mental Load: A Shared Responsibility58:17 The Myth of Mental Load01:00:52 The Burden of Providing for the Family01:03:06 The Importance of Equal Recognition01:06:31 Final Thoughts: Communication and PropagandaJoin our community of Dads: strengthofdads.com#lds

This week's LDS headlines had something for everyone. A general authority made a racially insensitive joke at a stake conference in Oklahoma — and the Salt Lake Tribune called him racist. Charlie Bird announced he and his husband are pursuing IVF and surrogacy to have a child — and much of the LDS internet celebrated. And Governor Cox declared June "Fidelity Month" in Utah — and politicians called it a slap in the face.Tonight we sit down with Tember Harward — a Latter-day Saint who experiences same-sex attraction and has chosen the covenant path — to go through all three stories and ask the question we always ask on this show: where does this path actually lead?On Elder McKay: a sincere apology was issued. Is the story over — or is the framing doing something else?On Charlie Bird: 380,000 followers are watching an LDS influencer pursue surrogacy. What about the child's right to a mother? What does the data say about intentional maternal deprivation? And what does Lot's daughters have to do with any of it?On Fidelity Month: Cox became the first Utah governor to declare Pride Month in 2021. His stated goal was to improve mental health outcomes and cultivate inclusion. Five years later — did the metrics move? Because the data on LGBTQ+ mental health has gotten worse, not better, despite unprecedented accommodation. And Tember — who lives this tension personally — has something to say about what actually helps.Topics covered:— Elder McKay's apology and how the media framed it— Charlie Bird's surrogacy announcement and the child's right to a mother— The commodification of women in the fertility industry— When scripture gets used to justify departing from the Proclamation— Cox's Pride Month declarations 2021–2026 — and what changed— The mental health data that nobody is talking about— What Fidelity Month actually means to an LDS member who experiences same-sex attractionJoin our community of Dads: https://strengthofdads.com#lds

Two posts are going viral in LDS social media circles right now. One calls the Family Proclamation "exclusion framed as love." The other takes the Proclamation, removes most of it, recolors what remains in rainbow stripes, and retitles it the "Gospel of Love Edition."Both are being shared widely. Both feel compelling in the moment. But both are doing something specific with the source material — and tonight we're going to trace where that logic actually leads.This isn't about whether the church is perfect or whether these creators have genuine grievances. It's about a technique: taking a document, isolating the parts that fit a predetermined conclusion, and presenting the result as though it represents the whole. It's a method that works on any text, applied to any institution — and understanding how it works makes you a sharper reader of everything, including content you already agree with.We walk through both posts, go back to the actual source material, and ask one question: if you follow this argument all the way to its destination, is that where you meant to go?Topics covered:— What "exclusion framed as love" actually claims — and what the full document says— The difference between critiquing a text and reconstructing it— Why this format spreads so effectively even when the argument is incomplete— What it looks like to engage honestly with a document you disagree with— How to apply the same standard to content you already agree withChapters00:00 Introduction to Trending Posts in the Exmo Community00:40 Exploring Ashley B's Perspective on Exclusion02:05 Cultural Shifts Since the Family Proclamation03:48 The Role of Licensed Therapists in Religious Trauma06:43 The Concept of Love in Modern Contexts08:39 The Character of Christ and Outward Love10:36 Cultural Interpretations of Jesus' Teachings12:48 The Impact of Therapists on Faith and Relationships16:17 The Ethics of Therapy and Imposing Worldviews18:53 Advice for Healthy Relationships20:30 The Dangers of External Locus of Control22:54 Defining Harm in Therapy24:39 The Case of Jody Hildebrandt and Ethical Concerns29:09 The Emotional Toll of Therapy in High-Demand Religions30:48 The Consequences of Blind Trust in Authority33:10 Therapeutic Deism: The New Age of Therapy35:04 The Work Required for Healing37:34 The Gospel vs. Therapy: A Comparison39:47 The Role of Therapists in Faith Crises42:14 Navigating Belief and Doubt in the Church46:22 The Purpose of Therapy: Tools for Clients48:50 The Dangers of Subjective Harm50:41 Historical Parallels: Polygamy and Modern Issues53:32 The Importance of Personal Responsibility in Faith55:44 Weaponizing Love in Therapy58:48 The Age of Revelation: Finding Truth for YourselfFollow:  @latterdayscooby  Join our community for Dads:https://strengthofdads.com/ #lds #mormon