The Mormon Newscast: Mormonish Edition

The Mormon Newscast: Mormonish Edition

By Mormonish

Podcasters Rebecca Bibliotheca, Bill Reel, and Radio Free Mormon bring you an exciting and informative weekly news podcast covering timely and important topics in the Mormon space.... more
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Best of The Mormon Newscast: Mormonish Edition

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

  1. Number 1: Lying For the Lord?

    Tonight on The Mormon Newscast, we dig into several stories making waves across the Latter-day Saint world. Our lead story returns to the LDS Church’s lawsuit against John Dehlin and Mormon Stories. A recent Church filing claims a Mormon Stories guest believed the podcast was “Church affiliated”—but when we go back to what the guest actually said, there appears to be an important difference between believing Mormon Stories was a faithful Mormon podcast and believing it was actually affiliated with the LDS Church. Did the Church misrepresent its own evidence? We also cover the increasingly ugly backlash surrounding Charlie Bird and Ryan Clifford’s plans to become fathers through IVF, egg donation and surrogacy. What began as a debate among conservative Latter-day Saint commentators about same-s#x parenting has now included disturbing personal messages reported directed toward Charlie, Ryan and their future family. Also tonight: new data suggesting 22% of LDS college students surveyed identified as something other than heterosexual; Latter-day Saint creators using AI to produce cinematic Book of Mormon imagery; an update on the deadly Kearns LDS funeral shooting; a look back at the Church’s infamous “baseball baptisms” and what membership numbers actually tell us; and new research challenging some assumptions about women, ordination and religious retention. Finally, we look at the major restructuring happening inside BYU athletics surrounding Kalani Sitake and the football program, and Jana Riess takes a look at Ensign Peak’s investment performance—with outside analysts concluding that despite the Church’s enormous gains, its publicly reported stock portfolio has still lagged the S&P 500. Join us as we break down the stories, the claims, and—most importantly—the details underneath the headlines on The Mormon Newscast. If you want to support The Mormon Newscast, you can donate here: https://donorbox.org/the-mormon-newscast (Bill & RFM) https://donorbox.org/mormonish-podcast (Rebecca) 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/ #thechurchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #mormon #exmormon #postmormon #lds

    2h 17min
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  2. Number 2: The LDS Church Changes Its Story ?

    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. • LDS funeral shooting update — New details emerge from the deadly shooting outside a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Kearns, Utah, including an arrest and questions about what police knew before gunfire erupted. • Big changes at Temple Square — New attractions and exhibits are coming as Temple Square prepares for the massive 2027 Salt Lake Temple celebration—and reservations for the long-awaited temple open house become available September 1. • Why do LDS influencers keep using the word “Mormon”? — President Russell M. Nelson famously pushed members away from the Mormon nickname, yet “Mormon” remains extraordinarily valuable in the attention economy. We look at why influencers, entertainment companies and online creators continue using the word the institutional Church worked so hard to retire. • Is Deseret News warning Latter-day Saints against therapy? — We examine its provocative new article, “7 signs your counselor may be undermining your faith,” which warns that even religious counselors may unknowingly steer clients away from a God-centered worldview—and raises larger questions about therapy, autonomy and religious deconstruction. • Patrick Kearon tells Mormon overachievers to slow down — At BYU Education Week, Elder Kearon challenged the culture of relentless achievement, telling high achievers to seek peace, rest and stillness rather than treating discipleship as another endless checklist. But we'll also ask an uncomfortable historical question: Did generations of LDS leadership help create the very culture of spiritual striving and burnout Kearon is now trying to correct? All of that and more on the August 24, 2026 Mormon Newscast. If you want to support The Mormon Newscast, you can donate here: https://donorbox.org/the-mormon-newscast https://donorbox.org/mormonish-podcast 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/ Thank you so much for watching Mormonish Podcast! ***How to DONATE to Mormonish Podcast: If you would like to help financially support our podcast, you can DONATE to support Mormonish Podcast here: Mormonish Podcast is a 501(c) (3) DONATE HERE: https://donorbox.org/mormonish-podcast ****WE HAVE MERCH! **** If you’d like to purchase Mormonish Merch, you can visit our Merch store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mormonishmerch You can get your own quote to attend our Post-Mormon Celebration Cruise by visiting - https://kheskethtravel.com/post-mormon-celebration-cruise And you can get more info on the cruise by visiting - https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/post-mormon-celebration-cruise/ We appreciate our Mormonish viewers and listeners so much! Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to Mormonish Podcast! Contact Mormonish Podcast: [email protected] Mormonish Podcast is not associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #mormonish #lds #mormon #exmormon #postmormon #religion #news, #ldschurch #comeuntochrist #churchofjesuschrist #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #byu #byui #josephsmith #comefollowme #polygamy #bookofmormon #becauseofhim #hearhim #ldstemple FAIR USE DISCLAIMER All Media in this video (including the thumbnail) is used for the purpose of review and critique. The images in the thumbnail are used as the primary means of visually identifying the subject matter of the video.

    2h 24min
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  3. Number 3: The LDS Church Made $7 Billion & Still Lost to the S&P 500

    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: • President Dallin H. Oaks turns 94—and a seemingly innocent birthday photo involving some suspiciously fancy glassware sparks a wonderfully Mormon debate about the old commandment to “avoid the appearance of evil.” • A Provo man is sentenced in a child sexual abuse material case after an FBI investigation uncovered disturbing online conversations, including statements about wanting access to young children. • Let the Christ-centered demolition begin! The Church appears to be experimenting with redesigned meetinghouses intended to create a more explicitly Christian worship environment. • Why won’t these darn kids just get married? Marriage rates at BYU are dropping sharply, and Church and university leaders are trying to figure out how to get young Latter-day Saints off the dating apps and onto actual dates. Is Mormon dating culture collapsing—or are LDS young adults simply beginning to behave more like everyone else their age? • An LDS local leader in Scotland is sentenced after admitting offenses involving sexual communications with people he believed were 13- and 14-year-old girls. The Church says it unequivocally condemns abuse. • The Church is celebrating a record 88,500 full-time missionaries, but falling birthrates and the recent missionary-age change for women raise an important question: is this sustainable growth—or another temporary demographic surge? • Tim Ballard’s former organization, Our Rescue, lands a federal contract worth as much as $244 million to provide immigration-related legal services for roughly 24,000 unaccompanied children—even as critics argue the organization lacks the experience and legal infrastructure for the assignment. • More than 400 Salt Lake Tribune readers answered the question: What question should be added to the LDS temple recommend interview? Their answers raise a fascinating distinction between institutional worthiness and actual moral character—and we'll imagine what a temple recommend interview might look like if its central concern were producing healthy, compassionate, accountable human beings. • And finally: Want to star in an LDS Church movie? The Church is recruiting volunteers for a new Temple Square production—and apparently this could be your big break. All of that, plus what’s happening across the Mormon podcasting world, tonight on Mormon Newscast.

    1h 60min
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  4. Number 4: LDS Church Lawsuit Gets Pushback From ACLU & EFF

    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. Thank you so much for watching Mormonish Podcast! ***How to DONATE to Mormonish Podcast: If you would like to help financially support our podcast, you can DONATE to support Mormonish Podcast here: Mormonish Podcast is a 501(c) (3) DONATE HERE: https://donorbox.org/mormonish-podcast ****WE HAVE MERCH! **** If you’d like to purchase Mormonish Merch, you can visit our Merch store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mormonishmerch You can get your own quote to attend our Post-Mormon Celebration Cruise by visiting - https://kheskethtravel.com/post-mormon-celebration-cruise And you can get more info on the cruise by visiting - https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/post-mormon-celebration-cruise/ We appreciate our Mormonish viewers and listeners so much! Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to Mormonish Podcast! Contact Mormonish Podcast: [email protected] Mormonish Podcast is not associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #mormonish #lds #mormon #exmormon #postmormon #religion #news, #ldschurch #comeuntochrist #churchofjesuschrist #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #byu #byui #josephsmith #comefollowme #polygamy #bookofmormon #becauseofhim #hearhim #ldstemple FAIR USE DISCLAIMER All Media in this video (including the thumbnail) is used for the purpose of review and critique. The images in the thumbnail are used as the primary means of visually identifying the subject matter of the video.

    2h 26min
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  5. Number 5: "You Will Stay" - When Loyalty Matters More Than Abuse !

    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 E. 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: • When does loyalty become unhealthy? • Should abuse or toxic leadership count as evidence about an institution? • Why do some organizations teach people to distrust their own experiences? • How does this mindset contribute to spiritual abuse, learned helplessness, and institutional protection? • Would we accept this reasoning from a corporation, a political party, a marriage, or a therapist? 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 Thank you so much for watching Mormonish Podcast! ***How to DONATE to Mormonish Podcast: If you would like to help financially support our podcast, you can DONATE to support Mormonish Podcast here: Mormonish Podcast is a 501(c) (3) DONATE HERE: https://donorbox.org/mormonish-podcast ****WE HAVE MERCH! **** If you’d like to purchase Mormonish Merch, you can visit our Merch store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mormonishmerch You can get your own quote to attend our Post-Mormon Celebration Cruise by visiting - https://kheskethtravel.com/post-mormon-celebration-cruise And you can get more info on the cruise by visiting - https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/post-mormon-celebration-cruise/ We appreciate our Mormonish viewers and listeners so much! Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to Mormonish Podcast! Contact Mormonish Podcast: [email protected] Mormonish Podcast is not associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #mormonish #lds #mormon #exmormon #postmormon #religion #news, #ldschurch #comeuntochrist #churchofjesuschrist #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #byu #byui #josephsmith #comefollowme #polygamy #bookofmormon #becauseofhim #hearhim #ldstemple FAIR USE DISCLAIMER All Media in this video (including the thumbnail) is used for the purpose of review and critique. The images in the thumbnail are used as the primary means of visually identifying the subject matter of the video.

    1h 33min
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The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.