In this powerful and eye-opening episode of WARD RADIO, host Cardon Ellis joins Austin Falter and Jonah Barnes to unpack one of the most overlooked chapters in both American and Latter-day Saint history — Joseph Smith’s 1844 presidential campaign.

Far from being a vanity project, Joseph’s run was born out of desperation — a direct response to mob violence, government corruption, and religious persecution that left the Saints without justice or protection. Drawing on Spencer McBride’s research, the hosts explore how Smith’s bold platform championed freedom, equality, and reform: from abolishing slavery through compensation, to shrinking Congress, slashing salaries, and enforcing religious liberty for all.

With humor, insight, and modern parallels (including comparisons to Mitt Romney’s campaign), the team explores how this little-known effort for justice became one of the most radical and courageous moves in early American politics — and asks the haunting question:
👉 What if Joseph Smith had actually won?

#WardRadio #JosephSmith #LDS #MormonHistory #AmericanHistory #Faith #Freedom

In this episode, hosts Cardon Ellis, Jonah Barnes, and Brittany Ellis dive into the sometimes controversial perception of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as Mormons) as a "high demand" religion. They unpack how this label is often used negatively by outsiders, but also highlight the admiration and even envy it inspires in other faith communities, especially when it comes to devotion and youth engagement.The discussion is kicked off by referencing an article from Christianity Today, written by Russell Moore, a self-described orthodox Christian. Moore expresses both skepticism and candid respect for the expectations placed on Latter-day Saint youths—specifically the tradition of missionary service. He notes that, despite initial misgivings, he came to appreciate how the mission experience transforms young people, teaching discipline, leadership, self-reliance, and a deepened faith, even when measurable "success" (like baptisms) doesn’t happen.

Are smart people less religious? Ward Radio host Cardon Ellis sits down with Jonah Barnes and Austin Falter to challenge one of the biggest modern myths—that intelligence and faith don’t mix. Using real data from Ryan Burge’s graphsaboutreligion.com, the team uncovers surprising trends showing that higher education often increases church attendance and belief across nearly every demographic, including within the Latter-day Saint community.With humor, insight, and hard facts, Cardon and his guests dig into why “smart” and “spiritual” aren’t opposites—and why educated believers might just be leading the charge in faith and family. If you’ve ever wondered whether data supports devotion, this episode has the answers.

Textbook arrogance, dismissiveness, and smooth-brain anti-Mormonism was on display recently as David Letting took a swing at newcomer Maddy Packer's channel, so we invited her on our channel to fight back.

#mormon #christian #evangelical #bible #bookofmormon

Cardon Ellis joins Drew, Joe from the No Unhallowed Hand podcast for a real-time reaction to a Frank Turek video about what Latter-day Saints believe about Jesus. What starts as lighthearted banter quickly turns into a sharp yet thoughtful analysis of common evangelical misconceptions—like the infamous “Mormons get their own planet” myth.With humor and clarity, the hosts unpack doctrines of the Godhead, deification, and eternal progression, correcting misrepresentations while inviting open, respectful dialogue. It’s a lively, good-faith defense of what Latter-day Saints actually believe—proving that interfaith conversations can be both passionate and fair-minded.

Cardon Ellis, joined by Austin Falter and podcaster Jonah Barnes, dive into a lively and sometimes tense discussion about the growing presence of gender and LGBTQ+ themed children’s books in mainstream outlets, particularly within communities traditionally associated with conservative, religious values (like those of the LDS Church).

Cardon Ellis, Jonah Barnes, Kwaku L., Brad Whitbeck, and Jerry—dives into the intriguing prediction that many ex-Mormons may soon start returning to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The discussion is sparked by a post from the ex-Mormon subreddit, which suggests that “ex-Mormonism” might have peaked as a trend and could now be on the decline.The hosts talk candidly about the cyclical nature of religious commitment and cultural trends. Drawing parallels to historical trends in American religiosity, they propose that just as religious participation dipped and resurged in past decades, so too could LDS Church activity. The resurgence, they suggest, may be influenced by changes in Church leadership, cultural excitement, and generational waves—recalling times when being Mormon was culturally “cool” because of influential figures, music, and media.

Cardon chats with Ella Katzenback about her recent article on the powerful true story of Helmuth Hubener. Together, they reflect on their experience attending an influencer screening of "Truth and Treason," a new film by Angel Studios that highlights Helmuth’s life—the youngest German boy executed for resisting Nazi propaganda in Hamburg during WWII.Ella shares how deeply the film impacted her and the group of Gen Z influencers she attended with. Both were struck by Helmuth’s courage: a teenager risking his life to spread the truth, despite knowing the consequences could be fatal. Ella’s favorite moment was Helmuth’s bold testimony before the people’s court, where he declares he’s not being executed for doing wrong but for telling the truth, leaving viewers in awe of his moral clarity and conviction.

Cardon sits down with Elder TikTok to explore what’s drawing young people toward—and pushing them away from—the Mormon church in today’s digital age.

In this episode, the host of Ward Radio Cardon Ellis dive deep into a series of controversies surrounding Glenn Beck, prominent conservative radio personality and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS—commonly referred to as Mormon). The conversation unpacks how Beck is not only criticized from the political left, but more surprisingly, from the right—especially evangelical and Protestant circles who view his faith with suspicion or outright hostility.