From Megachurch to Mormon: Watching the Church Become What I Left - Lance Kennedy | Ep. 2160

From Megachurch to Mormon: Watching the Church Become What I Left - Lance Kennedy | Ep. 2160

What happens when the son of a Pentecostal megachurch pastor decides to become Mormon? In this episode of Mormon Stories Podcast, we sit down with Lance Kennedy to discuss his unique religious journey from evangelical Christianity to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Raised in Texas as the son of a prominent pastor, Lance grew up behind the scenes of one of the fastest-growing church movements in America, watching firsthand as churches evolved from small congregations into large-scale organizations. Drawing from that experience, Lance offers a fascinating perspective on Mormonism as both an insider and an outsider. He shares what initially attracted him to the LDS Church, why Mormonism felt like a better fit than the religious tradition he was raised in, and how his background shaped the way he approached questions of belief, culture, and church growth. Throughout the conversation, we explore the similarities and differences between evangelical Christianity and Mormonism, the challenges facing the modern LDS Church, and the tension between preserving a distinct religious identity and adapting to a changing world. Lance also discusses his experiences as a branch president in rural Texas, his thoughts on church history and transparency, and why he remains an active member despite his willingness to publicly discuss difficult issues. ___________________ YouTube [https://youtu.be/LPu3fvSz7dk] At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today ⁠One-time or recurring donations⁠ [https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m%A0] ⁠Patreon⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories%C2%A0] ⁠Venmo ⁠ [https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories] ⁠PayPal ⁠ [https://paypal.me/mormonstories] Our Platforms: 🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠ [https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes] 🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories] ✳️⁠Spotify⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1%A0] 🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772%C2%A0] 🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mormstories] 📱⁠TikTok ⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast] 🎮⁠Discord ⁠ [https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF] Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Mormons Not Christian Says Pete Hegseth's Department of War? - Mormon News 6.11.26 | Ep. 2159

This week on Mormon Stories News, John Dehlin along with Julia, and Brooklyn of the OSF team, break down some of the biggest stories making headlines in Mormonism. President Nelson announced the Springfield, Missouri temple [https://www.ky3.com/2026/06/07/groundbreaking-held-saturday-new-springfield-missouri-temple/] on April 2, 2023, yet ground was just broken for it on June 6, 2026. Why the delay? Have other temples been delayed? What is the average amount of time for a temple to be finished between its first announcement to dedication? What are the membership numbers that will fill these temples? On June 7, 2026 General Authority Seventy Kyle S. McKay spoke at a Stake Conference in Yukon, Oklahoma. Shortly after the video was posted, however, Mormon church leaders quickly removed it. Join us as we go over the most controversial parts of his talk! June has been dubbed “Fidelity Month” by Governor Cox. [https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2026/06/04/cox-declares-june-fidelity-month/] Cox did not announce the declaration with a news release, nor did he post it on social media as he has done at the beginning of June in the past years. But does Utah WANT this change? Is Cox trying to replace Pride Month? On June 4th the Department of Defense made some changes to the recognized list of religions. The list included several “Christian” denominations such as Lutheran, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Methodists, etc. However, The LDS Church was not listed among the “Christian” denominations. On June 6th Edward Smart, the father of well-known Elizabeth Smart, shared a public Instagram Post [https://www.instagram.com/p/DZOKguqAXzu/] about his current status with the LDS Church.  The LDS Church is making changes to the Sacrament Meeting rooms [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsG7DUi9G4k]! This story first broke with Rebecca Bibliotheca of Mormonish Podcast who shared that architectural plans for two LDS meeting house remodels reveal that the sacrament altar is now to be placed front and center under the pulpit. The plans will be in place by 2028 and this will be the new structure going forward.  In 2026, BYU Football player Parker Kingston was charged with first-degree felony rape [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l9PzgwVQZ9biN6a0UbfLYeDghq5aey0f/view] in Utah. The incident was reported by a 20-year-old woman in February 2025. Kingston has pleaded not guilty and the case is proceeding through the Utah court system. News has been released concerning the request for a new judge for the case. An invested citizen was able to attend a Utah City Council Meeting [https://www.youtube.com/live/jVT2sj_uEoY]in which someone shared their concerns about the American Fork Police department in their handling of Reckless Ben (previously covered on Mormon Stories). This insider video gives a closer look at the concerned citizens of American Fork. The Great Salt Lake is in critical condition [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/us/great-salt-lake-utah.html] with historically low water levels due to long-term drought and heavy water diversion for agriculture and urban use. These changes threaten key ecosystems and create toxic dust storms that impact air quality across the Wasatch Front. Governor Cox said he discussed with President Trump a potential federal funding around $1 billion. ___________________ YouTube [https://www.mormonstories.org/mormons-not-christian-says-pete-hegseth/] Show Notes [https://www.mormonstories.org/mormons-not-christian-says-pete-hegseth/] At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations [https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m ] Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ] Venmo  [https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories] PayPal  [https://paypal.me/mormonstories] Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog  [https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes] 🎙️Patreon  [https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories] ✳️Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 ] 🍎Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 ] 🖼️Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/mormstories] 📱TikTok  [https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast] 🎮Discord  [https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF] Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

How a Mormon Therapist Lost His Faith - Brad Reedy | Ep. 2157

Today on Mormon Stories Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Brad Reedy, therapist, author, and founder of “Finding You Intensives”, to discuss his remarkable journey through faith, spirituality, addiction, and personal growth. We are also very glad to be joined by Samantha Shelly (from Zelph on the Shelf) for this uplifting conversation.  Raised outside of religion, Brad spent much of his youth searching for meaning and belonging. After struggling with substance abuse as a teenager and surviving a near-fatal overdose, he encountered Mormonism and found the structure, community, and spiritual direction  had been missing from his life. As his understanding of faith evolved, Brad found himself wrestling with questions about spirituality, identity, parenting, relationships, and what it means to live authentically. Together, we explore the tension between religion and spirituality, the challenges of faith transitions, and why something that once helped a person thrive may no longer fit later in life. Brad shares his experience as a passionate convert, missionary, BYU student, and later a marriage and family therapist. Along the way, he reflects on the strengths and limitations of high-demand religions, the role that structure can play in healing and growth, and the difference between living from guilt versus living from love. This conversation is a thoughtful exploration of transformation, self-discovery, and the ongoing search for meaning beyond certainty. ___________________ YouTube [https://youtu.be/uFBZy0IrRhg] At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories  Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes  🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1  🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772  🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories  📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast  🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF  Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Mormon Lego Scandal w/ Bricks & Minifigs, @RecklessBen & American Fork Police | Ep. 2157

What started as a dispute over a massive LEGO Star Wars collection has exploded into one of the strangest stories on YouTube. Join Dr. John Dehlin, Julia Sanders of Analyzing Mormonism, and never-Mormon commentator Matt Gillespie of Matt's Kustom Kreations, as they investigate the viral controversy surrounding a LEGO collection reportedly worth more than $200,000. Together, they examine the timeline of events, the competing claims, the lawsuits, the corporate takeover of a Bricks & Minifigs franchise, and the investigation that brought national attention to the story. A family consigned a collection reportedly worth more than $200,000 to a Bricks & Minifigs franchise in Oregon. After a corporate takeover of the store, the collection allegedly disappeared, leading to lawsuits, public accusations, competing narratives, and an ongoing battle over who is responsible. In this episode, we break down the timeline of Bricks & Minifigs controversy, the key players involved, and the investigations that brought national attention to the case. We examine the reporting and videos released by Reckless Ben and others, the responses from Bricks & Minifigs leadership, and the legal questions that remain unresolved. We also explore a lesser-discussed aspect of the story: the surprising number of individuals connected to the dispute who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From Bricks & Minifigs executives to figures invovled in post-takeover operation of the store, Mormon connections repeatedly emerge throughout the story. We discuss what those connections are, what can be documented, and how Mormon culture, business networks, and personal relationships may have intersected with the events surrounding the case. The matters discussed in this episode involve ongoing legal and public disputes. Unless otherwise stated, references to misconduct, wrongdoing, concealment, theft, fraud, corruption, or similar claims are allegations made by third parties and should not be understood as statements of proven fact. We encourage viewers to review the underlying sources, court filings, public statements, and responses from all parties discussed. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as an assertion that any individual or organization is guilty of criminal or civil wrongdoing. ___________________ YouTube [https://www.mormonstories.org/mormon-lego-scandal/] At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories  Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes  🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1  🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772  🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories  📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast  🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF  Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Mormon Sealings & Nate Oman w/ Bryan Buchanan - LDS Discussions Pt. 74 | Ep. 2156

In this episode, we expand on ideas presented by Nate Oman during a discussion on Faith Matters and trace the complicated, evolving history of Mormon sealings from Joseph Smith through the 20th century. Today, “eternal families” are often presented as the central purpose of temple sealings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But historically, the story is much messier. In this conversation, we explore how early sealings were not originally centered on the modern concept of nuclear families being together forever. Instead, sealing theology developed gradually during the Nauvoo period and often functioned as a way to create dynastic networks, priesthood connections, and systems of authority –what some critics compare to an MLM-style hierarchy of spiritual relationships.  We discuss the evolution of sealing theology from Joseph Smith to Brigham Young, baptisms for the dead and the trauma surrounding Alvin Smith’s death, the rise of dynastic sealings and the “Law of Adoption” where men were sealed to other men. We also discuss the relationship between sealings and plural marriage, how the sealing language changed over time, why Joseph Smith never initially sealed himself to Emma, the story of Jane Manning James and how she was “attached” to Joseph Smith instead of sealed. We also discuss the racial restrictions for Black Mormons, questions of informed consent, authority, and prophetic consistency, and whether the modern LDS concept of “forever families” would have been recognizable to Joseph Smith himself.  We also examine how doctrines once treated as essential and eternal –including the Law of Adoption –were later abandoned entirely, raising larger questions about revelation, institutional change, and the development of Mormon theology.  Whether you’re believing, questioning, post-Mormon, or simply interested in religious history, this episode offers a deep dive into one of the most controversial and misunderstood developments in Mormon history. ___________________ YouTube [https://youtu.be/gywPnuw-0FE] At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.   Our overall mission is to:  1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories  Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes  🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories  ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1  🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772  🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories  📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast  🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF  Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117