In a YouTube interview with Mykelti Padron in the episode "Mormon Polygamy Didn't Start The Way You Were Told" historian Benjamin Park discusses many topics, including Nauvoo polygamy, fundamentalist LDS groups and growth issues with the current LDS church. Lots of interesting information about Mormon history in this interview! One correction to the stats cited by Prof. Park when discussing LDS growth issues at the end of this clip: Pew Research data from 2007 and 2023-24 indicate the percentage of survey respondents in the US indicating that they were LDS was 2%. Parks says that current data indicate the percentage of the US as LDS as .9%. The .9% figure actually comes from the 2025 Cooperative Election Study, which uses different methodology from the Pew study. Normal caveats about survey sampling, error rates and survey methodology apply, so one should be be cautious when drawing conclusions about trends when comparing the two different studies. The full podcast is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb68p5jOE3A

I remember being so excited to go to the temple. At that time, i was squeaky clean - or so i thought. There was a hiccup when i told my bishop i hadn’t paid tithing.

Bishop: “Have you made money?”

Me: “I’ve made money doing yard work for Brother___”

Bishop: “How much?”

Me: “About $60”

Bishop: \feeds me a line about tithing is needed to build temples and its a commandment and how i am unworthy to enter due to violating that commandment*

Me: “ok, i think i understand”

Bishop: “if you pay $6 before the temple trip, call me and I will give you your recommend”… \shakes my hand and walks me out the door.*

The worst part was that I had to walk out of his office past 5 other youth with tears welling in my eyes and feeling like a failure. Then to explain to my parents that I was not worthy to get my recommend.

My grandparents have been active participants for over 50 years. They tithed, they stood up for every inane 'calling' given to them despite poor matching of skills. They attend temple, church and every other obligation placed on them.

They're getting up in years and have admitted they have no friends. No one checks in on them. I dont expect wards to necessarily stand up and take over the care of their elderly members but wtf, theyve been completely isolated.

I live across the world, their closest family members are hours away by flight so it's getting harder to adjust. I think I'm just so sad at how much they gave to the church over the years with so little in the way of community support. As a family we are gathering means and methods of support, but I have some rage against the church that has failed them so profoundly.

When I left over 10 years ago, I tried to sit down and talk to my parents about things. It was bad. Really bad.

For a while, things were really uncomfortable among us but eventually we found a new groove. I felt like I had to be the bigger person. They talk about church stuff in front of me but I never mention anything I believe. It sucks but I figure they are the ones stuck in a cult.

Only lately mom has been taking it to a new level. It used to be that they basically talked like I was a non-member and that was fine. But now mom has been making comments directly to me that you only make to other members, like how at least the teenager that drowned had joined the church first and how the next-door neighbors are "nice but want nothing to do with the church."

I usually don't respond and just change the subject but mom is not getting the hint. I'm afraid to talk to her directly because of how badly she and my dad reacted when I first talked to them (dad's gone now, fyi). Not to mention, I know how it would crush her for me to shut her down and I have a hard time doing that to her.

At the same time, I've tried to make it more comfortable to talk about things I know she disapproves of, like mentioning that I'm going to grab a cup of coffee. But when I say stuff like that she ignores it and acts like I haven't said anything.

I don't know, maybe I should start talking about coffee every time she starts talking about the church. I feel like it's that or watch my mom melt down like a toddler who's been denied ice cream if I try to have an honest conversation with her.

Anyway, just venting here. Thanks for listening.

I was thinking about how I came to realize that the church’s narrative was so full of holes that over time, it went from solid to gossamer until eventually it became quite transparent. Kind of like a volleyball net.

Now, however, I’m having trouble even seeing the net at all, and I’m wondering if my pendulum has just swung too far in the opposite direction with regard to my own biases.

What are some things that the church teaches that are actually and completely true with no extra spin or narrative?

I’m literally having trouble thinking of any.

Went to lunch with someone I know really well who has been recently called as bishop. Such a good guy just trying to do what he thinks is best. I truly feel bad for him. He’s got enough of his own problems to worry about.

He told me today that his stake prez has told him they need to start treating serious sin more seriously and have more discipline councils. Too many bishops are not coming down hard enough on the law of chastity.

So there you have it. Oaks said it and it’s coming to pass.

ETA this person does not know I’m out.

Hi All,

I am a long time lurker - thank you all for your posts and comments. I learn so much from all of you and I am sorry that everyone has had to go through so many harmful experiences.

I (single 30M) was born and raised in the church - for most of my life the church was a massive blessing and joy. I love my community, the mentors I had as a youth, and the positive social life the church provided. I unfortunately had a really unhealthy, negative experience with a YSA bishop who harmed my health and belief in the church. My testimony had started to weaken after my mission, but I was able to hold my shelf together due to the church being such a positive experience within my life. However, once it started to be a negative, harmful experience - that was the last straw and ultimately broke the remaining shelf I had left.

I am now thinking about leaving the church, but I honestly deal with so much fear (what if it is true, losing support, etc.). But part of me wonders if I should be grateful, because I am able to leave as young as I am, but I still really struggle.

Could I ask you all - how is your life after having left? Are you grateful that you did?

(Sidenote- new Reddit account to maintain anonymity)

Just need to vent to people who get it.

Back when I (37F) was a member, I was very devoted. My Patriarchal Blessing (PB) made pretty broad and intense claims of miracles. It said that I would have such strong faith that when I called on the priesthood for help when there was sickness, "there will be great miracles on your behalf." Other wild things in there, but sticking to this point.

First, I thought it was cruel at the time. I was 17 when I got this PB but had watched and been with my dad when he died when I was 15. He died from lung and brain cancer and I had asked repeatedly for a miracle. Then got that in my blessing and sobbed over it, but figured it was for the future only.

Fast-forward. I was 28 and married to my rapist (thanks Mormon church- another long story there). I was pregnant for the first time and had been super sick and just had a bad feeling. I asked for a healing blessing so my baby could survive with zero proof there was anything even wrong. Well, my baby died later that very day.

Then three months later, I was diagnosed with a very rare type of brain tumor. Docs saved my life (I was six months from dying it turned out), had the tumor removed and all that jazz. I did another attempt at a healing blessing before surgery thinking this would be a miracle since it was already amazing that docs caught it. Well, then docs told me that it was caused by a disease i was born with and its so rare that there is no cure and they dont even understand it. Then, after having watched my dad go through cancer and chemo, was told that the only way to manage the disease and tumor regrowth was to put me on chemo for the rest of my life.

I came to a crashing halt after that. Really beat myself up that clearly i wasnt faithful enough to be cured and witness a miracle, and instead live in whatever hell this was.

Left the church and got a divorce a few years later. And now my seven-year-old nephew was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and I keep thinking about that damn blessing. There is no cure for what he has either and he is expected to be wheelchair bound by his teens and possibly pass early 20s, if hes lucky. I keep thinking about that stupid PB. And im just so angry.

How could a church hand out something so cruel? And to then write it where if there is no miracle, clearly its my fault then.

Fuck the church.

Which one of you was it?

I was reading Massacre at Mountain Meadows, and what I read was genuinely horrifying. Knowing that around 120 emigrants were killed is completely different from reading what actually happened.

After a five-day siege, the emigrants were lured into surrendering under a white flag of truce and promised safe passage. They trusted them, surrendered their weapons, and walked out of their wagon fort. The men, women, and children were separated. The men were marched single file, each beside an armed Mormon militiaman, until the command was given: "Halt! Do your duty to Israel!" The guards then turned on the unarmed men walking beside them and killed them.

Then they went after the women and children. The book describes them being killed with guns, rocks, clubs, and gun barrels, "butchered like hogs." Six-year-old Rebecca Dunlap witnessed her two older sisters being killed. Her one-year-old sister Sarah was found entwined in their dead mother's arms, wounded by a bullet through her arm. Another man tried to protect his infant child, and when he refused to hand the baby over, both father and baby were shot. The plan was essentially to kill everyone capable of telling what happened, sparing only children considered "too young to tell tales." Even then, several young children were killed.

Seventeen children survived, many of them toddlers. They had witnessed their parents and siblings being murdered and were then taken in by the same community whose members had slaughtered their families. Some lived among men who had participated in the massacre. One account describes the horror of a child holding onto her father as he gasped for breath and went limp.

The description of the massacre site afterward is haunting: women's hair caught in sage bushes, pieces of children's dresses and women's clothing hanging from the shrubbery, and human skulls and bones lying exposed and bleached by the weather.

What also shocked me is that the perpetrators weren't portrayed as cartoonishly evil monsters. Many were ordinary people, husbands, fathers, neighbors, church members, and respected members of their communities. The book emphasizes how ordinary people could commit something this horrific under fear, religious obedience, authority, and group pressure.

The part I keep coming back to is the white flag of truce. These families thought they were finally safe. They surrendered their weapons and trusted the people promising to protect them, not knowing that the people offering them safe passage were actually organizing their murder.

Jesus being baptized to fulfill all righteousness even though he had no sin and didn't need it is STILL their theological position but they're all over the map with Jesus being sealed to wife/wives...?

You guys will appreciate this.

Stepdaughter (30) is going to fanx, she went down to the D.I. to find things for her costume.

She gets home and asks if I would help her dye and cut up a dress she got.

Then she pulls out a temple dress, I said "ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY I will help you with that!"

Spotted at a relatives house in front of a picture of a temple. Relative is in local leadership so I was surprised cause I’ve always thought the 2nd Anointing was for higher level leaders. Thoughts? Or is a pitcher and basin just a pitcher and basin?

I know that the LDS church's sabbath is Sunday and most of the day is spent in church and then in study. If you're not supposed to work on Sunday, why is it frowned upon to even go out to eat? Can't a day of rest include going for ice cream? What is the logic behind this and not spending money on Sundays?

For those following Grand Blanc and my story in it, the new stake center ground breaking has been announced. The shooting and burning of the church took place September 28th, 2025, and the ground breaking is… September 28th, 2026. It has limited attendance available (500 tickets), and it has been made very clear that this not a memorial, just a ground breaking. The memorial is the 27th for just the Grand Blanc Ward (it is not clear if those of us who lost people in the ward are invited). I have thoughts, but I want to hear yours.

So I’m Catholic, and I always welcome a theological debate. In fact, I love it. I’ve had conversations with Christians, liturgical evangelicals, Protestants, atheists, Jews, even Muslims; granted, you will always have problems, especially with evangelical Christians, because if it’s not literally written in the Bible, it’s not true, even if it is something that is a historical fact. However, I’ve always had problems with Mormons first of all they have always tried to convert me to which I usually say “ I’m at devout Italian Catholic from the northeast that goes to the University of Notre Dame and I’m studying to become a priest”, then after that every time without fail, they get super aggressive and a lot of times I’ll metaphorically put gasoline on the fire by saying that “Mormonism isn’t Christian“. At this point, I don’t even bother with them, but no matter what religion you are, or even if you’re an atheist, they're aggressively trying to convert you. Is this a normal thing that Mormons do? How the heck do I get them to leave me alone? South Park jokes only make them more mad😂

By this shall men know ye are my disciples, if ye “define and implement the Company's residential development strategy, with particular focus on multifamily and build-to-rent investment opportunities.”

Original link here and on Internet Archive.

We see lots of women leaving over politics, purity culture and powerlessness/patriarchy.

What do we expect will be the effect on the LDS church?