Published by Mitch Crosgrove, Juliet Miller, Ashton Smith
Religion & Spirituality
Religion
Striving to build bridges between active Latter-day Saints (Mormons), those who have left the faith, and everyone in between. Join Mitch as he discusses different sides of church culture in a fair, unbiased and respectful way for all parties. This podcast is a place where anyone with ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is welcome. Non-members of the church are also invited.
Two Converts, Two Paths: Temple Experiences, Polygamy, and Finding Your Place as an Outsider Mitch and Ashton are out this week, so Stevie takes the host chair alongside guest Juliet for a rare two-convert conversation. Both joined the Church as teenagers (Stevie at 19, Juliet at 16), and both have since gone through a faith crisis, landing in very different places: Stevie is still active and reconstructing her faith, Juliet has stepped away and now identifies as deconstructing/disaffiliated. They dig into audience-submitted questions covering: Why they joined despite real concerns about prophets, Joseph Smith, and family pushback Their first time inside a temple: the culture shock, the "unremarkable" vs. "overwhelming" range of first impressions, and Juliet's "sandbox on a beach" metaphor for how her spiritual experiences have been recontextualized rather than erased Serving as temple workers, including baptistry and sealing-room escort duties, and the practical advice they both got to space out receiving an endowment from getting sealed Polygamy: how each of them made sense of it as converts, and why treating polygamist women (past and present) as simply brainwashed misses their own agency and reasoning Whether converts ever feel like they've "made it," and how never quite fitting the mold shaped both of their trajectories A candid, generous conversation between two women who joined the same church from very different directions and still found a lot of common ground. Stevie's first interview on LDBB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWRFkwwQw7U&t=274s Stevie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.t.e.v.i.e_j/ 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders👕 Merch Store: https://ldbb-shop.fourthwall.com
Abi Finny (@abi.finny) joins Juliet, Ashton, and Mitch to talk about the viral "temple to Taco Bell" video that got her labeled too crass by some and celebrated by others; and why a married Latter-day Saint talking openly about sex still makes people uncomfortable. As a nurse, Abi breaks down why comprehensive sex ed and body literacy matter regardless of your relationship status, and gets into purity culture, the pressure to be pretty but not know it, self-love vs. conceit, and the "check-mark" version of faithfulness (mission, temple marriage, etc.) that can leave you feeling disconnected from God anyway. She also talks about her "car conversations" series interviewing people across the belief spectrum, and why she'd rather build mutual respect than "flirt to convert." Follow Abi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abi.finny🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders👕 Merch Store:https://ldbb-shop.fourthwall.com
What do Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals actually have in common and where do things go sideways? In this episode, Mitch and Ashton sit down with Steven Pynakker of Mormon Book Reviews, an evangelical who has spent five years deeply immersed in the world of the Latter-day Saint Restoration. Steven shares why he considers himself pro-atheist, what he thinks drives people from Mormonism straight to atheism, and why he believes an unchallenged faith is a weak one. Ashton shares a meaningful personal experience with evangelical students at Biola University that reframed how he sees interfaith connection. And the three of them dig into the surprisingly wide and messy world of Restoration sects, from the Bickertonites to the Fundamentalists, and what it means to build bridges not just between faiths, but within the Restoration itself. Steven's email: mormonbookreviews@gmail.com 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders 👕 Merch Store:https://ldbb-shop.fourthwall.com
Madi Davis (Sisters on the Front Lines) joins Mitch, Juliet, and Ashton to talk about something the church rarely acknowledges: women and pornography use. Madi shares how she found pornography at 13 while sitting through Young Women's lessons insisting girls didn't struggle with it and how that silence shaped years of shame. The conversation moves through the "addiction" label and why Madi pushes back on it, the difference between guilt and shame, why abstinence-based accountability models often backfire, and the messaging both men and women got growing up about whose "problem" this even was. Ashton and Juliet share their own experiences with 12-step programs, purity culture, and the disconnect between how bodies are talked about at church versus in real life. Find Madi at sistersonthefrontlines.com or https://www.instagram.com/sistersonthefrontlines 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders👕 Merch Store:https://ldbb-shop.fourthwall.com
What happens when you study Mormon history without an agenda? Dr. Benjamin Park — historian, author of American Zion and Kingdom of Nauvoo, and former Mormon History Association president — joins Mitch, Juliet, and Ashton to talk about what it means to approach faith history honestly.We get into why history is rarely the reason people leave the church (but often the permission), whether the church intentionally hid its past, what "hermeneutics of generosity" actually means, and how figures like Thomas Jefferson and Brigham Young force us to wrestle with judging historical figures on their own terms, or not.Whether you're in, out, or somewhere in between, this one's for anyone who's ever felt like the history didn't quite match the story they were told.🔗 Find Ben's work at BenjaminEPark.com YouTube: @BenjaminParkHistorian🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders👕 Merch Store:https://ldbb-shop.fourthwall.com
"Doubt Your Doubts." Is It Actually Good Advice? In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch, Juliet, and Ashton dig into one of the most well-known phrases in LDS faith crisis conversations: "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." A line from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's October 2013 General Conference talk, Come, Join With Us . Is the advice itself bad? Or is it the way it gets deployed that's the problem? The three co-hosts explore the difference between a phrase that invites reflection and one that shuts conversation down entirely, as well as share personal stories about how this cliché landed (or didn't) in their own lives. Topics covered: - The full context of Uchtdorf's original quote and what he actually meant - How "doubt your doubts" can function as a thought-stopping technique - Juliet's experience teaching seminary under the instruction to "never plant doubt" - Ashton's take on how doubting his faith actually strengthened it over time - Why "doubt your concerns" and "doubt your legitimate questions" don't hit the same - Mitch's wish for more spaces (inside and outside the church) where people can genuinely wrestle with hard questions Referenced in this episode: Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join With Us (October 2013 General Conference): https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/10/come-join-with-us?lang=eng Kelsey Sorensen, "Doubt Your Doubts: Is It Actually Good Advice for LDS Members?" — Exponent II: https://exponentii.org/blog/doubt-your-doubts-is-it-actually-good-advice-for-lds-members/ 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders Merch: https://ldbb-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/all
What does it look like to stop believing in the Church but still show up every Sunday? In this episode, we sit down with Colton Scott. A born-and-raised Utah Mormon, returned missionary (Scotland & Ireland), and BYU grad who describes himself as a product of "the Utah factory." Colton shares the story of how his sister's faith transition in 2023 sent him down a rabbit hole of investigation that ultimately broke his shelf, and how he's navigated life as a PIMO (Physically In, Mentally Out) ever since. In this episode, we discuss: - Colton's background: mission, LDS Business College, BYU, and growing up in a deeply devout family - How his sister's faith transition triggered his own investigation (CES Letter, LDS Discussions, and more) - The things that had been on his shelf for years: the Book of Mormon, the SEC's $5M penalty against the Church, Brigham Young, and LGBTQ issues - What it was like to tell his bishopric (in two different wards) that he no longer believes, and why both experiences went better than expected - The tension of being PIMO: staying for community, family, and the 80% he still agrees with - Baptizing his son while no longer believing, and the harder questions ahead (temple recommends, weddings, priesthood circles) - Whether attending church as a non-believer means "feeding the beast" and how each person has to find their own tolerance level - The Church's culture of "all in or all out," and whether that's changing- How Colton's moral compass and standards have stayed intact through his deconstruction - The autonomic nervous system response to leaving behind lifelong religious habits - Brian McLaren's four stages of faith: simplicity, complexity, perplexity, and harmony - A discussion of Jeff Strong's book Torn and Elder Holland's circle moment If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and consider supporting the podcast financially — links are below. You're not alone out there. 🌉 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders 👕 Merch Store:https://ldbb-shop.fourthwall.com
It's Pride Month, and we're getting personal about our own histories with LGBTQ+ issues and the LDS Church. Juliet opens up about a chapter in her early Mormon years; actively campaigning for California's Prop 8 in 2008. Knocking on doors and holding signs, despite personally believing gay marriage wasn't wrong. She reflects on outsourcing her moral compass to God, the cognitive dissonance that came with it, and the quiet relief she felt when Prop 8 was later overturned. Mitch shares his own slow evolution from casually using slurs in a church environment where that went uncorrected, to becoming a more genuine ally. Ashton, coming from a place of honest self-described unawareness, and brings in scriptural perspective in order to question whether religious institutions should define a single path for sexuality and morality. Together, we explore why labeling religious opposition to LGBT rights as simply "hateful" often misses the mark, the incongruity of the church's involvement in Prop 8 versus its usual political neutrality, and the irony of a church with a polygamy history campaigning for "one man, one woman" marriage. Show Notes: On the Record: A Chronology of LGBTQ Messaging Within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a 109-page PDF from the podcast Latter Gay Stories — https://lattergaystories.org/record/ 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders
Ashton and Juliet welcome Crystal, a gay woman raised in the LDS Church in Iowa, to share her journey of secrecy, shame, and eventually stepping away from church activity. Crystal describes growing up with strong church expectations (her dad served in leadership), not feeling safe discussing emotions at home, and living a double life after a secret high school relationship with a girl. She recounts intense sexual shame, suicidal ideation, and a pivotal “worthiness” dynamic when her dad questioned her in the stake president’s office. Therapy helped her name her experience, begin coming out, and navigate family reactions. Crystal contrasts supportive friends and a compassionate bishop with systemic church power dynamics, explains panic attacks and depression tied to church participation, and shares how love, nature, and community helped her leave and build a healthier life.We go deep in this episode and hope you are willing to go deep with us.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuil... 📸 Follow us on Instagram: / latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: / latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridg...
Ashton and Juliet host author Jeff Strong to discuss his Latter-day Saint-focused book Torn and what drove him to write about faith struggle, deconstruction, and belonging. Jeff shares how his son came home early from the MTC 13 years ago, the “fog of war” that followed, and how family and community reactions created misunderstanding, rejection, and years of pain before finding a healthier way forward. Drawing on experience as a bishop, church employee, BYU teacher, and mission president, he describes common misconceptions: active members underestimate how many leave, misjudge why they leave, and assume life falls apart afterward; while some post-Mormons dismiss why thoughtful, informed people stay. The conversation emphasizes empathy, humility, “new wine in new bottles,” and building bridges to protect marriages, parent-child relationships, and ward culture.Purchase "Torn" here: https://www.amazon.com/Torn-People-Le... 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuil... 📸 Follow us on Instagram: / latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: / latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridg...
Skyler Sorenson joins us share his story as a covenant-keeping Latter-day Saint who experiences same-sex attraction, is temple married to his wife Amanda, and is a father. He discusses his book Exclude Not Thyself and why he uses the word “thriving” to challenge assumptions that faithful gay Latter-day Saints can’t find joy in the Church. The conversation covers navigating labels and assumptions from both active members and critics and how to avoid judging others while still making moral choices. Skyler explains why “maybe someday” language about doctrine can create religious paralysis, encourages keeping options open, and emphasizes staying connected to others to maintain access, love, and understanding.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuil... 📸 Follow us on Instagram: / latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: / latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridg...
On Latter Day Bridge Builders, Ashton shares his mission story serving in Salt Lake City in the Family and Church History Headquarters Mission full-time and only about 35 minutes from his childhood home.Instead of proselytizing, Ashton worked service assignments at Temple Square, including the Family History Library (helping patrons, dealing with printers, shelving), the Church History Library, and the Joseph Smith Mrmorial Building doing behind-the-scenes support. Missionaries were instructed not to preach unless responding to questions.He describes living downtown with 90–100 elders in one apartment complex, shifting companionship rules over time, and the pros/cons of staying around the same group for an entire mission.Ashton also recounts encounters with general authorities (Gary Stevenson, Steven Snow, Elder Holland) and reflects on deifying leaders versus recognizing their humanity. He opens up about doubts over whether his mission “counted,” and ends with the takeaway: it doesn’t matter where you serve, but how you serve and treat others.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuil... 📸 Follow us on Instagram: / latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: / latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridg...
Juliet served her mission in the Independence Missouri Mission — but spent most of it in rural Kansas, an hour from the nearest missionaries, 500 square miles of farmland between her and anything familiar. Five months in, she came home early. In this episode, Juliet opens up about the mental health struggles she carried into her mission, what it felt like when her coping tools were stripped away, and what happened when she walked into her mission president's office and walked out with a plane ticket home. But this episode isn't really about leaving. It's about what happened after — a dad waiting at baggage claim on his way home from work, a stake president who said exactly the right thing, and a ward that put up a banner before she even changed out of her missionary clothes. If you or someone you love has come home early, this one's for you. 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders
Is the LDS Church a Cult? Who knows! But either way, people do call it a cult, and that doesn't seem like that will be changing any time soon. Join us as we talk about WHY people call it a cult. Is it just an inflammatory pejorative? Or does the term serve an important purpose?What does our choice of whether or not to refer to it as a cult say about our experience, and is it possible that someone could be having a legitimate experience that is different?We dig deep into our thoughts about how we've separated the LDS Church from other religions and organizations, and examine if those distinctions still feel like they hold water.This episode is a part of our Tackling Clichés series. 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders
Patrick Mason, historian, Fulbright Scholar, and holder of the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University, joins Latter Day Bridge Builders for a wide-ranging conversation on faith, doubt, and what it means to stay curious inside a religious community.We talk about how to create space for hard questions without feeling dismissed, what both faithful members and critics most often get wrong about church history, theories of change and activism within the church, and how to hold your convictions without losing sight of the humanity on the other side.Patrick also opens up about his experience on Mormon Stories, what it taught him about seeing people beyond their positions, and why he believes Jesus redeems history, including the messy, human parts of it.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders
Tiana Chambers is a community organizer and event planner who ISN'T a matchmaker (even though she matches people?). She sat down with us to talk about some of the trickier parts of dating across the wide LDS spectrum, including standards vs values, spirituality vs. religiosity, and curiosity vs. judgement. We even try to answer the age-old question: Why are LDS guys always asking for "noodles"???If you are currently LDS single, if you plan to be, or if you ever have been before, we think you'll hear something in this episode that makes you laugh, and something that makes you feel seen. #lds #mormon #prolds #exmormon #utah #utahdating 📸 Follow Tiana on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/shift.lds.dating🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders
Baylie Clark (@bayliebelieves) is a Latter-day Saint content creator from Alberta, Canada who built a faith-focused platform almost overnight; and she's not afraid to ask hard questions, including ones aimed at people who've left the church. In this episode, we talk about why she uses the #ExMormon hashtag, what happened when a viral response video misread her intent, and how she thinks about happiness, including whether you can really only find it inside the church. We also get into her recent viral moment with Britt Hartley, how social media turns good-faith questions into internet wildfires, and what Baylie would want her loved ones who've left the church to hear. It's an honest conversation between an two active members, and two ex-members — which is kind of the whole point of this podcast. Find Baylie on Instagram and TikTok: @bayliebelieves 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders
Mitch is out, so Juliet and Ashton are flying solo and diving straight into one of the deepest fault lines in Mormon culture: gender and power. Juliet, a feminist who has left the church, and Ashton, an active Elders Quorum President, ask each other honest, uncomfortable questions about priesthood ordination, spiritual worth, what "wife material" really meant growing up, and whether incremental progress inside a flawed system is meaningful, or just a really small band-aid. No gotcha questions. Just two people trying to understand each other across a wide spectrum. Topics covered: the ebb and flow of women's roles throughout church history, whether gender equality is possible without ordination, the "separate but equal" problem, and what it actually feels like to consider speaking up from inside the institution. 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders
Do people leave the church because they want to sin? The answer may not be so simple after all. In this episode, we talk about tattoos, piercings, the word of wisdom, and sex, to name a few things, and how they interact with peoples' journey's out of the church. Is it simply a matter of abandoning the anchoring principles they once held to, or is it a way to re-establish connection and identity after an uprooting life event?We also explore the definition of sin and morality and how and why we find ourselves re-conceptualizing these things throughout our lives.👍 Like & Subscribe💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments📲 Follow us on Instagram for updates and live episode announcementsIf you’d like to financially support the podcast, links are in the description below. We’re grateful for you.🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders#exmormon #lds #sin #wordofwisdom #mormon #prolds #faithcrisis #religiousdeconstruction
A new apostle has been called: Clark Gilbert . What does that mean? And more importantly—what does it reveal about how we think about priesthood authority? In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders , Mitch, Ashton, and Juliet talk candidly about: The appointment of Clark Gilbert and the reactions surrounding it Authority vs. humanity in church leadership The difference between “letter of the law” and “spirit of the law” Real experiences with bishops and power dynamics The tension between revelation and accountability Why training and checks might matter more than we admit And what it actually means to have a direct relationship with God This conversation gets personal. We talk about depression, temple recommends, leadership mistakes, and what happens when authority goes unchecked. But we also talk about growth, humility, and what healthy leadership can look like. At the end of the day, the big question is this: How do we honor faith while still protecting personal agency? If you’ve ever wrestled with church leadership, priesthood authority, or your own spiritual autonomy, this one’s for you. 👍 Like & Subscribe 💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments 📲 Follow us on Instagram for updates and live episode announcements If you’d like to financially support the podcast, links are in the description below. We’re grateful for you. 🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders #LDS #Mormon #ExMormon #Priesthood #FaithCrisis #ChurchLeadership #ClarkGilbert #Deconstruction #SpiritualAutonomy #LatterDayBridgeBuilders
