Mormon Land

An apostle's plan to prevent 'old men' from running the church | Episode 435

The three most recent presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died at ages 101, 90 and 97.
In fact (not counting founder Joseph Smith) church presidents live to an average age of 87. And the current leader, Dallin Oaks, is 93.
Decades ago, liberal apostle Hugh B. Brown, a self-proclaimed “rebel,” saw this emerging gerontocracy as a problem and proposed a remedy, which included granting emeritus status at age 70 to all apostles, even members of the governing First Presidency.
In addition, Brown wasn’t particularly fond of how tradition has enshrined the process for picking church presidents and attempted to change it.
On this week’s show, historian Matthew Harris, author of the acclaimed “Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality” and who is writing a biography of Brown, discusses the apostle’s views on succession and aging leaders.
Brown “had strong feelings,” Harris notes, “about so-called old men running the church, as he put it.”

Does the General Conference format need an overhaul? | Episode 434

At least four aspects of the just-completed General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stood out:
• The Easter weekend focus on the death, resurrection and Atonement of Jesus Christ.
• A solemn assembly combined with Dallin H. Oaks’ first conference sermon as the 18th church president.
• A record number of convert baptisms in 2025.
• The choice of an African woman to lead the faith’s Primary organization for children.
Oaks gave a powerful talk about peace, definitely a timely topic. And the elevation of the first African as head of any of the faith’s global organizations was historic. But the weekend falling on Easter meant that most of the talks began to sound alike — even repetitive — and quite similar to what you might hear at any Christian church on that sacred holiday.
That begs a number of questions: Is it time to rethink the structure and substance of these semiannual gatherings? Are there too many sessions? Are they too long? Does the Saturday evening session need to return? What about a women’s meeting? What about the speeches themselves, especially since they will form the basis of Relief Society and priesthood quorum lessons (occurring every Sunday starting in September)?
On this week’s show, Margaret Olsen Hemming, co-editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, and Sam Brunson, a law professor and Latter-day Saint blogger with By Common Consent, address those questions and more.

With women now able to serve as leaders, how might LDS Sunday schools change? | Episode 433

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently announced that women could now serve in Sunday school presidencies, a position that has traditionally been filled by men.
Allowing women to oversee the teaching of scriptures and church doctrine to members was seen by many as a further move toward gender equity.
The news, though, came with a caveat: If a woman were named as president, her two counselors would also have to be women. Same with men. That element caused much consternation at a change that might have brought unalloyed delight.
So was this a big stride or simply a little step? What are the implications, if any, for the global faith?
Discussing those questions and more are Emily Jensen, web editor for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, and LaShawn Williams, a clinical social worker in Orem with a private practice and current president of the Mormon Mental Health Association.

‘Mormons in Media’ crossover: Which 'Secret Lives' messes actually tie back to the LDS Church?

It has been the month of breaking news surrounding reality television in Utah. From Season 4 of 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' premiering, to Taylor Frankie Paul's 'Bachelorette' season being cancelled, to Jessi from 'Secret Lives' getting divorced to then sending flowers to a friend for kissing her ex-husband...there is a lot to unpack!
On this 'Mormons in Media' crossover, we discuss what ties back to religion and what is just drama. Plus, we talk about deconstructing religion on missions and GLP-1 addiction and how that ties back into the "Utah beauty standard." Will certain things stay black and white or are we entering a grey area? 

The real Harry Reid, the most powerful Latter-day Saint politician in history | Episode 432

Mitt Romney may be the most famous Mormon politician, but the title of highest-ranking elected Latter-day Saint in U.S. history belongs not to a rich Utah Republican with a patrician background and deep ties in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but rather to a self-made Nevada Democrat with hardscrabble roots who converted to the faith.
His name: Harry Reid. Passionately partisan, fiercely loyal and discreetly devout, Reid, who died in 2021, rose to majority leader in the U.S. Senate, where the onetime boxer fought for landmark Democratic victories on Obamacare, financial reforms and an economic stimulus package.
He was ruthless and religious — LBJ without the swearing.
Learn more about the real Harry Reid from political journalist Jon Ralston, author of the recently released biography, “The Game Changer: How Harry Reid Remade the Rules and Showed Democrats How to Fight.”

Troy Williams: It’s better to compromise with the church than clash with it | Episode 431

As a young man, Troy Williams wore a missionary name tag for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Great Britain — all the while fighting against the growing realization he was gay.
Afterward, he interned with the Utah Eagle Forum and learned the ways of backroom politicking at the feet of one of the state’s most effective conservative lobbyists, Gayle Ruzicka.
Thus, an advocate was born.
After embracing his sexual orientation, Williams rose to executive director of Equality Utah, the state’s preeminent LGBTQ+ rights group, and suddenly found himself on the opposite side from his onetime mentor.
Though he no longer labored for his former faith, Williams soon was working with it, helping to bring about the landmark Utah Compromise, which safeguarded religious liberty while barring housing and workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
More breakthroughs followed, including the church’s endorsement of the Respect for Marriage Act, codifying civil same-sex marriage. Now, after more than a decade at Equality Utah’s helm, Williams is stepping down.
On this week’s show, he discusses his incredible personal and political journey.

How his LDS faith guides this U.S. diplomat | Episode 430

Born in Salt Lake City, John Dinkelman has spent nearly four decades working as a U.S. diplomat in countries as far away as the former Yugoslavia and Turkey, and as close as Nogales, Mexico.
He currently serves other diplomats as president of the American Foreign Service Association.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dinkelman served a two-year mission in Argentina and graduated from church-owned Brigham Young University.
On this week’s show, he discusses his career, how his Latter-day Saint faith has guided him, and what part the church can play on the global stage.

Farewell, Temple Square mission — the only one where women do all the preaching | Episode 429

For decades, the Temple Square mission in Salt Lake City has operated unlike any other run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The smallest mission in the world geographically, it is arguably also one of the busiest, acting as an introduction to the Utah-based faith for millions of visitors from across the globe — as well as a place of spiritual rejuvenation for members.
Temple Square is also the only mission composed solely of female proselytizers, who are given the chance to lead in roles otherwise reserved for men.
Like the guests they greet in dozens of languages, they have come for decades from all across the world. During their 18-month stints, they welcome visitors to the faith’s most iconic site, teach its history, and share its beliefs in tours and in call centers.
This July, that all comes to an end. After more than 30 years in operation, the mission will dissolve, replaced by the same model other church visitor centers have long employed. Instead, “sister missionaries” from surrounding Utah missions will divide their time between the serving on Temple Square and engaging in traditional proselytizing in their assigned geographic region.
On this week’s show, two Temple Square mission alums — Southern Californian DaMinikah Rigby, who served from 2021 to 2022, and Arizonan-turned-Utahn Roxana Baker, who served from 2009-2010 — talk about their experiences — what they loved, what they learned, whom they taught, and what they think may be lost and gained by the mission’s closure.

‘Mormon Land’ tribute: Historian Ardis Parshall talks about pioneer adventures and misadventures

Note to readers and listeners • In a tribute to Salt Lake Tribune guest columnist Ardis Parshall, who died earlier this week, we are replaying this “Mormon Land” episode from last July in which the noted research historian discussed one of her favorite topics: Latter-day Saint pioneers. So enjoy once again hearing Parshall’s words, wit and wisdom. Ardis, we will miss you.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a standard crossing-the-Plains narrative: Pioneers traversed the Mississippi River on the ice led by Brigham Young. Everything was well organized, and everyone was well behaved. They trekked hard by day and prayed together at night. They sang “Come, Come, Ye Saints” around the campfire and then delighted in dancing to the tunes of fiddles.
Sure, there was hardship, so the story goes, but all the suffering was mostly ennobling. The names varied but the stories for these religious migrants were pretty much interchangeable.
For Parshall, however, the pioneer saga was so much wider, richer and, at times, more entertaining. Here, she shared some of the gems she discovered about that epic 19th-century pilgrimage.

Humorist Eli McCann and his husband discuss the laughs and love they find in LDS culture | Episode 428

Faithful Salt Lake Tribune readers know Eli McCann well. He’s the award-winning columnist who has them cracking up about coming out as a coffee drinker one minute and tearing up about the Latter-day Saint youth group in the western Pacific who won his heart the next.
Now his monthly humor columns have been compiled into one bright, breezy book. Titled “We’re Thankful for the Moisture: A Gay Guy’s Guide to Mormon Faith, Family, and Fruit Preservation.”
It’s a valentine of sorts to Latter-day Saint culture, containing classics like his first date with his future, non-Mormon husband at, of all places, the Kirtland Temple; his adventures — and misadventures — in the kitchen after unearthing a missionary cookbook; and the awkward — but somehow appropriate — chuckles he shared with a bishop when he signed his resignation letter from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A practicing attorney, Eli lives is Salt Lake City with his husband, physician Skylar Westerdahl, their toddler son, West, and, as Eli puts it, “two naughty (yet worshipped) dogs.”
On this week’s show, Eli and Skylar talk about his writings, their life and why Eli still finds laughter and love in the religious culture that bred him.