Mormon Stories Podcast

What would cause a megachurch pastor to lose his faith?

In this episode of Mormon Stories Podcast, we sit down with former megachurch pastor Dr. Todd Phillips to explore his journey from a new Christian searching for a fresh start, to becoming a pastor and ministry leader, preaching to crowds of 10,000 people or more.

Todd grew up without a strong religious background, but after finding Christianity in his twenties, he quickly immersed himself in evangelicalism. He went on to become a preacher and pastor at McLean Bible Church in Washington, D.C., and Lakepointe Church in Dallas. He eventually went on to direct a multi-million dollar nonprofit called The Last Well, which worked to bring clean water and Christianity to the people of Liberia. 

Todd walks us through the beliefs that once shaped his worldview, believing in Christianity as the one and only path to God. He also shares what it was like to build his life around those beliefs, rise through evangelical ministry, and eventually encounter questions that challenged the foundations of his faith.
Along the way, Todd and John compare evangelical and LDS theology, discuss megachurch culture, and explore interesting theological questions/beliefs. This is Part One of Todd’s story, with more to come as he explores what happens when a pastor begins to question the beliefs he once devoted his life to.

Todd now shares his experiences and insights online as “The Deconstructed Pastor.”
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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
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Our Platforms:
🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠
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✳️⁠Spotify⁠
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Contact us:
📧 [email protected]
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

What happens when a pastor can no longer believe the message he has spent his life preaching?

In Part Two of our conversation with Dr. Todd Phillips, former megachurch pastor and creator of “The Deconstructed Pastor,” Todd continues his journey out of evangelical Christianity. After years of building his life around the Bible, he began confronting difficult questions surrounding his faith in the Bible, Jesus, and even God. Eventually, he reached a point where he could no longer reconcile what he was discovering with the beliefs he had once preached.

Todd shares what happened as his faith unraveled following the conclusion of his nonprofit work. He describes the devastating experience of losing his relationship with God, and realizing he could no longer preach.

His journey eventually led him to TikTok and social media, where he began sharing his story as “The Deconstructed Pastor.” Today, Todd hopes to help other “ex-vangelicals” navigate religious deconstruction and “shorten the pain curve” for those going through it themselves.

Todd and John also discusses his changing views on hell, divine hiddenness, faith vs truth, religious psychology, morality without religion, and whether humanity needs religion. He reflects on valuing truth over community comfort, and his relationship with believers he once influenced.

Dr. Todd Phillips is a former evangelical pastor who served at McLean Bible Church in Washington, D.C., and Lakepointe Church in Dallas. He also ran a nonprofit called The Last Well, which worked to bring clean water and Christianity to the people of Liberia. Today, he works in AI consulting while building his platform as “The Deconstructed Pastor.”
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YouTube

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
⁠Patreon⁠
⁠Venmo ⁠
⁠PayPal ⁠

Our Platforms:
🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠
🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠
✳️⁠Spotify⁠
🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠
🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠
📱⁠TikTok ⁠
🎮⁠Discord ⁠

Contact us:
📧 [email protected]
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

On today’s episode of Mormon News, Meggan and John break down another busy week of headlines involving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Charlie Bird says he is pulling back from sharing his journey to fatherhood after receiving horrific messages about his future family, including messages invoking LDS teachings. We look at the broader Mormon conversation surrounding Charlie and Ryan’s plans to become parents and where criticism of their family has gone.

CHARLIE BIRD RESPONDS TO HORRIFIC BACKLASH
https://www.instagram.com/p/DcqxX85mPeb/

A former LDS bishop in Utah is facing serious criminal charges after an undercover investigation led police to search his phone. According to court documents, Eric Hans Monson has been charged with three counts of exploitation. We look at what investigators say they found and why police specifically raised concerns about his former Church leadership position.

FORMER LDS BISHOP FACES FELONY CHARGES
https://www.abc4.com/news/crimes-against-children/former-lds-bishop-csam-charges/

The LDS Church’s massive investment portfolio is nearing another record high. New reporting from the Salt Lake Tribune looks at Ensign Peak’s latest numbers and what the Church’s stock holdings tell us about the continued growth of its financial reserves.

ENSIGN PEAK NEARS ANOTHER RECORD HIGH
https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/28/lds-stock-fund-nears-record-high/
The fight over the Heber Valley Utah Temple is heading to the Utah Supreme Court, and a Red Ledges resident is speaking publicly about the dispute and what it has meant for people living near the proposed temple site.

HEBER VALLEY TEMPLE FIGHT HEADS TO UTAH SUPREME COURT
https://www.parkrecord.com/2026/08/31/red-ledges-resident-breaks-silence-ahead-of-utah-supreme-court-heber-valley-temple-arguments/

Meanwhile, interest in the renovated Salt Lake Temple is enormous (or is it?). The Church says more than one million reservations have already been made for the public open house.

ONE MILLION SALT LAKE TEMPLE TOUR RESERVATIONS
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/one-million-spaces-reserved-salt-lake-temple-tour

And finally, Salt Lake City International Airport is adding a new Gateside by TSA PreCheck experience. We look at what’s changing and why the airport story is getting attention in Utah.

SLC AIRPORT ADDS GATESIDE BY TSA PRECHECK
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/09/02/slc-airport-adds-gateside-by-tsa/
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YouTube

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
⁠Patreon⁠
⁠Venmo ⁠
⁠PayPal ⁠

Our Platforms:
🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠
🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠
✳️⁠Spotify⁠
🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠
🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠
📱⁠TikTok ⁠
🎮⁠Discord ⁠

Contact us:
📧 [email protected]
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In this new series on Mormon Stories Podcast, we’re joined once again by historian Dr. John Turner to take an in-depth look at one of the most important –and complicated –figures in Mormon history: Brigham Young. 

Dr. Turner is the author of Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet, his acclaimed 2012 biography of the second president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. John was recently our guest for an extensive series on his newer biography, "Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet." 

In this episode, we begin at the beginning: Who was Brigham Young before he became the leader of the Mormon movement?

John takes us through Brigham’s early life, his difficult relationship with his father, his exploration of different religious traditions, his attraction to spiritual gifts and “ecstatic worship,” and his eventual conversion to Mormonism. We explore the religious environment that shaped Brigham Young and the broader culture of early Mormonism, including speaking in tongues, visions, healings, prophecy, and other spiritual manifestations. 

We also examine Brigham’s relationship with his first wife, Miriam, his friendship with Heber C. Kimball, his early missionary experiences, and his first encounters with Joseph Smith. Along the way, we consider what made Brigham such a committed follower of Joseph Smith –and why Joseph recognized Brigham’s loyalty even though their relationship was very different from Joseph’s relationships with some of his other close associates. 

This episode offers a fascinating look at the making of Brigham Young before his transformation into the Mormon leader who would eventually guide thousands of Latter-day Saints across the American West.

Some of the topics that we discuss in this first episode is Brigham’s childhood, the harsh treatment on the part of his father, Brigham’s Methodism and "ecstatic worship” along with his desire to find a church that had the gift of tongues, visions, healings, etc. We discuss the death of Brigham’s first wife Miriam and how he handled his children afterward. We discuss his friendship with Heber C. Kimball and his missionary efforts as an elder in the church. We also discuss Brigham’s friendship with Joseph Smith, his defense of Joseph, how he handled failed prophecies, and much more. 

If you wish to donate to support this series, please visit here: https://donorbox.org/brighamyoung
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Show Notes
YouTube

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
⁠Patreon⁠
⁠Venmo ⁠
⁠PayPal ⁠

Our Platforms:
🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠
🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠
✳️⁠Spotify⁠
🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠
🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠
📱⁠TikTok ⁠
🎮⁠Discord ⁠

Contact us:
📧 [email protected]
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

For this weeks Mormon News Podcast,  John Dehlin and Meggan Hayes dig into what Bloomberg uncovered about the Church's growing real estate empire, plus warnings about "baseball baptisms" and the push for convert growth, concerns about the Church's new Sunday meeting schedule, the sentencing of a polygamous sect leader, and a new LDS strategy for bringing nonmembers into local meetinghouses.

Bloomberg's investigation examines just how much land The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns across the United States and how its property holdings have grown. We look at the numbers, where that land is concentrated, and what the investigation reveals about the scale of the Church's real estate portfolio.

Links:
Bloomberg Digs Into the Church's Land Holdings: https://youtu.be/G0pU8s0hlJU
Historian Matthew Bowman warns against chasing membership growth at the expense of meaningful conversion, pointing to the infamous era of "baseball baptisms." What can that history teach us about today's emphasis on missionary numbers and Church growth?

Links:
Beware the "Baseball Baptisms": https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/26/be-wary-baseball-baptisms-quest/

Changes are also coming to Sunday meetings. A new schedule means shorter classes and less transition time between meetings. Supporters see a more streamlined Sunday experience, while others worry about losing valuable time for discussion, connection, and community.

Links:
Is Sunday Church Getting Too Short?: https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/26/mormon-land-podcast-we-dissect-new/

We also cover the sentencing of polygamous sect leader Samuel Bateman, who was already serving a lengthy federal prison sentence and has now received additional prison time in Arizona.

Links:
Polygamous Sect Leader Sentenced: https://www.mormonnews.com/story/polygamous-sect-leader-faces-sentencing-after-girls-found-in-trailer-jskg

Finally, we look at the LDS Church's "Activity Sharing" program. Public-facing ward activities can appear in online searches and allow nonmembers to find local events and RSVP. The Church is encouraging wards to make activities more accessible to outsiders, while its own success stories show these community events can also lead to Sunday attendance and contact with missionaries. We look at how this fits with new research being conducted among nonmembers who attend LDS activities.

Links:
The Church's New Activity-Sharing Push: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/activity-sharing-a-simple-way-for-latter-day-saints-to-invite-friends-to-church-ward-events
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Show Notes
YouTube

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
⁠Patreon⁠
⁠Venmo ⁠
⁠PayPal ⁠

Our Platforms:
🌐⁠Mormon Stories Blog ⁠
🎙️⁠Patreon ⁠
✳️⁠Spotify⁠
🍎⁠Apple Podcasts⁠
🖼️⁠Instagram ⁠
📱⁠TikTok ⁠
🎮⁠Discord ⁠

Contact us:
📧 [email protected]
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117