PODCAST · religion
Latter Day Bridge Builders
by Mitch Crosgrove
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.
Episodes
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#050 -- Yo Mama's So Mormon: Comedy Across the Faith Divide
St. George radio host and comedian Mikey (Mikey and the Mrs on Planet 105.1) joins us to talk about how humor can get active and former Latter-day Saints laughing at the same thing. He explains why he never tells his audience whose side he's on, where he draws the line between poking at the…
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#049 -- Stay Blindly or Leave Blindly (w/ Batchlor Johnson IV)
Batchlor Johnson IV started posting about his faith back when hardly anyone was sharing testimony online. He went to the temple every week for two years, posted about it, and his following took off. Now he says the pushback he gets doesn’t come from ex-Mormons. It comes from other members.Juliet...
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#048 -- Death and Grieving After Losing Faith in Mormonism
Content note: this episode discusses death in detail, including infant and perinatal loss and a reference to suicide. Listener discretion advised. In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch, Juliet, and Ashton sit down for one of their most personal conversations yet: death. What did…
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#047 -- Inside the World's Strangest LDS Mission (Ashton's Mission Experience Part 2)
Ashton returns for a deep, personal follow-up to our episode on his unique mission call to the Family and Church History Headquarters mission in Salt Lake, a mission staffed almost entirely by young elders with anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. He opens up about the good:...
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#046 -- An Ex-Mormon Therapist Answers Your Deconstruction Questions ft. Andy Newman
Andy Newman, a licensed therapist, ex-Mormon, and creator behind @andynewmanlpc joins us to role-play through real scenarios we hear constantly in the ex-Mormon and nuanced-member space: coming out to a believing spouse, dressing/behaving differently while still going to church, family members…
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#045 -- He Played Lucifer in the Temple. Then He Left the Church. (ft. Corbin Allred)
He played Lucifer in the LDS temple endowment film for a decade. Then, after 43 years as a member, Corbin Allred left the LDS Church — and he hasn't necessarily been quiet about it. In this episode, actor and ER medical provider Corbin Allred joins Mitch in St. George, UT to talk about what it's...
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#044 -- "Everything Is Polygamy": A Historian on Mormonism's Founding Trauma w/ Linda Hamilton
Historian, author of The Fourth Wife, and grad student Linda Hamilton joins Juliet for a deep dive into Mormon polygamy: how it actually worked, who it actually harmed, and why it's still baked into LDS theology today. They cover the poverty most plural wives lived in, the myth that polygamy was...
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#043 -- Two LDS Converts: Why We Joined (And Why One of Us Left) w/ Stevie Johnson
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…
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#042 -- The Viral Video That Made Mormons Uncomfortable w/ Abi Finny
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...
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#041 -- An Evangelical's Guide to the Restoration (ft. Steven Pynakker)
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....
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#040 -- "You Don't Struggle With This": Women & P*rnography in LDS Culture (w/ Madi Davis)
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...
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#039 -- History as a Bridge: A Mormon Historian's Honest Take (ft. Dr. Benjamin Park)
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...
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#038 -- Doubt Your Doubts (Tackling Cliches Series)
"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...
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#037 -- Attending Church as a Non-Believer w/ Colton Scott
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...
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#036 -- Love, Hate and PRIDE: The LDS/LGBTQ+ Conundrum
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…
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#035 -- Ex-LDS and Lesbian: Crystal Nye and the Tipping Points That Led Her Out of Mormonism
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...
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#034 -- Loving Those Who Leave the LDS Church: Jeff Strong, Author of "Torn"
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...
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#033 -- Keeping Covenants & Finding Connection: Thriving as a Gay Latter-day Saint
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...
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#032 -- Mission at Mormon Church Headquarters: The Good, The Bad, and The Awkward
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...
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#31 -- Juliet's Mission Experience
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…
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#030 -- The Cult Episode! Ex-Mormons and Faithful LDS Members Weigh In
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…
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#029 -- "You are Not God. This isn't Heaven." ft. Patrick Mason
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…
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#028 -- LDS Dating- Values, Consent, and Faith Transitions (Oh MY!)
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....
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#027 -- Serving a Mission on Instagram ft. Baylie Clarke
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…
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#026 -- Progress or Performance? A Feminist and a Believer Talk Gender in the Church
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…
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#026 -- Do Ex-Mormons Leave the LDS Church Because They Want to Sin?
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…
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#024 -- Clark Gilbert, Power, and the Problem of Authority
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…
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#023 -- Why are we doing this? (Part 2)
In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of why we even need a podcast like this in the first place. Juliet pushes back on Ashton's elephant metaphor, we talk about whether or not we should even care what the people around us believe, and Mitch shares a "pain point" from the last time he…
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#022 -- Why are we doing this? (Part 1)
In this episode, we officially introduce the new co hosts of Latter Day Bridge Builders. Juliet, Ashton, and I talk openly about why this space exists and why building bridges in the LDS world can feel so hard. We get into what it is like to sit in the middle. Feeling too Mormon for some spaces…
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#021 -- Faith, Doubt and the Courage to Meet in the Middle w/ Ashton Smith
In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch sits down with Ashton Smith to talk about what it really means to build bridges across belief. Ashton shares his experience growing up in an orthodox LDS environment, serving as an Elders Quorum president, and learning how curiosity, humility,...
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#20 -- Learning to Breathe Without Answers
In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch sits down with returning guest Stevie for a raw, unfiltered conversation about faith, doubt, and what it actually feels like to live in the tension between the two. Stevie shares her experience moving from spiritual certainty into a full-blown...
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#019 -- No Strings Attached: How to Bridge the Mormon / Ex-Mormon Divide
In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch sits down with James Linton, an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to talk about the uncomfortable space between belief and disbelief; and why so many relationships get stuck there. Instead of debating doctrine,...
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#018 -- How my mission in Africa changed me
Serving a Mormon mission in Cape Verde, Africa completely changed my life. It made me more serious, more committed, and opened my eyes to a culture totally different from the white Utah bubble I grew up in. It also pushed me to my limits, exposed me to the church’s messy racial history, and left…
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#017 -- Modesty, Masturbation, and Misogyny: A Feminist Take on Mormon Purity Culture
This week, I sit down with Jules Miller.Former seminary teacher, lifelong feminist, and someone who knows purity culture from the inside and the outside. We get into the object lessons, the bishop interviews, the shame cycles, the “worthiness” obsession, and how all of it shaped the way so many…
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#016 -- The Art of Listening Lessons from Four Conversations
In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch reflects on four real life conversations that reshaped how he sees faith, empathy, and connection.Each of these moments with friends, mentors, and fellow Latter-day Saints revealed something deeper about what it truly means to listen instead of...
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#015 -- Aftershocks in Zion: Navigating Tragedy and Hope in LDS Culture
Aftershocks in Zion | Latter Day Bridge Builders PodcastUtah has been through a lot lately — tragedy, transition, and questions about who we are as a community. In this episode, we reflect on three recent events that shook the Latter-day Saint world:• The shooting of conservative commentator...
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#014 -- A Fresh Start in an Old Place (Re-introduction)
It’s been a while. In this re-introduction, I share what’s happened since the last time you heard from me; why the podcast went quiet, what’s changed in my life and faith, and why I felt it was time to come back.A lot has happened since I first started Latter Day Bridge Builders. I talk about...
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Episode #13 - Becoming an Ally - Jonathan Alder, author of Closeted
It's no secret that LGTBQ+ individuals have a hard time being members of the LDS church. Statements, talks, policies and doctrines have made many LGTBQ+ people feel isolated and alienated as well as deeply hurt by the church that claims to be in direct communication with Jesus Christ through…
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Episode #12 - The LDS Mission Experience
Whether you were/are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not, you probably know about Mormon missionaries. They're the young adults with black name tags and are usually dressed in a white shirt and tie, or a dress/skirt. In this episode of LDBB, Garrett and Mitch talk...
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Episode #11 (Part 2) - How Ex-Mormons Can Build Bridges with Latter-day Saints
In part 2 of our interview with Christian Hägglund, we discuss ways in which Ex-Mormons may be able to see Latter-day Saints in a different light. While this episode may be more intentionally spoken towards Ex-Mormons, we feel many people from different backgrounds and walks of life. Send us an...
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Episode #10 (Part 1) - Ex-Mormon Interview w/Christian Hägglund: Religious Shame, Max Skousen and Denver Snuffer
Christian Hägglund is a Swedish author, lawyer and Ex-member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In part 1 of this interview, he shares his experience growing up in the church in Sweden and how religious shame was a motivating factor in his life and mission. He also shares how he...
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Episode #9 - Stevie's Conversion Story
Join us in listening to Stevie Johnson share her conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stevie grew up in Utah and was raised in a non-denominational church by her adoptive mother (an ex-Mormon). Listen to her story as she shares how she gained a testimony of the church…
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Episode #8 - Mental Health and Mormonism, an Interview with Paul Callister, PhD, CMHC
We absolutely LOVE this interview we did with Paul Callister. Paul is a mental health counselor who practices in Bountiful, UT. See more about his practice here: Bountiful Counseling Paul received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University. The title of his dissertation is The Book of Mormon Topic...
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Episode #7 - Jacqueline Schneiber-Pettit (Active Member Interview)
Join us for a special interview with Jacqueline Schneiber-Pettit who is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this interview, we ask Jacqueline about how her journey in the church has been and how different views on things may be reconciled while still believing…
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Episode #6 - The Gospel is Perfect, the People Aren't (Tackling Clichés series)
**ANNOUNCEMENT** We at Latter Day Bridge Builders feel the need and want to expand our hosting backgrounds. In an effort to better build bridges, we are looking for a third host. We are looking for someone who is an active/believing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
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Episode #5 - Is the church a cult? (Tackling Clichés series)
Listen, if you're a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you probably have heard someone refer to the church as a cult. Maybe as an ex-member, you have called the church a cult. In this episode of LDBB, Garrett and Mitch do a deep dive into this controversial call sign. What...
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Episode #4 - "You can leave the church, but you can't leave it alone" (Tackling Clichés series)
This is our first episode in a limited series called "Tackling Clichés" where we discuss several quips often used in discussions about Mormonism. Usually, these clichés are used as "gotcha" statements and end conversations instead of opening discussions. In this series, we will discuss what is…
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Episode #3 - Let's talk about boundaries
Boundaries. What are they? Why are they important? Mitch and Garrett express some of their views on boundaries and some ways that both members and ex-members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be crossing a boundary they don't know is there. Please leave us a review, or send…
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Episode #2 - Why do people leave or become less active in Mormonism?
DISCLAIMER: No specific information about "Anti-Mormon" material is presented in this episode. Our podcast does not want to create or share doubt/disbelief in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or its doctrine. In today's discussion, Garrett and Mitch talk about why they think people...
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Episode #1 - Why do people join or stay in the LDS church?
In today's episode, Garrett and Mitch discuss why they think people join or stay in the LDS church. And if those are valid reasons or not. SPOILER ALERT: They are! We would love it if you could leave us a review/rating and share this episode with your friends/family if you think it could help!…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Mitch Crosgrove
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Latter Day Bridge Builders have?
Latter Day Bridge Builders currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Latter Day Bridge Builders about?
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...
How often does Latter Day Bridge Builders release new episodes?
Latter Day Bridge Builders has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Latter Day Bridge Builders?
You can listen to Latter Day Bridge Builders on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Latter Day Bridge Builders?
Latter Day Bridge Builders is created and hosted by Mitch Crosgrove.
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