I was asked by the Sunstone Symposium to speak this Friday, and it has caused me to reflect on how the Internet has changed the LDS Church/Mormonism over the Past 25 Years. Here are some of my first thoughts. Would love to hear yours. (NOTE: Updated 7/31/25 at 9:55am)
Unorthodox and Ex-Mormon Social Media, Influencers, and Popular Media
Thriving and dominant Ex-Mormon influencers/communities largely control online discourse about Mormonism (Reddit, Podcasts, YouTube, TIkTok, Instagram, Facebook).
Ex-Mormon social media influencers overall lead the world in ex-religious Internet content across all platforms.
Ex-Mormon social media providers sometimes have majority never-LDS viewership (e.g., Johnny Harris, Alyssa Grenfell, John Dehlin/Mormon Stories, Britt Hartley).
Mormons and ExMormons (e.g. Trad wives/families like Ballerina Farm and MomTok and Exmos like Johnny Harris) often dominate U.S. Internet influencer spaces.
Mormon-themed content dominates streaming services (Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Ruby Franke/Jodi Hildebrandt Documentaries, Lori Vallow/Chad Daybell documentaries, American Primeval, Polygamy content, Heretic, Under the Banner of Heaven, Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey, The Deep End/Teal Swan). Many of these shows collaborate HEAVILY with top ExMormon social influencers like John Dehlin, Alyssa Grenfell, Natasha Helfer, and Lindsay Hansen Park.
LDS Church Internet involvement has been consistently late and reactionary to virtually every Internet trend/movement (except SEO, where they have ultimately failed spectacularly).
Some important “Mormon Moments” over the past 25 years have been:
Proposition 8
Mitt Romney presidential campaigns
Book of Mormon Musical release/I’m a Mormon Campaign
Ordain Women/Kate Kelly Excommunication
Mormon LGBTQ suicide epidemic/Dan Reynolds & Tyler Glenn “Believer” Documentary/LoveLoud/Encircle.
Excommunication of Mormon Podcasters and Activists: Denver Snuffer, John Dehlin, Jeremy Runnells, Bill Reel, Sam Young/Protect LDS Children, Natasha Helfer, Nemo the Mormon)
November 2015 LGB Exclusion policy and 2019 reversal.
Matt Easton BYU Valedictory Talk and Elder Holland’s response (Musket Fire talk)
Ruby Franke/Jodi Hildebrandt/Visions of Glory
Lori Vallow/Chad Daybell/Visions of Glory
Tim Ballard/Underground Railroad/Visions of Glory
AP Reporting on LDS Church Child Abuse/Bisbee Case/Michael Rezendez/Abuse Hotline & Kirton McConkie
Black Menaces
Brad Wilcox Alpine Talk
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
MomTok/Taylor Franke Paul
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
For the first time, ExMormon women are dominating ExMormon social media spaces (e.g. Alyssa Grenfell, Britt Hartley, Hayley Rawle).
Post-Mormon and Mormon Studies Communities
Accelerated Community building for fringe Mormon groups: ExMormons, Preppers, Liberal/Nuanced Mormons, Neo-Conservative Mormons, Joseph Smith Polygamy Deniers. ExMormon standouts include ExMormon Reddit, WOCA, Lost and Found Club, THRIVE, Sunstone, Mormon Stories Podcast Community, RFM/Mormon Discussions/Mormonish Community, Marriage on a Tightrope).
Lindsay Hansen Park and Grace Pool (and their supporters) have done a miraculous job at keeping Sunstone Symposium alive and thriving. Sunstone History Podcast with Bryan Buchanan is a phenomenal addition to Mormon discourse.
Rise of culturally competent, evidence-based post-Mormon mental health providers (e.g. Natasha Helfer/Symmetry Solutions, Julie Hanks/Wasatch).
We all continue to be traumatized by the September 1993 “September 6” excommunications, and decisions often seemed to be framed by the considerations of family dynamics, faith politics, and fear of institutional LDS Church retaliation. In some sense, LDS Church tactics of fear, intimidation, and silencing have been effective.
There seems to be a significant decline in the number of scholars pursuing Mormon Studies? Many seemed to lose faith/interest after November 2015 policy and reversal.
Severe under-appreciation and under-sexposure of past and current Mormon scholarship.
Significant opportunity for Mormon Studies/scholarship to become more influential in social media. Current standouts include Barbara Jones Brown/Signature Books, Women’s Exponent II, Sunstone Podcast, Ben Park, Mormon Discussions/RFM/Mormonish, Mormon Stories.
Faithful LDS Church Community Dynamics
In spite of ExMormon social media dominance, the overwhelming majority of faithful Mormons in the developed world have not heard of the CES Letter, Mormon Stories Podcast, Alyssa Grenfell, or any of the other ExMormon social media shows.
Very strong and growing liberal/progressive/faithful LDS community (Restore, Faith Matters). Their survival and growth is truly miraculous (in my humble opinion). Can they avoid backlash (e.g. Julie Hanks)?
Official traditional church apologetics either in decline (e.g. Daniel Peterson, Maxwell Institute, FAIR, Scripture Central) or moving towards pastoral approaches (Givens, Bushman, Mason).
The BYU’s seem to be retrenching?
Mormon Neo-Fundamentalism (e.g. Snufferites, Preppers, Joseph Smith Deniers, Deznat) seems to be accelerating.
Mormon women seem to be leaving the LDS Church at higher rates than men.
The majority of faithful apologetic influencers (e.g. Jacob Hansen, Ward Radio, Greg Matsen/CWIC Media, Stick of Joseph/Hayden and Jackson Paul) seem to be funded by shadow non-profits (dark money like More Good Foundation), and inspired by politically conservative YouTube channels (e.g., Ben Shapiro, Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson). Is this dynamic contributing to alienation of faithful LDS women? What will it do to LDS culture in the long term?
Jasmin Rappleye’s stock is rising fast.
LDS Church Brand/Image
Extremely damaged Mormon brand/SEO for the LDS church. The brand is so toxic that they literally abandoned the “Mormon” brand based largely on consumer research and ExMormon social media dominance.
Increased global visibility and accountability regarding church wealth/assets (Ensign Peak, Widow’s Mite).
Practically invisible Mormon church PR department. What do they do?
LDS General Authorities speak very little publicly. When they do speak they are highly scripted. Unlike past prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, modern LDS leaders almost never speak to reporters/journalists, and certainly do not entertain open Q&A’s. This is true even in local LDS stakes and wards.
Perception of Mormon church as systemic protectors/enablers of child abuse(rs) has dramatically increased.
Internal LDS Church Dynamics
The COVID pandemic, when combined with the availability of ExMormon Internet content, was a deadly combination for the LDS Church.
Accelerated member disaffection from LDS Church in the developed world, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. 10% worldwide activity rates? LDS disaffection has become normalized, somewhat contagious, and recently even glamorized.
Slowed LDS Church growth globally. <1%?
Church handbook of instructions, policies and procedures totally online.
LDS Church participation in Boy Scouts of American discontinued do to extensive abuse history and ongoing risk.
LDS Church is slightly more open/honest with its history (Gospel Topics Essays, Joseph Smith Papers Project, Saints). Most faithful members seems to be unaware of these initiatives. Many have left the church because of these initiatives.
Inoculation of youth and young adults with heavily contextualized apologetics around factual church history.
Slightly positive shifts in LDS Church LGBQ policies and messages (Charlie Bird, Ben Schilaty, Tom Christofferson). At least one prominent faithful gay married couple seems to remain in good church standing (i.e. have not been excommunicated). LGB suicides seem to be in decline?
Retrenchment on Transgender policies and messages, certainly influenced by modern U.S. conservative political dynamics.
LDS Church’s heavy investment in Africa and BYU Pathways to offset massive hemorrhaging. Most church statistical growth appears to be coming from Africa.
Massive increase in temple building is possibly a response to massive decline in missionary success and member disaffection. Where else can the LDS Church possibly invest and show a positive return on investment?
More LDS missionary work is online, and missionary proselyting is on steep decline, at least in part because of the brand damage done by the Book of Mormon musical and the LDS missionary proselyting program.
Rebranding of LDS Church Disciplinary Councils and Excommunications to Membership Review/Withdrawal — likely in response to how ExMormon social media programs have publicly spotlighted/framed LDS Church excommunications (as medieval and barbaric).
High demands on members seem to be in decline:
Sunday church participation reduced from 3 to 2 hours.
Missionary age reduced and women encouraged to serve.
Missionaries can call home weekly.
Early missionary return stigma reduced.
Tattoos and multiple ear piercings allowed.
Caffeinated bevarages allowed at the BYU’s.
Continued changes to LDS Church temple ceremony.
Garments made shorter
Also the LDS church doing more harm than good with videos like the recent one on polygamy that was intended for children and the stone in the hat with R M Nelson.
FARMS very instrumental in the apologetic LDS world. Of course FARMS now defunct.