Disclaimer: Dirge Magazine is not now, nor has it ever, been affiliated with or published news on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So please don’t sue us.
If you know anything about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it’s that no one fucking calls it that. But before he kicked the can, the last “prophet” and president of the church, Russel M. Nelson, made it clear that what you don’t call them is “Mormon,” calling the nickname a “major victory for Satan,” changing websites, and even stripping the name of the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir (sorry, The Tabernacle Choir of Temple Square). Many members will go so far as to call “Mormon” a slur and claim, “We don’t call ourselves that.” So why is it, then, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is suing podcaster John Dehlin over the name of his podcast, “Mormon Stories”? A common refrain in the LDS church is that ex-members “leave the church but cannot leave it alone,” but as many ex-Mormons will tell you, the reality is often the opposite, and no one knows that better than John Dehlin.
In 2015, Dehlin was excommunicated for saying that the Book of Mormon is fiction, supporting the Ordain Women movement, and supporting LGBTQIA causes within the church. He had been running “Mormon Stories” for ten years at that point. If the math on that seems funky, it’s because it is. John Dehlin has been using the name “Mormon Stories” for over 20 years without complaint from the Morm … uh … The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2015, a leaked document showed that the highest-ranking members of the church were briefing Dehlin as an enemy of the church and the gospel of Jesus Christ itself (they managed to get that leaked document pulled, of course).
The LDS Church started its lawsuit the way it does a lot of things: small. First, John Dehlin had to add a disclaimer to podcast episodes that made it clear his podcast was not associated with the official church, which he did (though a few minutes of listening would remove any doubt). Then, they claimed that the font, colors, and imagery he used in the logo and promotion were too close to the official LDS branding, and demanded he change it – to their exact specifications, including font size. When Dehlin refused to turn over the branding of his 20-year project to the church, they stopped threatening a $3M lawsuit and went right ahead.
You might be wondering, if you are not currently, nor have ever been Mormon (sorry, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – we wouldn’t want to perpetuate a slur, nor would we want to … infringe on their official copyright?), “Why the hell should I care about a logo dispute?”
The short answer is, it’s obviously not a logo dispute; it’s a silencing tactic. The longer answer is that the LDS/Mormon/whatfuckingever Church has over $100 billion, a dedicated legal team, and is pushing itself into the mainstream more and more every day. If you’ve ever been to Utah, you know that Mormon political influence controls everything from the legal purchase of alcohol to the abundance of “dirty” soda shops, since Mormons are prohibited from drinking coffee. The PR machine and prescribed behaviors of members lead many to read the religion as strange but full of “nice” people – but don’t be fooled. It’s an incredibly wealthy cult, and in the US, money is speech.
You might be saying, “Surely there are extremists and sects with polygamous cult leaders and shit you see on the news, but the main church? A cult?” Well, I know a little about cults from my time at The Cult Bar Show, and in addition to telling the members of the religion where they are allowed to get their information on the church and who to believe, they’re now trying to make sure they can control how you get your information. And this isn’t the first time they’ve tried to silence their critics.
There’s this instance, where they hand-delivered a complaint to the BBC over John Sweeney’s documentary, The Mormon Candidate, which featured many ex-members.
The aforementioned control of leaked presentations showing their beef with John Dehlin as an enemy of the church, alongside far-right personalities, and the concept of pornography itself.
They attempted to discredit Under the Banner of Heaven, and its author, John Krakauer, when his book was initially published, and again when Hulu announced a mini-series based on the book.
They’ve used their legal department to cover up child sex abuse claims (fun fact, the attorney mentioned in the linked article, Kirton McConkie, is also the one who deals with the lawyers who help ex-Mormons leave the church without harassment*).
There’s a whole book written about how the LDS church’s continued issues with The Salt Lake Tribune nearly killed the paper.
You know what? Fuck it. Here’s an academic paper detailing the LDS church’s long history of silencing dissenters and using its legal, political, or PR power to control information from 1840 to 2024, when it was published.
In addition to efforts to disavow their more controversial teachings (Mormons don’t get their own planets anymore; bummer), they’re centering the words “Jesus Christ,” wearing crosses despite their so-called prophets saying they are not a symbol of the religion as recently as 2005. And much like The Duggars normalized a dangerous brand of evangelical Christianity, shows like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives aren’t getting pushback from LDS officials. No, this hipper, more relaxed version of the life of a Mormon is way more attractive than the reality where a simple cup of coffee can destroy your family for an entire fucking eternity.
So what’s my point? Aside from the fact that you will never convince me John Dehlin is being sued over his podcast logo (though there is a history of the LDS Church suing over shit like this), is that a cult with more money than Scientology is mainstreaming itself while silencing ex-members, critics, and historians who want you to have all the information. The “niceness” of the members will not protect vulnerable people from being pulled into a cult that asks children about masturbation in closed rooms with lay clergy. It will not protect against religious extremes made into law and culture. It will not protect free speech. (Editor’s note: The only cool thing about the Ladder Day Mormers is that they believe Bigfoot is real and also probably Cain, as in, Cain and Abel from that other cult’s belief system textbook. -Nicole)
*Oh, did you not know that many former members have had to use attorneys to get their names out of the membership rolls and stop the LDS church from sending missionaries, church leaders, and others to pressure them back into attendance? Normal church shit. Not a cult. Nothing to see here.
If you feel so inclined, John Dehlin does not have over $100 billion dollars, but he does have a legal defense fund.
