So Many podcasts, so little time.

[deacon blues]

The proliferation of podcasts dealing with the LDS Church from a critical perspective has been remarkable. Since my shelf broke around 2010 there have been many, many new podcasts come out, and I have a limited amount of time. How do you chose what to listen to? Or, have you moved past listening to podcasts?

[jfro18]

I don't listen to too many podcasts anymore, but I definitely pick and choose them based on what grabs my attention.

Do you gravitate more to personal stories, history, current events, etc?

I highly recommend the Mormonism Live weekly podcast because they're usually well done and you can pick and choose the topics.

There's a new Bart Ehrman podcast on YouTube which has had some really interesting episodes - not LDS but still about biblical scholarship. On that note the Data over Dogma podcast with Dan McClellan is interesting so far.

But you're right - there are a ton of them out there now and no way to keep up with all of them.

[Palerider]

I do a mixture of different podcasts as well.

Depends mostly on whether I think I can learn something new.

I doubt that there are many folks in that 65-85 age group that are watching these but the effect on 15-45 year olds must be devastating for the church.
Leadership must be turning themselves inside out wondering how to stop the bleeding. Somehow I don't feel sorry for them....

[jfro18]

I doubt that there are many folks in that 65-85 age group that are watching these but the effect on 15-45 year olds must be devastating for the church.
Leadership must be turning themselves inside out wondering how to stop the bleeding. Somehow I don't feel sorry for them....

I'm really amazed at the reach of not just Mormon podcasts, but TikTok videos as well.

The Mormon Stories episodes I've done for LDS Discussions stuff have I believe almost a million hours of play time combined which is just hard to even imagine, but I personally tend to think that most people tuning in are already out so I don't know what "impact" it's having overall.

But at the same time you can post a TikTok video that is 60 seconds about church history and have it seen by hundreds of thousands of people and you'll typically have a reach well beyond 'ex-mormons' because of the way their algorithm spits it out.

So the impacts on the younger generations of being exposed to this stuff is going to be very difficult for the church to deal with because they can't really control it outside of trying to keep members afraid of it.

[Just This Guy]

I pick and choose. I have a long commute so I listen to a lot of podcasts. Science, news, economics, hobbies, etc. There is some ex-mo podcasts, I'm really picky about them these days.

I used to be big fans of Infants on Thrones. However, that team has fallen apart and the little new content they do isn't very interesting. Mostly just one person rambling about various things. Boring.

I was never a huge fan of Mormon Stories. They are just TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO long. It has to be a really interesting subject for me to want to spend a week of commuting to listen through it. There are occasional ones, but I maybe listen to once once every other month or so.

I do make a point to listen to every LDS Discussions podcast. They have been creeping up there in length, but they keep me interested. Partially it is to support one of our own, but they are actually very interesting podcasts on their own.

I will listen to Mormonism Live about half the time. If it is interesting and I need something to fill out my podcasts for the week, they are a solid choice.

I listen to maybe 2 out of 3 episodes of Radio Free Mormon.

[jfro18]

I do make a point to listen to every LDS Discussions podcast. They have been creeping up there in length, but they keep me interested. Partially it is to support one of our own, but they are actually very interesting podcasts on their own.

Yeah... that is definitely something that has happened as it's gone on and it's frustrating because usually you don't realize it until it's too late to really tighten it up!

I think there are like 6 that are banked to varying episode lengths, but hopefully some good ones left for those who are interested. They're getting more away from founding history to stuff like doubts/witnesses/etc which can be more interesting to some and less to others, but that's the fun of getting to pick and choose which topics are helpful or interesting.

But my original thought was all episodes would be 90 minutes or less and I think that's only happened a few times... two hours was my 'drop dead' time originally and we've passed that way too often. Hopefully everyone is listening to them at 2x speed at least.

[Red Ryder]

For a long time I stopped listening to Mormon themed podcasts. I figured I had spent too much time on Mormonism from both sides of belief and I realized there’s a whole big world out there.

Then Syster Ryder’s faith awakening happened and the sounds of Mormon Stories, LDS discussions, RFM, and the At last she said it podcasts are echoing throughout the house.

The content is endless when the church continues to do stupid stuff.

[moksha]

On that note, the Data over Dogma podcast with Dan McClellan is interesting so far.

Dan's YouTube shorts could be advertised like potato chips: Bet you can't watch just one. Carrah Burrell has some funny video shorts. Nemo the Mormon, is smart like that Mike guy from Mormon Stories.

1. Mormonism Live with Bill Reel and RFM
2. Broadcasting Behind Enemy Lines with RFM
3. Mormon Stories with John Dehlin

-------
When will we see Hagoth on with RFM or BYP?

[2bizE]

I have enjoyed many podcasts. I don’t listen to many of them if they are too long. My favorite ones at the moment
1) Mormonism live
2) Radio Free Mormon
3) Rameumptom Ruminations (usually only 20-30 minutes) https://rameumptomruminations.org/
4) Mormon Expression with John Larsen (I find them in the podcast app on my iPhone. How to build a transatlantic vessel is legendary)
5) Mormon Stories (these are too long, but I listen to part. Donna Showalter interview was one of the most dynamic and emotional podcasts I have ever listened to.
https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/d ... president/
6) TikTok has some good ones. BJ the Lamanite is fantastic. Calm, sincere, factual. Analyzing Mormonism has a lot of research presented.

[deacon blues]

JFro's Mormon stories podcasts are excellent. I enjoy the "Just the facts, Ma'am" approach. Thanks a million, dude.

[2bizE]

JFro's Mormon stories podcasts are excellent. I enjoy the "Just the facts, Ma'am" approach. Thanks a million, dude.

I agree. These factual episodes are great.

[wtfluff]

I only listen to religious-themed podcasts that involve jfro.

I also get sucked in to a Mo-Sto podcast that sounds interesting here and there though...

I spent way too many hours mired in apostate podcasts when I first discovered LD$-Inc.'s truth crisis. It helped a lot to know that I wasn't the only crazy person going through that. It was life saving in a way.

Nowadays I spend more time listening to science and skepticism podcasts - since I spent half a lifetime ignoring that stuff.

• The Skeptic's Guide To The Universe
• You Are Not So Smart
• Skeptoid

Are my favorites at the moment.

[Hagoth]

JFro's Mormon stories podcasts are excellent. I enjoy the "Just the facts, Ma'am" approach. Thanks a million, dude.

I consider jfro's thing and Mormonism Live to be essential listening, although sometimes it takes me a while to get around to all of them.

I'm not sure anyone has enough time to listen to Mormon Stories. I'm starting to think they are generated by an AI program that pumps out more hours of content than there are hours in the day.

Otherwise, I like The Skeptics Guide to the Universe, and Dan McLellan's new Data over Dogma podcast, along with some of Sam Harris' and Michael Shermer's.

[Advocate]

I'm similar to many: I really like Mormonism Live and RFM, and find Mormon Stories way too long. I find personal stories less interesting and am more intrigued by doctrinal discussion, or at least how the doctrines apply to people.

One that hasn't been mentioned is Inside out with Jim Bennett and Ian Wilks. Bennett is a believer and currently sings in the Tabernacle choir, while Wilks used to in a stake presidency but is no longer active. The discussion is fair minded and Bennett is willing to look at church doctrines/practices with a critical eye. If my TBM wife ever wants to listen to a podcast (unlikely), this is one I would start her with.

[wtfluff]

Of note:

If you are "new" to the world of podcasts "critical" of LD$-Inc. then the backlog of Mormon Expressions podcasts is worth looking into. John Larsen's "new" stuff with Mormon Stories is good also.

And as has already been mentioned: Infants on Thrones has some very good information in their backlog also (newer stuff, not so good.)

[Ghost]

My consumption of Mormon-themed podcasts has slowed down considerably in recent years. Every so often I still listen to one, though, and I try not to miss any of the John Larsen ones on Mormon Stories.

I don't know whether it was like this for everyone, but I remember gradually "progressing" from the tamer ones to the more intense ones. Mormon Expression was a little much for me at first with its strong language and with it not being geared toward people who are trying to "make it work."

Same with Web sites back in those days. I remember a time when NOM was more transgressive than I felt I was ready for.

[Hagoth]

I remember a time when NOM was more transgressive than I felt I was ready for.

Did you spend some time at StayLDS? I remember that being my refuge when NOM was too much for me. Then I gradually started feeling frustrated there (and frequently moderated) and slid over to NOM (where I was still frequently moderated during my angrier phase of deconstruction).

[jfro18]

One other podcast I want to throw out there is the Sunstone History Podcast - it's still going and I'm way behind on it, but they have some amazing ones covering the early church and they're doing it in a way that is not angry or mocking or anything like that. It's Lindsay Hansen Park and Bryan Buchanan and it's a top tier podcast: http://www.sunstone.org/sunstone-history-podcast/

I had also put together a list of my favorite podcasts a few years ago that I have not updated so it's definitely missing some good ones over the last few years, but that's at http://www.ldsdiscussions.com/favorite-mormon-podcasts if anyone is interested and I tried to even put on each one if they were more harsh so you can avoid if you're not ready for that (thinking about Mormon Expressions and Infants on Thrones specifically)

[Ghost]

Did you spend some time at StayLDS? I remember that being my refuge when NOM was too much for me. Then I gradually started feeling frustrated there (and frequently moderated) and slid over to NOM (where I was still frequently moderated during my angrier phase of deconstruction).

My favorite one back then was the secret Mormon Stories Second Ward forum, which you might have heard of.

[moksha]

Did you spend some time at StayLDS? I remember that being my refuge when NOM was too much for me. Then I gradually started feeling frustrated there (and frequently moderated) and slid over to NOM (where I was still frequently moderated during my angrier phase of deconstruction).

You're not allowed to think outside the specified parameters of the box on many LDS forums.




Podcast Trivia - Name the podcaster associated with these lines:

1. Yeah baby!
2. By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth!
3. Deniable Plausibility