Mormon Stories Podcast

For 30 years, Timmy Gibson preached Christianity with absolute conviction. Raised in a Pentecostal family, he attended Bible college, became a pastor, and built a thriving evangelical church in Kansas City. But after decades of teaching that the Bible was God's perfect Word, Timmy began asking questions he could no longer ignore. Eventually, he faced an extraordinary decision: keep preaching what he no longer believed or walk away from the church he had spent nearly two decades building.

In this episode of Exvangelical Stories, Dr. Todd Phillips sits down with former evangelical pastor and now atheist Timmy Gibson for an honest, deeply personal conversation about religious deconstruction, losing faith, and rebuilding life after Christianity.

Timmy shares how his Pentecostal upbringing shaped his beliefs about speaking in tongues, divine healing, hell, salvation, and God's calling. He describes the people and experiences that challenged his theology, from watching faithful church members suffer despite promises of God's blessings to questioning the morality of eternal punishment. He also explains how reading *Sapiens* transformed his understanding of evolution, human history, and religion.

The conversation explores the painful consequences of leaving Christianity, including closing his church, losing relationships, navigating divorce, and setting boundaries with parents who still fear for his eternal salvation. Timmy also reflects on the religious teachings he regrets, his journey toward atheism, and the freedom, meaning, and authenticity he's discovered outside the faith he once devoted his life to.

What happens when the beliefs that gave your life meaning are no longer believable? And how do you rebuild when walking away means losing almost everything that once defined you?

This is Timmy Gibson's story.

ABOUT EXVANGELICAL STORIES

Exvangelical Stories is hosted by Dr. Todd Phillips in partnership with Mormon Stories Podcast and the nonprofit Open Stories Foundation. Through honest, long-form interviews, the series explores the personal experiences of people questioning, deconstructing, and leaving evangelical Christianity.

Help us continue producing these conversations through the Open Stories Foundation.
Support Exvangelical stories here: https://donorbox.org/exvangelicalstories

CONNECT WITH TIMMY GIBSON
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TimmyGibsonKC

CONNECT WITH DR. TODD PHILLIPS
Decon/Recon | Private Online Community

Questioning Christianity or navigating religious deconstruction? Join a private, supportive community where you can ask honest questions, protect your relationships, and rebuild a meaningful life without pressure to believe or stop believing.

https://www.skool.com/deconrecon/about
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drtoddphillips
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtoddphillips/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Drtoddphillips/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drtoddphillips
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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:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

Today on the Mormon News Podcast, John Dehlin and Meggan Hayes examine a controversial video from LDS influencer Becky Squire defending bishop interviews with minors, the political landscape in Utah following the midterm elections, and changing university enrollment numbers following the Church's missionary-age announcement. We're also covering Quentin Cook's warnings about anonymity, developments involving Jared Harding Wilson, continued controversy surrounding the Cody Wyoming Temple, and more.
___________________

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:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

The 2026 midterm elections brought a significant shift toward Democrats across the country, but what happened in Utah and other heavily Mormon communities?

Today on the Mormon News Podcast, John Dehlin and Meggan Hayes explore the election results and what they might tell us about the changing political landscape among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Using analysis from Alex Bass of Mormon Metrics, we’re looking at Utah’s surprising election results, Democratic gains in traditionally Republican areas, and the voting patterns of the 20 congressional districts with the highest concentrations of Latter-day Saints.

We’ll also examine new voter survey data that raises some interesting questions about Mormon political identity. One survey suggests LDS voters split 56% Republican to 44% Democratic, while another puts Republican support closer to 70%. What explains that difference, and what can we actually conclude?

Topics include:

The nationwide blue shift and how Utah compares
Republican underperformance in Utah’s congressional races
Democratic gains in heavily LDS districts across Utah and Idaho
Surprising election results in Provo, Orem, and Weber County
Donald Trump’s approval among LDS voters
New data on Mormon political affiliation and voting behavior
Whether the Republican Party is losing support among Latter-day Saints
What these results could mean for the future of Mormon politics

Election results are still being finalized, and the available surveys offer conflicting estimates. We’ll separate what the data actually shows from what remains uncertain.

Are Mormons becoming more politically moderate, or are they simply participating in the same national shift we’re seeing elsewhere?
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YouTube
Show Notes

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:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

In Part Five of The Brigham Young Podcast series where we cover John Turner’s book Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet, we sit down with John Turner to discuss Chapter Five, “Prophets and Pretenders,” and explore Brigham Young’s leadership during the final months in Nauvoo. 

We examine Young’s violent rhetoric, the growing tensions surrounding the Saints, and the infamous “Bogus Brigham” incident. We also explore the completion of the Nauvoo Temple and the development of the endowment, including how temple rituals evolved, what Joseph Smith may have passed on to Young, and how these practices shaped early Mormon theology. 

The conversation also considers the role of women in the developing theology of exaltation, the expansion of polygamy, and the ways priesthood authority and the doctrine of living prophets allowed Mormon teachings and practices to change. How did Brigham Young navigate the transition from Joseph Smith’s leadership, and what does this period reveal about the evolution of the Mormon endowment? 

Join us as we explore these questions with historian John Turner and take a closer look at one of the most consequential periods in early Mormon history.
___________________

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:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

How do you tell your spouse you've lost your faith–and what comes next?

Today we sit down with Sophie Allen, a Mormon convert who found a sense of belonging and community in the LDS Church after a difficult childhood and becoming a single mother at a young age. Sophie embraced Mormonism and eventually married in the temple, hoping to build the kind of traditional family she hadn't experienced growing up.

But after years of being deeply committed to the church, questions about its teachings on LGBTQ+ issues led Sophie down a path of questioning that changed everything. As she began learning more about church history and exploring the ex-Mormon community, she eventually reached a point where she could no longer continue believing. She shares what it was like to tell her husband she had lost her faith, stop wearing her temple garments, and begin figuring out what life outside the church would look like.

Sophie and her husband also discuss the challenges and unexpected opportunities of navigating a mixed-faith marriage. They reflect on learning to respect each other's beliefs, finding new ways to connect, maintaining intimacy, and building a relationship that allows them to remain individuals without growing apart.

This is a conversation about faith, marriage, family, and what it takes to choose each other even when you no longer see the world in the same way.
___________________

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:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117