On today's episode of Mormon News, John Dehlin and Meggan Hayes break down another busy week of headlines involving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This week we take a closer look at the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, where Church leaders doubled down on claims of exclusive authority, the "only true church," and what they describe as "true doctrine." We'll discuss what was taught and why it matters.
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14idTXmfqam/
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2026/06/18/read-summaries-photos-2026-seminar-new-mission-leaders/
https://youtu.be/FIKqJVU63Pk?si=d3bNWHUMYK8Uc2AP
https://youtu.be/bshDxxlcMu0?si=COTdwPlTv6l87PYO
We'll also cover the disturbing allegations against an Orem dentist accused of abusing a high school intern, along with his connections to the LDS community.
Links:
https://www.ksl.com/article/51540804/orem-dentist-accused-of-abusing-high-school-intern
http://www.youtube.com/@r.brucehowell2847
Next a discussion about bishop interviews, trust, and boundaries after the Church's official Young Women Worldwide page encouraged girls ages 12 to 17 to participate in a "How Well Do You Know Your Bishop?" activity designed to help them feel more comfortable with their bishop. We'll examine why some are raising concerns about normalizing close relationships between young girls and adult male ecclesiastical leaders, particularly in light of one-on-one worthiness interviews and the growing number of bishops listed in the Floodlit database.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZdSd4mifYC/
https://floodlit.org/lpe/ever-bishop/
We'll also discuss reports that the temple naming system has changed and what could be behind the change.
Link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/s/BHjrL95u1e
We'll examine the case of an Orem man accused of stealing two valuable Minerva Teichert paintings from his elderly mother, replacing them with copies, and selling the originals to help finance a new restaurant.
Link:
https://www.fox13now.com/news/fox-13-investigates/man-accused-of-stealing-paintings-by-famous-utah-artist-replacing-them-with-copies
Finally, we'll discuss BYU-Idaho's new ecclesiastical endorsement policy, which changes what happens when students allow their endorsements to expire, and what that says about accountability and institutional oversight.
Links:
https://byuiscroll.org/changes-to-ecclesiastical-endorsement-process-are-coming-to-byui/
https://web.byui.edu/policylibrary/policy/bf4987db-aa02-4437-be12-54fc93eeb185
Join us live as we provide context behind the headlines, separate fact from speculation, and discuss what these stories reveal about Mormonism today.
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Show Notes
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