Ep283: Is the LDS Church Using a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Playbook?

Have you noticed the overwhelming number of ads for the LDS church lately? Ads that don't indicate they are from the LDS church up front? There's a reason for this. In this episode, Mormonish Podcast is joined by Dr. Glen Randy Bell to explore the similarities between and MLM and the LDS church. The LDS Church uses advertising tactics similar to those seen in multi-level marketing (MLM) by promoting an idealized lifestyle and emphasizing personal transformation and community belonging. Its ads often showcase happy families, clean living, and emotional fulfillment—selling a vision rather than a doctrine. Like MLMs, the Church leverages personal stories and testimonials to create emotional appeal and social proof, subtly encouraging viewers to “join the fold” for personal and spiritual rewards. This approach prioritizes connection over theology, drawing people in through relatable, aspirational messaging rather than direct religious instruction. Thank you so much for watching Mormonish Podcast! ***How to DONATE to Mormonish Podcast: If you would like to help financially support our podcast, you can DONATE to support Mormonish Podcast here: Mormonish Podcast is a 501(c) (3) https://donorbox.org/mormonish-podcast ***WE HAVE MERCH! *** If you’d like to purchase Mormonish Merch, you can visit our Merch store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mormonishmerch We appreciate our Mormonish viewers and listeners so much! Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to Mormonish Podcast! Contact Mormonish Podcast: [email protected] #mormonish #lds #mormon #exmormon #postmormon #religion #news, #ldschurch #comeuntochrist #churchofjesuschrist #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #byu #byui #josephsmith #comefollowme #polygamy #bookofmormon #becauseofhim #hearhim #ldstemple FAIR USE DISCLAIMER All Media in this video (including the thumbnail) is used for the purpose of review and critique. The images in the thumbnail are used as the primary means of visually identifying the subject matter of the video