John Larsen v. John Dehlin - 2026 Edition | Ep. 2171

After years away from the microphone, John Larsen returns to Mormon Stories Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation.  A legend in the Mormon and ex-Mormon podcasting world, John Larsen helped shape an entire generation of critical Mormon thought through Mormon Expression. Now, he sits down with John Dehlin to reflect on the journey that brought him here –from his Mormon upbringing and faith crisis to build one of the most influential podcasts in the space, and ultimately stepping away to build a very different kind of life. In this candid interview, John shares what life looks like today: living sustainably, growing much of his own food, working in local government, and creating intentional community. He also opens up about his mission, the questions that led him out of the church, why apologetics never worked for him, his fascination with primary historical sources, and how Mormon Expression came to be.  The conversation also explores the rise of Mormon Studies, the challenge of creating content for years on end, community dynamics within the ex-Mormon movement, current events, AI, politics, the future of society, and what it really means to move on after leaving Mormonism.  Whether you’ve followed John Larsen for years or are meeting him for the first time, this episode offers a rare glimpse into one of the most respected voices in the Mormon studies and post-Mormon communities.  If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about Mormon history, faith transitions, and building a meaningful life after religion, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode.  Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/john-la... Timecodes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:45 - Life update 00:14:20 - When you break from the church 00:28:04 - Opening up to Q&As 00:31:46 - Why start Mormon Expressions? 00:38:10 - Moments of Doubt 00:47:00 - Getting back from his mission 00:57:42 - He read first hand accounts 01:08:22 - What would these episodes be like? 01:13:20 - Book of Mormon anachronisms 01:28:56 - When people turn on you in this space 01:45:27 - The Living Community 02:01:51 - Cargo colts 02:09:39 - Epstein files 02:29:42 - Getting with Kimmy 02:34:37 - Walking away from this space 02:38:11 - Final Questions ___________________ 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: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?d... Patreon:   / mormonstories   Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonsto... Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @mormonstories   Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon:   / mormonstories   ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7d... 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🖼️Instagram:   / mormstories   📱TikTok:   / mormonstoriespodcast   🎮Discord:   / discord   Contact us: 📧 [email protected] 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117