Latter Day Bridge Builders – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch sits down with Ashton Smith to talk about what it really means to build bridges across belief.

Ashton shares his experience growing up in an orthodox LDS environment, serving as an Elders Quorum president, and learning how curiosity, humility, and respect matter more than winning arguments. Together, they explore why “us vs. them” thinking shows up so easily in religion, politics, families, and online spaces, and why it quietly destroys relationships.

This conversation dives into faith transitions, judgment vs. curiosity, the limits of “I know,” and how people on very different paths can still choose empathy over control.

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In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch sits down with returning guest Stevie for a raw, unfiltered conversation about faith, doubt, and what it actually feels like to live in the tension between the two.

Stevie shares her experience moving from spiritual certainty into a full-blown faith crisis; one that collided with postpartum depression, suicidal ideation, temple service, and deeply personal questions about God, authority, garments, and identity. Rather than offering tidy answers, this conversation lives in the uncomfortable middle: wrestling with belief, grieving certainty, questioning institutional boundaries, and learning to find peace without resolution.

Together, Mitch and Stevie talk about cognitive dissonance, spiritual burnout, the pressure to “know” instead of wonder, and why love, curiosity, and honesty often matter more than being right. They also explore what it means to step outside religious labels, how judgment (both internal and external) shapes faith journeys, and why many people feel safer talking to those who’ve left than those who’ve stayed.This episode isn’t about deconstruction for its own sake, nor is it an attempt to reconvert anyone. It’s about making room for real people with real questions, and choosing compassion over certainty.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between belief and disbelief, tired of tidy answers, or unsure where you fit anymore, this conversation is for you.

🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/latterdaybridgebuilders ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders

In part 2 of our interview with Christian Hägglund, we discuss ways in which Ex-Mormons may be able to see Latter-day Saints in a different light. While this episode may be more intentionally spoken towards Ex-Mormons, we feel many people from different backgrounds and walks of life.

Send us an email with questions, feedback, or comments to: LDSBridgeBuilders@gmail.com

Christian Hägglund is a Swedish author, lawyer and Ex-member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In part 1 of this interview, he shares his experience growing up in the church in Sweden and how religious shame was a motivating factor in his life and mission. He also shares how he came across the teachings of Denver Snuffer and Max Skousen and how those teachings influenced him as a member of his local bishopric.

Be sure to listen to Part 2 where we get into how some of these teachings can help people have more positive views on those who believe differently than them.

Thanks for listening!

Send us an email with comments, feedback and questions to: LDSBridgeBuilders@gmail.com

Buy Christian's book What Lack I Yet? on Amazon

Join us in listening to Stevie Johnson share her conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stevie grew up in Utah and was raised in a non-denominational church by her adoptive mother (an ex-Mormon). Listen to her story as she shares how she gained a testimony of the church and how that story relates a little to Garrett and Mitch's stories of stepping away from the church.

Thank you for your support this year! We will return with new episodes in the beginning of 2023. Happy Holidays!

Follow Stevie on Instagram: @coachsteviej

Send us an email: LDSBridgeBuilders@gmail.com

We absolutely LOVE this interview we did with Paul Callister. Paul is a mental health counselor who practices in Bountiful, UT. See more about his practice here: Bountiful Counseling

Paul received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University. The title of his dissertation is The Book of Mormon Topic Structure, Keyness Distinctions, and Collocates of Deity: Implications for Mental Health Professionals

In the interview, we discuss some of Paul's dissertation findings and how it relates to the wider discussion of mental health and worldviews that Latter-day Saints have. We also talk about what ways members and ex-members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can better understand each other.

If you would like to donate to support the podcast, you can submit donations to Mitch's Venmo, or by clicking the link at the bottom of the show notes. Thank you!

Show Notes:

https://www.dialoguejournal.com/

Join us for a special interview with Jacqueline Schneiber-Pettit who is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this interview, we ask Jacqueline about how her journey in the church has been and how different views on things may be reconciled while still believing in the church/gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are thankful to our listeners who have generously given donations so we can get some more audio equipment and keep interviews like this one a regular thing on Latter Day Bridge Builders Podcast. If you would like to make a donation you can send it to https://www.venmo.com/u/Mitchell-Crosgrove

Be sure to send us an email with feedback, content requests, or other comments to LatterDayBridgeBuilders@gmail.com

Be sure to share this or any other episode with someone you think could benefit from the conversation.

**ANNOUNCEMENT**

We at Latter Day Bridge Builders feel the need and want to expand our hosting backgrounds. In an effort to better build bridges, we are looking for a third host. We are looking for someone who is an active/believing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Preferably we would like to get a woman's voice on the show to have more diversity of thought and experience. If you or someone you know would be interested, please reach out via email to LatterDayBridgeBuilders@gmail.com

This hosting opportunity would ideally be a permanent position on the Latter Day Bridge Builders Podcast. We record in Bountiful Utah and would expect a time commitment of about 2 hours every other week. We generally will be recording on Saturday mornings.

In addition to this added position, we are asking our viewers if they would be able to donate some funds for some extra recording equipment, we want to make the transition for a new host as easy as possible. We appreciate the support of our listeners whether it be financial or just listening in. If you have the means and would like to donate you can send a payment to Mitch's Venmo or by clicking the link at the very bottom of the show notes. Our goal with this fundraising is $150 for a microphone, stand and headphones for our new host and/or future guest interviewees. All funds raised will stay within the podcast and are not put directly into LDBB host pockets. If everyone who listens to this episode donated $5 we would exceed our goal. Thank you so much, bridge builders!

In this episode, Mitch and Garrett discuss the cliche often used by members that the church is imperfect, but the gospel is perfect. We talk about what the gospel can be defined as and what good the church does in the world. As well as some of the questions that ex-members have on this subject, because things like doctrine, the gospel, teachings, priciples and policy are sometimes not well defined in the church.

If you have some answers to our questions or have other feedback please send an email to LatterDayBridgeBuilders@gmail.com

Listen, if you're a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you probably have heard someone refer to the church as a cult. Maybe as an ex-member, you have called the church a cult.

In this episode of LDBB, Garrett and Mitch do a deep dive into this controversial call sign. What are the definitions of the word "cult?" What are the connotations? Does the church maybe fit some areas that can be considered culty? Is there perhaps a better term (like "high demand religion") to better facilitate conversations about this subject? Listen to the discussion and share your bridge-building thoughts in an email to LDSBridgeBuilders@gmail.com if you would like us to read your comments on a future episode.

Show notes:

Steven Hassan's BITE Model of Authoritarian Control

Take the Is it Culty Quiz and share a screenshot of your results to our email so we can see how our listeners feel

This is our first episode in a limited series called "Tackling Clichés" where we discuss several quips often used in discussions about Mormonism. Usually, these clichés are used as "gotcha" statements and end conversations instead of opening discussions. In this series, we will discuss what is true about the statement and where we may take things too far.

The phrase, "you can leave the church, but you can't leave it alone" is often used by members of the church in reference to ex-members. Ex-Mormons have a complicated relationship with the church and often have some serious issues that they want to discuss. When we try to diminish or downplay these experiences, ex-members may feel like they are not being heard. Though there are times when ex-members really do be overly critical of the church.

If you have insights on this cliché or want to send us other feedback please send an email to LDSBridgeBuilders@gmail.com

Salt Lake Tribune article: Commentary: Why can’t ex-Mormons just leave the LDS Church alone? Turns out, most do.

Another good article by a nuanced/progressive member Nate Bagley