Bloomberg Exposes Mormon Land Empire, Baseball Baptisms & More - Mormon News 8.28.26 | Ep. 2187
Mormon Stories PodcastShow Notes
For this weeks Mormon News Podcast, John Dehlin and Meggan Hayes dig into what Bloomberg uncovered about the Church's growing real estate empire, plus warnings about "baseball baptisms" and the push for convert growth, concerns about the Church's new Sunday meeting schedule, the sentencing of a polygamous sect leader, and a new LDS strategy for bringing nonmembers into local meetinghouses.
Bloomberg's investigation examines just how much land The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns across the United States and how its property holdings have grown. We look at the numbers, where that land is concentrated, and what the investigation reveals about the scale of the Church's real estate portfolio.
Links: Bloomberg Digs Into the Church's Land Holdings: https://youtu.be/G0pU8s0hlJU Historian Matthew Bowman warns against chasing membership growth at the expense of meaningful conversion, pointing to the infamous era of "baseball baptisms." What can that history teach us about today's emphasis on missionary numbers and Church growth?
Links: Beware the "Baseball Baptisms": https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/26/be-wary-baseball-baptisms-quest/
Changes are also coming to Sunday meetings. A new schedule means shorter classes and less transition time between meetings. Supporters see a more streamlined Sunday experience, while others worry about losing valuable time for discussion, connection, and community.
Links: Is Sunday Church Getting Too Short?: https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/08/26/mormon-land-podcast-we-dissect-new/
We also cover the sentencing of polygamous sect leader Samuel Bateman, who was already serving a lengthy federal prison sentence and has now received additional prison time in Arizona.
Links: Polygamous Sect Leader Sentenced: https://www.mormonnews.com/story/polygamous-sect-leader-faces-sentencing-after-girls-found-in-trailer-jskg
Finally, we look at the LDS Church's "Activity Sharing" program. Public-facing ward activities can appear in online searches and allow nonmembers to find local events and RSVP. The Church is encouraging wards to make activities more accessible to outsiders, while its own success stories show these community events can also lead to Sunday attendance and contact with missionaries. We look at how this fits with new research being conducted among nonmembers who attend LDS activities.
Links: The Church's New Activity-Sharing Push: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/activity-sharing-a-simple-way-for-latter-day-saints-to-invite-friends-to-church-ward-events ___________________
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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
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