LDS Uncorrelated

Christopher Blythe, David Butler, Alejandro Rodriguez, Arantza Condie

LDS Uncorrelated is a super-podcast comprised of the greatest minds Mormonism has to offer. Here we discuss all the things you won't find in the manuals or hear over the pulpit such as Mormon folklore, cryptids, magic, schismatic groups, ancient societies, and other fringe aspects of LDS religious culture.

Episodes

  1. Sep 16

    “Mormons” Dig Folk Magic

    Mormon Folk Magic, Joseph Smith’s Occult Reputation & Dave Butler’s Cunning Man The hosts discuss ongoing interest in Joseph Smith’s seer stones, treasure digging, and whether these practices should be labeled “occult,” referencing questions from the FAIR Conference and Mark Ashurst-McGee’s work on Joseph as a “village seer.” Dave Butler introduces his novel series Cunning Man, co-written with Aaron Ritchie, about Hiram Woolley, a very Mormon sugar beet farmer in 1935 Utah who battles literal and figurative demons of the Great Depression using his Grandma Hetty’s documentable folk-prayer lore, alongside his adopted Navajo son Michael. They explore definitions of magic and “occult” as “hidden,” Christian grimoires like Hohman’s The Long Lost Friend, Catholic folk practices (including burying St. Joseph statues), sympathetic magic, and LDS garment folklore as both symbolic and protective, including how such beliefs appear in Mormon history and culture.  00:00 Occult Joseph Smith  02:02 FAIR Conference Questions  04:26 Cunning Man Series  06:20 Mormon Indiana Jones  10:59 American Paladin Hiram  16:23 Grimoires and Psalm Magic  17:37 Catholic Folk Practices  21:36 Defining Magic and Occult  27:40 Saint Joseph House Spell  31:44 Sympathetic Magic Explained  33:32 Magic Underwear Folklore  38:30 Garment Protection Lore  40:06 Carthage Jail Accounts  42:21 Charm Versus Blessing  43:46 Chi Rho Stand In  46:59 Decline of Magic  50:26 Cunning Man Trilogy  10:59 Bautista and Mexico  58:23 AUB and Fundamentalists  01:01:20 Future Books Ideas  01:04:29 Hofmann and Folk Magic  01:06:43 Wrap Up and Recommendations

  2. Sep 15

    Another Davidic Servant?!? Plus, Florida Woman Reports on Girls Camp!

    The hosts of LDS Uncorrelated celebrate strong early podcast numbers, then Arantza reports back from Florida girls camp, describing extreme heat, mosquitoes, ticks, and an alligator in the lake while she ran Book of Mormon Jeopardy and discussed camp traditions like songs, including “Mormon Boy,” and how these events build friendships and spiritual formation. The conversation turns to chastity teaching, rejecting the “chewed gum” metaphor and arguing for repentance through Christ and healthier attitudes toward sexuality. They discuss pranks like snipe hunting, compare boys’ and girls’ camp culture, and share a Boy Scout story. The episode then pivots to a current event: Shane Baldwin publicly claiming to be the “Davidic servant,” with Dave performing a satirical song and the hosts arguing the concept is a fringe construct, criticizing Baldwin’s claims, apps, and history, and emphasizing staying centered on Christ.    00:00 Cold Open Chaos  00:54 Show Welcome Back 01:44 Florida Girls Camp Gators 03:26 Book of Mormon Jeopardy  07:21 Mormon Boy Song  10:39 Flirts Modesty Chastity  17:06 Snipe Hunting Prank  24:08 Boy Scout Survival Prank  28:49 Relief Society Mysteries    30:54 Dave Song Teaser    31:47 Badger Hat Banter    32:21 Messiah Claim Emerges    34:00 Go Tell Abraham Song    38:30 What Is Davidic Servant    42:22 Shane Baldwin Deep Dive    48:08 Apps Fraud and Correlation    51:29 How People Get Pulled In    52:24 Meeting Shane at Church HQ    01:01:34 Folklore Lost Tribes Under Ice    01:07:06 Myth Points to Christ    01:08:04 Wrap Up and Next Episode

  3. Sep 14

    The Weird, Wonderful World of "Mormon" Cinema with Brad Witbeck

    LDS Uncorrelated: Mormon Cinema, Acting Origins & the Java Jive Coffee Date (with Brad Whitt) On LDS Uncorrelated, the hosts welcome guest Brad Whitt (Ward Radio, Escape from Germany, BYU Physical Science course videos) and discuss acting backgrounds, LDS culture, and LDS “homegrown” cinema. Arantxa shares starting acting at seven through auditions and agents, while Brad traces his start to school improv and studying acting at BYU, plus his mission in New York. The group debates key LDS films like God’s Army, Brigham City, and Singles Ward, and talks about Mormon-adjacent films like Napoleon Dynamite and Gentlemen Broncos. They highlight Brett and Jessica Bergen’s short film Java Jive, about an awkward first date at a coffee shop and the pressure around the Word of Wisdom, then digress into stories about schismatic figure Phil Davis and other Mormon folklore. They close by encouraging more LDS-coded filmmaking and teasing a future episode analyzing Hollywood depictions of the temple endowment.  00:00 Cold Open Banter  00:35 Show Intro Guest Brad  10:56 Arantxa Acting Origins  12:14 Stage Names Bits  13:29 Three Nephites Sitcom Pitch  14:06 Ages And Generations  15:24 LDS Cinema Beginnings  17:51 Gods Army And Dutcher  22:06 Singles Ward And Stars  24:51 Broadway Will Swenson Story  25:43 Acting as Service  26:39 Brad Acting Origins  28:58 Loving the Character  30:39 Napoleon Dynamite Mormon Cinema  32:10 Gentlemen Broncos Deep Cut  35:12 Java Jive Spotlight  36:29 Word of Wisdom Comedy  39:48 Chocolatier Prophet Lore  45:18 Tin Pot Messiahs Folklore  47:52 Make the Movies  49:56 Utah Storytelling Call  52:36 Wrap and Next Episode Tease

  4. Sep 9

    Do "Mormons" Believe in Ghosts?

    LDS Uncorrelated: Hats, Correlation, Temple Culture, and Ghost Stories Five friends announce their new “LDS Uncorrelated” podcast and discuss Latter-day Saint culture versus doctrine through topics like hat etiquette during prayer, “Mormon Standard Time,” manners, and posting photos from a public temple media tour. They explore music in worship and the temple, including historical temple hymn-singing and hopes for more music today. The group explains church correlation beginning under David O. McKay in the 1960s, its role in standardizing teachings amid rapid growth, and its centralization of power (including changes to Relief Society autonomy), while noting correlation can also spread standardized errors. They critique folk doctrines and overreach (e.g., Mormon Doctrine, face-card taboos, beards), share examples of local “weird” Mormonism, and debate ghosts and spiritual experiences, including a ghost-hunting flashlight incident and early LDS views on dreams and spirits. They preview a future episode on social media, public temple content, and spirituality. 00:00 Podcast Kickoff and Temple Tales 00:36 Hats Prayer and Mormon Manners 04:25 Music Memories and Mission Rules 08:13 Why No Singing in the Temple 10:16 Correlation Origins and Americanization 14:45 Social Media Hot Takes and Mormon Doctrine 18:57 Independence Authority and Beard Folklore 29:28 Correlation Failures and Manual Horror Story 32:42 Trying To Be Palatable 34:04 Correlation Guardrails 35:32 Idaho Mormonism Stories 38:42 Millennial Panic Cycles 40:17 Emily Song Break 41:26 Folklore Versus Doctrine 44:13 Haunted House Banter 45:29 Ghost Hunter Flashlight 49:41 Doctrinal Limits And Openness 53:58 Pratt On Dreams 57:00 Catholic Convert Perspective 01:03:25 Modern Reenchantment 01:06:40 Wrap Up And Next Episode

About

LDS Uncorrelated is a super-podcast comprised of the greatest minds Mormonism has to offer. Here we discuss all the things you won't find in the manuals or hear over the pulpit such as Mormon folklore, cryptids, magic, schismatic groups, ancient societies, and other fringe aspects of LDS religious culture.

You Might Also Like