Latter Day Bridge Builders

Mitch Crosgrove
  • 4.8 (9)
  • RELIGION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Striving to build bridges between active Latter-day Saints (Mormons), those who have left the faith, and everyone in between. Join Mitch as he discusses different sides of church culture in a fair, unbiased and respectful way for all parties. This podcast is a place where anyone with ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is welcome. Non-members of the church are also invited.

  1. 21H AGO

    #027 -- Serving a Mission on Instagram ft. Baylie Clarke

    Baylie Clark (@bayliebelieves) is a Latter-day Saint content creator from Alberta, Canada who built a faith-focused platform almost overnight; and she's not afraid to ask hard questions, including ones aimed at people who've left the church. In this episode, we talk about why she uses the #ExMormon hashtag, what happened when a viral response video misread her intent, and how she thinks about happiness, including whether you can really only find it inside the church. We also get into her recent viral moment with Britt Hartley, how social media turns good-faith questions into internet wildfires, and what Baylie would want her loved ones who've left the church to hear. It's an honest conversation between an two active members, and two ex-members — which is kind of the whole point of this podcast. Find Baylie on Instagram and TikTok: @bayliebelieves 🌐 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

    1 hr

  2. MAR 8

    #026 -- Progress or Performance? A Feminist and a Believer Talk Gender in the Church

    Mitch is out, so Juliet and Ashton are flying solo and diving straight into one of the deepest fault lines in Mormon culture: gender and power. Juliet, a feminist who has left the church, and Ashton, an active Elders Quorum President, ask each other honest, uncomfortable questions about priesthood ordination, spiritual worth, what "wife material" really meant growing up, and whether incremental progress inside a flawed system is meaningful, or just a really small band-aid. No gotcha questions. Just two people trying to understand each other across a wide spectrum. Topics covered: the ebb and flow of women's roles throughout church history, whether gender equality is possible without ordination, the "separate but equal" problem, and what it actually feels like to consider speaking up from inside the institution. 🌐 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

    1 hr

  3. MAR 3

    #026 -- Do Ex-Mormons Leave the LDS Church Because They Want to Sin?

    Do people leave the church because they want to sin? The answer may not be so simple after all. In this episode, we talk about tattoos, piercings, the word of wisdom, and sex, to name a few things, and how they interact with peoples' journey's out of the church. Is it simply a matter of abandoning the anchoring principles they once held to, or is it a way to re-establish connection and identity after an uprooting life event?We also explore the definition of sin and morality and how and why we find ourselves re-conceptualizing these things throughout our lives.👍 Like & Subscribe💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments📲 Follow us on Instagram for updates and live episode announcementsIf you’d like to financially support the podcast, links are in the description below. We’re grateful 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#exmormon #lds #sin #wordofwisdom #mormon #prolds #faithcrisis #religiousdeconstruction

    56 min

  4. FEB 22

    #024 -- Clark Gilbert, Power, and the Problem of Authority

    A new apostle has been called: Clark Gilbert. What does that mean? And more importantly—what does it reveal about how we think about priesthood authority? In this episode of Latter Day Bridge Builders, Mitch, Ashton, and Juliet talk candidly about: The appointment of Clark Gilbert and the reactions surrounding it Authority vs. humanity in church leadership The difference between “letter of the law” and “spirit of the law” Real experiences with bishops and power dynamics The tension between revelation and accountability Why training and checks might matter more than we admit And what it actually means to have a direct relationship with God This conversation gets personal. We talk about depression, temple recommends, leadership mistakes, and what happens when authority goes unchecked. But we also talk about growth, humility, and what healthy leadership can look like. At the end of the day, the big question is this:How do we honor faith while still protecting personal agency? If you’ve ever wrestled with church leadership, priesthood authority, or your own spiritual autonomy, this one’s for you. 👍 Like & Subscribe💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments📲 Follow us on Instagram for updates and live episode announcements If you’d like to financially support the podcast, links are in the description below. We’re grateful 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 #LDS #Mormon #ExMormon #Priesthood #FaithCrisis #ChurchLeadership #ClarkGilbert #Deconstruction #SpiritualAutonomy #LatterDayBridgeBuilders

    1 hr

  5. FEB 17

    #023 -- Why are we doing this? (Part 2)

    In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of why we even need a podcast like this in the first place. Juliet pushes back on Ashton's elephant metaphor, we talk about whether or not we should even care what the people around us believe, and Mitch shares a "pain point" from the last time he attended church. We talk about the vulnerability that comes when we "exit the cave" and trying to be rooted in relationship instead of in identity. We tend to be "possessive" of the spiritual journeys of others, but when working within the confines of Mormon theology, do we have any other option?This episode is part of our ongoing attempt to simultaneously improve our understanding of our own experiences and the experiences of others- both those who agree with us and those who don't. Instead of arriving at answers, we often find ourselves arriving at questions that are more complicated than the ones we set out with. But we arrive at those questions together, and in sincerity and whole-heartedness. If you have ever felt caught between worlds, unsure where you belong, or hesitant to speak honestly about your faith or lack of it, this conversation is for you.Thanks for listening, for sharing, and for helping us build something better than the all or nothing conversations we are used to.If you would like to support the podcast, there is a Buy Me a Coffee link in the description.🌐 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

    1h 15m

  6. FEB 8

    #022 -- Why are we doing this? (Part 1)

    In this episode, we officially introduce the new co hosts of Latter Day Bridge Builders. Juliet, Ashton, and I talk openly about why this space exists and why building bridges in the LDS world can feel so hard. We get into what it is like to sit in the middle. Feeling too Mormon for some spaces and too ex Mormon for others. We talk about faith transitions, loneliness, nuance, and why dignity often gets lost when people are pushed to pick a side.This is not an episode about convincing anyone to stay in the Church or leave it. It is about what happens when certainty cracks, when beliefs change, and when people are just trying to be honest about where they are at without being reduced to a stereotype. We talk about why nuance feels threatening, why the middle can be the loneliest place to stand, and why curiosity and humility matter more than winning arguments.If you have ever felt caught between worlds, unsure where you belong, or hesitant to speak honestly about your faith or lack of it, this conversation is for you.Thanks for listening, for sharing, and for helping us build something better than the all or nothing conversations we are used to. If you would like to support the podcast, there is a Buy Me a Coffee link in the description. 🌐 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

    58 min

  7. FEB 4

    #021 -- Faith, Doubt and the Courage to Meet in the Middle w/ Ashton Smith

    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. 🌐 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

    58 min

  8. 12/28/2025

    #20 -- Learning to Breathe Without Answers

    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

    54 min
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4.8
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Striving to build bridges between active Latter-day Saints (Mormons), those who have left the faith, and everyone in between. Join Mitch as he discusses different sides of church culture in a fair, unbiased and respectful way for all parties. This podcast is a place where anyone with ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is welcome. Non-members of the church are also invited.

Information

  • Creator
    Mitch Crosgrove
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mitch Crosgrove
  • Show Website
    Latter Day Bridge Builders

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