SALT LAKE CITY- (June 22, 2026) – Mormon Stories Podcast and the Open Stories Foundation today filed their response (link here) to a lawsuit brought by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, arguing that The Church is attempting to use trademark and copyright law to restrict lawful commentary about Mormonism and control usage of the word “Mormon.”
The lawsuit, filed in April, targets Mormon Stories, one of the longest-running independent podcasts covering Mormon culture, history, and lived experiences. Founded by Dr. John Dehlin more than two decades ago, Mormon Stories has published thousands of interviews with current and former Church members, historians, scholars, and others discussing Mormon life and belief.
Despite being fully aware and familiar with Mormon Stories and its creator and host, the LDS Church never once suggested a problem with the branding of Mormon Stories or The Church’s trademark or copyright rights. In fact, prior to The Church’s recent and unexpected intellectual property enforcement efforts, the only concern The Church ever expressed about Mormon Stories related to the content, opinions, and viewpoints presented on the podcast.
In its filing, Mormon Stories highlights the troubling inconsistency between the LDS Church’s years-long effort to publicly distance itself from the term “Mormon” while simultaneously urging the United States Trademark Office to renew its “Mormon”-styled trademark registrations, presumably for purposes of exercising control over how “Mormon” is used through enforcement actions like the lawsuit they filed against us.
“The LDS Church does not own the word ‘Mormon,’ and it should not be allowed to use intellectual property law to control how people discuss Mormon culture, history, doctrine, or lived experience,” said Dehlin. “This case raises important questions that extend well beyond Mormon Stories Podcast.”
According to today’s filing, Mormon Stories Podcast and the Open Stories Foundation have included disclaimers indicating its clear independence from The LDS Church since its founding. Mormon Stories’ use of the color blue and “rays” in its branding began well over a decade ago, and did not begin around 2022 as suggested by the Church’s claims. But, to avoid expensive litigation, Mormon Stories and the Open Stories Foundation engaged in months of mediation after first being contacted by The Church in late 2025, and agreed to numerous changes requested by Church representatives, including modifications to branding, disclaimers, logos, and imagery.
“We made substantial changes in good faith because we believed reasonable compromise could resolve this matter,” Dehlin said. “We were surprised to learn that despite accepting most of The Church’s requested changes, litigation would proceed. It feels like we were the only ones making compromises, and The Church took an all-or-nothing, one-sided approach to mediation, which included unreasonable demands. It is also very disappointing that The Church chose to publicly mischaracterize what happened in mediation.”
The response also argues that The Church’s claims raise broader concerns for independent publishers, podcasters, bloggers, businesses, churches, and nonprofit organizations that use the word “Mormon” descriptively to discuss the faith, culture, and community.
At issue is whether trademark law can be used to impose restrictions on an independent commentary platform that has operated openly for more than 20 years while repeatedly making clear that it is not affiliated with The Church.
Mormon Stories intends to vigorously defend itself while continuing its mission of providing a platform for open and honest conversations about Mormonism from diverse viewpoints.
For more information, please see detailed Q&A.
9 Responses
I’m fully in support of Mormon Stories Podcast and the Open Stories Foundation. The claims of subterfuge from the religion is Public Relations spin. John’s sign off for every episode is a great reminder- be good- be kind. Mormon Stories has boldly told the uncomfortable truths Apologists would rather ignore or diminish in disingenuous ways akin to Ben Kenobie twlling Luke that Vader betrayed and murdered his father. As far as I’m concerned Mormonism, & Christianity truth claims are suspect and honest scholarship will follow the evidence- the data- over the sacrosanct Dogma. A prudent jurist would throw out the 4 versions of the 1st Vision as far to varied to take seriously in a murder trial. It must be appropriate for believers to put their Religion on trial and test it out in every way possible. Ultimately it’s not the fault of any disbeliever when Apologetics fail. Apologetics expose themselves at their worst when they become ad hominem attacks on disbelief and the disbeliever. I regret the things I said to the people of Ohio as a missionary, which were false. Especially where what they said at that time supports more fully the concessions made by Mormonism in Their Gospel Topics Essays.
Hello John Dehlin,
It occurs to me that you were born LDS/Mormon, you have history of family that originally founded the church in Utah, lived the life of the teachings and doctrine of the Church of Latter Day Saints for generations. You are now a non active, ex-Mormon, but you are indeed a person born, raised, educated, and married in the Church of Latter Day Saints Mormon man. They cannot patent or own the title. How can they take away who you are by birth? They have no rights to your title. These are stories of your life, other humans lives, and what it means to be a member of said church as well as other religions. You have as much right to the title of Mormon as any human born and raised in the church as they do even if they do not wish to be called Mormon. I pray you get a fair non-biased court hearing and or trial.
I support free speech, open use of the word mormon, as it applies to members, keep up the good fight. You can always use moron and switch it up to mean the same thing.
I’m a relatively new subscriber to Mormon Stories podcast and an active member of the church. It really boggles my mind why the church is so inconsistent and litigious. In Texas they’re demanding a 120 foot steeple, yet Mesa, Hawaii, Vienna and Paris are several that don’t have one, and they’re not essential to worship. Yet for some reason the church is demanding something that looks decidedly out of place. In Tooele also looks out of place in my opinion. If the church objected to your use of the word Mormon, then are the millions of people who call us that going to get sued also?
So the LDS church has never heard of the Streisand effect? Do they know what happens when you try to silence your critics?
That’s one hell of an answer John. You have a great legal team there.
Dear John Dehlin,
When I just read about the lawsuit, my first thought was “Good grief, the church is going to spend big $$$$ to fight something they know they can’t (or shouldn’t) win. Keep up your wonderful work sharing the truth.
I am the founder, President & CEO of Idaho based Liahona Air Inc., IRS 591(c)(3) Non profit disaster relief company, based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in November of 2011, that has also been threatened by LDS Administrators to cease & desist the use of the name Liahona in our corporate identity. I too have been x-communicated twice for reasons blamed for apostasy after being sealed to 3 ladies in the temple and having a legally adopted daughter sealed to my former, now deceased wife of 23 years and I, entering a plural marriage covenant with us before being together as one sealed in the Gilbert, Az temple and now x-communicated for the second time, arrested and thrown in jail for trespassing onto church property that I paid tithes to for nearly 50 years as a Baptist convert.
Furthermore I had a closed circuit 1+ hour interview with D. Todd Christofferson following an appeal to my first x-communication with my second temple sealed wife, where I was proclaimed by an apostle that I had been sealed as a polygamist. The stake President, Ronald McIntyre was told to reconvene his court and reconsider my membership after I was x-communicated for teaching polygamy after they had officially made me one which I was later told, by stake President never took place prior to my rebaptism and all blessings restored by D. Todd Christofferson prior to my third plural marriage in the Spokane, Wa temple.
I have a Maricopa County Arizona lawsuit pending against the LDS Church for kidnapping my adopted daughter who was sealed in the temple to my third wife and I which adoption was later canceled prior to our now civil marriage.