Court Order to Remove Adam Steed Interview & Call for Stories: 8 Passenger's Jodi Hildebrandt

Court Order Silences Adam Steed: A Critical Look at LDS-Backed Therapy Practices

When justice meets censorship, who wins? Recently, the Mormon Stories Podcast, run by John Dehlin, was hit with a legal hammer: a temporary restraining order requiring the removal of an interview with Adam Paul Steed. Steed, a resilient whistleblower, exposed sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America, linked to the LDS Church, and has publicly criticized the controversial practices of therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. This legal maneuver raises questions about the balance between protecting the individuals involved and the powerful silencing mechanisms at play.

How Did We Get Here? A Historical Backdrop of LDS Therapy Culture

To understand the complexity of this issue, it's essential to examine the intertwining of church leadership endorsements and therapeutic practices. Therapeutic programs like Sons of Helaman, Fight the New Drug, and LifeStar, all publicized within LDS circles, have long championed themselves as solutions for perceived moral failings. Yet, these programs and therapists, including Jodi Hildebrandt, have garnered scrutiny. Declaring themselves as experts on "sex addiction," many therapists implement practices that critics argue are more about shaming than healing.

Mormon Stories Podcast has been a long-standing platform uncovering these narratives, providing a voice to those silenced by institutional structures. Dehlin, in partnership with media outlets, is intent on pushing back against restrictive practices that appear more concerned with image management than accountability.

The Steed Interview and Why It Matters