Growing up as a Mormon Prepper - Emma Pt. 1 - Ep. 1567

Growing Up as a Mormon Prepper: Isolation, Apocalypse Anxiety, and Faith in a Bunker

When most Latter-day Saints hear the word "prepper," they may think of a fringe movement unrelated to mainstream Mormon culture. But the reality is more complex. A significant subset of LDS families, motivated by both religious doctrine and apocalyptic theology, have built lives around catastrophic preparation, bunkers, food storage, and radical self-sufficiency. In a recent interview on the Mormon Stories Podcast, a woman named Emma shared her extraordinary account of growing up in an orthodox Mormon prepper family in rural Colorado, revealing how end-times theology shaped her childhood, her education, her family finances, and ultimately her faith journey. Her story illuminates a lesser-known but persistent undercurrent in modern Mormonism: how eschatological beliefs translate into concrete family practices with lasting psychological consequences.

Emma's testimony raises important questions for researchers, sociologists, and members alike. What happens when theological beliefs about the end times become the organizing principle of family life? How do children internalize constant preparation for apocalypse? And what role does the broader LDS institutional framework play in either reinforcing or moderating these narratives?

The Theological Roots: End Times Doctrine in Mormon Culture

To understand Emma's family experience, one must first recognize that apocalyptic expectation has deep roots in Mormon theology. According to the Mormon Stories interview, host John Dehlin explains that since Joseph Smith's lifetime, certain Mormon communities have interpreted scripture, particularly the Book of Revelation, as predicting imminent societal collapse and Christ's return.

The LDS Church's official position has evolved over decades. In the 1950s–1970s, leaders like Bruce R. McConkie and Joseph Fielding Smith prominently taught about "signs of the times" and the imminence of the Second Coming. However, the institutional church has gradually deprioritized this messaging, recognizing potential harm in end-times fixation. Yet individual Mormon families, particularly those influenced by charismatic leaders or particular interpretations of scripture, have maintained or intensified these beliefs. Some contemporary figures, including Denver Snuffer and Julie Rowe, have actively promoted