A Mormon Bishop and His Family Face Excommunication - The Lusks Pt. 1 | Ep. 1131

When Bishops Fall: The Lusk Family Excommunication and Questions About Church Accountability

The Lusk family's journey from decades of faithful service to excommunication proceedings raises uncomfortable questions about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints handles doctrinal dissent among its most devoted members. In a detailed interview with the Mormon Stories Podcast, a former bishop and his family discussed their path away from core LDS beliefs, and the institutional response that followed. Their story illuminates a tension at the heart of modern Mormonism: what happens when sincere, long-serving members openly question the foundations of faith they've built their lives around?

This case matters because it's not isolated. The Lusk excommunication represents a documented pattern in which the church pursues formal disciplinary action against educated, articulate former leaders while, according to critics, maintaining inadequate accountability for institutional protection of accused abusers. Understanding the Lusks' experience requires examining both the official church position and the documented historical record.

Background: A Family Built on Mormon Foundations

The Lusks came from deep Mormon stock. Multiple ancestors participated in pivotal 19th-century LDS history, the Willie Handcart Company, the Mormon Battalion, and Haun's Mill. This genealogical heritage meant that Mormonism wasn't simply a religion for the Lusks; it was their family's defining narrative across generations.

Jared Lusk grew up in a religiously observant household that embodied mainstream LDS culture: family scripture study each morning, nightly family prayer, weekly family home evening, regular mutual activities. His father served as bishop twice during Jared's childhood. By conventional measures, this was a family living the "iron rod" path outlined in LDS theology.