The Excommunication of John Dehlin Pt. 4 - President Bryan King (6/29/2014) | Ep. 1267

The Excommunication of John Dehlin Part 4: When Disciplinary Councils Meet the Digital Age

When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began formally disciplining prominent digital-age critics in mid-2014, it faced an unprecedented challenge: how to conduct confidential ecclesiastical proceedings in an era of podcasts, social media, and instant publication. The case of John Dehlin, a podcast host and mental health advocate whose excommunication became a lightning rod for debates about LGBTQ+ inclusion and doctrinal transparency, illustrates a fundamental tension between institutional authority and the democratization of religious discourse. According to documented accounts from the Mormon Stories podcast, the involvement of newly-called North Logan Stake President Bryan King in June 2014 marked a critical turning point where personal priesthood discipline collided headlong with public narrative control.

Understanding this intersection matters not only to those with ties to Mormonism, but to anyone tracking how large institutions navigate institutional loyalty versus individual conscience in the digital era.

Background: The Perfect Storm of 2014

The year 2014 proved pivotal for the LDS Church's relationship with intellectual dissent. Within weeks of each other, two prominent figures received letters initiating formal disciplinary councils: Kate Kelly, founder of the Ordain Women movement, and John Dehlin, whose Mormon Stories podcast had become a central repository for faith crisis narratives, historical questions, and LGBTQ+ advocacy within the community.

Dehlin had not been a quiet critic. His podcast, launched in 2006, provided a platform for members struggling with everything from the Book of Abraham translation issues to concerns about church rhetoric surrounding same-sex attraction. What distinguished his approach was his financial sacrifice, he had reportedly left lucrative employment to work on faith-related projects with minimal compensation. Yet to church leadership, his public platform constituted a threat to institutional messaging that could no longer be ignored.