Religion · Salt Lake City, UT Metro · August 21, 2026
LDS Church Sues Ex-Member's 'Mormon Stories' Podcast Over Trademarks
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its intellectual property arm, Intellectual Reserve Inc., filed a federal trademark and copyright lawsuit against podcaster John Dehlin and his Open Stories Foundation, according to KSL News. The suit, filed in Salt Lake City after five months of failed negotiations, alleges Dehlin's "Mormon Stories" podcast used logos, design elements and copyrighted photographs similar enough to the church's official marks to confuse audiences about affiliation. The church states the dispute is not about the podcast's content or viewpoint but about branding: it says Dehlin declined to add a prominent verbal disclaimer distancing the podcast from official church material. Dehlin, excommunicated from the church in 2015, denies infringement, says he made some branding changes after an earlier warning letter, and calls the church's remaining demands unreasonable. The lawsuit also disputes Dehlin's claim that the church abandoned rights to the term "Mormon," citing its historic and continued use tied to the Book of Mormon. Mediation between the parties ended in March without resolution.
Source: KSL News
Why Bible-Believing Christians Should Care
This is a trademark and branding dispute, not a matter of biblical doctrine, and Bible-believing readers should not mistake it for an intra-Christian conflict. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches doctrines outside historic biblical Christianity — it adds the Book of Mormon as companion scripture to the Bible, holds a non-Trinitarian view of God, and ties salvation to temple ordinances and church authority rather than to Christ alone by grace through faith. Readers should evaluate this litigation on its legal merits without assuming either party represents biblical Christian teaching. The case is worth watching mainly for how institutions use trademark law to control public perception of their brand and message.
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From the book
We do not defend the church to save an institution. We defend it because it is the Bride of Christ. The gates of hell will not prevail against it, and that promise is not a reason for passivity. It is a call to arms.
— Chapter 17, “The Mandate of Courage”
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