Episode Details

On September 13, 2020, Elder and Sister Rasband spoke to youth in a Face-to-Face event hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When asked by a young member named Harry about serious doubts regarding the church’s truth claims, Elder Rasband avoided providing a direct answer.Instead, the Rasbands:Encouraged reframing questions toward reasons to stay in the churchShowed a highly emotional video connecting leaving the church with suicidal strugglesEmphasized generational consequences and eternal family obligationsWarned against engaging with “anti-church literature” onlineThis response mirrors a broader LDS pattern of discouraging doubt and minimizing historical or doctrinal concerns, seen in other devotionals by leaders such as Elder Renlund, Elder Corbridge, Elder Soares, Elder Christensen, and Elder Eyring.In this analysis, we explore how the Rasbands’ approach:Avoids substantive answers to historical or doctrinal questionsRelies on emotion and spiritual manipulation rather than evidenceFails to acknowledge that youth today have access to church history, Gospel Topics essays, and critical resources like LDS Discussions, Mormon Stories, and Radio Free MormonWatch to understand what leaders say—and don’t say—when addressing doubts, and why emotional appeals cannot replace honest engagement with tough questions.🔗 Additional Reading (Based on): https://www.ldsdiscussions.com/rasbands📺 Related analysis:Doubts Are Not Dangerous — They’re Necessary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKi2OOrh6kYPlease Don’t Look Under the Hood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSEsLtwKzvwPlease consider making a donation by joining our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/MormonNewsRoundup Email: kolob@mormonnewsroundup.org Website: https://mormonnewsroundup.org/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonnewsroundup Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormon_news_roundup/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093511869924 X: https://twitter.com/NewsMormon New episodes LIVE every Sunday and Monday nights at 9:30PM ESTPlease like and subscribe and hit the notifications bell. Remember remember, no unhallowed hand can stop this podcast from progressing!The Mormon News Roundup is NOT affilated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.