The 5,000 Year Leap's Influence on Religious Right Thought

Why are so many Latter-day Saints embracing Christian nationalism—an ideology that once rejected them outright?

In this episode, Pat Kahnke sits down with historian Dr. Benjamin Park to unpack the surprising—and troubling—history of how Mormonism became entangled with Christian nationalism and right-wing politics in America.

From the Kingdom of Nauvoo to the Cold War era, from Glenn Beck’s obsession with The 5000 Year Leap to Trump-era culture wars, we explore how a once-persecuted religious minority became a core part of the religious right. We also discuss dissenters, myths about the Constitution, and why LDS support for Donald Trump is rising, even as the church leadership stays (mostly) silent.