WARD RADIO

Why Are Mormons the “Face” of American Religion? | Pew 2024, Pop Culture, & LDS Identity — WARD RADIOCardon Ellis and Jonah Barnes break down why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called Mormons) has become the cultural symbol of religious commitment in America. Using insights from the Pew Research Center’s 2024 Religious Landscape Survey, they explore why Latter-day Saints top nearly every chart on church attendance, prayer, scripture study, family involvement, and community life.From pop-culture parodies to demographic trends, this conversation digs into the data and the stereotypes to understand how Mormonism became the go-to target for religious satire—and why that might actually be a compliment.

💍 Has Disney Changed How We See Marriage? | Ward RadioCardon Ellis, Brittany Ellis, Callie Baker, and guest Austin Baker explore how Disney princess stories have evolved—and what that evolution reveals about modern marriage ideals, female role models, and faith-based family values.👉 From Cinderella to Elsa, Disney heroines have gone from being rescued by princes to rescuing themselves. But what does this shift mean for how young people view love, commitment, and happily-ever-after?

Cardon Ellis is joined by Brittany Ellis, Drew and Joe from “No Unhallowed Hand,” and Austin Falter of Falter Media to take a deep dive into one of John Dehlin’s viral TikTok claims about LDS temple weddings and Mormon culture.Dehlin asserts that Mormon parents are excluded from their children’s temple weddings unless they pay tithing and strictly follow church rules—calling it spiritual extortion. The Ward Radio team fact-checks this statement and explains why it’s a major distortion of actual LDS practice and doctrine.

Are Mormons the Most Christian Christians?” | WARD RADIO ft. No Unhallowed Hand PodcastIn this lively and thought-provoking episode of WARD RADIO, host Cardon Ellis sits down with Drew and Joe from the No Unhallowed Hand Podcast to tackle one of the boldest religious questions out there:👉 Are Latter-day Saints (Mormons) actually the most Christian Christians?The trio dives deep into scripture, history, and modern theology to explore what really defines a Christian. From the nature of God to the Restoration of priesthood authority, and from the Book of Mormon to the meaning of grace and discipleship, this episode challenges misconceptions and invites open, honest dialogue about what it truly means to follow Jesus Christ.

In this powerful and eye-opening episode of WARD RADIO, host Cardon Ellis joins Austin Falter and Jonah Barnes to unpack one of the most overlooked chapters in both American and Latter-day Saint history — Joseph Smith’s 1844 presidential campaign.Far from being a vanity project, Joseph’s run was born out of desperation — a direct response to mob violence, government corruption, and religious persecution that left the Saints without justice or protection. Drawing on Spencer McBride’s research, the hosts explore how Smith’s bold platform championed freedom, equality, and reform: from abolishing slavery through compensation, to shrinking Congress, slashing salaries, and enforcing religious liberty for all.With humor, insight, and modern parallels (including comparisons to Mitt Romney’s campaign), the team explores how this little-known effort for justice became one of the most radical and courageous moves in early American politics — and asks the haunting question:👉 What if Joseph Smith had actually won?#WardRadio #JosephSmith #LDS #MormonHistory #AmericanHistory #Faith #Freedom

In this episode, hosts Cardon Ellis, Jonah Barnes, and Brittany Ellis dive into the sometimes controversial perception of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as Mormons) as a "high demand" religion. They unpack how this label is often used negatively by outsiders, but also highlight the admiration and even envy it inspires in other faith communities, especially when it comes to devotion and youth engagement.The discussion is kicked off by referencing an article from Christianity Today, written by Russell Moore, a self-described orthodox Christian. Moore expresses both skepticism and candid respect for the expectations placed on Latter-day Saint youths—specifically the tradition of missionary service. He notes that, despite initial misgivings, he came to appreciate how the mission experience transforms young people, teaching discipline, leadership, self-reliance, and a deepened faith, even when measurable "success" (like baptisms) doesn’t happen.

Are smart people less religious? Ward Radio host Cardon Ellis sits down with Jonah Barnes and Austin Falter to challenge one of the biggest modern myths—that intelligence and faith don’t mix. Using real data from Ryan Burge’s graphsaboutreligion.com, the team uncovers surprising trends showing that higher education often increases church attendance and belief across nearly every demographic, including within the Latter-day Saint community.With humor, insight, and hard facts, Cardon and his guests dig into why “smart” and “spiritual” aren’t opposites—and why educated believers might just be leading the charge in faith and family. If you’ve ever wondered whether data supports devotion, this episode has the answers.

Textbook arrogance, dismissiveness, and smooth-brain anti-Mormonism was on display recently as David Letting took a swing at newcomer Maddy Packer's channel, so we invited her on our channel to fight back.#mormon #christian #evangelical #bible #bookofmormon

Cardon Ellis joins Drew, Joe from the No Unhallowed Hand podcast for a real-time reaction to a Frank Turek video about what Latter-day Saints believe about Jesus. What starts as lighthearted banter quickly turns into a sharp yet thoughtful analysis of common evangelical misconceptions—like the infamous “Mormons get their own planet” myth.With humor and clarity, the hosts unpack doctrines of the Godhead, deification, and eternal progression, correcting misrepresentations while inviting open, respectful dialogue. It’s a lively, good-faith defense of what Latter-day Saints actually believe—proving that interfaith conversations can be both passionate and fair-minded.

Cardon Ellis, joined by Austin Falter and podcaster Jonah Barnes, dive into a lively and sometimes tense discussion about the growing presence of gender and LGBTQ+ themed children’s books in mainstream outlets, particularly within communities traditionally associated with conservative, religious values (like those of the LDS Church).