Ep. #10 of the Religion series: Mormons vs. Evangelicals: Can women bridge the divide?

Welcome to the Religion series!

This episode is about the divide between modern day American Evangelical Christianity and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, otherwise known as LDS or Mormons. For purposes of clarity, in this conversation I refer to my guest Nish Weiseth as a “mainstream” Christian and to guest Emily Belle Freeman as a Mormon. Both living in Utah, Nish and Emily have partnered together to bridge the gaping divide between these two faiths that both follow Jesus.

With their combined influence in both the Evangelical and Latter-day Saint traditions, Emily & Nish have decided to take on the difficult task of getting Mormons and Christians to listen to one another and learn from each other. They work as a pair, speaking to both Mormon and Christian congregations, but they also spend a lot of time in their own camps, trying to dismantle some of the misinformation and stereotypes that each side has of the other. Their hope is that Mormons and Christians will eventually be able to put aside their differences in order to impact the world for good, together. Their online hub is called Multiply Goodness, which includes a blog, resources and more, on how people can start doing this inter-faith work in their own communities.

Emily Belle Freeman is a bestselling author, nationally-known prolific speaker, and religious educator in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her upcoming book, "Even This", is due for release in the Fall of 2017 from Deseret Book. Emily served on the board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Utah Chapter and also the Board of Trustees at Lincoln Academy Charter School. Emily and her husband, Greg, are the parents of five children and live in Lehi, Utah. Follow her on twitter, Facebook, or instagram.

Nish Weiseth is an author, speaker, preacher and activist. She was the creator and editor of the popular site Deeper Story, which let writers share their Christian cultural experiences, whether entrenched or outlier. Nish’s first book “Speak: How Your Story Can Change the World” was released in 2014, and she is a sought-after voice in media and politics on the cultural influence of Christians. She has written pieces for and been quoted in publications including The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The BBC, and Christianity Today. She lives with her husband and kids in Salt Lake City. Follow Nish on twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.