The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taken legal action against the “Mormon Stories” podcast over concerns related to branding and potential public confusion about affiliation. The Church said it believes the use of Church-related names, terminology, and design elements may lead some audiences to incorrectly assume the podcast is an official Church publication or is endorsed by the Church. It emphasized that the issue is not the content or viewpoints expressed, but rather how branding choices may affect public understanding of source and sponsorship.
According to the Church, the matter was first raised privately in November 2025 in an effort to resolve concerns amicably and without litigation. This was followed by good-faith mediation discussions, during which the Church proposed several options intended to reduce confusion while minimizing disruption to the podcast’s operations. One key proposal was the inclusion of a brief, clear disclaimer stating that the podcast is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a step the Church described as a common and straightforward approach used to clarify attribution in similar cases.
The Church stated that these efforts ultimately did not lead to a resolution, as the requested disclaimer was not implemented and concerns about potential misunderstanding persisted. As a result, it proceeded with filing a complaint in federal court to protect its intellectual property and registered trademarks. Church representatives added that such enforcement actions are applied consistently across a wide range of cases and are intended to ensure that official Church materials can be clearly distinguished from independent commentary or third-party content.
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