EP 431 – Super Religious White People




This Week in Mormons show

Summary: <br> <br> [dropcap]A[/dropcap]nother week, another TWiM. Join sisters Tiffany and Arianne on a journey of discovery and wonder across the magical realm of Latter-day Saint news!<br> <br> Enterprising Brigham Young University student Braden Sharp has taken a page from the horrendous "LDS Millionaire" playbook and placed <a href="https://universe.byu.edu/2019/06/28/byu-grad-uses-billboard-to-search-for-love/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a billboard ad - for himself</a>. Braden needs love, everyone, and you will give it to him. Give him <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5sf1wqBZsHkpy7dPnDb7aD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all your love</a>. KSL, eager to jump on the Braden Bandwagon, published a supplemental article asking whether <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/46585864/are-billboards-the-new-online-dating-in-utah-they-might-be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">billboards are the new thing in dating</a>. You know, like instead of Tinder or Mutual or whatever. No.<br> <br> Nearly a year since President Nelson <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2018/08/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-abandons-mormon-branding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started nudging</a> Mormons Latter-day Saints away from all things "Mormon," the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/29/us/mormon-church-name-change.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times has published a full profile of the effort</a>, what's changed, and how Latter-day Saints have adapted in the last 12 months.<br> <br> In one of the coolest stories of the week, a Latter-day Saint-focused choir that was slated to perform in New York's Carnegie Hall improvised when it was forced to evacuate the facility due to New York City's massive blackout. But rather than take their lumps and quickly seek out the nearest <a href="https://www.numpangkitchen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Num Pang</a>, choir members moved to the streets outside Carnegie Hall and performed an impromptu set. The event <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/07/latter-day-saint-choir-moves-concert-to-the-street-following-new-york-city-power-outage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went viral rather quickly</a>, as one might imagine when "I Believe in Christ" is echoing through the urban canyon of buildings in Midtown Manhattan.<br> <br> Former employer of the inimitable McKay Coppins, The Daily Beast, gave us a fascinating <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/meet-the-mormon-youtube-influencers-shaping-millions-of-teen-minds-church-is-a-big-part-of-our-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insight into the world of Mormon teen influencers</a>, how they operate, and what drives them to help fellow Latter-day Saint teens be their best selves.<br> <br> Did you watch season three of Stranger Things? If so, you were entreated to a small mention of Mormons in the first episode (plus a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWtEuNuNzQo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rousing musical number</a> with said Mormon in the finale). However, Jana Riess caught the first episode <a href="https://religionnews.com/2019/07/08/stranger-things-sees-mormons-as-super-religious-white-people/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and wondered about that references to Mormons as "religious white people."</a> Was it accurate? Is it accurate? Was it just a lazy jab on the part of Stranger Things' screenwriters?<br> <br> Emma Gee, a runner at BYU, <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2019/6/11/18659052/emma-gee-byu-track-cross-country-bi-coming-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes an article</a> about being the only "out" athlete at BYU while arguing there are plenty more LGBT athletes at the university. It's an open, heartfelt piece that deals with the obstacles Gee, who is bi, has faced as she's confronted her own sexuality and religiosity.<br> <br> Remember our fine friends from Studio C that started their own comedy house,