# Top 10 Reasons Many Americans Don’t Like the LDS Church | Mormon News Roundup

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/welcome-to-the-weekly-mormonnewsroundup-where-al-dives-ruminate-on-the-great-and-spacious-beehive-5440377/top-10-reasons-many-americans-don-t-like-the-lds-church-mormon-news-roundup
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/welcome-to-the-weekly-mormonnewsroundup-where-al-dives-ruminate-on-the-great-and-spacious-beehive-5440377/top-10-reasons-many-americans-don-t-like-the-lds-church-mormon-news-roundup.md
Podcast: [Welcome to the MormonNewsRoundup where Dives ruminates on the great and spacious Beehive!](https://stenobird.com/podcast/welcome-to-the-weekly-mormonnewsroundup-where-al-dives-ruminate-on-the-great-and-spacious-beehive-5440377)
Published: 2026-04-19T19:50:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mormonnewsroundup/episodes/Top-10-Reasons-Many-Americans-Dont-Like-the-LDS-Church--Mormon-News-Roundup-e3htmbj
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/8e53bf90/podcast/play/118462259/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-3-14%2F422075944-44100-2-cf87a81b5bcc.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1134

## Resource

Why do so many Americans have a negative view of the LDS Church?This episode of Mormon News Roundup breaks down the data, polling, and public perception behind Mormonism’s reputation problem.This is not just a personal story or anecdotal criticism. Multiple national surveys show that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is viewed less favorably than most mainstream religious groups in the United States.A major Pew Research survey found that roughly 25% of Americans hold an unfavorable view of Latter-day Saints, while only 15% hold a favorable view, with the remainder neutral or unfamiliar. A YouGov poll ranking 35 belief systems placed Mormonism near the bottom, with a net favorability score of –21.These surveys don’t measure legal guilt or theological truth claims.They measure how people feel—and the data is clear.In this episode, I count down the Top 10 reasons many Americans don’t like Mormonism, rooted in history, doctrine, and institutional behavior, including:• Polygamy and its ongoing doctrinal legacy• The Church’s treatment of LGBTQ members• Political activism against LGBTQ civil rights• Secretive temple rituals viewed as cult-like• Aggressive missionary practices• Excommunication and silencing of critics• Deep institutional patriarchy• The priesthood and temple ban on Black members• Non-Trinitarian theology and changing revelation• Extreme wealth, limited transparency, and the Ensign Peak scandalThis episode makes an important distinction: individual Mormons are often sincere, kind people. But institutions are judged by their actions—and polling shows that many Americans are responding negatively to the LDS Church as an institution.Whether you’re a believing member, former member, or simply curious about religion and public perception, this episode…

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