The Year Mormonism Changed Forever | Top LDS Stories of 2025
Welcome back to the Mormon News Roundup – Year-in-Review Special.
I’m Dives, and today we’re counting down the top LDS stories of 2025 — the headlines, scandals, surprises, cultural flashpoints, and institutional shifts that defined one of the most consequential years in modern Mormon history.
Whether you’re a believer, a doubter, an ex-Mormon, or just here for the drama, this year did not disappoint.
In this episode, we break down each story in a tight, one-minute deep dive — the context, the stakes, why it matters, and what it signals about the future of Mormonism.
🧭 This Year Included:
• The death of President Russell M. Nelson, closing a historic and controversial era
• A shocking pause on temple announcements after years of nonstop expansion
• Record-setting convert baptism claims — and why many analysts weren’t convinced
• A major lowering of the mission age, reigniting debates about pressure and retention
• Gérald Caussé called as an apostle, signaling global optics at Church HQ
• Netflix’s “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” going viral worldwide
• A stunning BYU sports renaissance, capped by massive NIL money and a Sitake mega-deal
• A heartbreaking Michigan meetinghouse shooting and arson
• Parallel leadership transitions in both the LDS Church and the Community of Christ
• And yes — the quiet end of the Saturday night General Conference session, marking the close of a long-standing tradition
From leadership upheavals to cultural collisions, from financial questions to tragic violence, 2025 was a year where the ground truly shifted.
Whether you see these changes as progress, decline, or simply the evolution of a uniquely American faith, one thing is clear:
Mormonism is in motion — and this year may be remembered as a turning point.
I’m Dives — talent on loan from Kolob — thanks for joining me for this deep dive into the year’s biggest LDS headlines.
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👉 Drop your thoughts in the comments — which story do you think mattered most?
Stay curious. Stay skeptical. And always… think celestial.
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