05/19/2026
Tonight on The Mormon Newscast: A troubling story involving race, faith, and the experience of Black Latter-day Saints in Utah. The president of the Genesis Group, an organization supporting Black LDS members, says he was the target of a racist threat while hiking in Utah County. But this story goes beyond one disturbing encounter. Is racial prejudice and hostility increasing in Mormon corridors? Is this an isolated incident, or a reflection of larger cultural issues that still linger both inside and outside Mormon spaces? Tonight we examine the story, the reactions, and the harder questions it raises.
We also cover a packed lineup of stories across Mormonism and Utah culture:
• Church leaders reportedly organizing letter-writing campaigns in support of defendants
• A new update on Jeff Strong's ongoing research into LDS membership numbers and what the data may be revealing
• The Church enters a dispute with an insurance company over abuse litigation coverage
• The leader of a Black LDS organization says he was targeted by a racist threat while hiking in Utah
• A new update on the Bakersfield Temple
• Plastic surgery continues to rise in Utah and we ask why
• New Church property ambitions emerge in Florida and Australia
Join Rebecca Bibliotheca and Bill Reel as we break down the stories, ask difficult questions, and sort through the details.
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