Good-faith lawsuit? LDS church in fight with podcaster over Mormon name
Church sues excommunicated member over Mormon Stories podcast but John Dehlin says name free for all to use
TL;DR
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is suing podcaster John Dehlin for using the term "Mormon" in his podcast "Mormon Stories."
- The church officially stopped using "Mormon" in 2019, directing followers to use its full name.
- Dehlin, an excommunicated member, accuses the church of using trademark law to suppress criticism.
- The church claims it controls the term "Mormon" due to its historical use and branding.
- Dehlin argues that the word "Mormon" is public domain and not owned by any single church, citing the existence of over 400 other "Mormon sects."
- The lawsuit aims to distinguish the mainstream church from fundamentalist groups, some of which practice polygamy and are also referred to as "Mormon."