Welcome to LDS News, the world’s oldest and most trusted source of hard-hitting, objective journalism about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a publication so committed to the truth, we started reporting on the Church decades before it even existed.

Our History

Founded in 1810 by pioneering newspaperman Obadiah T. Wiggins, LDS News (which by the way, of course the “LDS” part stands for “Let Darryl Speak!”, any similarity to any other acronym is purely coincidental) began as a humble pamphlet titled The Preemptive Herald, dedicated to covering the future rise of prophetic movements in upstate New York. Wiggins, known for his keen journalistic instincts and complete lack of the gift of prophecy, somehow sensed that one day a small band of believers would form a religious movement that would require rigorous media scrutiny — and a cure for adult-onset diabetes.

When Joseph Smith reported his First Vision in 1832, he realized LDS News had already scooped the story many years previous. It was an important lesson to Smith: “If you see God, tell someone. Immediately.” Joseph Smith resolved never again to wait 12 years to break such important news, and thus, our humble newspaper became the inspiration for Joseph Smith to found what would become one of the world’s most successful hedge funds.
Long before Smith made his story public, LDS News was already on the scene, publishing the headline: Local Boy Sees Vision, Becomes Treasure Hunter. Later, as Smith relayed four different, conflicting versions of the vision over the decades — each more dramatic than the last — LDS News ran the series First Vision 4: The Firster Vision, Vision: The Reckoning, and Vision Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

By the time the Church was officially organized in 1830, LDS News had already run several groundbreaking exposés, including Golden Plates or Gold Standard? A Double Standard and a Double Helping.

Over the centuries, we’ve been there for every major moment in LDS history — from the Kirtland Safety Society banking crisis (Heavenly Deposits, Terrestrial Withdrawals) to the Great Trek West (Pioneer Fashion: Bonnets, Beards, and Breaking Trail) and on through the digital age (Elderly Apostles Accidentally Invest in Blockchain While Attempting to Forward Chain Email).

Our Mission

At LDS News, we hold ourselves to the highest journalistic standards: accuracy, fairness, and an unwavering commitment to publishing whatever will get the most passive-aggressive comments on Facebook. We believe that the best way to honor the truth is to lovingly poke it with a stick while it’s trying to take a nap.

Our crack team of investigative reporters, theologians, and armchair genealogists tirelessly scour the scriptures, General Conference talks, and Deseret Book clearance bins to bring you the stories that matter — or at least the stories that mildly entertain while you pretend to read the Come, Follow Me manual.

What We Cover

• Breaking revelations in mid-level leadership shuffling
• Hot tips on which green Jell-O molds are pushing the boundaries of decency
• Insider analyses of the latest changes to the Word of Wisdom (Diet Coke: Loophole or Gateway Drug?)
• Deep dives into the underground world of competitive hymn rearrangement
• Regular updates on the ongoing war between EFY dance chaperones and youth who insist that three feet is just a suggestion

Our Commitment to Truth

We believe that satire is the highest form of journalism — because nothing says “we take this seriously” like writing an entire 2,000-word article on the doctrinal implications of wearing Crocs to the temple. Our goal is not to mock, but to lovingly roast like a well-marinated funeral potato casserole.

Thank you for trusting LDS News — where the truth is eternal, but the jokes are updated daily.