What Happened to the First 6 Factions of Mormonism
January 6, 2026
1 hr 7 min
948
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632 of 735

Episode 948 · January 6, 2026
What Happened to the First 6 Factions of Mormonism
0:00 / 1:07:01
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1:07:01This episodeWhat Happened to the First 6 Factions of Mormonism
Summary
<p>In this lively, thoughtful, and often humorous episode, Cardon Ellis and Brad welcome Christopher Blyth, a folklore professor at BYU and expert on Mormon history, to explore the splintering of early Mormonism following Joseph Smith's death—often called the “succession crisis.”The episode dives deep into the aftermath of Joseph Smith’s assassination, when multiple leaders and groups claimed to be the rightful continuation of his church. Christopher Blyth describes how the church “atomized,” resulting in a variety of sects, many of which still exist in some form today.</p>
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