Latter Day Bridge Builders

#037 -- Attending Church as a Non-Believer w/ Colton Scott

June 21, 2026·58 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

What does it look like to stop believing in the Church but still show up every Sunday? In this episode, we sit down with Colton Scott. A born-and-raised Utah Mormon, returned missionary (Scotland & Ireland), and BYU grad who describes himself as a product of "the Utah factory." Colton shares the story of how his sister's faith transition in 2023 sent him down a rabbit hole of investigation that ultimately broke his shelf, and how he's navigated life as a PIMO (Physically In, Mentally Out) ever since.In this episode, we discuss:- Colton's background: mission, LDS Business College, BYU, and growing up in a deeply devout family- How his sister's faith transition triggered his own investigation (CES Letter, LDS Discussions, and more)- The things that had been on his shelf for years: the Book of Mormon, the SEC's $5M penalty against the Church, Brigham Young, and LGBTQ issues- What it was like to tell his bishopric (in two different wards) that he no longer believes, and why both experiences went better than expected- The tension of being PIMO: staying for community, family, and the 80% he still agrees with- Baptizing his son while no longer believing, and the harder questions ahead (temple recommends, weddings, priesthood circles)- Whether attending church as a non-believer means "feeding the beast" and how each person has to find their own tolerance level- The Church's culture of "all in or all out," and whether that's changing- How Colton's moral compass and standards have stayed intact through his deconstruction- The autonomic nervous system response to leaving behind lifelong religious habits - Brian McLaren's four stages of faith: simplicity, complexity, perplexity, and harmony- A discussion of Jeff Strong's book Torn and Elder Holland's circle momentIf this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and consider supporting the podcast financially — links are below.You're not alone out there. 🌉🌐 More episodes & links: https://linktr.ee/latterdaybridgebuilders📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latterdaybridgebuilders 🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@latterdaybridgebuilders☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LDSBridgebuilders👕 Merch Store:https://ldbb-shop.fourthwall.com

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Latter Day Bridge Builders and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.