How An Ex-Christian Experiences Mormonism - Jared Smith as @HeliocentricOfficial | Ep. 2138

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Apr 22, 2026

Jared Smith (Heliocentric), an ex-Christian and atheist YouTuber who audits churches, walks through his journey from fervent believer to skeptic. He describes auditing Mormon services, reading the Book of Mormon, contrasts between Mormon and Nicene views of Jesus, and how religious deconstruction interacts with identity, community, and online critique.

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ANECDOTE

Auditing Churches In Person Without Preconceptions

Jared's Atheist Church Audit visits religions in person and usually goes in blind to avoid preconceptions.
He prefers experiencing congregations firsthand rather than clipping worst moments online, which led him into surprising churches like the United House of Prayer for All People.

ANECDOTE

Jehovah's Witnesses Visit Left Jared Disturbed

Jared recounted visiting Jehovah's Witnesses and finding practices like disfellowshipping and blood‑transfusion rules emotionally troubling.
He noted some softening of their blood policy but emphasized the harm he'd seen.

INSIGHT

Mormon Experiences Vary Widely By Ward And Demographic

Jared sees Mormonism as socially robust and emotionally complex rather than a single stereotype; his reactions varied by ward and demographic.
He contrasted a morose fast‑and‑testimony ward with a lively young adult ward where he 'vibed' for hours.

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In this episode, we sit down with Jared Smith –an ex-Christian, former Wheaton College student, and atheist YouTuber –to explore what happens when someone deeply rooted in evangelical Christianity takes a serious look at Mormonism.

Jared shares his journey from devoted believer to skeptic, including his time at Wheaton College (often called the “Harvard of Christian institutions”), where he studied everything from apologetics to exorcism –and even Christian heavy metal.

We dive into his firsthand experiences auditing religions, attending Mormon services, reading the Book of Mormon, and engaging with LDS culture from an outsider’s perspective.

Along the way, we explore what it’s like to WANT your religion to be true –and still lose it, the role of Jesus in Mormonism vs. traditional Christianity, those who take religion most seriously are the ones who seem to be leaving, the emotional and intellectual toll of deconstruction, what he thought when he read the Book of Mormon, and the intersection of belief, identity, and online content creation.

We also discuss broader topics like Jehovah's Witnesses and blood doctrine, charismatic Christianity (including exorcism and speaking in tongues), and the culture of apologetics across faith traditions.

Jared offers a thoughtful, non-combative perspective as someone more interested in understanding belief than attacking it –making this conversation a nuanced look at faith, doubt and everything in between.

Check out Jared’s YouTube channel “Heliocentric”: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS5YtyTzVJo_N-vjub8te3g

Videos to watch in preparation for our next episode with Jared Smith:

“This Mormon church sucked” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_iAA_Zp-GQ
His episode with Nemo the Mormon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQSo0aQQkbg
Jacob Hansen’s response to Jared - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOFghorZj9s

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