Unpacking the Wildest Misconceptions About Latter-day Saints

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we often encounter misunderstandings about our faith. Some are harmless, born from simple ignorance, while others are downright bizarre—wild enough to leave us shaking our heads in disbelief.

On my mission in Mississippi a restaurant full of people said we have to take our backpacks off & leave them outside. The waitress was the only one brave enough to say something “They think you’re assassins.”

— Dan P🦶🏼 (@dan4dean) May 26, 2025

Kayden, a Latter-day Saint known on X as @ImTheRealKayden, posted a question that sparked a fascinating thread: “What’s the most wild thing a mainstream Christian has said to you as a Latter-day Saint? And I’m not talking about ‘they told me I was going to Hell’—I want like WILD.” The responses that followed reveal just how deep misconceptions about our faith can run, offering a chance for us to reflect on these myths, their origins, and how we can respond with clarity and charity.

One of the most jaw-dropping replies came from Ronnie Hale (@hale_rhale), who shared a story from Commerce City, Colorado. While interacting with two young women interested in the Church, their grandmother confronted him with a startling claim: she “knew all about our Mercy tunnels.” According to her, these tunnels stretched from Europe to the Salt Lake Temple, used to smuggle kidnapped girls to be forcibly married to Latter-day Saint men. She even claimed that those who refused were thrown from the top of the Salt Lake Temple into the Great Salt Lake. As Ronnie noted, “This lady was serious as a heart attack.” Kayden’s response captured the sentiment perfectly: “This is downright insane like holy cow.”

This tunnel conspiracy isn’t new, though. A 2018 Utah Stories article, “What Lies Beneath Salt Lake City?”, explored rumors of secret tunnels fanning out from Temple Square. The reality? Tunnels do exist beneath the Salt Lake Temple, but they’re far from sinister. Historical records, like John Nuttal’s 1889 diary, confirm they were built for practical purposes—connecting the temple to nearby buildings for shelter, security, and privacy. Yet, the combination of their existence and the Church’s reputation for sacred, private rituals has fueled imaginative tales for over a century. In 1911, Prussian convert Gisbert Bossard even snuck into the temple to photograph its interior, further stoking public curiosity and suspicion. For us as Latter-day Saints, these stories are a reminder of how easily practical truths can be twisted into something fantastical when people don’t understand our beliefs.

Tracting in Australia, some dude tells us, “Ya wanna know why the Mormon church is false? Because youse own 1/3 of the world’s sugar beet production capacity.” He was dead serious. It was so far out there I didn’t even know what to say. So we just laughed and walked away.

— Kyle Day (@99mayday99) May 27, 2025

Another wild claim in the thread came from @GrandpaJoeSux, who recounted an encounter with a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). She claimed that Brigham Young had killed Joseph Smith to seize prophetic leadership. However, historical evidence doesn’t support this theory.

A 2024 Public Square article, “Who Killed Joseph Smith? A Case Study,” debunks the idea, pointing out that it often stems from attempts to discredit Brigham Young’s leadership or the practice of polygamy. The article highlights how such theories rely on sensationalism rather than facts, ignoring the well-documented mob violence that led to Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s martyrdom in Carthage, Illinois, in 1844. As Latter-day Saints, we know the pain of that history and the sacred legacy of Joseph’s prophetic calling—misconceptions like these can feel deeply personal.

The thread also touched on other outlandish ideas, like @Bors_de_Ganis sharing a rumor that each temple houses an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) to “force the Second Coming,” with the angel Moroni statue doubling as a missile topper. Kayden’s reply—“This is a new one for me. I wonder where they come up with this stuff?”—echoes what many of us feel when faced with such creativity. These myths often stem from a lack of understanding about our theology and practices, not a willful attempt to deceive.

So, how do we respond? Historian Keith Erekson, in his 2025 book Real vs. Rumor: How to Dispel Latter-day Myths, encourages us to seek truth and clarity. He teaches tools to separate fact from fiction, like debunking myths about Brigham Young leaving space in the Salt Lake Temple for elevators—a faith-promoting story that doesn’t hold up historically. As Erekson writes, “The quest for faith necessarily involves rooting out myths and rumors so that we can see things as they really are.” When we encounter wild misconceptions, we can respond with patience, sharing accurate information and living in a way that reflects the Savior’s teachings.

Kayden’s X thread reminds us that while misconceptions about our faith can be wild, they also open doors for dialogue. By addressing these myths with love and truth, we can help others see the beauty of the restored gospel—and maybe even share a laugh along the way.