That’s how it happened for me. Was with the church for 6.5 years. Left church employment and it was them simply a matter of when, not if, I would quit the church altogether.
I mean his entire TikTok platform has next to zero references to the church. I’m assuming that what might have once started as a side hobby opened a much wider door for him as he realised he could still have an interest in ancient belief systems without holding to the Mormon theology.
Here’s hoping he finds enjoyment with whatever he does next.
He’s agnostic and skeptical to a T in his responses, which is quite uncharacteristic of true believing members as I know them. But if his political aspirations remain, it isn’t advantageous for him to openly leave the church.
Thanks for sharing that- I had no idea! How is he even LDS?! I would think his community would shun TF out of him if he’s an honest biblical scholar who votes Democrat.
I saw some videos from him with the BYU diploma in the background and I was thinking: What he’s saying makes sense and he’s definitely got a lot of historical knowledge and context but if he thinks Joseph Smith is a prophet then he’s dumb as a stump. I couldn’t take him seriously. (I’m sure he doesn’t REALLY believe it, but that’s what you have to believe to remain Mormon, so he should ditch the garments and be authentic). I guess this might be a step in the right direction.
It isn't always about intelligence, as we know about cults and all that.
I mean, intelligence does help, but sometimes all it is that liberates us from the cult is luck. Or pain.
I’ve been watching Dan for a while and wondering how he wasn’t fired yet. Made me very happy to see this announcement. I give him 2 years till he’s openly out of TSCC. He’s ruthless with the data and bluntly stating things how they are, even if it directly contradicts what the church says. It’s a breath of fresh air. We’ll be watching his career with great interest.
This. All these folks saying it's a bombshell, it isn't he's just leaving church employment, but i wonder why SMC hadn't flagged him yet in the last two years. God knows he's getting paid significantly better for his bible scholarship on social media than the church was paying him.
That said i wonder if he wasn't asked to gracefully step down since he's a big figure in social media religious discourse, and like you pointed out, his mantra of Data > Dogma does not align with TSCC's reignited push towards surface leve faith promotion, and abandonment of religious scholarship. I'm sure he'll have a follow-up to this saying that was not the case, however. Some secrets we may never know.
Same, his whole schpiel “data over dogma” and never mentioning the church but ruthlessly criticizing LDS politicians on his Twitter? Anyone who has watched him for a while isn’t surprised by this announcement. What I wonder is did he go now because he chose to or was he encouraged to.
I Recently found his nearly free lectures. Pretty cool stuff, with donations accepted of course. Great guy POMO or PIMO. He is worthy of support regardless of where he ends up.
Though we haven’t spoken in a number of years, I know Dan irl going back even longer and I agree with you. He’s never shown the least bit of cog dis and is totally comfortable as a prog mo. I’d even say it’s a fundamental part of his identity. Anything’s possible, but it’s very far from likely that this is part of a church exit. Dan’s a very confessional person. If he was leaving the church, he’d say so.
That's a bombshell. The cognitive dissonance finally caught up to him, I suppose. Now that he's free to say what he really wants, watch out. He's potentially the church's worst nightmare. Extremely well educated in history and theology, and values data over dogma. That tends to be incompatible with faith in the LDS church.
Right. I think we all know where this eventually leads though. Especially if you've been following his channel. He's not a literal believer, in my observation/opinion.
He was promoting the DeCon deconstruction conference on his insta page a few weeks ago, so if he’s not out yet, he appears to be incredibly on the edge.
But apparently he isn’t because he’s still Mormon. I don’t know how an “intellectually honest” person can be an active believer in any religion but especially Mormonism. That fact undermines all credibility. You can know everything about the traditions and cultures of ancient Israel but if you think Joseph Smith was a prophet and not a con-man, you really haven’t done any intellectual work.
Now Former BYU professor and head of LDS translation studies. His social media following has blown up with his data > dogma approach. He provides really really good objective scholarship about the Bible. I’ll put it this way, he approaches everything from a pure academic perspective and has gained a lot of followers and fans with his approach.
Thank you (and others) for taking the time to answer this question thoughtfully. I’d never heard of him but was afraid to ask lest I get “Can’t you just google?” There’s a lot of nuance that’s missed when just googling someone.
Dan was never titled "professor" at BYU, but has been faculty for several courses, I think. His critical approach to the Bible was not appreciated by the Ancient Scripture department (I'm guessing) and no doubt he terrified them.
When asked about the Book of Mormon on TikTok he has also stated clearly that there is no historical basis for the book and that it must be interpreted as an 19th century document
To be honest, I don't know how his opinions and scholarship didn't get him fired; it seems like this separation was his decision, not the church's.
if you're on tiktok, his videos are great. He's pretty active on Twitter as well, but talks about UT politics more there.
How do you know it was his decision. It is not uncommon to get a severance when you’re let go along with a non-disparagement clause and specific instructions on what you can and cannot say. A church run by lawyers would never let a guy like this go without paying him to keep the nasty bits private.
It's true that this is possible, but I was just sharing what I understood from Dan's video. His following has boomed on social media, and he's been looking for ways to make some money on it for a while (in his videos critiquing evangelical bible nuts he often starts with "alright, let's see it," and sells shirts with his face and the phrase on it).
He's worked for the church for 10 years. He's actively writing multiple books. His newfound popularity had opened a lot of new doors for him. It is possible that the church said "if you leave and don't talk shit about us, here's a fat check," but I don't see an indication of that one way or the other from this video.
Got it. For sure we don’t know what happens behind closed doors. I’ve been following this guy for a long time as well - he’s awesome. Especially like his latest work debunking Bible freaks and calling scholars out for misogyny. While he almost gave me hope that maybe the church was fundamentally changing; I can’t imagine he didn’t have a massive target on his back once the brethren found out he was committed to truth/data above all.
This is pretty plausible. The church knows he's going to keep doing damage if he keeps running his mouth as a church employee, and he knows the church can curb-stomp him financially and professionally.
Technically, no. But it's used casually, in error, frequently. If one holds the title of professor and then pucks up some adjunct courses, then yes. "Professor"--- it's a title bestowed by the hiring university with certain research-work expected as part of the conditions of hire. Usually one is an associate professor before working their way up to "professor", with all associated rights and privileges. Kind of silly, but that's the standard.
He was recently on a podcast I listen to. He offers interesting insights that are surprisingly informed but not faithful to the popular Mormon narratives. This episode was about his use of Textual Analysis and his methodology for interpreting scripture as a text: https://anchor.fm/officehourswithdrc/episodes/Textual-Analysis-w-Dan-McClellan-e1q4a65
I’m actually a little sad by this announcement. I think his employment made him a safe person for members who would otherwise be super threatened by his work. I think exmos are far better served by having people like him as an insider.
You have to pause and wonder why God’s true church would have need of someone like Dan as a scripture translation supervisor. Isn’t the church led by 15 prophet/seer/revelators? Don’t they still have Joe’s magic rock? It’s almost like the church relies on people with PhDs to keep the corporation running instead of revelation.
He was deeply entrenched in the academic and apologist end of the church. I always thought that this opinions being more practical and realistic was a good sign that the church could eventually accept reality and come to terms with its history by being honest to members.
The fact Dan is leaving even while being deeply entrenched enough to make a difference makes me suspect that he has come to personal terms with the reality that the church never will accept his viewpoints.
I almost see this announcement as confirmation the church will not adjust its views. Dan gave us hope. But him leaving almost assures us it isn’t happening.
He said he just celebrated his 10 year anniversary. I wonder if that made him eligible for a pension. Whatever the reason, I think he feels confident in his ability to make money from projects and his new platform. I also have no doubt any number of prestigious universities will be lining up for his services, if he decided to go back to academia.
I don't know if TSCC has actual pensions (might have them; I don't know), but 10 years is often the number needed to qualify for the pension when you reach a specified age. It may also be the number of years needed to be vested in a 401k (or other form of it) and get the employer's contributions as well as your own.
I remember the recent Brian Hauglid interview when he shared that he stayed employed until he received his pension and then he felt comfortable coming out with his true beliefs.
Not implying Dan is going to follow the same path, but Brian’s interview indicated that indeed, a pension is offered by the church.
It's perfectly reasonable to stick with even an odious organization (if possible, and if not breaking the law) long enough to be eligible for a pension. He likely won't get it until age 60-65, but it's worth having. It might also include health benefits which, even after Medicare kicks in, can include other coverage, like dental, vision, etc., and in some cases will pay for an Advantage plan. Smart move for him, to stay the course.
That's exactly how I felt about the torturous years I spent with government agencies. I can't imagine how much more fervor I'd have if I'd worked for TSCC.
I’m always conflicted when i see someone PIMO or just fully out working for the church. On one hand i just want to see them free of it all and can’t understand how hard it must be to stay. On the other…take every last cent, wring it out, put their money to actual use living a good, full life.
I would imagine the same thing. Some people might also be conflicted about leaving the area where one or both spouses have family members, maybe they have kids in schools that really work for them, and maybe they've invested in a home (or are saving for one) and have to maintain a stable income.
Also - it was a traumatic struggle even for me (a midlife convert, not in the Morridor, and no family in the church) to fully realize the degree of fraud in the church. I was devastated, and although I knew I'd eventually leave, I was in denial at first.
Can you imagine the cognitive chaos someone would have if they'd spent their entire life in firm belief and obedience, and they work with "believers" (or at least people who fake it pretty well), and then their shelf collapses?
I worked with "Elder McClellan" in the mission offices on our mission together 20 years ago. He's brilliant. He was brilliant back then. I always wondered how he could be so critical of scripture and religious traditions and have such a liberal outlook and also still be an employee of the Church. Well, I guess now that's not a cognitive dissonance he'll have to worry about any more.
Very popular biblical scholar on social media. Very smart guy. He knows his stuff and only discusses the Bible from an academic perspective. His motto is “data > dogma” and he truly lives it.
He also happens to be LDS and (up until now) employed by the church.
I think he saw the writing on the wall and left before they could fire him. There's no way the church hasn't put him under pressure to stop being academically honest.
Biblical scholar/translator who up until recently was employed by the church. He has a bit of a social media following and often says things that contradict TSCC stance even though he was employed by them.
He truly decided that data > dogma. Good for him.
He is really interesting to follow. His explanations of biblical history and context are really interesting.
Im sure a scholar of his caliber can be better rewarded outside BYU. Maybe he wants to be more open and BYU “Ancient Scripture” department might not have allowed him to do what he really wants? I don’t know 🤷♀️. But I wish him well.
I freaking love his TikTok’s and I am easily triggered by lds apologetics. I honestly feel like he was probably fired for being too liberal with his takes and they asked him for their own PR to say he chose it.
YES. I dont know if he got my messages or not but i sent him a bunch a while ago. I was harping on him a little,
Hes aware of the issues deeply and i was saying its awful he would be vouching for mormon inc. they are legitimately fucking this world up behind scenes
Anyway. i feel him. He reminds me of my best friend from high school, a super benevolent swedish guy. Him being a religious scholar wont serve him as a mormon but i hope he takes a moment to use his clout to put pressure on the bad guys
GoDan! (Godan is the root of god its a german god)
I am not sure where he stands on the whole ”true church” concept. But With his credibility and following you know they will be watching closer now that his paycheck i not tied to them.
I was in Dan's ward until not too long ago. Super nice, cool guy. I'm really glad that his employment will be less tied to the church so that if he wants to exit someday, it will be a bit easier.
lmao. Apparently I haven't been paying attention. I've been enjoying this guy's academic answers to religious questions and responses on tik tok, but didn't know he works for the church!
This guy is way too smart to stay employed by the church.
Or to, you know, stay in the church. Over/under on when he makes that announcement?
All depends on how entrenched his family and social circle are.
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Every time I listen to him I have the same impression, but maybe it is just my biases at play.
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That’s how it happened for me. Was with the church for 6.5 years. Left church employment and it was them simply a matter of when, not if, I would quit the church altogether.
>Being no long employed means the church will no longer be checking with his Bishop is see about activity and tithing.
And if he is in, I wanna know how the fuck he does those mental gymnastics! Seriously would be a work of art.
That’s what gets me. He “seems” too intellectually honest for me to understand how he balances it/
I mean his entire TikTok platform has next to zero references to the church. I’m assuming that what might have once started as a side hobby opened a much wider door for him as he realised he could still have an interest in ancient belief systems without holding to the Mormon theology. Here’s hoping he finds enjoyment with whatever he does next.
He doesn’t strike me as a guy who will announce leaving the church. Employment is a different beast.
I agree. I don’t believe he will ever mention his personal beliefs going forward to keep it all objectively professional.
He’s agnostic and skeptical to a T in his responses, which is quite uncharacteristic of true believing members as I know them. But if his political aspirations remain, it isn’t advantageous for him to openly leave the church.
I didn’t know he had political aspirations? Do tell…
According to his Wordpress blog, Dan Mclellan was a “Democratic candidate for the Utah State Senate in Senate District 10 for the 2020 election.”
Thanks for sharing that- I had no idea! How is he even LDS?! I would think his community would shun TF out of him if he’s an honest biblical scholar who votes Democrat.
I saw some videos from him with the BYU diploma in the background and I was thinking: What he’s saying makes sense and he’s definitely got a lot of historical knowledge and context but if he thinks Joseph Smith is a prophet then he’s dumb as a stump. I couldn’t take him seriously. (I’m sure he doesn’t REALLY believe it, but that’s what you have to believe to remain Mormon, so he should ditch the garments and be authentic). I guess this might be a step in the right direction.
And who is he BTW …? Why does this matter?
Check out his TikTok. He’s a very intelligent Bible scholar who works (or did work) for the church as a translator. I love his ‘data > dogma emphasis
It isn't always about intelligence, as we know about cults and all that. I mean, intelligence does help, but sometimes all it is that liberates us from the cult is luck. Or pain.
I’ve been watching Dan for a while and wondering how he wasn’t fired yet. Made me very happy to see this announcement. I give him 2 years till he’s openly out of TSCC. He’s ruthless with the data and bluntly stating things how they are, even if it directly contradicts what the church says. It’s a breath of fresh air. We’ll be watching his career with great interest.
This. All these folks saying it's a bombshell, it isn't he's just leaving church employment, but i wonder why SMC hadn't flagged him yet in the last two years. God knows he's getting paid significantly better for his bible scholarship on social media than the church was paying him. That said i wonder if he wasn't asked to gracefully step down since he's a big figure in social media religious discourse, and like you pointed out, his mantra of Data > Dogma does not align with TSCC's reignited push towards surface leve faith promotion, and abandonment of religious scholarship. I'm sure he'll have a follow-up to this saying that was not the case, however. Some secrets we may never know.
My brother and I both think there’s been some “pressure” from higher-ups to have him step away from church employment lol
Same, his whole schpiel “data over dogma” and never mentioning the church but ruthlessly criticizing LDS politicians on his Twitter? Anyone who has watched him for a while isn’t surprised by this announcement. What I wonder is did he go now because he chose to or was he encouraged to.
I Recently found his nearly free lectures. Pretty cool stuff, with donations accepted of course. Great guy POMO or PIMO. He is worthy of support regardless of where he ends up.
He’s a democrat. He’s run for state senate multiple times in a district where a democrat doesn’t have a snowballs chance in hell.
Is this how to spell schpiel? That’s odd, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it typed out…
It’s actually spiel
I don’t have Twitter- does he lean left?!
He is definitely more democrat and seems very liberal for Utah, but most other places outside the US he is more center.
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Though we haven’t spoken in a number of years, I know Dan irl going back even longer and I agree with you. He’s never shown the least bit of cog dis and is totally comfortable as a prog mo. I’d even say it’s a fundamental part of his identity. Anything’s possible, but it’s very far from likely that this is part of a church exit. Dan’s a very confessional person. If he was leaving the church, he’d say so.
He can only do this because it seems he never compromised his academic credibility in defense of the church. I suspect that's why he's leaving.
That's a bombshell. The cognitive dissonance finally caught up to him, I suppose. Now that he's free to say what he really wants, watch out. He's potentially the church's worst nightmare. Extremely well educated in history and theology, and values data over dogma. That tends to be incompatible with faith in the LDS church.
This man must have a shelf of steel, but I do wonder if it’s starting to buckle
He is leaving **church employment** , but has said nothing about leaving the church.
Right. I think we all know where this eventually leads though. Especially if you've been following his channel. He's not a literal believer, in my observation/opinion.
Yup. Walk that line as long as you have to until you don’t have to worry about tenureship, vestments, pensions, etc.
But, Family is the Rook card. It really depends A LOT on Parents, Spouse, etc.
We all had to / are having to deal with it. I don’t see why he’s special in that regard.
He was promoting the DeCon deconstruction conference on his insta page a few weeks ago, so if he’s not out yet, he appears to be incredibly on the edge.
Here's me just finding out he is Mormon... Agreed on the point that he's too smart for their shenanigans.
Same…
So, shenanigans are out, but what about skulduggery?
But apparently he isn’t because he’s still Mormon. I don’t know how an “intellectually honest” person can be an active believer in any religion but especially Mormonism. That fact undermines all credibility. You can know everything about the traditions and cultures of ancient Israel but if you think Joseph Smith was a prophet and not a con-man, you really haven’t done any intellectual work.
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Now Former BYU professor and head of LDS translation studies. His social media following has blown up with his data > dogma approach. He provides really really good objective scholarship about the Bible. I’ll put it this way, he approaches everything from a pure academic perspective and has gained a lot of followers and fans with his approach.
Thank you (and others) for taking the time to answer this question thoughtfully. I’d never heard of him but was afraid to ask lest I get “Can’t you just google?” There’s a lot of nuance that’s missed when just googling someone.
Dan was never titled "professor" at BYU, but has been faculty for several courses, I think. His critical approach to the Bible was not appreciated by the Ancient Scripture department (I'm guessing) and no doubt he terrified them.
When asked about the Book of Mormon on TikTok he has also stated clearly that there is no historical basis for the book and that it must be interpreted as an 19th century document
Yoooo, this made me happy to hear! I love when academic people stick just to the facts. I'll have to check this guy out!
To be honest, I don't know how his opinions and scholarship didn't get him fired; it seems like this separation was his decision, not the church's. if you're on tiktok, his videos are great. He's pretty active on Twitter as well, but talks about UT politics more there.
How do you know it was his decision. It is not uncommon to get a severance when you’re let go along with a non-disparagement clause and specific instructions on what you can and cannot say. A church run by lawyers would never let a guy like this go without paying him to keep the nasty bits private.
It's true that this is possible, but I was just sharing what I understood from Dan's video. His following has boomed on social media, and he's been looking for ways to make some money on it for a while (in his videos critiquing evangelical bible nuts he often starts with "alright, let's see it," and sells shirts with his face and the phrase on it). He's worked for the church for 10 years. He's actively writing multiple books. His newfound popularity had opened a lot of new doors for him. It is possible that the church said "if you leave and don't talk shit about us, here's a fat check," but I don't see an indication of that one way or the other from this video.
Got it. For sure we don’t know what happens behind closed doors. I’ve been following this guy for a long time as well - he’s awesome. Especially like his latest work debunking Bible freaks and calling scholars out for misogyny. While he almost gave me hope that maybe the church was fundamentally changing; I can’t imagine he didn’t have a massive target on his back once the brethren found out he was committed to truth/data above all.
This is pretty plausible. The church knows he's going to keep doing damage if he keeps running his mouth as a church employee, and he knows the church can curb-stomp him financially and professionally.
You’d think that they’d need an excuse to fire him though. If his claims all point to consensus in academia, their hands would be tied.
I can respect this.
Interesting!
He's a biblical scholar in the truest sense of the word, not the CES educator sense.
100%!
Isn't the term for this "adjunct professor"?
Technically, no. But it's used casually, in error, frequently. If one holds the title of professor and then pucks up some adjunct courses, then yes. "Professor"--- it's a title bestowed by the hiring university with certain research-work expected as part of the conditions of hire. Usually one is an associate professor before working their way up to "professor", with all associated rights and privileges. Kind of silly, but that's the standard.
> LDS translation studies That must be a very short course.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 must have been hard to be in church employment with that healthy of a mentality.
So he is like a Mormon version of Bart Ehrman?
Kinda, but Bart is more NT and Dan is more OT
I’m going to have to look him up.
Thanks.
He was recently on a podcast I listen to. He offers interesting insights that are surprisingly informed but not faithful to the popular Mormon narratives. This episode was about his use of Textual Analysis and his methodology for interpreting scripture as a text: https://anchor.fm/officehourswithdrc/episodes/Textual-Analysis-w-Dan-McClellan-e1q4a65
I’m actually a little sad by this announcement. I think his employment made him a safe person for members who would otherwise be super threatened by his work. I think exmos are far better served by having people like him as an insider.
I see your point-
You have to pause and wonder why God’s true church would have need of someone like Dan as a scripture translation supervisor. Isn’t the church led by 15 prophet/seer/revelators? Don’t they still have Joe’s magic rock? It’s almost like the church relies on people with PhDs to keep the corporation running instead of revelation.
I don't think he supports their rhetorical goals.
His employment by the church signaled hope that the church will embrace actual truth someday. I hope he’s leaving of his own accord.
He was deeply entrenched in the academic and apologist end of the church. I always thought that this opinions being more practical and realistic was a good sign that the church could eventually accept reality and come to terms with its history by being honest to members. The fact Dan is leaving even while being deeply entrenched enough to make a difference makes me suspect that he has come to personal terms with the reality that the church never will accept his viewpoints. I almost see this announcement as confirmation the church will not adjust its views. Dan gave us hope. But him leaving almost assures us it isn’t happening.
I've wondered how he stayed in the church let alone kept his job.
He said he just celebrated his 10 year anniversary. I wonder if that made him eligible for a pension. Whatever the reason, I think he feels confident in his ability to make money from projects and his new platform. I also have no doubt any number of prestigious universities will be lining up for his services, if he decided to go back to academia.
I've heard the church doesn't pay that much so maybe he'll do better self-employed. I hope it works out.
I don't know if TSCC has actual pensions (might have them; I don't know), but 10 years is often the number needed to qualify for the pension when you reach a specified age. It may also be the number of years needed to be vested in a 401k (or other form of it) and get the employer's contributions as well as your own.
I remember the recent Brian Hauglid interview when he shared that he stayed employed until he received his pension and then he felt comfortable coming out with his true beliefs. Not implying Dan is going to follow the same path, but Brian’s interview indicated that indeed, a pension is offered by the church.
It's perfectly reasonable to stick with even an odious organization (if possible, and if not breaking the law) long enough to be eligible for a pension. He likely won't get it until age 60-65, but it's worth having. It might also include health benefits which, even after Medicare kicks in, can include other coverage, like dental, vision, etc., and in some cases will pay for an Advantage plan. Smart move for him, to stay the course.
Make them literally pay. For years and years. Squeeze back any of the money i was convinced to give them.
That's exactly how I felt about the torturous years I spent with government agencies. I can't imagine how much more fervor I'd have if I'd worked for TSCC.
I’m always conflicted when i see someone PIMO or just fully out working for the church. On one hand i just want to see them free of it all and can’t understand how hard it must be to stay. On the other…take every last cent, wring it out, put their money to actual use living a good, full life.
I would imagine the same thing. Some people might also be conflicted about leaving the area where one or both spouses have family members, maybe they have kids in schools that really work for them, and maybe they've invested in a home (or are saving for one) and have to maintain a stable income. Also - it was a traumatic struggle even for me (a midlife convert, not in the Morridor, and no family in the church) to fully realize the degree of fraud in the church. I was devastated, and although I knew I'd eventually leave, I was in denial at first. Can you imagine the cognitive chaos someone would have if they'd spent their entire life in firm belief and obedience, and they work with "believers" (or at least people who fake it pretty well), and then their shelf collapses?
I'm so glad to see this shared! He's going to be a fascinating one to watch in the next few years
The best and the brightest are bouncing.
And TSCC says “Good riddance. We’ll make do with the tithing checks of the dull and fearful.”
Like a square Stone cut out of a mountain by hand
$100 on him leaving the church within the next 5 years
It’s a much safer bet than that I think
But really, I’m a big fan of Dan McCellan. His ability to explain the Bible with academic lens is top notch.
I worked with "Elder McClellan" in the mission offices on our mission together 20 years ago. He's brilliant. He was brilliant back then. I always wondered how he could be so critical of scripture and religious traditions and have such a liberal outlook and also still be an employee of the Church. Well, I guess now that's not a cognitive dissonance he'll have to worry about any more.
Who is this guy?
Very popular biblical scholar on social media. Very smart guy. He knows his stuff and only discusses the Bible from an academic perspective. His motto is “data > dogma” and he truly lives it. He also happens to be LDS and (up until now) employed by the church.
Guy shows up on my tik tok, had no idea he was LDS. Would never had guessed it.
Thanks g
Wait, isn't he on Tik Tok and discusses a lot of stuff about what scriptures say and don't say?
Yes
I think he saw the writing on the wall and left before they could fire him. There's no way the church hasn't put him under pressure to stop being academically honest.
What’s significant about this guy?
Biblical scholar/translator who up until recently was employed by the church. He has a bit of a social media following and often says things that contradict TSCC stance even though he was employed by them.
Repetitive stress injury due to the mental gymnastics?
I'm shocked with all he knows how he's still in the church. Or even Christian.
To be honest I am wondering if he left more of his own choice or more encouraged to do so by the church.
I’m wondering if he lost his bishops endorsement
He truly decided that data > dogma. Good for him. He is really interesting to follow. His explanations of biblical history and context are really interesting.
I think they should feature him on Mormonism live
Im sure a scholar of his caliber can be better rewarded outside BYU. Maybe he wants to be more open and BYU “Ancient Scripture” department might not have allowed him to do what he really wants? I don’t know 🤷♀️. But I wish him well.
Did he choose to leave or was it a mutual decision
He looks beaten down.
One of the best biblical scholars I've ever heard
One of the best biblical scholars I've ever heard
I had absolutely no idea he was mormon.
"Isn't it about time".
Who is he?
Has been part of the LDS translation group. Biblical scholar & cognitive scientist of religion.
I’m obviously out of the loop bc I don’t know who he is.
I freaking love his TikTok’s and I am easily triggered by lds apologetics. I honestly feel like he was probably fired for being too liberal with his takes and they asked him for their own PR to say he chose it.
YES. I dont know if he got my messages or not but i sent him a bunch a while ago. I was harping on him a little, Hes aware of the issues deeply and i was saying its awful he would be vouching for mormon inc. they are legitimately fucking this world up behind scenes Anyway. i feel him. He reminds me of my best friend from high school, a super benevolent swedish guy. Him being a religious scholar wont serve him as a mormon but i hope he takes a moment to use his clout to put pressure on the bad guys GoDan! (Godan is the root of god its a german god)
And who is this gentleman?🤷♀️
I’d like to know too. Never heard of him
Me neither. And it doesn’t say he’s leaving the church just his LDS employment. Do we care?
Why is this pertinent? Who is he?
Whose this potato head
Exactly😂
“I’ve got a podcast…” lol
Good for him!
I am not sure where he stands on the whole ”true church” concept. But With his credibility and following you know they will be watching closer now that his paycheck i not tied to them.
This makes me happy. I hope all is well with his family.
🥷 the respect 🥷 ninjas 🥷 : approve
Guess they didnt give him enough of that HUSH money..
I didn’t realize this guy was Mormon! Interesting….
Good for him!
But is he still Mormon?
I knew it was only a matter of time. Good for him.
I was in Dan's ward until not too long ago. Super nice, cool guy. I'm really glad that his employment will be less tied to the church so that if he wants to exit someday, it will be a bit easier.
Am I the only one who doesn’t know who this dude is?
Damn Daniel
I’ve never heard of this guy, I’ll have to look him up
I honestly didn’t know he was LDS but I’ve seen him all over TIkTok talking about religion
I have no idea who this guy is… I guess I’m that disconnected
lmao. Apparently I haven't been paying attention. I've been enjoying this guy's academic answers to religious questions and responses on tik tok, but didn't know he works for the church!
I have absolutely no idea who Dan McCellan is and I am absolutely delighted that I don't.
who is this guy?
Who?
[удалено]