Podcasts: The Breakfast Cereal of Gospel Study

When I was a kid watching cartoons on TV, they would advertise the most awesome cereals: Captain Crunch, Froot Loops, Cocoa Pebbles, Lucky Charms, etc. They would show kids happily chowing down on the cereals that I coveted most. At the end of the commercial, the camera would pull back and show a full table with plates of eggs, toast, orange juice, and other breakfast foods. The narrator would then say, “Froot Loops are a part of a complete breakfast.”

The narrator could have just as honestly said, “Froot Loops are sitting next to a complete breakfast.” My experience was more along the lines of “Froot Loops are your entire breakfast.”

Podcasts are everywhere and immensely popular. Many members of the church have launched podcasts with religious themes. I listen to some of them. I like some of them. I’ve appeared on several of them as a guest. It’s fun! (And it’s a whole lot easier than writing!)

Let me reinforce the point that I LIKE some podcasts, and I think they have value. But I see some problems with the explosion of podcasts as a vehicle for gospel study, and I’ll use the cereal metaphor to try and explain.

Nutrition:

Cereal: Some of the best cereals are the least healthy. I’m not talking shredded wheat or Cheerio’s – I’m talking the good stuff like Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Crunchberries. They have tons of sugar, and a token amount of vitamins to justify them being called “food,” rather than candy.

Podcasts: Some podcasts are entertaining, but only provide a modicum of spiritual nutrition. Spiritual junk food. Unfortunately, some of the most interesting podcasts have lots of “new” and “intriguing perspectives” on stodgy old truths. Like junk food, they are yummy, but not lasting.

This brings us to the reading vs. listening debate. (And it’s not much of a debate.)

“When it comes to comprehension, reading comes out ahead. Reading requires more engagement and focus than listening. When you read, your mind is grappling with new information, and even if you’re not fully grasping a difficult concept on the first read, your inner voice is narrating the words on the page and actively engaging with the content. This type of engagement from reading is known as active learning.

Listening to a podcast or audiobook is considered passive learning, because you aren’t forced to actively engage with the content. This lack of engagement leads to a lower level of comprehension. In a recent study, students were quizzed after listening to a podcast or reading. Those who listened to the podcast did 28% worse on the comprehension quiz than those who were given reading materials.” (link)

Also this: “A 2010 study in Applied Cognitive Psychology showed that reading passages led to better recall a week later than listening to the same content.” (link)

Convenience

Cereal: Sometimes you just don’t feel like cooking, and eating a bowl or two of cereal fits the bill. It’s easy.

Podcasts: Listening to podcasts is convenient. You can listen when you are driving, working in the yard, or exercising. You can listen with headphones and not bother anyone on a flight, or when your spouse is sleeping.

However, the reasons that podcasts are convenient are the same reasons they are not a very effective method of learning: Focus. When the podcast is playing as you are doing something else, you are only partially focused on what you are listening to. That lack of a single focus makes it difficult to retain, process and verify what is being said.

“Distractions and multitasking are generally detrimental to learning and memory.” (link)

Also, If I am out mowing my lawn and a podcast host says something that strikes me as “off.” I guarantee you that I am not going to turn off the lawnmower, pull out my phone and verify what is being taught. I tell myself, “I’ll fact-check it later.” Like that’s gonna happen.

Sketchy Ingredients:

Cereal: Froot Loops has 27 ingredients. There is an ongoing battle right now to determine/which are bad for our health. Nobody I know can explain all the ingredients, but I’d still consume them. What might be the motive for putting unhealthy ingredients in something like cereal? Consuming lots of sugar creates a desire for more sugar. Unnatural colors and flavors are added to make cereal more appealing and more fun to eat.

Podcasts: Some religious podcasts are full of appealing and colorful things. One of the strengths of podcasts is the ability to tell stories and personlize the information. They can be exciting, humorous, and touching. The sound of the human voice personalizes these things in a way that the written word rarely can. We also crave “new” stuff, and many podcasts are happy to provide “new” and “different” gospel takes.

But what if some of those ingredients are sketchy? What about when a podcaster shares an opinion or speculation that doesn’t square with the words of the ancient and modern prophets? In my experience listening to podcasts, it happens a lot. (Again, do I turn off the podcast and fact-check with reliable sources? Usually not. I am getting the poison, but no antidote.)

I think most LDS podcasters (like bloggers) start with the best of intentions. That said, I believe that the desire to grow an audience can cause some to start adding new colors and flavors that aren’t sanctioned or even true. We crave new, and some are willing to provide, even if they flirt with the line between truth and untruth.

I also believe that some podcasters are evil and intentionally project an image of righteousness, but some are simply evil and intend to lead people away.

Jesus taught, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

Sadly, there is a real market for this. Paul taught, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Suggestions:

• Don’t let podcasts become the core of our gospel learning. Think of them as a yummy part of a complete breakfast. The main component of our spiritual nutrition still needs to come from daily study of ancient and modern scripture: “Because they expound the doctrine of Christ, the scriptures are accompanied by the Holy Spirit… Study the scriptures carefully, deliberately. Ponder and pray over them.” (Elder D. Todd Christofferson)

• Trust, but verify. If you hear something on a podcast that is “iffy,” take the time to fact-check what is being taught. If you find that the podcast is parsing truth, or suggesting “new” truths, run away.

• Beware the wolves. They are out there. Some don’t start out as wolves, but pride, greed, and popularity encourage them to put those things ahead of truth and purity. “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:5)

• Check your podcaster’s motives. Is it about money? Fame? Lots of influencers leverage their church memebership online to make a buck. It’s no different in the podcast world. (Maybe adiscussion on priestcraft is in order.)

• Don’t bring up what you hear on a non-official podcast in Church classes. It is a disservice to the class and puts the teacher in an awkward position. Why? Because the teacher is expected to respond without any chance to vet what is being shared, and the class members are not hearing any context or scriptural support. Keep it to yourself – even if it is something you think is cool. If you must, there are oodles of Church-sponsored podcasts that have good stuff.

• Work on your scriptural literacy and familiarity. I know, I know, some will say, “I learn better by listening.” That may be true – but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for that. We can all become better readers, improving our speed and comprehension. (I listen to podcasts at 150 words per minute. I read at 800. WAY more time efficient.) Reading and writing are dying skills. Fight the tide.

• Evaluate your time. How many hours a week do you spend listening to people talk about the gospel vs time spent studying the gospel? (That one stings a bit.)

• Demand prophetic support. If a podcaster disagrees with, minimizes, or disregards prophetic counsel, know that they are not of God. Period.

A crass old saying applies: If you mix a teaspoon of crap with a gallon of ice cream, you get a gallon of crap. Don’t get sucked in by saying, “I really like this podcast….except for his/her views on ‘topic x’.”

As I said earlier, I enjoy some podcasts, I enjoy being a part of podcasts. They can be a worthy addition to our spiritual study and growth. This is obvious, because Church produces podcasts and leaders appear on them.

But remember, podcasts aren’t enough to serve as our source for gospel learning. They are the Froot Loops to the complete and balanced breakfast.