Why Are There So Many Mormon Influencers (A Theory)

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My theory behind how the Mormon Church props up the Mormon industrial influencer economy.
*One of many articles on Mormon influencers:
www.allure.com...
*Second article on Mormon influencers:
hungermag.com/...
*Jane Williamson interview about Mormonism dailyutahchron...
*KZbin video explaining other common cultural theories behind Mormon Influencers:
• The Bizarre Reason All...
*Tradwife x Mormon Influencer Commentary:
katiecouric.co...
*Post Mormon Podcast Girlscamp Episode with Amber Fillerup:
podcasters.spo...
*Rachel Parcell’s Website Privacy Policy:
rachelparcell....
*Ballerina Farm’s Website Privacy Policy:
ballerinafarm....
*Article on how targeted ads work:
www.thedailyst....
*CES Letter, a common tool used to deconstruct Mormonism: (cesletter.org/...)
*My book, How to Leave the Mormon Church: An Exmormon's Guide for Rebuilding After Religion: (www.amazon.com...)
*My Mormon wedding explained video: ( • Mormon Temple Weddings... )
*My Mormon endowment explained video: ( • Secret Mormon Temple C... )
*Why Mormons baptize the dead: ( • Mormons Baptize the De... )
*My Mormon garments explained video ( • Mormon Garments Explained )
*My Mormon faith crisis ( • Why I Left the Mormon ... )
where to find me -
Patreon (ad free & bonus content): shorturl.at/8bpnw
TikTok: / alyssadgrenfell
Instagram: / alyssadgrenfell
Blog: www.howtoleave...
Email me: [e-mail]
support my channel -
Venmo: venmo.com/u/Al...

[@alyssadgrenfell]

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code ALYSSA at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/alyssa

[@KassahSong]

were you allowed to read books like harry potter percy jackson, or the diary of anne frank?

[@alyssadgrenfell]

Yes! Magic was okay to read about even though a lot of strict Christian religions don’t allow it.

[@KassahSong]

@@alyssadgrenfell that is so interesting, were you also allowed to read books that comment on the harshness of other religions that were not Mormon like the hunchback of Notre Dame?

[@samthenotwinchester5518]

@@alyssadgrenfellwhat website did you use to find the CPC for a term? I want to look up how much exmormon makes

[@listras2290]

as a mormon i think you’re onto something and i honestly think ive learned more about my religion from you than i have the church, so thank you for showing me a side of my religion that i am rarely shown!

[@benjaminboettcher1188]

I think one thing is that the mormon culture seems to be very focused on the facade, and appearance has to be perfect. Which is what social media is all about.

[@thorbjrnhellehaven5766]

Also, the I believe charismatic ways of mission, works effectively with social media too, even if they don't preach there's something about the charismatic way they have learned to communicate.

[@stevies6294]

Agreed 100% it’s all about keeping up appearances

[@TheGrades90]

Yep! They're so well practiced in 'being nice' that they come off as more genuine when they're making content.

[@wemakefilmsbecausetheyarec5901]

Well they have to cover all the rituals they do.

[@PhyreReighn]

Absolutely! Best business in town! LD$ is not about Christ. Its about Popularity and MULTI LEVEL MARKETING to heaven

[@marionashlyjones3290]

I’m a Catholic sahm and now contemplating becoming a Mormon vlogger as a side hustle.

[@funsizedi88]

Haha. Same; too bad I don't live in Utah. Lol

[@mikami42]

😂😂😂😂

[@cristazirgulis535]

Very funny!!😂😂

[@joanaparuolo3004]

😂😂

[@kara8911]

😂

[@Therapisity]

In addition to your personal theory I'd like to add that the Mormon content from a non-Mormon perspective is an extremely "safe" and non threatening and wholesome everything KZbin and their advertisers look for.

[@jenniferunderwood951]

I would agree with your thoughts, as I am also never Mormon, until Franke and what Ruby , Kevin, and others believe and taught about parenting. I never even heard of most of the current KZbinr vloggers.

[@chameleon25]

It would be interesting to see the amount advertisers pay for the term “Christian” in comparison, since they also have a squeaky clean image.

[@Tee-ke9ed]

@@chameleon25she showed that as well, it was significantly lower

[@justjoannak]

You're right about this

[@na3rial]

She talked about this in the video, that advertisers are more likely to want to sponsor them but also to choose Mormon influencer categories when they pick who they want their ads to appear in front of

[@yerocb]

You are spot on about this. I've done SEO Optimization and Google Ads professionally. The fact the Mormon Church has SO MUCH MONEY is what allows them to pay that level for ads. They are driving up their own ad costs because they are so desperate to control those searches, and probably don't mind because it's going to those influencers. I think the journalling thing just helps with a level of self reflection that puts them in the right mindset to be a vlogger. The fact they are conventionally attractive helps get them traffic. The fact the content is "wholesome" helps, too. It's all of it. The telling thing to me was when i saw Book of Mormon. Starting with the first full bleed page in the program and EVERY OTHER page that was a full bleed ad was for the Mormon church. It was at least 7 pages. "You've seen the play, now read the book!" I don't think they're going to get a lot of conversions, but it's going to reinforce the church to ex or doubting Mormons in the audience. Money to burn.

[@yerocb]

I watch a lot of deconstruction videos and there are a lot of church ads.

[@yerocb]

Like the program from the show, I don't think they mind getting their ads in front of your viewers.

[@Fstop313]

Wait you explained ads and SEO so well I feel like I really learned something valuable and useful here

[@EffiiCat]

Netflix needs to snap this up as a documentary like YESTERDAY this was so good!!!

[@barbarianvee]

No way would they go up against a big "religious" organization without a whistleblower or ten and a lot more juicy details. That's exactly why this works. It's too boring for normies to care. (And maybe Netflix should. Some of these influencers would probably take crappy tv deals much more readily if their ad revenue slowed down. But even if people knew, I'm not sure the Mormons would stop.)

[@melissarose7488]

The Mormon church would pay Netflix so much money to prevent this from happening 😂

[@EffiiCat]

@@barbarianvee I don’t think it’s boring at all 🥲 ‘Religious cult’ content does well on Netflix I think people are fascinated by it

[@star_baker]

@@melissarose7488oh Netflix has already made a documentary exposing the Mormon Church. It was a few years ago so I can’t exactly remember what it was about but they did talk about their shady business tactics and illegal operations

[@tinabell947]

Very interesting video

[@KASH10043]

Utah is the state with the most MLM based businesses so that tells you a lot. Women can work from home while still raising a family, at least that's what they are told. Less than 5% of MM members ever make any money but instead, actually lose money. So being a so-called influencer seems like a natural jump.

[@AprilFriday-de6vm]

Honestly a smarter move, since MLMs cost sooo much and rely on you panicking and sinking in even more money when you realize it isn’t working.

[@nickywal]

And also preying on women while claiming to empower them. Where's the relief society leader full on fundie baby voice saying the Mormon church gives more power to women than any other church. Tell the little wimmins they're contributing, look honey you have your own little business and everything but the entire structure being reliant on you preying on and bringing in other women to make money

[@catscratchfever1473]

No conspiracy needed, Mormons have kids younger than most people and women are more likely to look for ways to make money from home that aren’t a full-time job. So, they are unique, and with all of the women trying to do this in Utah, some are going to be successful. Many are not. Before we talked about “influencers”, there was a Salon article about how Mormon mommy bloggers create what-if escapism for single women in the workforce.

[@LisaFerguson-lw8il]

@@AprilFriday-de6vm I don't understand how Mormons can run MLM's without guilt. It is considered sinful by those religious people who are true believers. I know that MLM's are a total con. I've been approached by many who want me to join. I've been blessed with confidence, because of my parents encouragement. However, I could never sell a lie to others. MLM members love coming accross people who judt can't say no. This must be difficult in Utah where nobody wants to be seen in a bad light.

[@emirom2]

⁠@@LisaFerguson-lw8ilEVERY religion is full of giant hypocrites. They don’t live by what they preach…ESPECIALLY when it comes to money! Look at Evangelical Christian mega-churches. The leaders tell poor people they need to give the church every extra cent they have to be “blessed” enough to get into heaven. While those same leaders live in mansions, drive fancy cars and have private planes with that money those poor people donate! It’s insane that people fall for this crap! Sorry kids, but organized religion is one big scam.

[@climateandtransit]

Saying Mormon and Finance multiple times to trigger the key terms is such a baller move. Hats off to you Alyssa!

[@septemberskye8499]

That part is so funny to me 😂she should just say mormon and finance every minute for the views as an inside joke haha

[@yerocb]

New bank account. Just doing my part. ;-)

[@garak55]

maybe if we mimic the bot conversations in the comments where they talk about their great investment consellor they found on google we can even get her some more ad revenue

[@carolynclitheroe3588]

I had my hair cut recently here in the UK who said she wanted to live in Utah and had no idea why that could be. Now I know.

[@PopsiclePeople]

@@carolynclitheroe3588 i think it’s more likely because utah is objectively quite a gorgeous place

[@vickyhamlin]

I can't believe you only did your first video 8 months ago, you seem such a natural I assumed you had been doing it for years! Your background obviously helps significantly, I wondered how you had so much knowledge on this!

[@BallerinaShots]

It's not just women/mommy influencers. It's tons and tons of family vloggers. I didn't know a thing about Mormonism but I did look into it after falling in love with these families years ago. I came to realize it had to be backed by the Mormon church due to seeing a link with one famous Mormon influencer and his church. I figured it was because a lot of people think Mormonism is weird or have negative associations so it seemed that the Mormon church wanted to invite the world into wonderful Mormon families to show how normal and great they are. It's validating to hear this from an ex-Mo, great video!

[@og_tc]

This is probably the best explanation of internet ad revenue I've seen, and you didn't even have to get in a bubble bath. I love that you're essentially ripping off the church due to a carte blanche advertising scheme. You're definitely right about this.

[@esmeralda8305]

FR, they basically fund her how ironic 😂

[@JJoy-bk8yr]

I thought Alyssa was a bit obsessive even though she is always interesting. But she is following the $$! Well, she is always engaging and informative.

[@esmeralda8305]

@@JJoy-bk8yr I think if you discovered your entire religion is a lie and a cult and you've been devoting your entire life to it, you'd be a little obsessive too 😆

[@anthill1510]

This also explains why there are so many more ExMormon influencers than ExEvangelicals, etc. The Mormon Church funds them accidentally so they can keep their channels going with profit more easily, same as Mormon influencers.

[@kelseymiverson]

As a software dev in the ad tech space, this is alllllmost correct. I don't think the mormon church is accidentally funding her(as you can set parameters on target keyword: mormon, do not include keywords: non-mormon, exmormon) however my guess is they are still advertising to capture attentions of their prime converting market, never mormons.... which I believe is most of her demographic? I seem to remember another video discussing that. Amazing research Alyssa, and suuuuch an informative video!

[@amygreen758]

In addition to journaling, Mormonism trains members to think everyone wants to see you, hear about you, validate you and hear your testimony. Everyone wants to hear your mission call, your baby announcement and every medallion or handshake earned. Mormonism is all about performing and getting on stage (teaching lessons, doing musical numbers, offering spiritual tidbits and doing visible callings). So it's natural for these Mormon women to want to perform and journal online. And yes, the way they look is very Mormon too. Good points.

[@chenilleoneil1289]

I understand that the book of mormon forbids wives from working outside the home. I was wondering, could this be one of the reasons that so many mormon mothers are taking to family blogging and selling MLM product on social media? Maybe these things don’t count as working outside the home. But it’s just a guess. I don’t actually know any mormons/LDS.

[@ZebraXWarrior]

I am annoyed by this comment. People don’t want to be in the “lime light” at church, no. I completely disagree. Most everyone I know does not want to share a testimony, talk in church, or perform - they hate public speaking. They are called to serve in certain positions where they are asked to talk, asked to perform, asked to share, called to volunteer. I think you have this all backwards. You make it sound like Mormons are all show-offs, but really we are all just doing what we have been asked to do - but participate to spread hope/love and to stay true to the covenants we have made.

[@screamingoldman]

That’s another example of why you are valued as a Mormon if you are extroverted and a leader.

[@sleepyspacegremlin]

That's an interesting insight.

[@DrPeppering]

@@chenilleoneil1289 The Book of Mormon does not forbid them from working outside the home but the culture does encourage women to prioritize being mothers.

[@jeanne-marie8196]

Color me convinced. It’s disheartening to me that this business gets tax breaks for being a religious organization

[@nute742]

They do far more than the government and are far more efficient. If anything the government should take cues from the church! Lol. Also they don't charge taxes! It's all voluntary donations

[@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana]

That's every religious organisation.

[@lizzybeary]

​@@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana I don't think you understood the comment.

[@grantjmiller15]

@@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana Not true, just certain churches. Don’t be sour because you got scammed by the Mormons or those televangelist scumbags

[@brendakin1282]

What business? ALL churches are tax-exempt. If they have side businesses that are for-profit, then they are taxed like other for profits.

[@kiterafrey]

I wasn't expecting a lesson in how to be better at SEO on KZbin, but I'm here for it

[@furlycee]

This was an incredibly comprehensive and intelligent breakdown of the behind-the-scenes of our internet activity, but also the sketchy behind the scenes of these mega religions and how they draw you in.

[@hank_430]

Mormon Influencers are this generation's LDS missionaries - it's brilliant because the mormon church has done such a successful job flying under the radar and this is just keeping with that vibe. Thanks for taking the time to educate your audience! So important for us to be internet literate!

[@giantclaw138]

Also because missionary work today feels more pointless now than ever before. I went to Italy for my mission, accepted early that I wouldn't convert anyone, and then just vibed and enjoyed my time there

[@anainesgonzalez8868]

@@giantclaw138 I am so glad you were able to enjoy your time in your mission. Every time I see the young people in their missions I feel kind of sorry for them. May be that is just ignorant but that is how I feel

[@giantclaw138]

@@anainesgonzalez8868 Yeah, if they're not the kind that seem to be smothering salesmen or just 100% chill and carefree, they usually are miserable in some way, whether or not they're aware of it.

[@BrianS1981]

@@giantclaw138 The whole point of the missionary work was to keep you in your box. Any converts from it were just a bonus.

[@giantclaw138]

@BrianS1981 Yeah, I've come to realize that in the last couple months. I'm PIMO at the moment until I can move out of parents' place. I'm not sure if I'll ever tell them because I'd rather make them think everything is all good in their heads. Losing my testimony's made me stop taking my time with them for granted and taking life for granted in general. I'm even in the situation where my family has noticed a huge positive change in me, not knowing that it coincides with when I stopped believing.

[@DeathTheKidIsYummy]

I think another fact missing is that the church is also getting 10% back for every Mormon they sponsor or even more since they aren't the only sponsors so it honestly might not cost them anything to do this 🤯

[@brooklynnbaca]

can you elaborate on this?

[@mstie3252]

@@brooklynnbaca Members of the LDS church are required to tithe (give 10% of their income to the church). So if an influencer makes $100,000 off of her KZbin or Instagram, she gives $10,000 to the church.

[@marleneperry6972]

​@@mstie3252yea, that is what I have been told also,🫤

[@s.a.4358]

Very good point! Sounds almost like an investment scheme; support smaller content creators when they start up and you think they are promising, then catch in when the investment comes through

[@chameleon25]

@@mstie3252i hadn’t even thought of that!! That’s so insane

[@germssssss]

I can just see the Mormonism in their faces 😭 they hardly talk about Mormonism but their very existence feels like propaganda

[@arlowolf1690]

It's the inbreeding pool from generations of tight-knit polygamy

[@germssssss]

@@arlowolf1690 LMAOOOO

[@_ainyy]

@@germssssss it literally is tho hahah

[@emirom2]

The two Beeston families all have “Mormon Face.” lol Blonde hair and blue eyed beauties! 😂

[@AnnoyingNewsletters]

Stepford Wives before it was cool.

[@She_it_her]

I’m glad your channel is reaching people who haven’t previously been interested or known about Mormonism. Alex is Shook mentioned you in one of his streams a few weeks ago and it made me smile

[@Justamillenialworkinmomma]

What’s crazy is after this video I read an article of all the real estate rentals they own in Florida! They just bought one in plantation Florida and also the amount of stock they invest in. I read someone else say they masquerade as a church but are a billion dollar corporation. It is crazy I don’t know how the followers see it all as okay.

[@breebell468]

I agree with what youre saying here, but I also think there is more to it. Mormon mommy vloggers have a conservative squeaky clean image that a lot of companies are drawn to. Advertisers that sell products aimed at families have an insentive to piggy back off of them because people with families tend to watch Mormon Mommy vlogger content.

[@ShannonMurray117]

I was thinking this too. But in that case are “Christian” or “conservative” high dollar search terms too? I don’t know how to check, but following that logic they should be.

[@blackberryhoney6248]

@@ShannonMurray117 'Christian' as a search term is worth $4.33, and 'conservative' is one of the lowest value terms I've seen at only 35 cents! I looked these up on the same platform she used to give it a fair comparison.

[@helensernett9477]

What do the ads look like? Are they all LDS ads, or are they something else…like for companies the church owns stock in?

[@cerin59]

Your theory doesn't account for the cost per click difference. Did you watch the video?

[@cerin59]

​@@blackberryhoney6248so? The topic is cost per click for mormon related terms , not general conservatism. Uh

[@geaoriana]

a couple of years ago i spent six months in a really mormon community as an exchange student. my host parents were (are) in the church. on my first day of school a girl introduced me to her friends group, she’s not mormon but all of the group is. so months went on and they started inviting me to their volleyball nights, their dances, mutuals on wednesdays, i even went to their church prom with a mormon date (sweetest guy ever, he said he was in love with me and told me about his doubts about going on a mission). i had already started to attend church on sundays because my hp had asked me to try and go with them and since my friends were there i just thought it was an easy way to spend time with them. now, years apart i look back and i can’t believe how strongly i was influenced by them: i bought a long white skirt to wear at church since they all were wearing dresses, i started to question myself and what i posted on my socials, one of my teacher who’s in the church, after seeing me once there, started asking me why was i not taking the seminary class just like the other kids. in the end they’ve been amazing friends to me and im grateful for it but i always wonder how much of their friendship was made in order to try to convert me? and i was so so close to ask my host mum to make me go to seminary and try get my baptism before i left to go back to germany. now i know host families are not allowed to support baptisms and religion changes without the bio family’s consent - and mine would have never accepted it.

[@JessiMokaJoe]

Genuinely doubt they had any good intentions besides trying to convert you

[@chrisdierks1173]

I‘ve had the exact same experience with my host family and friend group during my exchange year. What‘s shocking to me looking back is how many of these very religious families had exchange students, like there were a lot of us… Feels like a converting scheme tbh

[@anzhelikaminasyan290]

Similar experience, except I am sure all the niceing was done for them to become Gods.

[@geaoriana]

@@JessiMokaJoe one time i was joking with my host mum about trying to get a green card for the us and she was like “just convert and marry the guy you went to prom with” lol

[@kimberlythomas4373]

I’m an active member of the LDS church. Members genuinely enjoy being hospitable. They’re also encouraged to be civically active as a way to give back ( a way of serving). I promise their friendliness was authentic. Of course they’d think it was great if you joined their church but that’s not their motivation for kindness.

[@leonie3294]

Mormons also tend to have a LOT of kids which seems to be very popular with family channels, like the more the better Not enough Nelsons with their 16 kids come to mind

[@alyssadgrenfell]

Honestly I don’t really trust anyone who makes a living off showing the private lives of their children.

[@leonie3294]

@@alyssadgrenfell Very true, unfortunately it still happens a lot Not enough Nelsons habe to be one of the worst

[@nickywal]

Given how many former family vlogger kids have come forward to talk about how abusive it was, how they never felt able to consent etc. That family vlog channels still exist is terrifying

[@lifewithlarsandsusie8315]

Is Not enough Nelson’s Mormon? I didn’t realize that. She is crazy!

[@leonie3294]

@@lifewithlarsandsusie8315 yeah they've made videos about their kid's baptizings and missions and I think the Dad is kind of a bigger name in the church

[@vickyhamlin]

This was so interesting especially the comparison between influencers in different geographic regions making the same content and earning such different amounts. It now makes sense why a couple of families moved from Hawaii to Utah and their lifestyle became more lavish. And although one family even moved fairly recently into a beautiful luxury home they had purposefully built their latest vlog is about a potential new house move! Your theory makes total sense!

[@PlasmicPenny]

Man, that is in depth and so informative, beyond the point I wanna shout out the quality of the research

[@bolarida9851]

Hi Alyssa, I discovered your channel through KZbin Shorts and I love your videos-I’ve watched all of them! I grew up in the Presbyterian church. In my church, I was taught that the Mormon church wasn’t truly Christian, but rather a cult. I never really understood why, as to me, it was mostly about not drinking coffee. However, after watching your videos about the temple, I can see how it seems suspicious. I no longer follow the Presbyterian church myself because I have my own issues with it, but seeing you now, free and living life to the fullest, is truly inspiring to me. My whole family is Presbyterian, and my departure from the church has become a huge taboo. Keep being an inspiration to all the ex-Mormons out there! Love you

[@alyssadgrenfell]

Hello!! Thank you for taking the time to send this message. It really means a lot. It's really amazing to see how sharing stories can lift other people, even if they're not Mormon. We are the black sheep and we are brave. I hope I get to meet you someday :) Love you too!

[@UlexiteTVStoneLexite]

EX Presbyterian here also. My church's youth pastors did a very good job of teaching us why all the other denominations and other religions were wrong, including Mormonism. It's a really good way to make sure that once that person figures out that that one is wrong also that everything else just came crumbling down and there's no reason to believe any of it. Fortunately none of the kids at my church paid any attention to me whatsoever and I moved away from home at 18 so I haven't really talked to anybody from my church in a very long time so we becoming atheist really had absolutely no repercussions there. The only repercussions were with my family and those have been mostly not too bad. We had a blow up for a number of months because they are bigoted boomers and I had had enough for a while.

[@TheBeingReal]

Congrats of freedom from religion!

[@xxsskyyxx]

@@UlexiteTVStoneLexiteI don’t see how anyone can be an atheist .. but agnostic yes

[@UlexiteTVStoneLexite]

@@xxsskyyxx I don't see how anyone can possibly claim that God makes any logical sense whatsoever. There is zero reason for a God there is zero evidence for a god. The entire notion is ridiculous. Is it absurd to say that Pokemon are not real creatures? Is it absurd to say that Voldemort is not a real person? Your statement just made it clear that I have to accept that Voldemort could possibly be a real person and that Pokemon can possibly be real creatures. No. If someone makes something up I do not have to agree that that made up idea is even remotely possible.

[@madisonweber2480]

I think a big part of their success is making wholesome content, they're a safe bet for companies to do sponsored content and for platforms to share

[@marleneperry6972]

But now coming off as being so fake now...the long standing unusual happiness one feels in their presence, at least I do.

[@madisonweber2480]

@@marleneperry6972 I've only watched Jane's shorts because she's been recommended to me, I don't really know how because family content doesn't appeal to me and I wasn't aware she was even Mormon but maybe that's dumb on my part watching the Utah Mom series. I'm child free and live in Texas so idk

[@aashu1512]

​@@madisonweber2480 same!! I didn't even realise she was mormon

[@catg2282]

I mean I suspected it when I looked into her page, but yeah Jane's hilarious skits does hide the Mormon part of her.

[@hellotroggy]

Reminds me that the CIA and FBI also heavily recruit from Utah/LDS

[@alicey.c.7316]

Alyssa it's absolutely hilarious that the church is paying you to hate on them 😂😂😂 I'm so proud of you

[@ashleighsummerlin2811]

Literally was thinking the same thing!! Love this lol 😂

[@anthill1510]

She is also getting paid tons of money for this specific video from banks. I was wondering why she mentioned names of specific banks again and again, .... it`s key words that she is mentioning that will make these banks give her money for this video. Feels a bit disturbing having her talk about how revenue works and understanding what she is doing to drive revenue to her at that very moment.

[@hegetv2111]

​@@anthill1510That's just how this works. She would in fact get ad revenue from the Mormon church from all her videos. The way ad revenue is triggered doesn't take into account whether or not someone is talking negatively or positively about a topic when trigger words are mentioned. I believe the message in this video is important, and there's no way around explaining this without saying some key words that would trigger ad revenue. Do you question her motives in general?

[@anthill1510]

@@hegetv2111 It`s interesting how often people misunderstand observation as critique. First of all I didn`t talk about her ad revenue from the Mormon Church at all, I pointed out she will get ad revenue from BANKS for this specific video. I am very happy that the Mormon Church accidentally pays ExMormons ad revenue to expose the Mormon Church. I value Alyssas content and I am actually grateful that she explained all this because I didn`t know how ad reveue worked. By the way this also explains why there are so many more ExMormon influencers than ExEvangelicals, etc. The Mormon Church funds them accidentally so they can keep their channels going with profit more easily, same as Mormon influencers. Since she mentioned specific names from banks several times while explaining to us how key words work I am sure she is aware that her mentioning these bank names will trigger ad revenue and she did it on purpose. She could have just said "banks" without listing specific bank names, but she did list them every time. I think it would be insulting her intelligence to think she knows about how key words work well enough to explain it in detail but doesn`t know what she is doing by listing these bank names every chance she gets. I am happy with Alyssa getting that ad revenue from banks, I am not freaked out by her getting paid, I am freaked out by how the algorithm manipulates us and how influencers can manipulate the algorithm. It is an unsettling feeling being explained the manipulation while the manipulation happens at that very moment. Again: I made an observation how creepy the algorithms are and an observation that Alyssa is using the algorithms to her advantage. I did not and don`t want to critique her for doing that.

[@anthill1510]

@@hegetv2111 It`s interesting how often people misunderstand observation as criticism. First of all I didn`t talk about her ad revenue from the Mormon Church at all, I pointed out she will get ad revenue from BANKS for this specific video. I am very happy that the Mormon Church accidentally pays ExMormons ad revenue to expose the Mormon Church. I value Alyssa`s content and I am actually grateful that she explained all this because I didn`t know how ad reveue worked. By the way this also explains why there are so many more ExMormon influencers than ExEvangelicals, etc. The Mormon Church funds them accidentally so they can keep their channels going with profit more easily, same as Mormon influencers. Since she mentioned specific names of banks several times while explaining to us how key words work I am sure she is aware that her mentioning these bank names will trigger ad revenue and she did it on purpose. She could have just said "banks" without listing specific bank names, but she did list them every time. I think it would be insulting her intelligence to think she knows about how key words work well enough to explain it in detail but doesn`t know what she is doing by listing these bank names every chance she gets. I am happy with Alyssa getting that ad revenue from banks, I am not freaked out by her getting paid, I am freaked out by how the algorithm manipulates us and how influencers can manipulate the algorithm. It is an unsettling feeling being explained the manipulation while the manipulation happens at that very moment. Again: I made an observation how creepy the algorithms are and an observation that Alyssa is using the algorithms to her advantage. I did not and don`t want to critique her for doing that.

[@ShaYa21]

It does make sense to me. Back in 2020, I created a KZbin channel dedicated to yoga and meditation mainly. I posted over 200 videos, I had some people watching them, and yet even though one of my videos did attain 500 views (if my memory serves me right) it never took off. I live in Europe, my mother tongue is French so on the basis of what you say, even though I put on all the correct keywords, I never got a cent off my videos from KZbin since I never even reached 1000 subscribers. It was an experience but given that I really gave it my all, posted every second day, then twice a week as I could see that my channel was not pushed forward and the views plummeted, I gave up after 2 years simply because I couldn't afford to spend 3 hours to create a yoga video which weren't even pushed forward to be seen. It's an experience but thanks to you Alyssa, I know why it didn't work 😉 I also really enjoy your other content but I never really comment but I do like them when I remember to do it. You are a very brave person and I really praise you for what you're doing.❤❤ I was never in a cult but I find it really interesting to see how they work so as to better avoid them 🙏🏻

[@christina3maria]

this is the most accessible explanation of SEO i've yet encountered - well done!

[@natalierose1072]

Moral of the story, "churches" should not be tax exempt

[@DavidTaylor-n1z]

Such large taz exemptions create itresponsibly.

[@dstigers6140]

Do you know why churches et al are tax exempt?

[@bee2022]

​@@dstigers6140 yeah, because there is supposed to be a separation of church and state and we all know how much the Christian church as a whole is willing to stay seperate

[@dandylandpuffplaysminecraf8744]

@@dstigers6140because the are supposed to charity work and act on behalf of the people. Which is tax exempt. In theory.

[@mariaoyelere2003]

Charities pay for ads, should they be tax exempt?

[@kristinrobertson2076]

The church’s surprisingly lax attitude towards influencers and modestly is super fascinating to me!

[@spiffychic1979]

My theory on that is they want to make it seem “natural” now that the cat is out of the bag on garments. Like they’re pulling away from the cult aspect because they can influence more people to think it’s not a cult but just wholesome fun.

[@madmelk]

i also find that soo curious like hooow

[@Pizzapizza-w4e]

They just spoke in conference how we should wear garments. The church doesn't make anyone do anything though lol

[@Atillatcele]

@@Pizzapizza-w4e The church is very clear on this issue to members. Garments are not optional! Must be worn night and day with very little exceptions. (until you hit 100k followers on social media….then it’s a “personal choice.”)

[@emilybori1620]

@@Atillatcele I’m a member of the church that wears garments and no one is forcing me to. It’s symbolic and a reminder of the covenants you make with god, and it is no one’s business besides you and god if you’re wearing them or not. I couldn’t care less if my peers are wearing them, it’s not my place or anyone’s to judge.

[@Imandria]

I was looking at buying a small house in a small neighborhood but looked online and found that all of the farmland (which isn't being used) around it is owned by the LDS church. Without knowing what they want to do with that land, I was convinced I didn't need that little house. A church doesn't need to be hoarding land.

[@schmidtcs]

Maybe they plan to put a temple there?

[@Danielle-zq7kb]

Plenty of wealthy people and corporations are buying farmland to control the source of food in what many believe will become a scarce and lucrative resource due to climate change and/or overpopulation. So it is no surprise that the Mormon Church is also doing that.

[@eriny8707]

The Mormon church is more of a business entity than it’s ever been. Since they got to Utah they’ve been hoarding wealth and are sitting on probably a billion dollars. There is probably more interest among church leaders to run the church to let their assets gain value than interest in people’s spiritual welfare. With the church’s hate based teachings being continually rescinded I don’t know how any spiritual leaders could actually believe in the doctrine anymore.

[@arlowolf1690]

Guaranteed, they're buying farmland for revenue, and food stores, since the religion is one heavily focussed on the struggle of the rapture

[@mars-guajardo2507]

⁠​⁠@@schmidtcsdude no they’re definitely HOARDING hoarding land… the LDS church is about to be single largest land owner in America 😭 they own 2.3 million acres of private land in the us 😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@KamoheloM___]

If you taught me Math in high school, I’d be a genius. You’re really good at explaining this. Love from South Africa 🇿🇦.

[@elisa-beary]

Just came across your channel via this video, subbed immediately. I’ve always thought it’s two fold: 1. LDS women that have more traditional roles can be stay at home moms but rly be getting paid more than their husbands in the social media loophole. They can tout their traditional values, show all their kids when they’re rly not just stay at home moms w/ the same disadvantages they’d have. 2 it’s LDS propaganda which Ive never had someone theorize this better than you, here. It’s sick cuz they’re getting even MORE incentive to blast their kids all over social media for the LDS fam vloggers & tell their every life details w/o them getting consent. The church could be doing a million other things w/ that money to actually help the ppl struggling in their confrontations & worthy causes but they hoard it & do shit like this. It’s so gross!! We also know how their numbers have shot down due to younger ppl joining & leaving & theyre desperately trying to get their 18-35ish members up.

[@annecastanne]

Omg… you nailed it. There’s a few Mormon families who suddenly moved from Hawaii to Utah. They definitely profit off of how cute their kids are and how Barbie-ish they all look. They were SUDDENLY able to afford a much more lavish lifestyle once they moved to Utah. Wow. It is crazy… I mean it is NOT hard to see the appeal. All you have to do is move to a place filled with people who look and think like you, share some tips the advertisers love, be “unproblematic” and then reap the benefits. I don’t like it, but I see why they do it. I lived in that world. A lot of us did… but it made me feel sick. People probably think we’re envious and petty for thinking like this, but the implications of a church paying people to project an idilic lifestyle is… insidious and dangerous.

[@Nina-jd7em]

Yeeees. I was always like „wait?! If you love Hawaii so much and are extremely sad about leaving Hawaii why do you leave? You are influencers and can work from all over the world (plus I think the content opportunities may be better on Hawaii)

[@sunflowerbaby1853]

Why can’t they do the same stuff in Hawaii? I don’t understand. Could someone please explain. Thanks.

[@craigstephenson7676]

Hawaii has by far the highest cost of living in any state in America, it’s kinda obvious that that would be able to afford more after moving to Utah

[@anainesgonzalez8868]

@@sunflowerbaby1853 Alyssa explains in the video, people from Utah watching the adds pays more. (Probably because the church puts money for that)

[@DavidTaylor-n1z]

Very frw livve an idyllic lifestyle in the LDS

[@JJoy-bk8yr]

This might solve something I've been wondering about. A lot of nomadic/van life influencers settled down during the pandemic lockdowns. Trent and Allie settled in Utah, building a small home in the mountains (Trent grew up in Utah). Five years ago, they were very minimalistic, but since settling in Utah, their lifestyle is becoming quite lavish, much more than other erstwhile vanlifers. They work extremely hard, but so do others who settled in other places. It's been a puzzle to me, seeing them hire employees, start business ventures, buy the best construction materials and vehicles, accumulate all the "stuff." They aren't Mormons and might be completely unaware why their ad revenue made such a drastic leap.

[@ginao6810]

Yes I’ve seen this too. I’ve had some Mormon family pop up in my feed and I didn’t even realise they were Mormon for over a year (i live in Australia, so Mormonism isn’t a big deal here). Over time they’ve gone directly from small rented one bedroom apartments to building their own enormous McMansion. These aren’t starter homes, they are enormous, custom, lavishly fitted out homes. Such a leap is so conspicuous. It’s clear they’ve made some GOOD money in the past few years. And yes they probably have family help, but they made such a point of barely affording their small rental previously.

[@auntlynnie]

I think the LDS social media phenomenon is similar to how MLMs are so popular with LDS: It’s related to how comfortable they are with speaking with strangers due to serving their mission.

[@kimberlythomas4373]

There is some truth to this. I went on a mission fir the church for 18 months. I’m not intimated in talking to anyone. You can A lot of confidence.

[@luiysia]

its like the ultimate sales training course lol

[@luiysia]

also a lot of mormons are super into theater and music and other performance arts bc its an outlet for them to express themselves and hang out with their friends which also translates well into being an influencer

[@JadeStDenis]

I think one aspect too that all of them have in common is Mormon culture is very family driven and for non-LDS that is fascinating to see, as well as a glimpse of something that we potentially didn’t have as children. And another you’ve talked about before is the “Mormon voice”, they know how to make it pleasing and appealing to an audience. Also with having to “sell Mormonism” on missions, they’re good at laying things out. My boyfriend is LDS and was a missionary and we discussed Joseph Smiths polygamy and he laid it out in such a neat way that I almost was like “awww he’s (Joseph) is such a Good Samaritan” - like it was normal to get married that young (ehhh), and he did it so he could give families back their land titles and things like that

[@user-po8wv9vh5k]

Nope, I watch family-friendly non-Mormon content. It’s 100% LDS church finance.

[@AlexaSmith]

girl...this is some of the best investigative journalism i've ever seen in my life....this just blew my mind. i just saw your video where you talked about how you were told to become a teacher and i have to say i can understand why. it seems like you have found the perfect medium for your amazing teaching style :D

[@irina-ty1336]

It's not the first time I heard anti-XX channels getting adds about XX on their channel. I follow several anti-scam / anti-MLM channels, and that's a regular occurence on their channels too. Most of them are annoyed those adds exists to begin with, but most of them are okay with that, as they are getting payed by the compagnies they are talking against to ; and also, their audience is the least receptive they can hope for, so the compagnies are litteraly throwing money by the window

[@Ceibhfhionn]

This reminded me of Hannah Alonzo talking about this and MLMs. I love it.

[@irina-ty1336]

@@Ceibhfhionn Yes, I was thinking about her 😁😁. That was not the first time I heard anti-scam channels complaining about having scam adds, but she was the one that explains that the most.

[@caylinvance3569]

My personal theory about this (especially when it comes to ex-whatever religion) is that the organizations or religions or whatever they happen to be speaking against speaking against want to try to steer people away and get them curious enough to check it out for themselves and potentially join

[@PansyPops]

Reminds me of channels like OneTopic, Jammidodger, etc, KZbinrs who make pro-LGBT content. A lot of people got ads for Matt Walsh’s “documentary”.

[@irina-ty1336]

@@caylinvance3569 Ho, it's simpler than that. The algorythm are not very good at decerning pro-XX or anti-XX content, they only know "interessed in XX", so they show adds for XX

[@Cat_Woods]

Ho-ly [expletive]. When I was a Christian, I used to begrudgingly acknowledge that "the Mormons sure have their community scene together." But this -- this is next level. And so deliberate. I'm stunned.

[@orisonorchards4251]

They have more money than God, and they spend it well. They have a HUGE social media department and spend a FORTUNE on advertising. (And almost nothing on humanitarian aid.)

[@rosehannah4845]

@@orisonorchards4251 sick and evil. Makes me so mad!

[@ZebraXWarrior]

Ya’ll haven’t seen the humanitarian report that the church puts out every year? Here is an excerpt from 2023 : The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeks to extend care to an ever-increasing number of God’s children in need. In 2023, this work of welfare, self-reliance, humanitarian aid, and volunteer service added up to more than US$1.3 billion in expenditures and 6.2 million hours volunteered. As detailed in the 2023 summary, “Caring for Those in Need,” the Church’s 4,119 humanitarian projects blessed people in 191 countries and territories. “As followers of Jesus Christ, we consider this to be both a duty and a joyful privilege,” the First Presidency said in the summary. “We gratefully acknowledge the selfless contributions of time and means from Church members, friends, and other trusted organizations that enable this work to progress and expand.”

[@ZebraXWarrior]

The church loves humanitarian aid. I will tell you that we as a family love to volunteer in our community as well.

[@MsTheGurr]

​@@ZebraXWarrior 1.3 billion is a lot. But not a lot when you take a big picture look at their total wealth. 150 billion stock portfolio, land ownership and real estate value. Also, those volunteer hours are largely used for their own members. All callings are unpaid volunteer hours. All the time and effort is given to the organization and not outside of it. It saves the church a lot of money to encourage "volunteering". I do NOT find God in that kind of wealth hoarding organization.

[@electricvanessa1986]

I can tell you’ve been a teacher, you’re so good at explaining things! ❤

[@milicamaelissazivanovic]

Went in for a fun video while I’m folding my laundry, got out with valuable knowledge and marketing advice. Thanks!

[@yeeyeeyeeye]

I remember from one of your shorts that prosperity and wealth is highly sought after in Mormonism, and that goes in hand with social media, which also encourages people to appear more successful and rich than they actually are.

[@jasonkrick1614]

You mean like instagram models who realized they weren’t real models when IG went down for a day?

[@danica5235]

@@jasonkrick1614 why are you putting down women on a post about mormonism….

[@ZebraXWarrior]

Actually we are taught to not go into debt, except it be for education. You will be paid according to your knowledge. Some of our prophets do not stop attending university classes even in their retirement years. We are commanded to learn of things in the earth, on the earth, above the earth, etc. There is so much to learn. There is no way we can learn it all in one life time. It’s not exactly wealth that we are after, that’s more of an after effect - because what you are supposed to get is an education and knowledge.

[@jordahnnelson9926]

​"it's not exactly wealth we're after" doesn't translate to the church you belong to being the wealthiest religious organization on the planet. maybe not most Mormons (as in the regular working class people the church exploits it's wealth from) but mormonism as an institution is absolutely concerned with wealth.

[@TheTaradactyl7399]

And the church paying these influencers also helps to positively associate wealth and LDS in people's minds. "Why are all Mormons rich? Maybe I should look into this religion..." 😅

[@LilDinoGuy]

A) this is so fascinating; I love how deep you dive into your research process and how you construct ideas. B) Oh my God, I hope the financial buzzwords throughout the video brought in the big bucks lol

[@ElsaLoui]

I always get shown a ton of Mormon advertisements from KZbin when I watch your videos

[@alyssadgrenfell]

Kinda crazy when you think about the implications, huh 😧😧

[@RePlayQ]

@@alyssadgrenfellit’s oddly comforting that they’re also paying for your content lmao

[@XpinkandsparkleyX]

Same! I keep getting ads to join the LDS church. I left a comment with an Amazon link to Alyssa’s book on a couple. It likely does nothing but makes me feel good haha🤣

[@catfoodcompany]

I hope the church is promoting/paying for your content! Get some of that tithing back!!!!!

[@Summer09824]

@@alyssadgrenfelland also the church must be paying for these ads? Because I too get a lot of adds to join lol

[@sarahlongstaff5101]

I think your hypothesis is very strong! And you did a huge job explaining to Americans how powerful American churches are.

[@siiiiena]

I truly thought you had lost the plot initially, but you are SO right!! This is definitely one of my favourite videos you have made.

[@9eyeswideopen]

It’s also family vloggers who are everywhere on the internet. My niece was watching Davy and April I couldn’t believe how much April was pushing the church without her even realising. So I watched others with her mum we couldn’t believe how much my niece was being witnessed too without even knowing. The church has good reason to support all these family vloggers

[@AprilFriday-de6vm]

On the less fun side, you perfectly explained how Ruby Franke was able to make so much (she claimed, millions) posting about low-key abusing/neglecting her kids (as well as being a thin blonde mother-of-many doing trad wife crafts).

[@Link-dx1lx]

Nothing low key about it. She tortured them for years

[@AprilFriday-de6vm]

@@Link-dx1lx agreed. But I think only the low-key forms made it on camera, while the forms that were actually illegal were not filmed. There was certainly nothing “low key” about the crimes for which she and Jodi Hildebrandt were convicted. People have gone to prison for a lot less.

[@amanda_weber1]

Girl you are a great speaker and presenter. So happy for you to be getting sponsored! You put a lot of work into delivering great content.

[@Uufda651]

You mentioned forever families as a keyword for Mormonism and it made me wonder about if that accidentally redirects some ads to pet adoption videos, because often it's said that the dogs or whatever are going from their foster families to their forever families.

[@jwashburn6768]

You probably won't see this, but thank you for the 101 on ad revenue through social media. I really learned a lot and had many questions answered. I am new to your channel, good content, very educational.

[@Avenger24601]

Teacher says when a Church ad pops up on Alyssa’s videos, an angel gets its wings…and Alyssa goes ca-ching!

[@kayleaf13]

This is actually a super cool video (separate from it being well constructed) because I have been seeing an influx of advertisements for positive religious content/ads for churches and whatnot since I became atheist and started watching a lot of ex-religious creators, my ads went from 0-10 and it's just really cool that you provided the background you researched because I was so curious as to how it happened, and I had a feeling it was targeted.

[@catherinesullivan641]

I see them and block them!

[@anthill1510]

@@catherinesullivan641 If you let the ads run, the Mormon Church is giving money to the people talking against them, so that would be a fun protest.

[@MissDuke2012]

Easy answer. The algorithm.

[@LuccaAce]

As a librarian, I appreciate the internet literacy training you're giving, Alyssa! Also, very interesting information - I've never been Mormon, but I enjoy learning more about it

[@maryannkaczmarek7508]

THANK You FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO WITH THE VIEOS.!!!!! I was lied too and joined the mormon church. Since then thanks to people like you I have left. You are doing more service than you can realized. God bless you and your family.

[@lizzylouisewoo]

It’s funny I never really care about Mormons but your videos are so great to listen to when I need some background human talking. It’s like learning and having a friend share their experiences all in one. I love listening to you talk about anything! Would watch any thing you make 😇

[@RotemN]

This long video about money & mormons is gonna earn so much

[@rebeccacoyle5438]

😂

[@anthill1510]

Yeah, I noticed she mentioned specific names of banks several times while explaining to us how key words work I am sure her mentioning these bank names will trigger ad revenue and she did it on purpose. She could have just said "banks" without listing specific bank names, but she did list them every time. It is an unsettling feeling being explained the algorithm WHILE the triggering of the algorithm happens at that very moment. This also explains why there are so many more ExMormon influencers than ExEvangelicals, etc. The Mormon Church funds them accidentally so they can keep their channels going with profit more easily, same as Mormon influencers. To be clear: I make an observation about how unsettling the system of the algorithms is and an observation that Alyssa is using the algorithms to her advantage. I did not and don`t want to critique her for doing that.

[@RotemN]

@@anthill1510 I'm all for people like Alyssa taking advantage of the system! Honestly her getting back her tithing money by being an exmormon is so funny to me. Everything she said about mormon influencers also applies to ex-mormons. I appreciate that she didn't try to hide the fact that she's benefiting from the same system. I thought about panda who's ex JW and how less successful he is. His videos are a different style but still shocking difference

[@anthill1510]

@@RotemN Yes, I think it`s great and I hope the Mormon Church doesn`t realize this and doesn`t figure out a way to stop ExMormons profitting.

[@Hattie2m]

I'm a content writer for a web design and SEO company. We have to explain this all nearly every day to our clients so they understand how we are actually helping them.

[@drbulbul]

I was sceptical at the beginning, but not even halfway into your argumentation I was completely convinced.

[@alexandersmit4256]

Now it makes more sense that I was even recommended this content in the first place. Seen that credit card youtuber in my shorts, too. Here's my contribution to the engagement. Also: Mormon, Mormon, Finance, Advertising, Mormon, Finance, Mormon, Mormon, Advertising Finance, Finance, Mormon, Advertising

[@gulplastgaffel]

Are you looking for a mormon in finance?

[@lisagrace6471]

hahahaha

[@funpunhun]

Honestly this is everything I have been thinking of and MORE! As someone working in social media, the data and the behind the scenes of this video really showcase how 1) people make money 2) why people make the content they do and 3) the people paying for these key words. Kudos to you!!

[@daphnereal3129]

I can't comprehend a church owning that much money and STILL charging tithing and missionaries. Don't they have enough??? Surely they can invest in their members a little more, can't they??? I don't get it.

[@oliviabotelho5936]

Hoarding money is how they got that rich, so why would they change now? It's like asking why billionaire business owners won't pay above minimum wage. Unless there is a risk of people leaving there is no reason to spend money on them. It's just pure capitalism.

[@melinatedthinka8210]

How you think they got all that money in the first place lol

[@PhyreReighn]

I paid faithfully for decades to hold my special temple recommend. We went through annual audits and I still paid for my kids missions on top! Its a hypnotic mind set of getting to heaven. Kids exploited through social media should be illegal though!

[@ZebraXWarrior]

It’s not about the $! It is about obeying a commandment and getting the blessing from paying tithing. You cannot get enough blessing from God, can you?

[@watchdog8058]

@@ZebraXWarriorthe God I believe in does not expect a paycheck from me.

[@_milkysoup]

I’m just halfway through but THANK YOU so much for realising how important this crash course in social media ads was!! You kept it really interesting yeah but most importantly I feel grateful you went through the effort and taught me this, feels like my third eye opened or something

[@mohnjayer]

Mormons and MLMs is also another fascinating phenomenon. I live in Nashville and have gotten solicited multiple times by salesmen from Mormon pest control companies. They came to the door and basically sold the same exact thing the same way at slightly different prices.

[@Wolters11792]

This is 100% true. I grew up Mormon in Texas, where there were not many Mormons. I moved to Arizona, did a year of college, and then served a mission. When I came back, everyone tried to get me to sign up for pest control companies, or vivant, as a summer door to door salesman. I was shamed and called stupid when I wouldn’t accept any positions. I also remember when I was growing up, lots of members from the church would come to our house and tried to get us to join their MLM. Some were for makeup, some were about license plates, but I remember being 12 years old, listening to the pitch people were trying to sell our parents and thinking, this is a pyramid scheme.

[@milnjim]

Returned missionaries often come back and start “summer sales”. It used to be solar and now it’s pest control. Non-LDS Utahn here!

[@casskio8608]

Came for the tea, stayed for the thoughtful education and excellent presentation

[@halfheartdead7149]

fascinating, well-researched and well-executed video! very relevant with the regular discussion on mormon influencers.

[@torisandifer518]

The last part, where the Mormon Church is funding Mormon Stories and you and Carah and everyone else, is amazing. When people pull the “why do you keep talking about the church?” you can say “to get my tithing back”!

[@spookieloop]

Your videos are so fascinating! My paternal great-grandfather was an Episcopalian Priest, and my mom is a Wiccan, so I've been exposed to a wide range of religious leaning, but I've never been exposed to LDS (I grew up in the woods. No missionaries trekking through the rural NY forests lol). It's really interesting to learn about from a sociological perspective.

[@smowka]

I am SO GLAD you made this!! I’ve been waiting for someone to break down this phenomena..

[@Charlotte-qu1hg]

So actually advertisers can target specific creators - specifically on KZbin, at least. I've setup ad campaigns before. You can select to place ads on specific KZbin channels. I believe Display Ads also have the same thing for specific websites/blogs. You should have a PPC specialist on your channel to talk about this, I think it would be super interesting to chat about!

[@shelbynalepa7399]

Girl you cracked the code!! This needs to be a whole damn Netflix documentary!!!

[@Vg2024-p7i]

Life is such a funny thing, isn’t it? I’m always taken aback by the revelations you come across in researching for each of your videos, from insane personal discoveries about your ancestral history to how the church is inadvertently paying you back all your old tithing through your content. It’s just wild.

[@BevMargaret]

You explained how ad revenue works so well my 48 year old non tech self understood it❤

[@marelinem541]

Yeah ... Me Too!

[@cypriennezed5640]

These keywords and hashtags are the REAL Secret Handshakes, whoa

[@thisoneT]

I'm commenting again for the algorithm! Good for you on calling them out! More people need to expose these churches pushing their agenda!

[@ninahijmans3594]

Omg, ever since ive been watching this channel ive been getting the christian adds like crazy. I was wondering why because they dont specifically name the morman church, but i swear to god every 10 shorts i get one. And now that i click on it its them for sure. Well im happy to support your channel girl

[@fluffybabypolliwog]

Your honesty, passion and courage are so refreshing, but your research efforts and presentation are PRODIGIOUS! I watched the first video out of curiosity since my distaste/disdain for the LDS church dates from Deborah Laake's book, "Secret Ceremonies" in the 90s. I keep watching because of ... well, you. Thank you, Alyssa!

[@SoCalCaitlin14]

All your videos are (imo) college levels analyses. I could see any of them being turned in as a final project and getting an A+. Very thorough and thought provoking.

[@suerasley7237]

This one seemed to be on the PhD level and masterfully presented.

[@kenburwood]

Very well thought out and presented. Love how you went into all the details and comparisons to strengthen the argument. I 100% agree with you! The Mormon church is clearly the organization that would pay for that targeting. Id be willing to bet that they do in fact want their adds shown over ex-mo content too--though they'd certainly prefer to do it without gaving to pay the creator if they could. Funny thing, while growing up, I was repeatedly told by my mormon parents and mormon leaders how the Catholic church was actually the wealthiest corporation in the world, and they would use it as a talking point at proof that they're more about profit than faith... Yet the Mormon Church is now the wealthiest church in the world. Them being the wealthiest is pretty crazy itself, considering that theyre not even close to being the biggest! Well, thats what holding a 10% "worthiness" extortion over your member's heads will do for your bank account... I honestly beliebe that NO church should be tax exempt, churches are not in and of themselves charitable organizations, and shouldnt be given special privileges over other money making clubs and corporations. If they have a specific charitable branch, that does true charity work, for the public (not solely for only their members), then Im perfectly on board with giving just that sub-org chartiable tax exemption, and they should have to prove its being used appropriately just like any other charity. But not the church as a whole.

[@marelinem541]

I think even back in the 60s & 70s (back when the mormon church was 'poor') and constantly going on about Catholics being 'The Great Satan,' the mormon church was even then the richest per capita church in the world.

[@MadiMoo-jm7pd]

I so appreciate you putting yourself out here in the world ❤ I have been dating someone who is Mormon for about a year (I’m Christian) I never wanted to diss Mormonism because I didn’t know anything about, but through your videos and my own readings I was able to deduce the stark differences between Christianity and Mormonism…we had previously had conversations about Joseph Smith and becoming gods that he genuinely had no idea was involved in Mormon doctrine..but this past week I had to tell him that I didn’t believe Joseph Smith was a prophet and we ended things because he wants to be married the temple…thank you for bringing the truth in your videos, each video has broken down the truth and allowed me to understand that our worlds are not the same ❤

[@AdaraBalabusta]

No, your worlds are very different and you would be under excruciating pressure to join the lds church.

[@elizabethlovett538]

good job standing up for what you believe in! i encourage you to continue praying for this person as, like you said, our faiths are vastly different. i’m proud of you my sister in Christ, God bless you

[@jeanetteandrews3319]

This comment should be higher!!

[@MadiMoo-jm7pd]

@@elizabethlovett538thank you 🥹

[@MadiMoo-jm7pd]

@@jeanetteandrews3319lol I don’t know about all that, but these videos and the honesty in her videos helped so so much❤

[@ashoriordan1]

I grew up Catholic and am fascinated by all things cult/fundamentalist so am obsessed with your videos. I work for one of the leading global tech companies in advertising and this video blew my mind. It was so well explained and it has finally explored and answered questions that I couldn't quite put my finger on for YEARS. I had figured out that KZbinrs such as Ruby Franke, The Leroys, The Mikesells etc. were all basically modern missionaries promoting only the positive and relaxed aspects of mormon life through their videos but OF COURSE - The Mormon Church are funding it all as the primary advertisers. It's so bloody obvious. This makes me wonder how many of these bloggers are aware of this? I have heard Betsy Mikesell joke that content creators know that there is more money to be made in Utah....

[@lisagrace6471]

Idea for an upcoming video, Alyssa- how much the church spends in humanitarian and charitable aid in context of its total wealth; how much they would give if the church ALSO donated 10% of its wealth. I looked at that sometime in the last few years and they would be the highest giving charitable organization in the USA if they did the 10%. Also....when they report how much they donate...do they mean in hard goods or are they estimating the cost of the free service of members and padding that number.

[@oliviabotelho5936]

What's crazy is that the finance terms are probably that expensive because finance is such a competitive market but the market for prospective mormon converts probably isn't (especially considering the other religions have lower ad costs)- so something clearly is artificially driving up the price of that advertising.

[@mattkenney3359]

This was so interesting. Love the irony that the mormon church is helping fund your channel

[@clawsoon]

I'm guessing this means that the Mormon Church paid for your champagne, which is some sweet irony.

[@peadar-o]

Religions of all kinds are basically the OG of MLM structuring.

[@liseklerekoper2441]

To find the answer to almost anything in our society, follow the money. What Alyssa is saying here is a perfect example. Excellent video!!!

[@ItsJustArtsyMe]

This totally makes sense. I looked up the numbers in google ads keyword ideas and got the same numbers. It's pretty scary how an organization can have so much unrecognized influence. The amount of money the Mormon church has is insane.

[@annep4830]

This video is amazing! "Mormon missionaries" $31.81 CPM??? Who would be paying that other than the LDS corporation itself? This is so great. Here is an additional aspect I think of why the church is advertising: of course they want to have people convert and become tithe payers, but on another level they can use the influencers to promote a positive feeling towards the Mormon church. This way, when the Mormon church wants to build a gigantic temple in their neighborhood, they might not be so upset. LOL. Top-notch content and I'm glad you're getting paid well for it!

[@ImJustCarter]

This video is fantastic, my commenters told me to check it out! I realized we made a super similar video. This is so incredibly well researched and thought-out. I wish I would have seen this before I made mine because you literally got everything I wished I would of.

[@Bageer1]

Been binging a bit of your videos (and some other Mormon and cult/high demand religions) and this is so far my favorite video of yours(so far, although I also really liked your Joseph smith “trilogy” and personal stories like the teacher vid). You have done an amazing job of explaining the general phenomenon of internet advertising and how it can effect the traffic, views etc through the lens/example of the lds/mormon church and Mormon influencers. Even if people are not interested in Mormonism and exMormon I think this is very valuable which is easily generalized

[@patg2109]

What a fascinating deep dive. I am quite at a loss in trying to understand why you popped up on my YT algo feed a few months back, but i was immediately engaged and have made a point to watch all of your videos. It is so just that the mormon church is subsidizing you!

[@kaylivelazquez7354]

You reintroduced me to David Archuleta and his new song, and I can't thank both of you enough for your platforms! ❤ I'm very thankful I never had this religious trauma but I still think so passionately that the world is SO much of a better place because of what you do

[@cellophanezombie5621]

This may have been your most fascinating video yet. Amazing. Edit: AND the church gets 10% back from each of the influencers from tithing 😂 It's evil genius at work.

[@MikeBurgess-b3j]

Best video on how influencers get paid! Thank you for all the research. Very funny that you’re getting your tithing back 😂 I used to live in Utah. As a non-Mormon I have to say that another thing that makes the Mormon religion different from other christian religions is that material success is not seen as “bad” similar to Cuban and Chinese cultures

[@AmiraAyonna]

before you even said your theory, i felt as though we’d be on the same page. i found your videos a couple days ago while doing my medical assistance homework at 2 am😂 i love your videos and the way you speak out about things in the mormon community. 💘