Carl Cranney

Latter-day Saint. Husband. Father. PhD in religion. Nerd. Co-Host of "Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree" podcast.

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

I think this is our best episode yet as we discuss the nature of eternal families from the messiness of life. @A24’s “Eternity” has some great questions to wrestle with. Come give us a listen as we unpack the underlying seriousness of this quirky afterlife romcom!

[Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree @PopApricot]

Would you rather have a sparkly romance or long-term covenant love? We are joined by guest Joshua Richardson to discuss the film Eternity and how its rom-com afterlife premise echoes Latter-day Saint questions about eternal marriage.

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

@Ch_JesusChrist Also, the charge that PR is rogue re-circulates every now and then. It's just not true. Never has been. Never will be.
https://t.co/APgJS62itM

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

There was a kerfuffle on social media about the @Ch_JesusChrist PR department "going rogue" because of a few posts some found objectionable. I found this a reasonable, data-driven response. Don't miss the forest for the trees.

[Kramer's Gospel Thoughts @KramersFaith]

I fed every Church Spotlight into a Word document and had ChatGPT analyze them with the following prompt:

"The attached file contains the LDS church's spotlights from 2026. It contains a bunch of stories and experiences from its members. Please highlight key themes, patterns, teachings, emphases, and profiles that show up in these spotlights." Below is what it responded with:

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

Did you know the fantastic @actordougjones acted in a Mormon polygamy-themed horror short! Go watch it and then join our conversation about it with @TresClare and then the creators, @burgindiepics!

I'm super excited that there's going to be a kind of sequel. Yay!

[Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree @PopApricot]

Can a horror short about polygamy, identifying evil spirits, and murder be a herald of the next wave of Mormon cinema? Meagan Kohler and directors Jessica and Barrett Burgin to talk about the film's reception with audiences and what they are planning next.

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

Things seem a bit crazy right now, but our conversation about "Truth & Treason" helped me quite a bit. Whatever's going on right now, it's nothing like living in Nazi Germany, so we can take some strength from those that did so.

[Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree @PopApricot]

ICYMI: Our latest episode is about Truth and Treason, the Angel Studios film about an LDS teenager who stands up to Hitler. This conversation ranges far and wide, talking about our obligations to our community and to standing up for what's right.

[Chad Winks @chadwinksart]

Joseph Smith: The Prophet Revealed. I used his death mask, skull and Sutcliffe Maudsley drawings to build a 3D model, then rendered the likeness in Nano Banana, Photoshop, and Kling.

Love him or hate him, this now exists (and I love it!)

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

In our most recent episode we talk about the most recent @KnivesOut. If avowed atheist Detective Benoit Blanc can discover some grace through his time with these characters, especially his prime suspect, Father Judd, perhaps we can too.

[Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree @PopApricot]

https://t.co/4bGXoez0FD

[Steve 🇺🇸 @SteveLovesAmmo]

A speed reading training video starts at 300 words per minute and ends at 900 words per minute.

I was able to understand this entire video the first time it was present.

Could you?

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

How should one respond when one has extreme grief? And what would you do if that grief literally manifested itself in the world?

Come listen to our discussion of @AngelStudiosInc “Sketch.”

[Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree @PopApricot]

NEW EPISODE: After scheduling snafus and holiday-induced editing delays, we finally bring you our conversation with Theric Jepson on Sketch, the 2025 family horror/comedy on Angel Studios. Are you the worst things that you've done or the best things you aspire to?

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

Some of these were cancelled before finishing their run, but this is still a wild list.

[DiscussingFilm @DiscussingFilm]

Major TV shows that started & ended during ‘STRANGER THINGS’ run:

• You
• Loki
• Dark
• Barry
• Ozark
• Andor
• Arcane
• Atlanta
• Snowfall
• Riverdale
• This Is Us
• Cobra Kai
• Killing Eve
• Big Mouth
• Luke Cage
• Derry Girls
• Westworld
• The Crown
• Succession
• Yellowstone
• Squid Game
• The Punisher
• Sex Education
• Young Sheldon
• The Good Place
• 13 Reasons Why
• Superman & Lois
• The Good Doctor
• Raised by Wolves
• His Dark Materials
• Star Trek: Discovery
• Designated Survivor
• The Handmaid’s Tale
• The Umbrella Academy
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch
• The Righteous Gemstones
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• What We Do in the Shadows
• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints @Ch_JesusChrist]

President Dallin Harris Oaks (@oaksdallinh) was announced today as the 18th President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The announcement was made during a live broadcast from Salt Lake City, Utah. President Oaks was sustained and set apart today, October 14, 2025.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the prophet is chosen through a divinely inspired process. When the prophet passes away, the First Presidency is dissolved, and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, led by the longest-serving Apostle, assumes leadership, confirming the new Prophet through revelation and priesthood authority.

President Oaks, 93, succeeds President Russell M. Nelson, who passed away September 27, 2025.

The new leader of a global faith of more than 17 million members has called President Henry B. Eyring (@eyringHB), 92, and President D. Todd Christofferson (@ChristoffDTodd), 80 to serve with him as first and second counselors in the First Presidency, the Church’s highest governing body.

President Oaks also announced that President Jeffrey R. Holland (@hollandjeffreyr), 84, will be the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. https://t.co/gVaTEXJHsM

[David A. Bednar @BednarDavidA]

Susan and I have spent the day with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other community members who were involved in the tragic shooting episode that took place in Michigan on Sunday.

The devotion of these faithful members makes me want to be more devoted, and the faithfulness of these good people makes me want to be more faithful.

They have the capacity—because of the eternal perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ—to learn lessons in tragedy in mortality that prepare them for eternal life.

We are familiar with the admonition that we should mourn with those that mourn. There are broken hearts here in Michigan. My invitation to any and all is to continue to pray for these good people.

[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints @Ch_JesusChrist]

With sorrow we announce that Russell M. Nelson, beloved President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has died. He was 101 — the oldest president in the history of the Church.

For more information on the life and ministry of President Russell M. Nelson, see below:

https://t.co/YXJumQouex

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

I really enjoyed the Roger’s and Hammerstein “Cinderella” with Julie Andrews, and hated the 2021 Amazon Prime version (fight the patriarchy! doesn’t fit Cinderella’s tropes). Come listen to our wide-ranging conversation about all things Cinderella!

[Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree @PopApricot]

New episode Thursday! In this episode, we explore the history of film and television adaptations of Cinderella with guests Chanel Earl and Jill Terry Rudy. We talk about how this perhaps most popular of fairy tales intersects with Latter-day Saint themes.

https://t.co/yJzuzp34xG

[David Frum @davidfrum]

So while we're still allowed to tell jokes about political leaders, here's one from Mussolini's Italy.

A woman in her middle years ventures one day to the market to buy food for her family. All the stalls are depleted by shortages: no meat, no vegetables, not even macaroni. 1/x

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

It's getting worse.

Matthew 5:44, D&C 93:16, and the words of the Lord's prophet, @NelsonRussellM from last week are lessons that we are not hearing. We will all pay the price.

[Ezra Klein @ezraklein]

In the last few years we've seen:

- The plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer
- The Storming of the Capitol and pipe bombs left at the RNC and DNC
- The break-in to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and the brutal on Paul Pelosi
- Multiple assassination attempts against Trump
- The assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the shooting of on State Senator John Hoffman and his wife
- Luigi Mangione's assassination of Brian Thompson
- The assassination of Charlie Kirk

Political violence is contagious. It is spreading. It is not confined to one side or belief system. It should terrify us all.

The foundation of a free society is the ability to participate in it without fear of violence. Political violence is always an attack against us all. You have to be so blind not to see that.

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

We humans can't seem to escape thinking of the point system from "The Good Place," but is that really what makes a good person? Come join us as we dive into a discussion of @nbcthegoodplace !

[Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree @PopApricot]

New episode Thursday! Y'all asked for it, so we're finally digging into 'The Good Place,' discussing its take on moral philosophy, the point system, and progression after death with guests Jacob Bender and Adam Stokes.

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

I do, and he should be more vocal if he does (and he should, as an public-facing employee of @Ch_JesusChrist), but THAT'S NOT WHAT THE QUESTION WAS!

I thought it was a good answer to what he was actually asked at the @ldsfair conference. Stop dissembling about his response.

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

When you first came on board the Church there was a lot of online flak, and I’ve even gotten a few questions here asking directly whether or not you support the Family Proclamation. How was that for you when you first came on board? Has it improved, and how do you deal with that?

[Carl Cranney @CarlCranney]

I'd like to point out the the conservative friends of mine here on Twitter that the questions are the 2nd half of that statement, and they are not equivalent in any way to "Do you support the Family Proclamation."