Lauren Yarro is not afraid to tackle the complex — and sometimes controversial — topics surrounding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As the host of "Blonde Apologist," Yarro welcomes both believers and skeptics into honest conversations about divorce, the word of wisdom, modesty and more.
“It really is so precious,” Yarro said. “I recognize and I acknowledge the concerns, the complexities, the pains that people might have, while also talking about the beauty of the gospel.”
Yarro’s ability to engage in difficult conversations was cultivated during her upbringing in Oklahoma, where she was one of few Latter-day Saints among her peers.
Yarro said many of her Christian classmates were strongly taught against “Mormonism,” and she would find herself defending her faith.
A moment that sticks out in her mind is when one of her school teachers was shocked to find out she was considering BYU for college.
“He was like, ‘What? You are one of my best students. I can't believe you're Mormon.’ It was outrageous to him,” Yarro said. “The next day, he came to school and he had his Bible out and … he wanted to read scriptures with me and talk to me about how my faith is wrong.”
Experiences like these have helped shape Yarro into the person she is today.
From a young age she learned to stand up for her faith and developed a strong personal testimony, she said. She surrounded herself with friends who shared her values and found strength in her church community, Young Women leaders and her parents whom she describes as “rock stars in their faith.”
When Yarro was accepted into her dream school, Brigham Young University, she was not only excited about the academic achievement but also for the chance to be surrounded by people who share her faith.
“I loved it … it was like a glorified EFY,” Yarro said. “I loved praying before class. I loved going to devotional on Tuesdays. It really became a great place for me to learn and gain an education, but also grow spiritually.”
Yarro received her mission call to Canada during her first semester of school, something she knew she would do as soon as President Thomas S. Monson announced the age change in 2012.
“I turned to my mom and I'm like, ‘Oh, I'm for sure going on a mission now,’” she recalled. “From that time on, I just knew.”
Her mission deepened her relationship and love for Jesus Christ and taught her lessons she still carries with her today.
After returning to BYU, Yarro pursued a degree in public relations with an emphasis in digital marketing and met her husband, Tanner Yarro. Starting a family with him only strengthened her testimony even further.
“When you get married and you become one, I can tap into (his) strengths … and he can tap into my strengths,” Lauren Yarro said. “I trust him fully when I do have concerns or questions and I think that's helped my testimony so much.”
She first began sharing her thoughts about the her faith on social media after noticing the overwhelming negativity toward the Church online.
“The Church was just horribly represented and constantly attacked, and I just felt like I (wanted to) start doing something,” Yarro said. “So, I started posting on social media.”
But as many have learned, social media leaves you vulnerable to both praise and criticism. No matter what she posted, the response was mixed with positive and critical comments.
Yarro theorizes the reason that the faith has become such a big topic online is simply because “we are a peculiar people.”
“It's funny because critics wouldn't think that this is a good response at all,” Yarro said. “But I think that when people live our faith, it's so evident that they carry a special light about them, and I think people are drawn to that.”
Beyond religious beliefs, Yarro noted that Latter-day Saints stand out in other ways, from getting married and starting families young to their strong sense of community and frequent professional success.
These unique traits make members more noticeable, sparking both curiosity and controversy online.
Navigating the constant social media debate made Yarro realize she wanted a space for deeper, more meaningful conversations about the subject.
“I thought, 'You know what? If I started a podcast, the people who want to learn about these things — the people who care and feel like this resonates with them — will listen,” Yarro said. “Rarely do I have hate listeners who are gonna listen to an hour of me talking about what I love about my faith.”
Podcasting gave her a safe space to dive deeper into conversations without the constant backlash of social media.
Still, criticism is inevitable. While Yarro admits she has occasionally fired back with a snarky comment, she strives to respond as Christ would.
“I would make sure to have the (response) of love and understanding, especially for people who have left our faith,” Yarro said. “They left the faith because something hurt them or they're struggling through some question and their experience was not my experience. So, why would I wanna add more hate? Or more pain to their experience?”
Yarro’s goal is to help others see the beauty in the gospel, even when it can feel complicated and confusing.
Whether listeners are wrestling with doubts or are firmly planted in their faith, she hopes her podcast will encourage them to “hold on a little bit more.”
"Blonde Apologist" is available on Spotify, Apple and Amazon. Yarro is also on Instagram and TikTok under the username @blondeapologist.