SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — One person has sought to reach an understanding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since he first came to Utah on vacation in 2020. Jeff McCullough is an Evangelical pastor and the face of the YouTube channel Hello Saints. As the slogan on his channel says, he is trying to “fight criticism with curiosity.”
With October’s General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taking place this weekend, McCullough has spent the last two and a half years chronicling his journey in learning everything he can about the LDS Church.
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When McCullough and his family came to Utah in 2020 to break the rhythm of the COVID quarantining and social distancing, they were introduced to the state’s predominant religion, founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith. McCullough’s friends who lived in Salt Lake City started to plant the seeds that would eventually become Hello Saints by trying to convince him to come out to Utah because of the state’s “unique” faith atmosphere.