Shawn McCraney

Shawn McCraney, Co-Founder of Yeshuans

Biblical Philosopher, Yeshuans Co-Founder

Shawn McCraney is a teacher, author, and host of Heart of the Matter, and founder of Yeshuans. Shawn develops the core Yeshuan teachings, verse-by-verse studies, and live events. His interest and heart is toward the Mormon church, where he was born and raised.

Yeshuans is a unity of efforts by Shawn and his ministry over the last 20 years. Shawn’s ministry was previously called Alathea Ministries, through which he published books through Bjorn Books, hosted the show Heart of the Matter, and taught the Bible at C.A.M.P.U.S. (Christian Anarchists Meeting Prayerfully to Understand Scripture). As the ministry built, and efforts grew, the work was gathered at The Great News Network (TV) and Christian Ultra Libertarians for Truth (School).

All of these efforts now can be found in one single place: Yeshuans. Yeshuans was founded by Shawn McCraney and Delaney McCraney Norris, along with their family. Shawn is one of the main teachers at Yeshuans, and most of the work is built off of his independent research in collaboration with all others around him and all who came before him. Yeshuans however was founded in deep collaboration with members of the Yeshuan ThinkTank, who helped shape platform’s vision and content.

About Shawn McCraney

Born and raised in Huntington Beach, California, Shawn was deeply rooted in the Mormon faith. He served as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and advanced within the church’s ranks. However, his growing disillusionment with the rigidity and control of organized religion set him on a transformative path.

In 1997, Shawn experienced a profound spiritual awakening that reshaped his understanding of faith and salvation. This experience marked the beginning of his departure from institutional religion and his search for authentic spiritual truth.

Shawn’s mission to challenge traditional doctrines and explore faith authentically began to take shape in the early 2000s. Some key milestones include:

• 2006: Launching Heart of the Matter (HOTM), a live call-in show that deconstructs institutional religion and explores the condition of the heart in faith.
• 2013: Teaching scripture in-depth through what was then called C.A.M.P.U.S. Church, later becoming Verse by Verse Teachings.
• Authoring Books: Shawn has written numerous books, including Born-Again Mormon and Revelations on Revelation, which challenge conventional religious perspectives and present fresh insights into scripture.

Through decades of rigorous (and publicly available) study, teaching, and personal exploration, Shawn unearthed the transformative principles behind The Great News. These include:

• Subjective Christianity: Emphasizing personal, evolving relationships with God.
• Fulfilled Eschatology: Understanding that biblical prophecies, including Christ’s return, have been fulfilled.
• Reconciled Soteriology: Recognizing that salvation from sin is complete and universal through Christ’s finished work.

Shawn’s teachings challenge fear-based religion and institutional control, inviting individuals to embrace freedom, love, and truth in their spiritual journeys.

Shawn’s Relevant Experience

Missionary, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

1982 – 1984 · 2 yrs · Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States · On-site

From 1982 – 1984, Shawn served a 24-month volunteer service where LDS Church members devote themselves to full-time proselytizing and humanitarian assistance or service with the intent to convert individuals to Mormonism. In this short time, Shawn excelled in the calling, rising to levels of leadership among his peers.

Licensing, Calvary Chapel School of Ministry

2004 – 2006 · 2 yrs · Costa Mesa, California, United States

Shawn pursued full-time school of ministry where he and his cohort were personally trained in exegesis and biblical languages by Pastor Chuck Smith. 

Founder, Teacher, Author: Alathea Ministries

2006 – 2021 · 15 yrs · Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Alathea Ministries teaches the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ through media, including but not limited to television, publications, art and events.

Teacher, Verse By Verse Teachings (Formerly C.A.M.P.U.S.)

2012 – Present · 13 yrs · Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

C.A.M.P.U.S. stands for Christian Anarchists Meeting Prayerfully To Understand Scripture. Meeting weekly for live-broadcasted teachings, members met weekly to listen to Shawn’s research through each verse of biblical text taught in a verse-by-verse manner. The teachings unpacked linguistic, exegetical and contextual information about the text, and were followed with Q&A discussion.

Writer, Producer, On-Air Host: Heart Of The Matter

2006 – Present · 18 yrs · Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Heart of the Matter was a weekly hour-long live call-in broadcast comparing and contrasting Mormonism with tenants of biblical Christianity. This show was hosted on full-power television station KTMW (TV20) from 2006-2013, and then across independent channels from 2013-2021.

Author, Bjorn Books

2004 – Present · 20 yrs · Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Shawn is the author of dozens of publications about organized religion and spirituality. His work is entirely derived from a robust body of research around the manipulation of liberty in modern religion; each work ranges in depth, complexity, and abstractness. Most notable of his publications are Born-Again Mormon, Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity Face to Face: An A to Z Doctrinal Comparative between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity, Knife to a Gun Fight, Don’t F**k With Jesus, and Revelations on Revelation: Footnotes on the Book of Revelation.

Founder, Yeshuans

2023 – Present · 3 yrs · Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

A free educational resource dismantling religious authority so individuals can walk in a grounded, personal, direct relationship with God. Yeshuans was founded by Shawn McCraney, Delaney McCraney Norris, and collaborators in the Yeshuan ThinkTank.

Shawn’s Featured Interviews and Discussions

Christian Pastor Shawn McCraney Examines His Faith – Anthony Magnabosco

Street Epistemology week continues with Anthony Magnabosco and special guest exMormon Christian pastor Shawn McCraney. After building the foundation of SE with episodes 1-3, in part 4, Shawn is kind enough to play our interlocutor as Anthony questions him about the roots of his religious beliefs. You’ll likely be very surprised with the way this interview progresses as Anthony does his best to display Street Epistemology in the Mormon Stories studio!

Shawn McCraney “Born Again Mormon” Pt. 1 of 3 – Mormon Stories Ep. 126

Part 1 of 3 of an Interview with Shawn McCraney “Born Again Mormon”. Produced by John Dehlin. Shawn is Interviewed by John Dehlin and we learn about Shawn McCraney growing up in the LDS church and how he became born again.

Diary of an Iconoclast

An extra-tell-all interview about Shawn and where he comes from.