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John Dehlin, founder of the popular "Mormon Stories" podcast, said Thursday that his disciplinary council for apostasy, originally scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed.
Dehlin spoke on Trib Talk, The Salt Lake Tribune's online video chat.
A spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that Dehlin's ecclesiastical leader, Bryan King, a stake president in North Logan, is "attending to family duties" in the wake of his father's death Wednesday.
King has asked that the disciplinary council be moved to Feb. 8, Dehlin said, although Dehlin had not yet confirmed that date.
The podcaster, who is finishing a doctorate in psychology at Utah State University, said he expects to be excommunicated after next month's hearing. His local LDS leaders instead could choose to disfellowship him or take no action.
If he is ousted from the Utah-based faith, Dehlin said, he is not inclined to appeal the excommunication. "It's the church's right to include who they do and don't want in membership."
Dehlin has publicly expressed doubts about core Mormon beliefs and history for years. He also openly supports same-sex marriage and women's ordination to the all-male LDS priesthood.
He and his family have not attended Mormon worship services since June.
"We don't feel welcome, we don't feel respected or particularly loved," he said, noting that fellow congregants were tracking his social media posts and submitting them to his bishop.
"It starts to feel harassing," he said.
Dehlin called on top LDS leaders to issue clear directives to members on whether they can support same-sex marriage or women's ordination and remain Mormons in good standing. Otherwise, confusion will continue, he warned, as local lay clergymen take different tacks in dealing with members who are odds with the church on those issues.
"Dozens and dozens of people on 'Mormon Stories' say they've had callings or temple recommends [necessary to enter the faith's most sacred edifices] taken away for support of same-sex marriage or Ordain Women," Dehlin said. "These people are being coerced and manipulated. That inconsistency is unconscionable."
Ordain Women is a grass-roots movement of LDS women and men who advocate for women's ordination. The group's founder, Kate Kelly, was excommunicated last June.
Asked to respond to Dehlin's comment, LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins referred to a statement from the faith's governing First Presidency in June.
It said members are always free to ask questions about church doctrine, history or practice. "We feel special concern, however, for members who distance themselves from church doctrine or practice and, by advocacy, encourage others to follow them."
Further, it said, "Simply asking questions has never constituted apostasy. Apostasy is repeatedly acting in clear, open and deliberate public opposition to the church or its faithful leaders, or persisting, after receiving counsel, in teaching false doctrine."
Dehlin sees his support for same-sex marriage and women's ordination as significant in the timing of his disciplinary council, which he was notified of in a Jan. 8 letter.
His podcast has been up for a decade, and he has been open about his doubts about some Mormon history and beliefs since 2006, he noted.
"So you have to ask: What's changed?" he said.
Hawkins noted that an August letter from King to Dehlin, which the podcaster made public, did not mention same-sex marriage or priesthood ordination.
Dehlin said King was explicit, but only in their conversations, that his support for those causes threatened his church membership.
Dehlin said he hasn't resigned from the faith because he still loves Mormonism.
"It's my spiritual home," he said. "It's my tribe. It's my people."
Twitter: @KristenMoulton