Jana Riess
Senior columnist Jana Riess is the author of many books, including "The Prayer Wheel" (Random House/Convergent, 2018) and "The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church" (Oxford University Press, 2019). She has a PhD in American religious history from Columbia University.
All Stories by Jana Riess
Mormons don’t know everything, says Mette Harrison
By Jana Riess — December 3, 2014
"It is one thing to believe that Mormonism is the right church for you," says guest blogger Mette Harrison. "But I find it arrogant to say that this is the 'one true church.'”
Advent ideas, crafts, and activities for your family
By Jana Riess — December 1, 2014
"NO red and green, NO Christmas trees, NO Santas appear in my house before at least December 20," says author Sybil MacBeth. "I guess this is extreme."
Thanksgiving shopping: Gobble, gobble
By Jana Riess — November 26, 2014
Of course we have to pile into the car on a national holiday in order to shop because if we don’t buy that flat screen today, right now, the terrorists will win.
Women: Just 1% of the Bible
By Jana Riess — November 25, 2014
Women's words account for just over 1% of the Bible, but author Lindsay Hardin Freeman is determined to tell their stories. "These woman are real, dynamic, challenging, and fallible," she says. "God’s love for them, and us, is as strong as the world’s foundations."
Mormon polygamy on NPR
By Jana Riess — November 24, 2014
Terryl Givens and I discuss Mormon polygamy and changes in the LDS Church with NPR's "Interfaith Voices."
Mormons’ immigration stance reveals some surprises
By Jana Riess — November 21, 2014
Statistically, Mormons have more favorable views of immigration than other conservatives, particularly evangelicals. Why?
New Mormon polygamy statement exposes privilege in the Church
By Jana Riess — November 20, 2014
Liberal Mormons: This is not the time for us to enjoy a nice cup of schadenfreude. This is the time to be pastors.
The one factor missing from Utah’s suicide puzzle
By Jana Riess — November 17, 2014
Depression and suicide are unusually high in Mormon-dominated Utah. A new scientific theory suggests it's not caused by the culture, but the landscape.
Mormon women can now teach Institute — even if they’ve got kids at home
By Jana Riess — November 14, 2014
In a major announcement today, the LDS Church reversed an age-old ban: Mormon women with children under 18 can now teach full-time in the Church's Seminary and Institute systems.
Mormon polygamy explodes in the news. Why now?
By Jana Riess — November 12, 2014
A number of Mormon blogs and websites discussed the polygamy statements when they came out in October. So why did it take the mainstream media three weeks to pursue the story?
Mormon leaders give women mixed messages, say sociologists
By Jana Riess — November 11, 2014
New research suggests that every time Mormon leaders emphasize the fragility of womanhood, they undermine the notion that femininity is innate.
Mormon bishop apologizes for political gaffe — sort of
By Jana Riess — November 10, 2014
Bishop Paredes seems to have realized that serving as an LDS bishop doesn't give him the right to sit in judgment on Harry Reid. However, his apology doesn't cover the overall Democrat-bashing of the original post.
Staying Mormon when God is silent
By Jana Riess — November 7, 2014
I prefer answers to prayer to be delivered at regular intervals by owl post, or possibly skywritten over my house. But what happens when God is silent for months, or years, or even a lifetime?
Mormon Mia Love makes history as America’s first black Republican Congresswoman
By Jana Riess — November 5, 2014
Last night, Mia Love made history. I disagree with her positions on guns, healthcare, education, and just about everything else, but the woman has moxie. I'll give her that.
Gay Mormons and the Island of Misfit Toys
By Jana Riess — November 4, 2014
I don’t know what it’s like to be gay, but I do know what it is to feel like a freak in the heart of Mormondom, a fellow castaway on the Island of Misfit Toys.
