Flunking Sainthood

Parent like your religion depends on it

By Jana Riess — April 21, 2021

"Successful religious parents don’t just drop their kid off at church and then expect someone there will take care of everything," says researcher Amy Adamczyk. Instead, they lead by example.

When she doesn’t want a baby

By Jana Riess — April 14, 2021

Overcoming Mormon doubt is hard when you’ve never been given the tools

By Jana Riess — April 8, 2021

Mormon leader blasts some right-wing US extremists, but will they know he’s talking to them?

By Jana Riess — April 5, 2021

(RNS) — Latter-day Saint apostle Dallin Oaks just sounded the alarm about the recent actions of some Trump supporters in the United States. But the talk did not let liberals off the hook, either.

Younger US Mormons voted for Biden, but Trump performed well overall

By Jana Riess — April 1, 2021

(RNS) — Millennials and Mormons of color chose Biden over Trump, but overall, two-thirds of US LDS Church members voted Republican.

The Mormon Israel and the problem with “Let God prevail”

By Jana Riess — March 29, 2021

The overall idea of translating "Israel" as "let God prevail" ignores the original story, in which Jacob actively refuses to let God prevail.

The ‘nones’ are growing — and growing more diverse

By Jana Riess — March 24, 2021

(RNS) — ‘Church attendance is the first thing that goes, then belonging, and finally belief—in that order,’ says Ryan Burge, author of a new book on who is leaving religion and why. ‘Belief goes last.’

What the LDS church wants to know from young adult Mormons

By Jana Riess — March 22, 2021

(RNS) — A peek behind the scenes of a landmark survey of LDS church members reveals the stirrings of possible change.

No more live endowment sessions in Mormon temples

By Jana Riess — March 16, 2021

Something important is lost when we erase history in the name of efficiency and a franchised, on-brand temple experience.

“Allergic to religion”: Conservative politics can push people out of the pews, new study shows

By Jana Riess — March 12, 2021

Various studies have argued that one reason for the rapid rise of the "nones" may be a backlash against the actions of the Religious Right. Three political scientists have now proved that there's a direct connection.

Netflix docuseries ‘Murder Among the Mormons’ is TV worth watching

By Jana Riess — March 4, 2021

(RNS) — 'Murder Among the Mormons' is a gripping docuseries, and largely free of Mormon-bashing. If anything, it lets the Church off the hook a little too easily.

Racism at BYU is a problem, study finds

By Jana Riess — March 3, 2021

(RNS) — Mormonism's flagship university has issued a self-critical report of its own racism and lack of diversity.

Latter-day Saint Charities donates $20 million to UNICEF’s Covid vaccination campaign

By Jana Riess — February 27, 2021

The donation is the single-largest gift from any private organization so far in UNICEF's efforts to fight the pandemic.

Tish Harrison Warren, a rising star in Christian spiritual writing

By Jana Riess — February 26, 2021

(RNS) — Tish Harrison Warren's willingness to merge personal vulnerability with deep theological reflection has made her one of the most promising Christian spiritual writers of her generation.