Flunking Sainthood
Mormon-produced romantic comedy series premieres today
By Jana Riess — January 27, 2016
A Mormon romantic comedy about Adam and Eve sets the scene: God destined them to be together, but she's just not that into him.
8 questions for Denver Snuffer: Excommunicated Mormon explains growth of new movement
By Jana Riess — January 26, 2016
From using wine in the sacrament to allowing women to prophesy, the fellowships that have grown up around excommunicated Mormon Denver Snuffer are trying to restore the teachings and practices of the early Latter-day Saints.
Healing the Mormon rift after the LGBT policy change
By Jana Riess — January 22, 2016
Just when some of us are feeling squeezed out of the Mormon tent, a book comes along to remind us: Zion is more spacious than we may realize.
3 reasons Mormons don’t corner the market on truth
By Jana Riess — January 21, 2016
Mormons have sometimes staked our truth claims too forcefully, forgetting important pieces of scripture that remind us that God is a whole lot bigger than our religion.
The life-changing magic of tidying up Mormon theology
By Jana Riess — January 19, 2016
Kolob, polygamy, and six other still-on-the-books Mormon beliefs that we could say good-bye to once and for all if we adhered to the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
Staying Mormon: “Planted” with Patrick Mason
By Jana Riess — January 15, 2016
Patrick Mason's new guide speaks to Mormon doubters and those who love them . . .. and it's co-published by Deseret Book.
Mormon LGBT ban was ‘revealed’ to the prophet as God’s will, says Elder Nelson
By Jana Riess — January 11, 2016
This is the first time that an apostle from the LDS Church has claimed the ban on gays to be not just another policy in the handbook, but an actual revelation from the Lord.
The Mormon’s guide to hearing from God: Ammon Bundy edition
By Jana Riess — January 8, 2016
Just because you felt a strong impression doesn't mean that impression was from the Lord. I'm pretty sure that was just the chili talking.
I spoke too soon! Good news from the Mormon Gender Issues Survey
By Jana Riess — January 7, 2016
A survey released last month indicated that Mormon views on women and priesthood haven't changed much in the last few years, but researcher Nancy Ross says the reality is actually more complex -- and more hopeful than I first thought.
Dear Mormon militiamen: Stop the insanity
By Jana Riess — January 4, 2016
Some Mormons are leading the east Oregon standoff, including Ammon Bundy and one who calls himself "Captain Moroni." Do they really imagine that God is on their side, inspiring them to cheat on their taxes and set fire to government land?
The top 10 Mormon blog posts of 2015
By Jana Riess — December 29, 2015
From Minions to modesty, the top ten Mormon blog stories of the year.
A blue, blue Christmas
By Jana Riess — December 22, 2015
Holy tears are a part of Christmas, our grief a hint of the "now and the not yet" that Christians are called to live in.
In a Mormon faith transition? Here’s help
By Jana Riess — December 18, 2015
A new book argues Mormon faith transitions are healthy and necessary crucibles in our journey toward spiritual maturity. "We can grow unbounded," says Thomas Wirthlin McConkie. "Isn’t that the message of Mormonism in the end?"
When your Mormon faith is too small
By Jana Riess — December 17, 2015
When our faith is in crisis, it can be comforting to know that what we’re going through doesn’t mean we're falling into apostasy. Drawing from the science of adult development, this author says we’ve “simply driven off the edge of our current map.”
Mormon women and priesthood: 5 depressing new survey findings
By Jana Riess — December 15, 2015
The results are in from a major new research study on changing views on Mormon women and priesthood, and it's not exactly great news for feminists.
Jana Riess
Flunking Sainthood
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.
