Flunking Sainthood
In Mormon Utah, LGBTQ Pride celebrations meet a desperate need
By Jana Riess — June 10, 2022
(RNS) — Pride celebrations are taking off in Utah. They may be more needed there than just about anywhere else in the country.
I support gun control laws as a doctor and a father — and a Mormon
By Jana Riess — May 27, 2022
(RNS) — From Joseph Smith to Russell Nelson, LDS leaders have provided a rationale for gun control.
‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ raises the question: Are Mormons dangerous?
By Jana Riess — May 25, 2022
(RNS) — If ‘Banner’ undermines its own credibility by only presenting the horrific side of Mormonism’s founding, the contemporary LDS church undermines its credibility by ignoring the dangers of religiously inspired violence.
Faithful Mormons won’t be happy with Hulu’s ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’
By Jana Riess — April 25, 2022
(RNS) — Despite excellent performances and production values, Hulu's 'Banner' left me with the same wary bewilderment I felt after reading Jon Krakauer’s book.
Is Mormonism still growing? Five facts about Latter-day Saint growth and decline
By Jana Riess — April 7, 2022
(RNS) — COVID-19 continues to take a toll, but it could be a lot worse.
For Mormons, it’s General Conference time. Remind me why we do this?
By Jana Riess — April 2, 2022
(RNS) — General Conference is touted as being prophetic and revelatory — must-see TV for Latter-day Saints the world over. So why does the format feel so stale?
If we want equality for women in Utah, we can look to history
By Jana Riess — March 18, 2022
(RNS) — A look back to when things seemed more hopeful for Utah’s women.
Amid Russian invasion, LDS Church issues generic denunciation of ‘armed conflict’
By Jana Riess — February 28, 2022
(RNS) — The LDS Church’s official 'statement on armed conflict' is well-intentioned but vague; Russia and Ukraine are never even mentioned. This is not the time to be Switzerland.
The I Hate Winter Spirituality Club
By Jana Riess — January 3, 2022
(RNS) — In winter we realize, to our chagrin, that we are not in charge, that earth can be hard as iron, that the world is not necessarily on our side.
Mormon tithing, revisited
By Jana Riess — November 30, 2021
(RNS) — When I paid tithing to the church, the logistics of sitting down to do it might take up five minutes of my month. Now, it requires a good deal more time and consideration.
For US Mormons, religiosity has declined over time, study shows
By Jana Riess — November 23, 2021
(RNS) — Mormons are still more religious than the nation as a whole, but not as devout as they used to be.
Why was last week’s speech on LGBTQ rights ‘the most difficult’ of LDS apostle Dallin Oaks’ career?
By Jana Riess — November 15, 2021
(RNS) — Oaks is trying to chart a middle course between religious freedom and LGBTQ+ rights. But in our terribly polarized times, I doubt many Americans are capable of the compromise and civility he’s advocating.
Jacqui Lewis: In a divided America, no one is saved until everyone is saved
By Jana Riess — November 9, 2021
(RNS) — ‘The pendulum has swung so far to the right. And that’s not right,’ says the Rev. Jacqui Lewis. But the solution to tribalism isn’t more tribalism; it’s love — starting with love of self.
What’s a ‘white evangelical’ anyway? It’s hard to pin down
By Jana Riess — October 29, 2021
(RNS) — How do you define white evangelicalism? A fascinating new book argues that people are what they read, so let's start by looking at bestselling novels.
The battle lines around the word ‘Mormon’
By Jana Riess — October 13, 2021
(RNS) — ‘Mormon’ has become a shibboleth, an immediate shorthand for Latter-day Saints to size up one another’s obedience and orthodoxy.
