Flunking Sainthood
Is Mormonism responsible for torture?
By Jana Riess — December 10, 2014
Mormons Jay Bybee and Bruce Jessen dehumanized others . . . and then went to church on Sundays to partake of talks and lessons on basic morality. How did this happen, and what can Mormons do about it?
Watch Marilynne Robinson’s “Lila” redeem every tired, stupid plot in Christian fiction
By Jana Riess — December 5, 2014
The eligible widower, the plucky heroine, the superiority of life in a small town: Marilynne Robinson's novel "Lila" has all the usual tropes, but she manages to make all things new.
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."
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?
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.
Mormonism and the “only true and living church”
By Jana Riess — October 31, 2014
Mormons teach universal salvation and stress love for all . . . and also claim that the LDS faith is the "only true and living church" on the earth. Which is it? Can it be both?
The grief that keeps on giving
By Jana Riess — October 30, 2014
These episodes don’t happen very often anymore, more than a year and a half after losing Mom. But the grief is always there, gently submerged, biding its time.
