Latter-day Saints Research Articles

The Bible and the Latter-day Saint Tradition

The Bible and the Latter-day Saint Tradition

The 1920 Edition of the Book of Mormon: A Centennial Adventure in Latter-day Saint Book History

The 1920 Edition of the Book of Mormon: A Centennial Adventure in Latter-day Saint Book History

Grass Roots in Mexico: Stories of Pioneering Latter-day Saints

Grass Roots in Mexico: Stories of Pioneering Latter-day Saints

Not Before Jesus Comes, If Ever: Mormon Views on When Women Will Receive the Priesthood

While there has been agitation in recent years among some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for women to be ordained to the priesthood, research has established that the leaders of the religion and most members continue to oppose the idea. Drawing on data from an online purposive sample (n=49,568), we examine how likely members of the LDS Church are to think that women will be ordained to the priesthood and contrast that likelihood with a similar estimation of when Jesus will return and the leadership of the LDS Church will call on some members to move to Jackson County, Missouri in preparation for the Second Coming. Our results suggest that the Mormons in our sample believe that it is more likely that they will move to Missouri to greet Jesus than that women will receive the priesthood.

Gender, Symbolic and Social Boundaries, and Deconversion from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Abstract The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is characterized by specific expectations in the realm of gender roles and sexuality, expectations which can be interpreted as heteronormative symbolic boundaries between the LDS Church and the world at large. In this article, through qualitative interviews, we explore the ways 27 women who leave the Church are influenced by, respond to, and ultimately reject some of the symbolic boundaries. We found that many women struggle with gendered expectations regarding home, careers, with norms regarding heterosexuality and sexuality within marriage, and gender identity conformity expectations, rejecting them at different times in their lives. Intersecting with the life course, we demonstrate how the interaction between the rejection of these symbolic boundaries and experienced social boundaries in the form of exclusion from the family, community, and church-related institutions contributes to deconversion and shapes its consequences afterward.

Mormons Are No Longer a Majority in Utah: Causes, Consequences, and Implications for the Sociology of Religion

Abstract This paper uses a sample of Utahans to estimate the percentage of the state belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS, or Mormon Church). We find that the Mormon share of Utah’s population is lower than is commonly believed. This finding has relevance for certain theories in the sociology of religion that make inferences about church growth and vitality based on the religious demography of Utah. We show how the process of secularization, changes in Mormon fertility, and shifts in migration into Utah combine to alter the religious landscape of the state. We close with a discussion of the implications of our findings for the sociology of religion.

College Gap Time and Academic Outcomes for Women: Evidence from Missionaries

Abstract This study leverages a policy change in the missionary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that exogenously influenced the likelihood that a woman took gap time during college to understand how gap time influences women's subsequent choice of major and academic outcomes. If structured gap time shapes educational outcomes, increasing the uptake of gap time by women may be a mechanism to ameliorate later wage gaps. Using administrative data from Brigham Young University (N = 17,402) and an instrumental variables estimation strategy, we find that women who take gap time for missionary service shift into majors with higher expected salaries and are more likely to be in limited-enrollment majors and majors with a higher concentration of men. However, gap time decreases the likelihood of graduating within eight years of entering college, creating tension between the costs and benefits. On average, net benefits of expected wages are close to zero. Gap time most clearly benefits women with relatively low ACT scores who are more likely to be accepted into limited enrollment programs following gap time. This research informs university administrators and students alike seeking to understand the academic implications of taking planned time off during postsecondary education.

“А Supervisory Type of Thing”: the Establishment and Impact of the Latter-Day Saint Mission in Postcolonial Southeastern Nigeria

This article analyzes the challenges that confronted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in establishing its official mission in southeastern Nigeria following the 1978 Priesthood Revelation, and the impact of its mission strategy on the religious and daily life of Nigerian adherents. The emergence of unofficial LDS congregations in Nigeria between the late 1940s and 1970s required the LDS Church to abandon its traditional mission focus on proselytization, and instead develop a strategy of supervision–a strategy geared towards appointing and training local church leaders, teaching adherents to be proper Latter-day Saints, and integrating congregations in the administrative hierarchy. Using documentary records and oral histories archived at the LDS Church History Library and L. Tom Perry Special Collections, this article highlights the reciprocal impact of cross-cultural encounters and the shortcomings of the LDS Church’s missionary training programs.

I worry that I am almost perfect! Examining relationships among perfectionism, scrupulosity, intrinsic spirituality, and psychological well-being among Latter-Day Saints.

I worry that I am almost perfect! Examining relationships among perfectionism, scrupulosity, intrinsic spirituality, and psychological well-being among Latter-Day Saints.

“We are scared of being kicked out of our religion!”: Common challenges and benefits for sexual minority latter-day saints.

“We are scared of being kicked out of our religion!”: Common challenges and benefits for sexual minority latter-day saints.

Digital Discussions among Women Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Abstract Latter-day Saint women find comfort in community, including in online spaces. This study is a digital observation of a private Facebook group of thousands of lds mothers. It recognizes patterns around conversations of religion, politics, and gender roles. It examines how lds women create or maintain identity through interpretation of moments where vulnerable topics are discussed. The study expresses the importance in better understanding religious groups of women and their communicative practices that influence their identity within private online groups. The study also provides a framework for the methodology of exploring large but private groups on social media platforms.

Women’s experience with religion and spirituality when perceiving their husband’s pornography use as problematic: A qualitative study

Background: Several recent studies concerning men’s pornography use have challenged past research conclusions that male pornography use negatively impacts relational outcomes in heterosexual relationships. While extant literature has explored the intersection of religion and men’s experience with pornography consumption, the impact on religious wives has primarily been understudied. Purpose: The present study examined the impact of a husband’s problematic pornography use on a religious woman’s spirituality and religiosity. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 women who self-identified as religious women. Faith traditions of the participants include Catholic, Jewish, Latter-day Saint, Native American Spiritual, non-denominational Christians, Protestant Christians, and Spiritual. The data was analyzed using interpretive phenomenology, a qualitative methodology. Results: Using a feminist hermeneutics theoretical lens to analyze the data in a way that gives preference for the woman’s experience, three primary themes emerged: Wrestle with Religion, Relationships that Facilitate Healing, and Spiritual Growth. Nine subthemes were identified, including Influence of Religious Culture, Unmet Expectations of Religious Leaders, Challenges to Faith, Support from Inside the Religion, Recognizing the Need for Support Outside the Religion, Women Need Women for Healing, Divine Assistance, Relationship with God, and A Journey of Growth and Transformation. Conclusions & Implications: These primary themes and subthemes provide a rich description of the religious context, means to healing, and resilience that characterize religious women’s experiences after discovering a husband’s problematic pornography use. Most importantly, the authors discuss significant implications for religious leaders and clinicians seeking to provide culturally sensitive care to distressed women.

Mark Twain’s Early Contributions to Fantasy and Science Fiction and “Mormon” Narratives of Reconciliation

Abstract Mark Twain is best known in popular culture as the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It is somewhat less widely known that he wrote on the leading edge of the writing genre we now know as Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF). He stands with Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, and H. G. Wells as one of the early developers of basic themes that are with us still: time travel, political dystopia, alternative history, future history, ESP, alien/demonic visitation, travel to alien worlds, and world-altering inventions. Twain likewise had fictional alignments with Latter-day Saint theology, including the theme of reconciliation through transcendence. Transcendent reconciliation is thus the driving force behind the general plot strategy of the most successful examples of Latter-day Saint fantasy/sci-fi and Twain’s writings as well.

Personal reflections on somatic practice and education as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

This article discusses the author’s experience as a Certified Laban Movement Analyst (CLMA) teaching Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals to Dance BFA, BA and Dance Education majors at Brigham Young University (BYU), a private religious university sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in Provo, Utah. Reflecting global trends, Latter-day Saint Millennials and Gen Z-ers are increasingly disaffiliating from organized religion. Drawing on teaching observations, lived experience, interviews with other self-identifying Latter-day Saint CLMAs, I reflect on this trend in the context of polarities, doctrinal polarities commonly upheld within Christianity and embodied polarities articulated through the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System (L/BMS) system. Change, Knowing and Wholeness frame the reflection. Pedagogical practices, including assignment descriptions and guided movement explorations, provide some contour around the relevance of Laban’s theories within the context of a twenty-first-century religious education.

“Free Forever to Act for Themselves”: Howard Thurman and Latter-day Saint Agency

“Free Forever to Act for Themselves”: Howard Thurman and Latter-day Saint Agency

“I’ll Walk with You”: LGBTQ+ Individuals and Religious Belonging

ABSTRACT Research on LGBTQ+ individuals, belonging, and religiosity has been mixed. Some studies have illustrated the ways religion can harm LGBTQ+ individuals while others suggest religion has positive impacts. In the current study, we sought to understand this complexity by examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who have been or currently are affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (i.e. Mormon, LDS). A thematic analysis of 100 interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals currently or previously affiliated with the Church revealed various ways they feel belonging or the lack thereof in Latter-day Saint congregations and communities. These include sharing physical space, being invited to and included at events, receiving gifts or acts of service, seeing others’ safety signals, hearing accepting and character-affirming language, and having others listen to them and give them voice. With the intent of fostering belonging, we discuss implications of this research for church communities and propose the belonging in practice: LGBTQ+ and religion model.

REBT with Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy’s (REBT’s) ABC model proposes that it is B, Beliefs about A, Activating events, not A, Activating events themselves, that create and control C, emotional Consequences. Codified beliefs such as scriptures and creeds are prominent in most religions. Integrating codified religious beliefs with REBT to help D, Dispute irrational beliefs has been studied in REBT for more than 50 years. Broad knowledge of religious cultures, scriptures, creeds, and wisdom literature is likely to help REBTers and other cognitive behavior therapists (CBTers) more effectively treat religious clients. We give a brief overview of the history, culture, doctrine, and scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then give examples of REBT Disputations excerpted from religion integrative sessions with practicing Latter-day Saint clients. We present practice-based evidence for the effectiveness of this approach and offer suggestions for future study and research in integrating religion with REBT and CBT.

Belief in vaccine myths and vaccine uptake in Utah during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionSince its emergence in December 2019, COVID-19 has caused millions of deaths worldwide. While vaccines are largely available in most places, including the United States (U.S.), vaccine uptake is lower than is desirable from a public health perspective. ObjectiveThe objective of this paper is to examine belief in vaccine myths, including what individual and place characteristics underpin such beliefs, and uptake of vaccines – as well as the role of belief in myths in obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine. MethodsWe use weighted survey data from an online panel of 529 Utah adult residents. ResultsSixty-nine percent of our sample was fully vaccinated at the time of taking the survey. We find that belief in vaccine myths varies among Utahns, with the highest percentage seeing the vaccines as unsafe because of their rapid development. Those who are older, are more religious (including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), have less formal education, and are more conservative were more likely to have medium and/or higher levels of belief in vaccine myths. We find that belief in vaccine myths is associated with lower COVID-19 vaccine uptake, even when controlling for other factors. ConclusionUnderstanding what drives vaccination uptake, including the role of belief in emerging vaccine myths, is important for public health measures in this and future outbreaks.

Review: The Bible and the Latter-day Saint Tradition, edited by Taylor G. Petrey, Cory Crawford, and Eric A. Eliason

Review: <i>The Bible and the Latter-day Saint Tradition</i>, edited by Taylor G. Petrey, Cory Crawford, and Eric A. Eliason

Experiences with Community of Formerly Religious Sapphics: Interviews with Former Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Experiences with Community of Formerly Religious Sapphics: Interviews with Former Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints