Mormon Land

It’s the late 1960s to mid-1970s. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues a century-old priesthood and temple ban against its Black members. It takes a high-profile public stance against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. And a persistent patriarchy urges women to abandon careers and return home to care for their children and husbands — all the while limiting their leadership and other opportunities within the r...

On April 4, millions of Latter-day Saints worldwide raised their hands to show symbolic support for their new prophet-president, Dallin H. Oaks.

It was a rare ritual, called a solemn assembly, done primarily at the time of a new leader for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But this act of “sustaining” is also commonly used in congregations as a way to express goodwill and welcoming to new members and to members who h...

Nearly 50 years ago, Latter-day Saint prophet-president Spencer W. Kimball warned boldly and directly about the dangers of war, including the vast resources used in the destruction of America’s enemies. The Yoda-like leader cautioned that members were becoming a “warlike people.” His successors in the office, though, have rarely spoken with such passion and purpose. Their condemnations of war and proclamations of peace have been mo...

Netflix's harrowing 4-part docuseries focuses on the crimes of Sam Batemen, but before Sam Bateman there was Warren Jeffs. As outsiders, Nicole and Rebbie can't begin to understand how either of these men were able to do what they did. Cristina helps contextualize what these religious doctrines and communities are like, how they differ from each other, where they can be mischaracterized, and what kinds of media can help vs. hurt.

R...

There was plenty of good growth news — at least on its books — for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2025: a record number of convert baptisms of more than 385,000; an overall global membership climbing ever closer to 18 million; and at least 44 nations or territories with annual growth rates above 10%.

At the same time, the United States, the nation with the most Latter-day Saints, saw its net raw numbers decline ...

The three most recent presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died at ages 101, 90 and 97.

In fact (not counting founder Joseph Smith) church presidents live to an average age of 87. And the current leader, Dallin Oaks, is 93.

Decades ago, liberal apostle Hugh B. Brown, a self-proclaimed “rebel,” saw this emerging gerontocracy as a problem and proposed a remedy, which included granting emeritus status at age 7...

At least four aspects of the just-completed General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stood out:

• The Easter weekend focus on the death, resurrection and Atonement of Jesus Christ.

• A solemn assembly combined with Dallin H. Oaks’ first conference sermon as the 18th church president.

• A record number of convert baptisms in 2025.

• The choice of an African woman to lead the faith’s Primary organization ...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently announced that women could now serve in Sunday school presidencies, a position that has traditionally been filled by men.

Allowing women to oversee the teaching of scriptures and church doctrine to members was seen by many as a further move toward gender equity.

The news, though, came with a caveat: If a woman were named as president, her two counselors would also have to be ...

It has been the month of breaking news surrounding reality television in Utah. From Season 4 of 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' premiering, to Taylor Frankie Paul's 'Bachelorette' season being cancelled, to Jessi from 'Secret Lives' getting divorced to then sending flowers to a friend for kissing her ex-husband...there is a lot to unpack!

On this 'Mormons in Media' crossover, we discuss what ties back to religion and what is just dr...

Mitt Romney may be the most famous Mormon politician, but the title of highest-ranking elected Latter-day Saint in U.S. history belongs not to a rich Utah Republican with a patrician background and deep ties in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but rather to a self-made Nevada Democrat with hardscrabble roots who converted to the faith.

His name: Harry Reid. Passionately partisan, fiercely loyal and discreetly devout...

As a young man, Troy Williams wore a missionary name tag for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Great Britain — all the while fighting against the growing realization he was gay.

Afterward, he interned with the Utah Eagle Forum and learned the ways of backroom politicking at the feet of one of the state’s most effective conservative lobbyists, Gayle Ruzicka.

Thus, an advocate was born.

After embracing his sexual ori...

Born in Salt Lake City, John Dinkelman has spent nearly four decades working as a U.S. diplomat in countries as far away as the former Yugoslavia and Turkey, and as close as Nogales, Mexico.

He currently serves other diplomats as president of the American Foreign Service Association.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dinkelman served a two-year mission in Argentina and graduated from church-owned Brigh...

For decades, the Temple Square mission in Salt Lake City has operated unlike any other run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The smallest mission in the world geographically, it is arguably also one of the busiest, acting as an introduction to the Utah-based faith for millions of visitors from across the globe — as well as a place of spiritual rejuvenation for members.

Temple Square is also the only mission compos...

Note to readers and listeners • In a tribute to Salt Lake Tribune guest columnist Ardis Parshall, who died earlier this week, we are replaying this “Mormon Land” episode from last July in which the noted research historian discussed one of her favorite topics: Latter-day Saint pioneers. So enjoy once again hearing Parshall’s words, wit and wisdom. Ardis, we will miss you.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints h...

Faithful Salt Lake Tribune readers know Eli McCann well. He’s the award-winning columnist who has them cracking up about coming out as a coffee drinker one minute and tearing up about the Latter-day Saint youth group in the western Pacific who won his heart the next.

Now his monthly humor columns have been compiled into one bright, breezy book. Titled “We’re Thankful for the Moisture: A Gay Guy’s Guide to Mormon Faith, Family, and ...

By all accounts, Richard Bushman could be considered the patriarch of Mormon history.

For more than nine decades, he has lived it, studied it, analyzed it, shared it with fellow believers and explained it to nonbelievers.

The soft-spoken scholar — with three degrees from Harvard and a drive toward understanding truth — has been writing about Mormonism for much of his academic career. He is a giant in his field and a mentor to many ...

Daily life in and around Minneapolis has taken on a sharper edge since the federal government unleashed a mass deportation campaign in the city.

Raids on suspected immigrants have become a common occurrence, observers on the ground report. Gas-mask-wearing protesters take frequently to frozen streets. Twice federal agents have shot and killed U.S. citizens, 37-year-old Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Amid this chaos, members of The Chu...

For most of its nearly 200-year history, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considered temple clothing — including what are known as “garments,” worn under everyday attire — too sacred to discuss, even within families or among friends.

That has slowly changed. In 2015, the Utah-based faith posted photos and videos of garments on YouTube to show the outside world that there is “nothing magical or mystical about temple g...