LDS Church responds to alleged spike in LGBT youth suicides
Recent allegations say suicide is on the rise for LGBT Mormon teens. While the specific details are disputed, the basic message is clear: Mormons need to do much better.
Author Archives: Jana Riess
About Jana Riess
Jana Riess, a senior columnist at Religion News Service, has been an editor in the publishing industry since 2008, primarily focusing in the areas of religion, history, popular culture, ethics, and biblical studies. (Learn more about her freelance editorial business and rates here.) From 1999 to 2008, she was the Religion Book Review Editor for Publishers Weekly, and continues to write freelance articles and reviews for PW as well as other publications.
She holds degrees in religion from Wellesley College and Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in American religious history from Columbia University. She speaks often to media about issues pertaining to religion in America, and has been interviewed by the Associated Press, Time, Newsweek, People, the Boston Globe, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsday, among other print publications, as well as “Voice of America,” the "Today" show, MSNBC, and NPR’s “All Things Considered,” “Tell Me More,” and “Talk of the Nation.”
She is the author, co-author, or editor of books including Mormonism and American Politics; The Twible: All the Chapters of the Bible in 140 Characters or Less . . . Now with 68% More Humor!; Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor; What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as a Spiritual Guide; Mormonism for Dummies; and The Writer’s Market Guide to Getting Published. She blogged for Beliefnet before coming to RNS in 2012.
Email
|
Follow @janariess
|
Author RSS Feed
Stories
Mormon-produced romantic comedy series premieres today
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.