Gavin, Sherrie, and Jo Coghlan. “Mormon Barbie: A Critical Examination of the Male Gaze, Ideology, and Parallel Representations.” In The Barbie Phenomenon, Volume 1, pp. 131-141. Routledge, 2026.

This chapter explores the intersection of religion, gender, and popular culture through the parallel representations of Mormon women and Barbie. While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and Mattel’s Barbie may appear to have little in common, both have been subject to ideological debates regarding femininity, identity, representations, and power. Emerging during periods of cultural transformation – Mormon women in the 19th-century expansion of mass print media and Barbie in the 20th-century consumer boom – both have been shaped by and reflective of the anxieties and aspirations of their respective eras. Central to this analysis is the concept of the male gaze, which has focused discursively on both Mormon women and Barbie. In the 19th century, Mormon women were framed within the broader patriarchal narrative, either as victims needing rescue from polygamy or as undesirable figures resigned to an oppressive system. This portrayal, found in newspaper editorials, Victorian novels, and satirical illustrations, perpetuated the notion that Mormon women lacked agency and were defined primarily in relation to male dominance. Similarly, Barbie, though marketed as an aspirational figure of female empowerment, has often been critiqued for reinforcing unattainable beauty standards and traditional gender roles that privilege a heterosexual, male-defined ideal of femininity. The chapter also considers how Mormon women and Barbie have navigated evolving feminist discourses. The LDS Church’s relationship with feminism has been complex and Barbie has been at the centre of feminist debates for decades.

Bates, Justin R. “Still Chosen: Latter-day Saint Theology of the Jews in the Post-Holocaust Era.” Religions 16, no. 9 (2025): 1135.

The purpose of this research is to examine how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members have responded to anti-Jewish theological tropes, especially in the post-Holocaust era. The thesis of this research is that, while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not formally canonized any twentieth-century statements on antisemitism, its sacred texts—including the Book of Mormon—along with prophetic teachings and institutional actions before, during, and after World War II, reflect a consistent and distinctive theological perspective on the Jewish people as God’s covenant people with a positive eschatological role in his plan. Unique among its Christian cousins in that era, the Latter-day Saint perspective includes a general rejection of anti-Jewish tropes and—while imperfect—a general pattern of respectful engagement with Jews at both institutional and individual levels. This research is significant in an era of rising antisemitism as it promotes understanding of a religion that has historically maintained, though not perfectly, a more philosemitic approach both institutionally and individually. A deeper understanding of ideas and attitudes that discourage anti-Jewish tropes and combat antisemitism is desperately needed in the modern world.

Story Chavez, Megan, Rebecca Lucero Jones, Brendan Ewell, Whitney Sanchez, Melissa Marchant, Thomas Yueng, and Amelia Maag. “How Can We Manage Challenges? A Grounded Theory of Finding Resiliency in a LDS Mixed-Faith Marriage.” Contemporary Family Therapy (2025): 1-16.

The increasing disaffiliation from religious practice has contributed to a rise in interfaith relationships worldwide, including among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). This study aimed to explore the process of building resilience in mixed-faith relationships in which one partner is a member of the LDS faith and the other has disaffiliated from that religious practice. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 participants (5 heterosexual married couples) who identified as being in interfaith relationships, with one partner actively participating in the LDS faith and the other identifying with different religious practices. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology (GTM), we examined the research question: How do mixed-faith couples where one partner has disaffiliated from the LDS faith develop resilience in their relationships? The analysis led to the development of a theory mapping the process by which couples cope with challenges and build resilience in interfaith relationships. The results revealed three key stages: (1) precursors to the mixed-faith relationship, (2) initiation of the mixed-faith relationship, and (3) maintenance of the relationship. Findings emphasize the importance of both individual and joint resilience-building processes. Clinical implications suggest that clients should understand and respect both their own and their partner’s beliefs, while also committing to the relationship.

Greco, Suzanne E. “Confronting Men’s Violence Against Women and Girls in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Dialogue A Journal of Mormon Thought 58, no. 3 (2025): 1-28.

No abstract, Chat-GPT created abstract:

This article examines the pervasive issue of violence against women and girls (VAWG) within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, highlighting the gap between the Church’s public declarations of zero tolerance and its actual practices. Drawing on personal testimony, legal cases, and global data, the paper argues that patriarchal structures, clergy-penitent privilege, and inadequate training perpetuate a harmful environment for survivors. It proposes three central reforms: (1) legal changes to clergy-penitent laws to ensure mandatory reporting, (2) establishment of women’s ministry so female leaders—not male ecclesiastical authorities—minister to women and girls, and (3) comprehensive education and training for both ministers and communities on victim-perpetrator dynamics, credibility, and consent. By weaving in the author’s own experiences of abuse and institutional betrayal, the article situates the LDS Church within a global context of religious institutions that can either protect against or enable gender-based violence. Ultimately, it calls for survivor-centered, Christ-aligned reforms to dismantle patriarchal barriers and foster safety, healing, and justice.

Townsend, Colby. “Secret Societies and the Political Context of Joseph Smith’s Rewritten Scripture.” Dialogue A Journal of Mormon Thought 58, no. 3 (2025): 71-96.

No abstract, ChatGPT created abstract.

This article situates Joseph Smith’s early scriptural productions—the Book of Mormon (1829) and his revision of Genesis 1–6 (later the Book of Moses)—within the broader transatlantic discourse on secret societies in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. While scholars have long noted the influence of anti-Masonry on Smith’s writings, this study argues that anti-Jacobinism and wider fears of clandestine organizations after the French Revolution provide equally crucial context. Drawing on contemporary literature that associated Satan, the War in Heaven, the Fall, and Cain’s murder of Abel with secret conspiracies, the article demonstrates how Smith rewrote Genesis to align with these themes, portraying “secret combinations” as satanic forces that destroy civilizations. In doing so, Smith’s narratives echoed and extended the anti-Jacobin warnings of his era, recasting biblical stories to issue a cautionary message for early America about the dangers of secret societies.

Harris, Matthew L. ““Saving the Constitution” with White Christian Nationalism: Ezra Taft Benson, W. Cleon Skousen, and Their Attempt to Solicit the Help of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.” Dialogue A Journal of Mormon Thought 58, no. 3 (2025): 29-69.

No abstract, ChatGPT created abstract.

This article explores how Mormon apostle Ezra Taft Benson and conservative writer W. Cleon Skousen sought to align the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the anticommunist crusade of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover during the Cold War. Drawing on declassified FBI files, sermons, and publications such as The Naked Communist and Benson’s The Red Carpet, the study demonstrates how these figures fused Mormon theology with white Christian nationalism to portray the U.S. Constitution as divinely inspired and under mortal threat from liberalism, communism, and the civil rights movement. Benson and Skousen attempted repeatedly to secure Hoover’s endorsement, while invoking his rhetoric to lend credibility to their political theology. Yet Hoover, wary of their ties to the John Birch Society, kept them at arm’s length. The article situates these efforts within broader currents of American conservatism, revealing how Mormon leaders helped propagate a religious nationalism that conflated Christianity, capitalism, and constitutional exceptionalism

Swallow, Julie, Christopher James Blythe, Eric A. Eliason, and Jill Terry Rudy. The Three Nephites: Saints, Service, and Supernatural Legend. University of Illinois Press, 2025.

Stories of encounters with the Three Nephites, immortal saint-like figures, dominate the folklore of the Latter-day Saint tradition. The authors of this volume use hundreds of legends collected by the renowned folklorist William A. Wilson from across a lifetime of research, study, and interviews to focus on the different themes exhibited by the Three Nephites and show that LDS culture, beliefs, and values are embodied by and through the Three Nephites.

Each chapter focuses on a different theme from Three Nephites lore. “Vanishing Hitchhiker Nephites” addresses stories of the Nephites’ travels. “The Worldwide End of the World” considers the Nephites as harbingers of the Second Coming. “Proclaiming-the-Gospel Stories” examines the interactions of the Three Nephites with missionaries. “Mix-ups, High Jinks, and Jokes” explores Nephite stories aimed at getting laughs. “That Your Joy Might Be Full” analyzes the types of service the Three Nephites render and reflects on the connection to the Church’s injunction to serve others.

A one-of-a-kind collection, The Three Nephites allows readers to see the extent that this supernatural legend has played in Latter-day Saint lore.

Bartholomew, Christina M., David R. Hodge, Nathan D. Leonhardt, and W. Justin Dyer. “Spiritual/Religious Engagement and Maladaptive Perfectionism: A Longitudinal Study of Latter-Day Saint Youth and Their Peers.” Journal of Social Service Research (2025): 1-17.

Maladaptive perfectionism among youth has increased significantly in the past few decades, underscoring the need to identify relevant contextual factors. Toward that end, this longitudinal study investigates the effects of seven spiritual/religious (S/R) dimensions on maladaptive perfectionism, and whether any of the dimensions help explain differences in perfectionism between Latter-day Saints and their adolescent peers. The sample consisted of three waves of adolescents (2018, 2020, 2022) from the Southwestern United States. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model and latent mediation modeling were used for the analysis. The findings indicate that Sabbath observance, personal prayer, and a close relationship with God were associated with lower levels of maladaptive perfectionism while negative religious coping was associated with higher levels. Latter-day Saints reported lower maladaptive perfectionism relative to their peers, which was explained by engagement in S/R activities. In addition, Latter-day Saint youth who were less engaged in S/R activities reported elevated perfectionism, suggesting that disconnection from their faith may place them at increased risk of perfectionism. The results emphasize the importance of conducting spiritual assessments in clinical settings to understand the role that S/R plays in youth’s lived reality. Future researchers might build on the results by using nationally representative samples of youth.

Dahl, Allison, and Dallin J. Bailey. “Making Religious Texts More Aphasia-Friendly: Recommendations From a Case Study of Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology(2025): 1-15.