Lefevor, G. Tyler, Eleanor Standifird, Everett J. Peterson, Zachary EZ Hall, Samuel J. Skidmore, Jacob Howard, and Madelyn Call. “What facilitates and hinders religious belonging among LGBTQ+ Latter-Day Saints? A reflexive thematic analysis.” Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (2026).

Objective: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and same-sex attracted (LGBTQ+) individuals raised in theologically conservative faith traditions often want to engage fully with their faith tradition yet experience pain in doing so. As such, we aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to religious belonging for LGBTQ+ individuals. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews of 25 LGBTQ+ active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, analyzing data using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We identified five major barriers to belonging for LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints: (a) exclusion/rejection, (b) systemic restriction, (c) cis/heteronormative stances about gender and family, (d) others’ negative attitudes about “people like me,” and (e) others’ lack of understanding of LGBTQ+ people. We also identified five major facilitators to belonging for LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints: (a) being seen and accepted as an LGBTQ+ person in religious settings, (b) having accepting and open leaders, (c) being included as an equal, (d) having a sense of spiritual meaning and purpose, and (e) believing in loving and inclusive divinity Discussion: Therapists who work with LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints, and potentially other theologically conservative clients, should review the factors increasing and decreasing their clients’ sense of belonging to help clients navigate the difficulties arising from their intersecting identities. We particularly encourage therapists and individuals to focus on the barriers that may be addressed without radically challenging traditional Latter-day Saint theology, as these represent a clearer “middle ground” way of moving forward that does not challenge deeply held religious beliefs.

Bayeck, Rebecca Y., Stephen A. Ameko, and Charles W. Johnson. “Board games as learning spaces in religious communities: the case of Mormon board games.” Cogent Arts & Humanities 13, no. 1 (2026): 2718698.

The relationship between games and religion is not new. Research shows that board games particularly have been employed in religious rituals and practices since the medieval times, giving them divine significance (Robinson, 2015). Emerging research in religious studies indicate that board games are used in different religious communities, and they are mostly explored as material culture. However, limited are studies investigating the connection between learning and board games in religious communities. This study explores learning in religious environments by focusing on board games of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (lds). Using qualitative content analysis, our findings show that board games facilitate the learning of church-related content and offer an environment for the lds church to teach beyond the walls of its buildings.