mormons

Brendan O'Connor · 09/26/15 01:15PM

Mormon leaders have issued a rare public statement to the church’s 15 million members, advising that the confluence Sunday of a lunar eclipse and a supermoon (a “blood moon”) should not be taken as a sign of the apocalypse: “Avoid being caught up in extreme efforts to anticipate catastrophic events.”

Black Ladies of America: Will You Let These Mormons Sit at Your Lunch Counter?

John Cook · 07/17/12 10:26AM

Jeanette Bennett, the Utah Valley Magazine editor who attracted some attention recently for appending the headline "Women of Color" to a photo of her all-white staff, has penned a thoughtful and heartfelt response to her critics on her personal blog, Jeanette Gazette. The upshot: As a Mormon, she knows what it's like to be black, and all she was doing is asking black and latino ladies if she can be a woman of color, too. Oh, Jeanette.

I'm a Gay Mormon Who's Been Happily Married for 10 Years

josh weed · 06/08/12 05:30PM

Yesterday, blogger and family therapist Josh Weed published a 6,000-word post on his personal site that he'd co-written with his wife of 10 years. In the post, Weed came out publicly for the first time. Still, he explained, he is a "devout and believing Mormon" who has been "very happily married to a woman" for a decade, and he and his wife plan to remain together. Here is a condensed and edited excerpt from his post. Weed will also be joining us in the discussion to answer your questions.

'It Gets Better' for Gay Mormons, Too

Louis Peitzman · 04/07/12 01:42PM


Brigham Young University has been called one of the least LGBT-friendly campuses in the U.S.: according to the "It Gets Better" video produced by Brigham Young University students, 74 percent of LGBT students at BYU have considered suicide, and 24 percent have attempted suicide. The video was made by campus group Understanding Same-Gender Attraction (USGA), which is not officially recognized by the Mormon university.

Bid on Burnt Toast With Image of Mitt Romney and Satan Shaking Hands

Louis Peitzman · 03/18/12 10:55AM


This is one of those things where you have to really squint to see it — except even squinting is no guarantee. A tipster sent in this eBay listing for "IMAGE OF MITT ROMNEY AND SATAN SHAKING HANDS ON PIECE OF TOAST." An intriguing find, to be sure, but whatever image the toast advertises is subtle, to say the least. It mostly just looks like a piece of toast. And with an $88.40 shipping fee, it's an expensive piece of toast.

Mormon Church to Members: Quit Baptizing Dead Jews

Louis Peitzman · 03/03/12 10:36AM


Researcher and ex-Mormon Helen Radkey raised some eyebrows when she reported that a Mormon temple in Idaho had baptized deceased Jewish reporter Daniel Pearl. But it doesn't stop there. Radkey also discovered posthumous baptisms of Anne Frank and Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal's family. Needless to say, the Jewish community isn't thrilled, and the Mormon higher-ups have been forced to take action. (Read: they sent out a letter.)

Proxy Baptism of the Day: Daniel Pearl

Caity Weaver · 03/01/12 09:33PM

The Boston Globe has reported that last year members of the Mormon Church posthumously baptized Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter captured and killed in Pakistan in 2002, allegedly by 9/11 plotter Khalid Sheik Mohammed.

Why Do Mormons, Including Mitt Romney's Wife, Love Pinterest?

Adrian Chen · 02/21/12 06:10PM

Earlier today, Mitt Romney's official Twitter account linked to his wife Ann's profile on the social network everyone is talking about, Pinterest. Ann Romney is now the most famous Mormon on Pinterest—but far from the first. Pinterest is so popular with Mormons it's practically the Utah of social networks. Why? Let's investigate.

What Is Mary Romney Dressed Up as in This Picture?

Maureen O'Connor · 02/21/12 10:43AM

As the Romney clan scrambles to clean up its social media presence, Buzzfeed reporter and Mormon whisperer McKay Coppins highlights the "Mormon mommy blog" of Mary Romney, daughter-in-law of Mitt and wife of Craig. Mary made her blog private when Coppins came asking questions, which is really too bad, because now we don't the context of this 2007 Halloween photo. Apparently Craig is "dressed as his dad," but what the hell is Mary?

Yes, the Romneys Converted Mitt's Dead Atheist Father-in-Law to Mormonism

John Cook · 01/27/12 12:02PM

Gawker's substantial Mormon readership has come through for us: Two readers have sent us confirmation that Edward Davies, Mitt Romney's militantly atheist father-in-law, was indeed posthumously converted to Mormonism by his family, despite the fact that when he was alive he regarded all religions as "hogwash." UPDATE: Romney's brother-in-law responds below.