Peggy Fletcher Stack
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Covers Mormonism & other faiths at The Salt Lake Tribune. Podcast Mormon Land; Exec dir, International Association of Religion Journalists theiarj.org
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Articles by Peggy Fletcher Stack
Remembering a British nurse who won over Utah’s powerful by ministering to the powerless
The memorial service for a tall, thin, British nonagenarian — who often hung out under freeways, handing out food, mittens and coats — attracted an extraordinary number of Utah’s luminaries, sitting side by side Friday with many of those whom she had befriended. Front and center in the First Presbyterian Church’s stunning sanctuary for Pamela Atkinson’s funeral were Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, former Gov. Gary Herbert, Latter-day Saint apostles D.
As a presidential candidate, LDS founder Joseph Smith stood up for the marginalized. Do his followers do the same today?
As the United States inches toward a possibly momentous Election Day, it could be instructive for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to think about the quixotic — and idealistic — presidential campaign of church founder Joseph Smith in 1844. It came in the wake of persecution from neighbors that drove the growing band of Latter-day Saints from state to state.
As a presidential candidate, LDS founder Joseph Smith stood up for the marginalized. Do his followers do the same today?
As the United States inches toward a possibly momentous Election Day, it could be instructive for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to think about the quixotic — and idealistic — presidential campaign of church founder Joseph Smith in 1844. It came in the wake of persecution from neighbors that drove the growing band of Latter-day Saints from state to state.
Holy Halloween! For LDS kids, sometimes there’s nothing scarier than the Holy ‘Ghost.’
At this spooky time of year, when kids don white sheets and stroll around neighborhoods asking for candy, it’s tough to explain a more, well, spiritual being: the Holy Ghost. Try telling a Latter-day Saint child that the disembodied third member of the faith’s Godhead is always around, watching you and sometimes whispering in your ear to avoid danger or bad choices — and it may sound like a scarier version of that “sees you when you’re sleeping” Santa Claus.
‘Mormon Land’: Would Joseph Smith be a progressive or conservative in today’s political landscape?
As the United States inches toward a possibly momentous Election Day, it could be instructive for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to think about the quixotic — and idealistic — presidential campaign of church founder Joseph Smith in 1844. It came in the wake of persecution from neighbors that drove the growing band of Latter-day Saints from state to state.
These researchers are sure a 19th-century photograph shows the face of Joseph Smith. A new film contains their proof.
It didn’t take too long for Latter-day Saint artist Joseph Brickley to accept the possibility that an 1844 daguerreotype found in a Smith family locket was an image of Mormonism’s founder, Joseph Smith. Brickey felt it in his soul. It answered questions the artist had for decades as he studied portraits of the religious leader. “The face in that daguerreotype is tested rather than testimonial,” said Brickey, who has been studying the history and forensics of the photograph for the past four years.
‘Mormon Land’: Why gambling is out of step with Latter-day Saint society and doctrine
The explosion in gambling — especially through the emergence of online sports betting and so-called prediction markets — has been debated in the courts, Congress and now Latter-day Saint living rooms. The latter comes after President D. Todd Christofferson’s blistering broadside against all types of wagering in this past weekend’s General Conference.
Issues about sex aren’t the same for older, single Latter-day Saints, so should the rules be different?
Sexual standards set by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seem clear: no sex before marriage, total fidelity during marriage. Guidelines for sexual activity are set out for young Latter-day Saints in publications like “For the Strength of Youth.” But what about older singles who have never wed, or those whose marriages end in divorce or death? How do they navigate the possibility of intimacy?
Conference highlights: LDS President Dallin Oaks worries about members' diminishing faith in Christ
The way to overcome doubts, tragedies and struggles is to get closer to Jesus Christ, President Dallin H. Oaks told millions of members gathered this past weekend in Salt Lake City and around the world for the faith's 196th Semiannual General Conference. Indeed, the 94-year-old leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints repeatedly said the answers to the most pressing issues can be found in Christ's gospel.
Latest from Sunday's LDS General Conference: God sees us, says first African to lead a churchwide organization
He has made headlines speaking about the Constitution religious freedom elections same-sex marriage childbearing peacemaking , even Black lives matter On Sunday, President Dallin H. Oaks, worldwide leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is expected to make news again when he delivers his keynote address on the final day of the faith's 196th Semiannual General Conference.
Full summary of Saturday's LDS General Conference: Never give up on those who have left the faith, says apostle
Against the backdrop of the planned reopening of the majestic Salt Lake Temple across the street and with millions of members tuning in from around the world, top leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commanded the pulpit of the Conference Center on Saturday for the first day of General Conference. President Dallin H. Oaks, the 94-year-old leader of the nearly 18 million-member global faith, presided Saturday and is expected to deliver a keynote speech Sunday.
Latest from Sunday’s LDS General Conference: Members await the words of Dallin Oaks
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Latest from Saturday's LDS General Conference: President Christofferson condemns gambling
Against the backdrop of the planned reopening of the majestic Salt Lake Temple across the street and with millions of members tuning in from around the world, top leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will command the pulpit of the Conference Center for General Conference this weekend. President Dallin H. Oaks, the 94-year-old leader of the nearly 18 million-member global faith, will preside over the Saturday and Sunday sessions and is expected to deliver a keynote address.
LDS leader D. Todd Christofferson decries all forms of gambling, urges members to stop betting
A top leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unloaded a triple-barreled blast at gambling, denouncing online sports betting, casino-type games and the booming “prediction markets.” “The smartphone has transformed gambling,” President D.
Latest from Saturday’s LDS General Conference: Global tensions abound as leaders take stage
Against the backdrop of the planned reopening of the majestic Salt Lake Temple across the street and with millions of members turning in from around the world, top leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will command the pulpit of the Conference Center for General Conference this weekend. President Dallin H. Oaks, the 94-year-old leader of the nearly 18 million-member global faith, will preside over the Saturday and Sunday sessions and is expected to deliver a keynote address.
With ‘major events’ looming, LDS Church partners with Department of Homeland Security on safety
The Department of Homeland Security is lending its expertise to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ahead of two big gatherings planned for the faith’s Salt Lake City headquarters. The department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced in a Sept.
'This is new to me' — What a former federal judge says LDS President Dallin Oaks taught him about the Constitution
President Dallin H. Oaks, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave a landmark address recently in a soaring cathedral in the nation's capital to a packed audience of politicos and insiders. The former lawyer, law professor and Utah Supreme Court justice schooled his audience on how the U.S. Constitution offers a clear-cut manual for how to deal with profound differences — including political and religious ones — in a pluralistic society.
‘It’s a symbol of hope’ — The site of a deadly shooting and arson attack on an LDS church is being reborn
On the morning of Sept. 28, 2025, Latter-day Saints who had gathered for services in a Grand Blanc, Michigan, congregation still mourning the death of their faith’s prophet the day before, watched in horror as a hate-filled gunman rammed his truck into the wall of the chapel, set the building ablaze and then began shooting worshippers. When the assault ended, five people were dead, including the gunman, eight were wounded, and the building was destroyed.
LDS couples, who used to be scolded for their large families, are having fewer kids at a time when the world wants more children
Many Latter-day Saint couples once took their cues about how many babies to have from a pop-rock musical. Believing it reflected church theology, they looked to the 1970s production “Saturday’s Warrior,” with its actors singing and dancing while delivering the message that heavenly spirits were waiting for earthly bodies — and any attempt to block them bordered on apostasy. It had sprung up amid societal angst about too many children being born, overwhelming an already overworked globe.
‘Mormon Land’: ‘I actually think the Constitution is hanging by a thread’ — ex-judge discusses Oaks’ speech
President Dallin H. Oaks, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave a landmark address recently in a soaring cathedral at the nation’s capital to a packed audience of Washington politicos and insiders. The former lawyer, law professor and Utah Supreme Court justice schooled his audience on how the U.S. Constitution offers a clear-cut manual for how to deal with profound differences — including political and religious ones — in a pluralistic society.
Alone on Yom Kippur: How this Jewish Utah professor will be observing her faith’s holiest day
Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, is a time for fasting, prayer, and self-reflection about the mistakes of the past year and how to do better in the future. Utah’s Jewish community will flock to their respective synagogues for services that will help them, they believe, purify their souls. Hollis Robbins will not be joining any of them. Instead, the Jewish professor will, she says, be “davening” [repeating ritual prayers] alone in her Salt Lake City apartment.
LDS Church President Dallin Oaks to give major speech today from famed U.S. cathedral
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What two LDS candidates have to say about their big political showdown
Two prominent Latter-day Saints are facing off in Arizona’s closely watched gubernatorial race, prompting fellow church members to reflect on who better expresses their shared faith. • Andy Biggs, the Republican nominee for governor, is a Donald Trump-endorsed U.S. House member who has questioned the 2020 presidential election results and has represented the battleground state in Congress since 2017. • John Giles, incumbent Democratic Gov.
‘Mormon Land’: LDS service missionaries told they can help immigrants but not with their legal status
Scott Howell is a well-known figure among Utah Democrats. He served for a decade in the state Senate and was twice the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. During the past dozen years, though, Howell donned a different mantle: service missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
With two LDS candidates on the ticket, this governor’s race spurs a question: Which way will members lean?
The Grand Canyon State again finds itself at the center of the grand chasm in today’s American politics — and Latter-day Saints are smack-dab in the middle of it. This is reflected in Arizona’s gubernatorial race, which features a Donald Trump-endorsed, 2020 election-denying congressman against a former Republican who launched a support organization for Democrat Kamala Harris. U.S. Rep.
Latest from Mormon Land: ‘Are you President Uchtdorf’s bodyguard?’
The Mormon Land newsletter is The Salt Lake Tribune’s weekly highlight reel of news in and about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Join us on Patreon to receive ad-free podcast episodes, the full newsletter and access to all of our religion content. Sometimes it takes a little dude to cut a big shot down to size. Utah Gov.
‘Mormon Land’: Sex and older singles — Should the law of chastity still apply?
Sexual standards set by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seem clear — no sex before marriage, total fidelity during marriage. Guidelines for sexual activity are set out for young Latter-day Saints in publications like “For the Strength of Youth.” But what about older singles who have never wed or those whose marriages end in divorce or death? How do they then navigate the possibility of intimacy?
Latter-day Saint leaders plan a worldwide celebration when people come to see inside renovated Salt Lake Temple
Sept. 1 is an auspicious day in Mormonism — the day in 1842 when founder Joseph Smith received a revelation about doing proxy baptisms for deceased relatives, one of the rituals now conducted in Latter-day Saint temples. On Tuesday, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated another milestone – the availability of free tickets to tour the iconic Salt Lake Temple when it is open to the public after seven years of renovation and reconstruction.
Latter-day Saint leaders plan ‘a worldwide celebration’ for renovated Salt Lake Temple. Here’s how to get tickets.
Sept. 1 is an auspicious day in Mormonism — the day in 1842 when founder Joseph Smith received a revelation about doing proxy baptisms for deceased relatives, one of the rituals now conducted in Latter-day Saint temples. On Tuesday, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated another milestone – the availability of free tickets to tour the iconic Salt Lake Temple when it is open to the public after seven years of renovation and reconstruction.
Unlikely ‘workhorse’ LDS temple opens seven miles away from a ‘show horse’ temple
Latter-day Saint students at Snow College received Monday what just five years ago would have seemed an unlikely gift: a temple almost on their campus. The newly completed Ephraim Temple, featuring golden yellows and various blues common to the farming region, sits just blocks from the Sanpete County campus. It will serve more than 60,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in central Utah, including the majority of Snow’s 5,525 students.
‘Mormon Land’: Shorter lessons. Less foyer time. Will new Sunday schedule lead to a ‘drive-thru’ church?
Starting in September, the Sabbath experience will change for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world. Services each Sunday will feature all of the faith’s traditional classes for adults and youths, rather than every other week.
More evidence soon to be published of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith's polygamy
Posted 8/21/26 The Salt Lake Tribune reports that new evidence about LDS Church founder Joseph Smith's polygamy is emerging, challenging recent denials by some church members. This item is available in full to subscribers. E-mail Password Print and web subscribers If you're a print and web subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one. Non-subscribers Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
More evidence soon to be published of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith’s polygamy
After all, the Utah-based faith had kept pretty quiet about Smith’s involvement in the controversial practice — despite debating with its Missouri cousins in the then-Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ), who argued for Smith’s monogamy.
More evidence soon to be published of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith's polygamy
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‘Mormon Land’: The LDS Church’s retention rate hasn’t ‘bottomed out’ yet, says researcher
The on-again, off-again debate about retention in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is, most definitely, on — again. And in a big way. The latest round began with a report by BYU Studies, which found a number of positive signs of high religiosity among members. But it also noted that retention among U.S. Latter-day Saints has plunged from 82% in the heady 1980s to about 50% today.
We asked what question should be added to LDS temple recommend interviews. Here’s what you said.
The temple, considered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be the “House of the Lord,” is the most sacred space in Mormonism. It is where faithful members make promises to God, where they participate in religious ceremonies that lay out the purpose of life, where they perform weddings and proxy baptisms for the dead, where they go for solace and inspiration. For more than a century, the church has sought to protect the sanctity of its temples.
Latest from Mormon Land: President Dallin Oaks to give major speech on a favorite topic
The Mormon Land newsletter is The Salt Lake Tribune’s weekly highlight reel of news in and about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Join us on Patreon to receive ad-free podcast episodes, the full newsletter and access to all of our religion content. Next month, church President Dallin will deliver a major address on one of his favorite topics: the Constitution. On Sept.
As he turns 94, Dallin Oaks is set to take his first trip abroad as LDS Church president
After more than 10 months as leader of 17.8 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dallin H. Oaks is poised to take his first trip abroad as president. Oaks, who turns 94 on Wednesday, will dedicate a temple in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Sunday, the Utah-based faith announced Tuesday. It will be the second temple the nonagenarian religious leader has dedicated since being set apart as the 18th president of the global faith in October 2025.
‘I went from Mormon land into gay land’ — Son of famed LDS composer’s journey of reconciliation
Jeff McLean grew up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Heber City. As the son of renowned Latter-day Saint composer and playwright Michael McLean, faith and music were part of Jeff’s life. From his earliest memories, he recalls his father’s stardom and the expectations of being his son. But Jeff never anticipated the struggle of trying to reconcile his faith and his sexuality.
‘Mormon Land’: ‘My mom cried and my dad went silent,’ says gay son of famed LDS composer
Jeff McLean grew up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Heber City. As the son of renowned Latter-day Saint composer and playwright Michael McLean, faith and music were large parts of Jeff’s life. From his earliest memories, Jeff recalls his father’s stardom and the expectations of being his son. But he never anticipated the struggle of trying to reconcile his faith and his sexuality.
Which Latter-day Saints across the globe are the most devout? Survey offers clues.
As American-born Mormonism sprouts in more and more countries across the globe, the societies where it grows play a crucial role in how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the region follow the faith’s practices. That is among the conclusions Latter-day Saint data scientist Alex Bass draws from the small sample of members found in a massive Global Flourishing Study produced by Gallup.
Legendary LDS writer and advocate Carol Lynn Pearson dies, leaves a final poem to her fans
In the final entry of her extraordinarily detailed four-volume memoir, legendary Latter-day Saint writer Carol Lynn Pearson noted wryly, “Even though we believe in eternal life, a book must have a page on which is written ‘The End.’” The generous but always outspoken Pearson then thanked readers for traveling “the long road with me, observing one woman navigating her life as a Latter-day Saint, as a feminist, as an activist for LGBT causes, as a mother, a friend, a seeker of God, a discoverer...
‘Mormon Land’: Finance childcare? Put all kids in one ward? Return to 3-hour church? Let locals decide.
Many fairy tales end with the heartening promise that the protagonists lived “happily ever after.” Likewise, a number of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seem to expect the same in real life — that by following some divinely decreed equation, they can dwell in perpetual bliss. Simply heed this commandment to gain that blessing and thus achieve everlasting happiness.
The progressive LDS leader who spent decades 'defending something he didn't believe in'
There was a time in the 1960s and '70s, when Marion Duff Hanks was better known than almost any other Latter-day Saint leader. The athletic, charismatic, compassionate and deeply literate Hanks was tapped in 1953 at age 31 as a general authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was not released from full-time service in the faith until 1992.
The progressive LDS leader who spent decades ‘defending something he didn’t believe in’
There was a time in the 1960s and ’70s, when Marion Duff Hanks was better known than almost any other Latter-day Saint leader. The athletic, charismatic, compassionate and deeply literate Hanks was tapped in 1953 at age 31 as a general authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was not released from full-time service in the faith until 1992.
It predates the LDS Church's Salt Lake Temple and was Utah's center of a religious movement. Now it has a new life.
On one side, Micah Christensen descends from English settlers who arrived on the Mayflower, and on the other, Jews who fled violent pogroms in Russia. Both immigrant families landed in Utah and instilled in their children a love of the arts and the sacred.
‘Mormon Land’: His scribe’s diaries provide further evidence of Joseph Smith’s secret polygamy
William Clayton is likely known to most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the author of the beloved pioneer hymn, “Come, Come, Ye Saints.” To historians, though, Clayton was a key figure in Mormonism’s beginnings, especially during the years in Nauvoo, Illinois. He served as secretary and scribe for church founder Joseph Smith, keeping a detailed diary of all the happenings — and controversies — during that pivotal period.
‘Mormon Land’: His dad became the first Black general authority. He became the first Black missionary.
Brazilian Helvécio Martins was the first Black general authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was named a dozen years after the Utah-based faith ended its 126-year priesthood/temple ban in 1978. His son Marcus Martins had just turned 19 and thus, by most accounts, became the church’s first Black missionary after the change. The younger Martins went on to earn a master’s degree in organizational behavior and a doctorate in sociology of religion, race and ethnic relations.
Moses was the 'first capitalist' and Cain the 'first socialist.' Thus saith this LDS influencer from the past
Peggy Fletcher Stack, David Noyce There was a time in the 1960s when writer W. Cleon Skousen, who died in 2006 at 92 , was a widely known and controversial conservative figure in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Skousen was a popular speaker, teacher and author whose books about scriptures reflected a literal nonmodernist approach to the Bible. He was a zealous anti-communist who freely mixed his Mormonism with his political views.
Becoming Jewish: It’s not easy to convert, but it happens in Utah more than most places
Note to readers • This the first story in a special Salt Lake Tribune series about how and why Utahns convert to various faith traditions. You might think Jewish communities don’t really want any more members. Interested converts almost have to beg. That could be because not only does Judaism eschew proselytizing (no door-to-door outreach, for example, or publicity posters on campuses), but many rabbis also actively discourage conversion to the faith by non-Jews.
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