LOGAN – At a time in her life when she was a divinity school student preparing to be a pastor, Jana Riess fell in love with the Book of Mormon.
She later joked that she went to divinity school to become a Protestant minister and graduated three years later neither a Protestant nor a minister.
She said her decision to become a Mormon not only upended her career plans but also caused tension in her family.
Fast forward 30 years to this week’s announcement by the Utah State University Libraries that the 2024 Arrington Mormon History Lecture will feature renowned religious scholar Jana Riess Thursday, Oct. 10 in USU’s Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall.
Her lecture is titled “Latter-day Saint Women and the Quiet Erosion of Certainty” begins at 7 p.m. on campus. History indicates that, until recently, Latter-Day Saint women in the U.S. have been significantly more certain in their beliefs and more actively engaged in the church than their male counterparts.
Reiss is a senior columnist for Religion News Service and a prominent contributor to the Salt Lake Tribune.