Sociologist and Mormon scholar Armand Mauss says that, as a relatively new religious movement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has followed a developmental trajectory similar to many other such movements. In the next few years, however, as the church enters its third century, it is likely to face many new and unprecedented challenges.
Mauss, professor emeritus of sociology and religious studies at WSU, discussed how the church and its members might cope with these challenges, including the definition of gender in church life, and navigating issues of faith vs. doubt in a lecture, “Mormonism’s Third Century: Coping with the Contingencies,” sponsored by Utah State University’s Religious Studies Program.
Mauss is the former editor of The Journal for Scientific Study of Religion and served for more than 30 years on the editorial board and board of directors of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, the major scholarly journal in Mormon studies independent of church auspices. He has also served as president of the Mormon History Association.