2025 Joseph Smith Lecture | Jana Riess

"Not All In, But Not Out: Exploring the Borderlands Between Mormon Orthodoxy and Disaffiliation"

About this Event

About the Event

On October 24th of this year, author and journalist Jana Riess will deliver the 11th annual Joseph Smith Lecture, entitled, "Not All In, But Not Out: Exploring the Borderlands Between Mormon Orthodoxy and Disaffiliation.” Dr. Riess will discuss the shifting feelings among Latter-day Saints about belief, practice, and belonging within the 21st Century Church.

The event will take place in Newcomb Hall, located directly adjacent to the Central Grounds Parking Garage, which offers paid parking. Attendees may also park for free after 5 p.m. at the Culbreth Garage, a fifteen minute walk from Newcomb Hall.

About Jana Riess

Jana Riess is an author, editor, and senior columnist for Religion News Service. Her written works have primarily focused on the intersections of American religion with popular culture, ethics, and society. She has been interviewed by the Associated Press, Time, Newsweek, People, the Boston Globe, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsday, among other print publications, as well as “Voice of America,” the “Today” show, MSNBC, and NPR’s “All Things Considered,” “Tell Me More,” and “Talk of the Nation.” Her most recent book, The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church (Oxford University Press, 2019) discusses the faith practices and institutional distrust of Millennial Mormons. She is currently writing a follow-up book, based on her research with Benjamin Knoll, about the Mormon faith crisis and changing understandings of belonging among Latter-day Saints.

About the Joseph Smith Lecture

Each fall, the UVA Mormon Studies Program sponsors a public lecture on religion in public life, with particular emphasis on religious liberty and civic leadership. The Lecture is designed to honor the legacies of both Thomas Jefferson and Joseph Smith, but is not limited to either the American or Mormon experience. Click here to learn more about or watch past lectures.

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