Joanna Brooks: Mormon Writer

Joanna Brooks is an award-winning religion writer and co-editor of Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings. She is also the author of a memoir The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith. She was senior correspondent for Religion Dispatches from 2011–2014. She is a professor of English and comparative literature at San Diego State University. She sits on the board of directors for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.

An important tenet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that the Church is the literal restoration of the ancient church founded by Christ Himself, and that Christ leads His church through revelation to prophets, seers, and revelators. Members sustain the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as such, and generally believe that their prophetic calling makes them able to enact God-guided policies that will protect the Saints in the future. Very often, the current logic of the world is in opposition to these policies. Latter-day Saints who are bothered by policies or doctrines of the Church are expected to study scripture and prophetic writings, reason, seek God in prayer, and receive assurance through the Gift of the Holy Ghost that the guidance they are receiving from their leaders is sound.

The press prefers dissident Latter-day Saints over faithful ones as columnists. Their reasoning is pleasing to the audience of various newspapers, but not necessarily in line with the majority of faithful Latter-day Saints.

Brooks writes extensively about Mormonism and is often quoted in the press. She is considered a feminist and liberal Mormon. She and her husband, David Kamper, are the parents of two daughters. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and her PhD from UCLA.