Articles/Publications

A transcript of Dr. Finlayson-FIfe's article on Modesty, published in the Winter 2014 issue of the Exponent II Magazine

In celebration of Christmas, of Christ’s birth, I want to talk about what I believe to be one of the most powerful and transformative aspects of Christ’s ministry on the earth. Christ’s birth, his mortal presence among us, coupled with His teachings, offers us an understanding of God—a conception of what characterizes goodness and truth—that is powerful and compelling for me personally. Christ taught us that truth emerges and exists in relationship---in relationship with God and with our fellow beings.   Divine Truth is inherently relational in Christian thought. “I am the way, the Truth and t...

I understand why we value obedience, but I think we can hyper-value it at the expense of our moral development. I don’t believe in a god who would let us obey our way into godhood. Instead, God gives us a world in which we may borrow wisdom from others, but we also must learn through the exercise of free will, through mistake-making, through the earnest seeking of truth based in our own thinking, discerning, and seeking.

Dr. Finlayson-fife is quoted by author Sherrae Phelps in her article "How do I figure out God's plan for me?".  Jennifer offers her thoughts under the sections Waiting for God and Moving Forward with Faith. You can view the article using the link below: http://www.ldsliving.com/What-if-You-Can-t-Figure-Out-the-Work-God-Has-for-You/s/90057 What If You Can't Figure Out God's Plan for You? by Sherrae Phelps What does God want me to do? This is a common question that is sincerely asked by individuals seeking to live a good life and wanting their actions to be in alignment with God’s wi...

This week, LDS Living posted an article referencing an interview with Dr. Finlayson-Fife on the subject of submission.  Author Sherrae Phelps explores the theological and psychological difference between destructive submission and virtuous submission drawing on Dr. Finlayson-Fife's perspectives on the matter.  You can read the article by clicking here: http://www.ldsliving.com/When-Is-Submission-Good-and-When-Is-It-Dangerous/s/89758 When Is Submission Good and When Is It Dangerous? by Sherrae Phelps Submission has a bad reputation. As Elder Jeffery R. Holland has said, “You can be...

Dr. Finlayson-Fife was recently interviewed by Courtney Tanner of the Salt Lake Tribune for her article on the LDS church’s stance on physical intimacy within marriage. Click on the link below to read the full article: https://www.sltrib.com/religion/local/2018/10/01/mormons-sex-before/

Peggy Fletcher Stack interviewed Dr. Finlayson-Fife and others on outdated church-cultural notions that shape our responses to rape.  The article, coauthored with Erin Alberty, was published on February 6, 2016 in the Salt Lake Tribune. How Outdated Mormon Teachings May Be Aiding and Abetting ‘Rape Culture’

In the final podcast in a 3-part series on sexuality, marriage, and singlehood, Candice Madsen interviews Dr. Finlayson-Fife and Dr. Jason Carroll, BYU professor of family life.  Links to transcripts and videos can be found here: Q and A: How singles can embrace both chastity and sexuality (+video) You can find the first two podcasts in that series here: If there is a secret to marriage, it just may be commitment Love, marriage and the single woman stuck writing about it

"When the wedding celebration and honeymoon end and we are left to work out a life with another flawed human being, we are often unprepared for the disharmony experienced in those early days. When so many of us anticipate bliss in marriage, what do we do when we find ourselves confronting disappointment and conflict? What meaning should we make of the discord, and what can we do to make our marriage better?"

"Far from protecting females from seeking male approval, the rhetoric on modesty unwittingly reinforces it. At the same time we are taught that pleasing men through sexual availability is unnecessary, we are taught to please men and God by covering and suppressing our sexuality. Either way women are sexual objects." Dr. Finlayson-Fife's recent Exponent II article is quoted in this article on the topic of modesty: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/57592727-80/women-modesty-lds-mormon.html.csp?page=1

Below is an article I wrote on the LDS Modesty discourse, published in EXPONENT II Magazine.  You can read it here: (Just scroll down a few pages to find the article). http://www.exponentii.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Exponent-II-Magazine_Winter-2014-Edition-4-website.pdf

"I think sexuality is God-given and fundamental to our human experience. It’s not peripheral. Our sexuality is fundamental to our spiritual and moral development. Our theology, more than any other Christian faith, teaches us that the body is fundamental to our spiritual development; we were given a body to become more like God, with all of the parts and passions of our heavenly parents."