Patrick Q. Mason

Mason is an associate professor of religious studies and history at Utah State University, where he holds the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture. A Utah native, Mason was trained in American history at Brigham Young University and the University of Notre Dame. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Romania, has served on the boards of the Mormon History Association and Dialogue Foundation, and is an advisor and contributor to Faith Matters. Mason currently lives with his wife Melissa and their four children in Logan, Utah.

Latter-day Saint Life

Why faith crises are real, and how we can avoid making them worse for loved ones

By Patrick Q. Mason

December 09, 2022 10:56 AM MST

How we deal with our brothers’ and sisters’ questions and doubts in the Church today is one of the most pressing tests of our collective discipleship.

13 Min Read

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Latter-day Saint Life

If you want to be a peacemaker at a contentious Thanksgiving dinner table, you’ll need these 5 skills

By Patrick Q. Mason

November 16, 2022 11:43 AM MST

Families are inherently unruly things, but we can create peace as we get comfortable with conflict and recommit to love.

7 Min Read

Mountainous landscape and fjord at sunset, Norway

Recommended by Us

How to seek peace in an age of conflict

By Patrick Q. Mason

March 01, 2022 09:15 AM MST

How can the gospel of Jesus Christ help heal our fallen world and provide answers in an age characterized by “wars and rumors of wars” when “the love of men shall wax cold”?

6 Min Read

Sponsored: The restored Church or the restoring Church?

By Patrick Q. Mason

February 01, 2021 01:45 PM MST

A subtle but significant rhetorical shift occurred during General Conference in April 2014. Almost in passing, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then Second Counselor in the First Presidency, introduced the notion of an “ongoing” Restoration:

8 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

3 important principles to remember when studying “nettlesome” Church history

By Patrick Q. Mason

January 01, 2019 03:25 PM MST

As a people, we have been extraordinarily good at keeping the very first commandment given by the Lord to the newly organized Church of Christ in April 1830: “Behold, there shall be a record kept among you” (D&C 21:1). Our initial impulse in recording our lives and remembering the past is to emphasize the good, even the heroic. This is a great virtue and act of charity toward ourselves and our forebears. We don’t pretend that we or our ancestors are perfect, but we do highlight what is noble and worthy of emulation. We hope our record will have inspirational value for someone down the road who might encounter it and need a bit of uplift. Naturally, there’s some aspect of vanity involved as well—we want others to see us at our best.

10 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Surviving a faith crisis (and how Church members can help)

By Patrick Q. Mason

June 28, 2018 08:03 AM MDT

Church members can experience a crisis of faith for a variety of reasons. Whether stemming from a discovery of an unflattering but true account of Church history, a negative interaction with a Church leader, or a recent change in the Church Handbook, each person’s reason is valid and should be treated as such. Here are ways those experiencing a faith crisis can cope, as well as ways loving members can support them.

10 Min Read

Why Your Testimony Doesn't (and Shouldn't) Sound Like Everyone Else's

By Patrick Q. Mason

July 05, 2016 09:00 AM MDT

Testimonies of the gospel are as diverse as the people who hold them. Everyone experiences the conversion process differently, and everyone has different experiences that build their testimonies.

9 Min Read