Janice Merrill Allred
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Janice Merrill Allred (born in 1947) is an excommunicated Latter Day Saint,
theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, writer, and Mormon feminist. She was born in Mesa, Arizona. Allred holds a B.A. in English from
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
(BYU), and some of her writings have been collected in ''God the Mother, and Other Theological Essays'' (Signature Books: 1997). She began her studies of the Mother in Heaven concept in 1991. Her writings have been viewed as controversial by leaders of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church); meetings with local leadership regarding her work began in November 1992. In 1993, the LDS Church disciplined six prominent writers; Allred had collaborated with several of these including Lavina Fielding Anderson, Lynne Whitesides (who was president of the Mormon Women's Forum while Allred was vice-president), and brother-in-law
Paul Toscano The September Six were six members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who were excommunicated or disfellowshipped by the church in September 1993, allegedly for publishing scholarly work against or criticizing church do ...
. Allred was in Mexico City at the time, but faced a series of
disciplinary council In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a church membership council (formerly called a disciplinary council) is an ecclesiastical event during which a church member's status is considered, typically for alleged violations ...
s on her return to Utah. Though her work had been criticized by church president Gordon B. Hinckley, Allred was initially placed on probation (a temporary and relatively minor punishment) in October 1994. However, after lengthy proceedings, a second disciplinary council found her guilty of apostasy and excommunicated her on May 9, 1995.Associated Press, "LDS Excommunicate Feminist; Appeal Planned", ''Deseret News'', 11 May 1995. In addition to her theological work, Allred has criticized the LDS Church for alleged instances of child abuse. Allred is married to BYU physicist David Allred, and is the mother of nine children. She is the sister of fellow LDS theologian and excommunicant Margaret Toscano.


Publications

* Allred, Janice (1997)
God the Mother, and Other Theological Essays
Signature Books. * (1997) "My Struggle for a More Loving, Tolerant, and Egalitarian Church". ''Case Reports of the Mormon Alliance.'' 2(4) * (1994) "Toward a Mormon Theology of God the Mother," ''Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' 27(2):38–39 * (2012
"The One Who Never Left Us,"
''Sunstone''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allred, Janice Merrill 1947 births Writers from Mesa, Arizona Christian feminist theologians American Latter Day Saint writers People excommunicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Brigham Young University alumni Living people Latter Day Saints from Arizona Mormon feminists