Laura Harris Hales

Laura Harris Hales
Born
Laura Elizabeth Harris

(1967-08-12)August 12, 1967
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedApril 13, 2022(2022-04-13) (aged 54)
Kaysville, Utah, U.S.
Alma materBrigham Young University
New England College
Arizona State University
Occupations
  • Writer
  • historian
  • podcaster
Spouses
Brian Dursteler
​
​
(m. 1988; div. 2005)​
Brian C. Hales
​
(m. 2013)​
Children5
WebsiteJosephSmithsPolygamy.org

Laura Elizabeth Harris Hales (August 12, 1967 – April 13, 2022) was an American writer, historian, and podcaster who focused on matters of history, theology, and culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) of which she was a life-long member.[1]

Early life[edit]

Hales was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and grew up in Michigan and Minnesota.[2] Alfred, her father, was an agricultural engineer and her mother Margaret Harris (née Lewis) worked as a teacher.[1] She obtained a bachelor's degree in international relations from Brigham Young University in 1988[1] and a master's degree in professional writing from New England College in 2013.[1][3] In 2020, she obtained a master's degree in history with a focus on North American history from the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University.[1]

Writings and podcasts[edit]

Hales and her second husband, Brian C. Hales, published extensively on Joseph Smith and his polygamy and maintain the website JosephSmithsPolygamy.org.[4] Hales edited a series of essays, A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine and Church History, that provide complex context and answers for troubling aspects of the LDS Church's past.[5] “There is a need for a broader discussion of 19th-century Latter-day Saint women who cry out for identities beyond a wife number or an age,” she said in an interview with the church's website From the Desk discussing the era of polygamy in the Latter-Day Saints. “Filtering their lives only through their relationships to their husbands does little to resolve the silences of women’s history.”[1]

In 2016, Hales created the Latter-day Saint Perspectives podcast that explores 'Latter-day Saint history, doctrine, and culture' through interviews with authors, scholars, and historians.[6] Episodes include interviews with Fiona Givens, Kate Holbrook, Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye, and Patrick Q. Mason. As of 2021 she served as the executive director and frequent host of the podcast.[7] In May 2021, Hales announced that the podcast would not be adding any new shows and Hales would be pursuing other projects.[8]

Personal life[edit]

Hales was a member of the LDS Church. She was married to Brian Dursteler from 1988 until their divorce in 2005; the couple had five children.[2] She married Brian C. Hales in 2013; combined from their respective families, they had nine children.[9]

Hales died from pancreatic cancer at her home in Kaysville, Utah, on April 13, 2022, aged 54.[2][1]

Bibliography[edit]

  • A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine and Church History (Editor) Deseret Book Company, 2016. ISBN 978-1944394011
  • Joseph Smith's Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding (with Brian C. Hales) Greg Kofford Books, Incorporated, 2015. ISBN 978-1589587236
  • Viewing the Temple Through Wilford Woodruff’s Eyes (Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture Book 18) The Interpreter Foundation, 2015.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Genzlinger, Neil (April 22, 2022). "Laura Hales, Who Examined Her Church's Tough Issues, Dies at 54". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Laura Elizabeth Harris Hales". Russon Mortuary & Cemetery. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Bunning, Rachel. "Graduating with her master’s degree in history, student plunges into the world of research", ASU News, December 7, 2020. Retrieved on March 9, 2021.
  4. ^ Bradshaw, M. Scott. "Brian C. Hales. Joseph Smith’s Polygamy.", BYU Studies, 2013. Retrieved on March 9, 2021.
  5. ^ Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "Mormonism? The questions are there — and so, argues new book, are the answers", The Salt Lake Tribune, May 21, 2016. Retrieved on March 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Peterson, Daniel C. "Tough Questions about Mormon Polygamy - Brian and Laura Hales", Latter-day Saint Perspective, May 24, 2017. Retrieved on April 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "LDS Perspectives Podcast: The overlooked step in preparing to enter a Mormon temple", Deseret News, October 16, 2017. Retrieved on March 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Hales, Laura (May 31, 2021). "Moving On". Latter-day Saint Perspectives. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  9. ^ "Laura Harris Hales", Ensign Peak Foundation, Retrieved on March 9, 2021.

External links[edit]

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