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Commentary: Pay attention to women’s issues, Utah historian advises Latter-day Saint leaders

Latter-day Saint women have come a long way, according to University of Utah history professor Colleen McDannell.

That’s one overall takeaway from McDannell’s outstanding new history, “Sister Saints: Mormon Women Since the End of Polygamy.”

Latter-day Saint women, McDannell says, have made the transition to the 21st century with considerable strength and agency — and even find power in some unexpected ways (like fighting against the Equal Rights Amendment, ironically).

I hope the book gets a wide readership. It’s not only carefully researched but also accessibly written, which is frankly not something I can say about a lot of academic books.