We are saddened to announce the passing of Brigadier General Amos A. “Joe” Jordan, Jr. on June 7, 2018, at the age of 96. General Jordan was a pillar of expertise and leadership for the Wheatley Institute in its early years. His extensive service in the government, military and academic world and his influence and recommendations allowed the Institution to feature highly sought after speakers at BYU. From his youth as a boxing champion to his young adult years at West Point to his outstanding accomplishments as an adult, he leaves behind a legacy of personal integrity and character.

Wheatley Institute Constitutional Government Director, James Phillips, wrote a blog post today for The Federalist Society regarding the Supreme Court yesterday denying a petition for certiorari in Apache Stronghold v United States. Justice Gorsuch argued in his dissent from the denial, joined by Justice Thomas, that allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand poses a threat to religious liberty.

Wheatley Religion Fellow Samuel Wilkinson co-authored an article for the Deseret News on the history of the relationship between psychiatry and religion. Despite longstanding negative assumptions from early psychiatry, many modern studies have found strong links between religious attendance and lowered risks of depression and anxiety.

Wheatley Family Fellow Jenet Erickson was quoted in a New York Times article covering recent discussion on federal family legislation. Erickson, who previously co-authored an essay in 2021 with Vice President JD Vance emphasizing the importance of stay-at-home parents, reiterated the natural capacities of mothers to bond with their children.