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.

A recent article in The New Yorker investigated various AI companion websites, citing a Wheatley Institute report on how dangerous and widespread the use of romantic chatbot services is.

"There are many reasons people choose not to have children or not to get married, but false messages about happiness should not be one of them. The articles I read long ago were right that parenting (and marriage) can often be exhausting. But they ignored the sense of meaning that comes from parenthood and the connection of physical touch at the core of family life."

Magnify the Podcast featured Wheatley Family Fellow Jenet Erickson discussing findings from a recent Pew Research study on women of faith. Latter-Day Saint women were found to have very high rates of happiness and spiritual well-being, in sharp contrast to negative pop culture depictions. Pew Research concluded: "“It may be the confluence of the religious values and practices, reinforced by social ties and norms, that give religious communities their powerful effects on so many aspects of human flourishing.”