On December 3, Wheatley Institute joined the National Institute for Civil Discourse for an inspiring event at Temple Emanuel in Denver. Speakers included Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis, former Republican Colorado Governor Bill Owens, and Paul Edwards, director of Wheatley Institute.

While 84% of the world’s population still affiliates with a faith of some sort, there are clear indicators that people in the United States and elsewhere are abandoning religion. This shift toward secularization may have significant social and psychological consequences, because religion is often linked to better mental health, stronger social ties, and increased rates of marriage and childbearing. This report examines who and how many are leaving religion, which faiths are most affected by disaffiliation, individual and social consequences of a decline in religiosity, and factors increasing the likelihood of returning to faith.

Wheatley Institute and the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies welcomed Jeff Rosen to BYU campus on Nov 13, 2025 as he spoke on his recent book, "The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America," a New York Times bestseller and an enriching examination of what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s Founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and became the foundation of our democracy.

Distinguished Wheatley Fellow Shima Baughman wrote an article for the Deseret News about returning to teach at BYU after 10 years at the University of Utah.

Past Wheatley Scholar Gabriela Coca wrote an article for the Institute of Family Studies about the negative effects of pornography on youth.

Wheatley Institute Fellow Justin Dyer co-authored an article for Deseret News with findings from a recent study on toxic perfectionism in Latter-Day Saint youth. He addresses the common attitude that being highly religious leads to dangerous levels of perfectionism, and explains how research shows that religion is the solution, rather than the cause, of these problems.