IntersectIonalIty

Although intersectionality has become a major scholarly theory and research approach, exploration of the concept within Mormonism is still in its infancy. This chapter examines the application, or lack thereof, of intersectionality to Mormonism. We first define and contextualize the concept of intersectionality. We then look at two ways in which Mormonism may be considered intersectionally: (a) Mormonism as one of many (often marginalized) identities within a larger society; and (b) Mormonism as a socio-cultural system that produces its own (often intersectional) marginalizations. With the latter approach to LDS intersectionality, we focus first on responses to Mormonism’s marginalizations, and second on the role of intersectionality in Mormon Studies. Along the way, we identify work and activism-both potential and actual-that utilize intersectional approaches or perspectives and call for greater attention to intersectional concerns among those who study Mormonism.