Sonia Johnson: A Mormon Feminist

Few figures in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provoke such visceral responses as Sonia Johnson. Her unrelenting public support of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) made her the face of LDS feminism while her subsequent excommunication roiled the faith community.

Christine Talbot tells the story of Sonias historic confrontation with the Church within the context of the faiths first large-scale engagement with the feminist movement. A typical if well-educated Latter-day Saints homemaker, Sonia was moved to action by the all-male LDS leaderships opposition to the ERA and a belief the Church should stay out of politics. Talbot uses the activists experiences and criticisms to explore the ways Sonias ideas and situation sparked critical questions about LDS thought, culture, and belief. She also illuminates how Sonias excommunication shaped LDS feminism, the Churchs antagonism to feminist critiques, and the Church itself in the years to come.

A revealing and long-overdue account, Sonia Johnson explores the life, work, and impact of the LDS feminist.