Researcher of the Month, April 2026: Erin Clark

Photo courtesy of Erin Clark

Tell us a little about your research journey. How did you get to where you are right now? 

I began casually researching the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in 2020, shortly after a family member was messaged on Facebook by a ‘Mormon’ missionary. From this point, I became interested in the ways that technology was aiding movements which have historically operated via physical dissemination in proselytising digitally. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, I began considering the effects of global restrictions on lived religion and community practices. 

I also joined the University of Leeds for undergraduate study in 2020, graduating with a BA in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics in 2023. My undergraduate dissertation drew on the work of Weber to consider to what extent religious social media influencers could conform to (or eventually replace) the defined conventions of a typical ‘charismatic leader.’ This is a study that I am keen to revisit given that there has been a huge increase in interest around the LDS Church in popular media since this piece of work was written in 2022. I began my master’s study on the MA Religion program in October 2024, being fortunate enough to receive the Leeds Church Institute Scholarship for Theology and Religious Studies. My master’s dissertation questioned to what extent the LDS Church could be considered to be ‘Americentric,’ and how this manifests in affecting claims at a universal theological message.  Throughout this study, I conducted fieldwork with the local ‘England Leeds Mission’ of the LDS Church – interviewing previous mission presidents David and Jayne Clare, and a group of serving missionaries from America, Japan and Canada. I began my PhD studies at the University of Leeds in October 2025. My thesis ties together a lot of my existing research to consider narratives of class and conversion in the British LDS church, specifically in my home county of the West Midlands. It will involve a significant study of historical documents and personal journals from the earliest LDS missionaries and extended ethnographic fieldwork within local LDS communities. It will also consider the wider question of the omittance of the narratives of working-class communities, and notions of the luxury of narrative preservation and which communities are afforded this option.  

What are you currently working on? 

Currently, I am completing a comprehensive review of the earliest LDS missionary activity in England, centered around Joseph Fielding and the Preston congregation. I am referencing  a lot of historical documents alongside biographical material to complete this task.  

Aside from my studies, I work as a research assistant and social media manager with the London-based religious studies charity INFORM. Within this role, I am currently producing social media content including blogposts and infographics while providing research services across a wealth of externally commissioned research projects. I am also currently working on an educational podcast and blog entitled ‘Religion At The Boundaries,’ alongside Dr Aled Thomas.  

How does your work relate to some aspect of religion and public life? 

My current work considers the intersection of religion and public life in several ways. Most recently, my work examines which religious community narratives are allowed to be accurately and comprehensively preserved in public consciousness – my goal with this is to consider wider socio-religious questions centered around both private and public expressions of faith with reference to social class. My work thus far has been based around community expression and what factors may unify or divide people, and I am additionally a huge proponent of ethnographic fieldwork centered on the public community lives of LDS people.