Jared Halverson is a notable American religious scholar, educator and speaker. Jared, an Associate Professor of Ancient Scriptures at Brigham Young University, also earns respect for his online discourses. He is also associated with the Latter-Day Saint Movement, and speaks extensively about The Book of Mormon.
Religious Scholar Jared Halverson
His academic exposure and devotional interests make him an interesting, insightful speaker with many followers. Jared is 49 years old, and lives in Cedar Hills in Utah.
Early life and education
Jared Halverson grew up in both Texas and Southern California. He credits his Texas upbringing for making him aware of multiple faith perspectives. He believes this exposure helps him appreciate all faiths better, and to have an open conversation on faith-related issues.
In school, Jared was an avid athlete. His interest in sports continues to this day. He completed his Bachelor's in History in 1999, and Master’s in Religious Education in Brigham Young University in 2005, where he teaches now. Jared also completed Masters in Historical Studies in 2012 and his Doctorate in American Religious History from Vanderbilt University in 2022.
Marriage
Jared Halverson with wife Emily
Jared married Emily Stoddard in 1999 at a San Diego Temple. Emily Stoddard Halverson is a substance abuse counselor, writer and editor. The couple has five children. Jared's family plays an integral part in several discourses.
In a lecture about The Book of Mormon containing answers for all questions, Jared speaks about his wedding. He says he got a copy of the Book of Mormon when he got engaged, and looked for lessons on marriage. And to his surprise, the book had several lessons on the topic, even indirectly.
In another talk, he speaks of how his mother-in-law informed him about removing her name from her church and leaving it. He mentioned the incident, asking followers to create a safe space for others to ask questions on faith.
Children
Jared has kept details about his children private, except a few mentions like his oldest daughter wanting to be a nurse. On her social media account, Emily disclosed that a few of their children have mental health challenges. Jared perhaps referred to it when he said in an interview that something he found challenging was dealing with physical and mental health challenges among those he is closest to.
There are speculations online that Taylor Halverson, author and professor of entrepreneurship in the BYU Marriott School of Business, could be Jared’s son. This is untrue, although it is unknown if they are relatives.
Jared Halverson with his family
Career
Jared has taught religious education courses for high school and college students since 1998. He served as a teacher and Assistant Director at the University of Utah Institute of Religion. Prior to that, he directed religious education programs in Tennessee for eight years.
His wide experience and knowledge enabled him to write a college curriculum for the Church Educational System. For the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he has served on its writing committee.
Despite having varied experience in public discourse, Jared describes himself as an introvert who has to fight severe social anxiety while addressing a large group.
Jared’s talks contain a good amount of humor, while also dealing with serious faith-related topics. This makes him an engaging, popular orator. Recently, there were accusations against him for comparing LGBTQ persons with eunuchs in a talk.
Two features stand out in Jared’s lectures. One is his engagement with the faith crisis, and the second is his rapport with youngsters.
Promoting Spirit of Inquiry
In Jared’s opinion, a good faith crisis can be transformative and assist people in getting closer to god. Rather than a rigid idea of religion, Jared asks to associate with people we disagree with. He advocates having a thick skin but a soft heart. He also supports the spirit of inquiry, asking questions and having conversations rather than believing without question.
Guiding youngsters in their faith
Jared’s teaching experience allows him several opportunities to work with youngsters on their faith journeys. He has been a featured speaker for youth groups from coast to coast in the US.
Other interests
Jared has called himself a fan of 80's rock music, and TV shows like The Office, Psych, The Mentalist, White Collar. He is a football fan.
Social Media
Jared has a YouTube Channel, and a podcast called Unshaken, which helps people study the scriptures. His YouTube channel has 102k subscribers.
While being a scholar and educator of repute, it was the Covid pandemic that boosted his reputation as a religious speaker online. He says he started recording and sharing his lectures online during the pandemic. In six months, it got 1 million views. He has over 350 hours of content online, and claims over 9 million views. His podcasts have 4 million downloads.
YouTube channel: Unshaken