Theology & Mental Health • Former Anglican Clergy • FAIR Conference Speaker
Jennifer Roach Lees is a mental health and chemical dependency therapist with an academic and professional background spanning psychology, theology, ministry, and counseling. She earned a BA in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University, a Master of Divinity from The Seattle School for Theology and Psychology, and a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Argosy University.
Before joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2019, Lees was ordained clergy in the Anglican tradition. She has also worked in a variety of roles serving vulnerable families and adults. Her combination of theological education, pastoral experience, and mental health training informs her work at the intersection of faith, ministry, and human experience.
Bio last reviewed:
Contributions at FAIR
Statement of Faith
I grew up going to church and was a pretty unusually religious kid. One of my earliest memories is of praying when I was probably three years old and knowing that God was with me. I loved the Bible. I learned to memorize scripture and to study it, and faith remained an important part of my life. Eventually I went to divinity school, earned a Master of Divinity, became ordained, and spent much of my adult life working in churches. I was happy there. I wasn’t searching for something else.
My first Latter-day Saint scripture was actually the book of Moses. I was fascinated, so I read the entire Pearl of Great Price and then began reading the Book of Mormon. At first I simply found it interesting, but as I continued reading, I began to have a spiritual experience with the Book of Mormon. I was coming to understand that it was from God—that it was scripture.
I had read the Bible throughout my life. I knew what it felt like to read the Bible as scripture, and I was shocked to find myself having that same experience while reading the Book of Mormon. Nothing in my history made that make sense to me, but that was what was happening.
My conversion did not happen all at once. I had questions, and some of them were difficult. Missionaries, friends, and members of the Church patiently worked through those questions with me. Over time, I came to recognize how God had been guiding me through people and experiences stretching all the way back to my childhood.
Joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been an incredible challenge in some ways, and it has cost me dearly. But my only regret is that I did not make that decision decades earlier. It was absolutely the right decision for me.
I am incredibly grateful to be here. I wasn’t looking for anything. I was happy in my church, and I didn’t know what I was missing. I am happier now in my faith. I feel closer to God. I feel more complete.
