(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Michelle Phillips, a Latter-day Saint turned Community of Christ member, poses for a portrait at her parish in Ogden on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Since joining her new faith, she has been ordained an elder and is the first woman, Utahn and former Latter-day Saint to take on the role known as the Mission Center president for the Inland West Mission.
Tamarra Kemsley has been a reporter at The Tribune since 2021 but has been covering religion and politics since 2019. Her work has appeared in Religion News Service, the New York Post, and Religion & Politics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Brigham Young University and a master’s in Islamic studies from Hebrew University.