On the Vilification of Disagreement
In the past month, because I’m struggling with the church’s recent pronouncement on people who enter into a same-sex marriage and the children of those couples, I’ve been accused of a few things: ●...
View ArticleA Prayer
Dear Lord and God above, My heart is groaning for the world even at it groans now in sin. More and more we are becoming a world divided. I pray that we can remember that which you taught us. At this...
View ArticleBe a Member Missionary to the Church
In October, I was on a panel about Black Women and Race in the LDS Church as part of the “Black White and Mormon” Conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah the week after General Conference. After the...
View Article91: The Tale of Two Gay Married Mormon Men
The wonderful Mitch Mayne has conducted a special interview for the RF Podcast. Late in 2015 after the policy update and the initial uproar surrounding that leak/clarification/announcement/ (and now...
View ArticleBook Review: “Planted” by Patrick Mason
One of the most important and consequential phenomena in American politics over the last half-century has been the gradual alignment of political ideology and partisanship in the mass public...
View ArticleThe Trump Soundeth Long and Loud at Liberty!
….in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” –One Corinthians 15:52 Donald Trump was recently invited to speak at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia by Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr., and his...
View ArticleAn Open Letter to the LDS Young Women’s General Presidency
To Presidents Oscarson, McConkie, and Marriott of the General Young Women’s Presidency: Once a month, the Young Women join us at the beginning of Relief Society, as we all recite in unison the Young...
View ArticleNo Longer Quivering Before the Patriarchy
Imagine having to submit yourself to a form of Christian Patriarchy minus “the Priesthood,” and you have the beginnings of Vyckie Garrison’s story. “I am not really good at submission,” Garrison...
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The News and Our Ongoing Problem with Boundaries
I had a discussion with a friend and his wife a couple weeks ago about their situation living with his parents. My friend and his wife were both raised as Mormons, but in recent years have both...
View ArticleUsing the Priesthood I Don’t Have
Recently, I got called “Pastor” at work, and since I teach religious studies at the local community college, it makes perfect sense. Sadly, I had to correct my colleague and explain to him that women...
View ArticleWhat to say to a friend who is leaving the Church
Note: this post follows up on a previous post about how to respond when a friend or loved one struggles with their testimony and a related post from ldsmissionaries.com. I highly recommend both. It...
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Losing My Vulnerability
Those who have followed my posts here might know that I have had the benefit of a long and slow faith crisis… spread out over 20 years, since the beginning of High School to my recent decision to stop...
View ArticleWho is Lucifer Really?: A Rebuttal
As Mormons, we believe that Heavenly Father presented a plan for his spirit children in the preexistence. In this great Council in Heaven, Jesus was selected to be the one through whom redemption...
View ArticleQ&A with Patrick Mason: Answers to Sundry Questions
Today we are pleased to feature an interview with Patrick Mason. He is the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies and the Chair of the Religion Department at Claremont Graduate University. He is the...
View ArticleA Feminist’s Defense of Polygamy
I am a Mormon feminist and I support polygamy. Before you get out your torches and pitchforks, hear me out. We may have more in common than you think. While I don’t recoil at having another spouse or...
View ArticleLove and Change
It was early Sunday morning when Drew gently called from the bathroom, “Good morning, beautiful. It’s time to get up. We can’t be late for church.” He was already awake, showered, and dressed before I...
View ArticleThe Mormon Ethic of Political Correctness
The terms “politically correct” and “political correctness” have appeared in a number of recent general conference addresses, and come up frequently in some Mormon circles. Political correctness is...
View ArticleThe Church’s Republican Problem
The Church is headquartered in a nation that is becoming more and more divided along political partisan lines. Party tribalism is strong in this country. Just this past year a Pew research study found...
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Civil Dialogue and Conformity
On this inauguration day, I recall how President Donald Trump has promised he will unite a divided America throughout his campaign. He told racist vandalizers and harassers to “stop it.” On...
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144 CES Podcast, episode 28: Galatians
Why was there such a huge debate over circumcision? It’s just the tip, right? In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, who was his audience? Why is Paul so dang angry? What does Paul actually mean when he...
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