Dear Friend of Exponent II,
Last summer, at a gathering of Mormons, I stood at a booth and sold subscriptions and talked to people about the Exponent II publication and organization. One attendee picked up our spring 2016 issue, stood looking at it for a while, and said, “How do you find all this incredible artwork? This cover simply glows.”
Seven years ago a group of women gathered together to discuss the future of Exponent II. Could a paper publication survive in the digital era? Could we survive financially and deliver an excellent product? This group of women had deep emotional ties to Exponent II and decided to do the work and make the sacrifices necessary to keep Exponent II’s legacy going. With the help of our readers and supporters, the answer to both of these questions has been a resounding “yes.” Exponent II is thriving, with articles and art as good as any we’ve ever published, a talented staff, and a hard-working board of directors. Our annual retreat is filled to capacity and our blog has over 2,000 views per day. I couldn’t be more proud of the work that we’re doing.
I’m not asking for donations today. Our organization has a goal of doubling our subscription rate over the next three years. We know that this is possible with your help. If you have let your subscription lapse, would you please renew? If you are a current reader, would you please consider gifting a subscription to a loved one? We depend on our supporters to advertise and share Exponent II for us, because it’s the only way we can reach the women who need our organization.
In the past year, we have published an article comparing the cross-cultural identities of Mormon feminists and Filipino-Americans; a personal narrative of the search for the divine feminine through the Virgin Mary, Saint Hildegard Von Bingen, and Bernadette Soubirous; a lesson plan for a church class on the history of women in the LDS church; a heartbreaking testimony by a young woman who came out as gay to her ward in Sacrament Meeting; a fictional piece based on the scriptural story of Jael and Deborah; and dozens of other personal essays, poetry, artist features, and more. If you don’t want to miss this, or if you want to share it with friends or family, go to the Exponent II store at www.exponentii.org today and subscribe.
The man I met this summer was right: these pages glow. Not just with art, but with words that bring comfort, provoke reflections, spark empathy, and challenge us all to listen to one another’s stories. Please subscribe today.
With gratitude,
Margaret Olsen Hemming
Editor in Chief
