Blog Tag: family
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The Sisterhood of the “Slightly Off”
I have this giant print in the entryway of my home. Legit giant, like 3.5 ft by 6.5 ft. Regularly, as people walk into my home, they see the print and start that knowing head shake thing that means, “Wait, is this…what is this?" They point their finger and try to access the part of their brain hosting their art history class notes from decades earlier. Once (if) they get it, and remember it is Michaelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam,” some will do a double take and proclaim, “But wait, there's something’s slightly off about it.”
Art connoisseurs immediately know...
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I Might’ve Been a Rocket Scientist (Like My Dad), But I...
"I would’ve loved the opportunity that LDS men seem to take for granted, which is the ability to have both a family and accomplishments, goals and ambitions outside of the home."
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How Being An Only Child and Latter-day Saint Has Shaped Who...
Kirsten Harris is currently a college student at Boise State University. She was born and raised in eastern Idaho, grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and loves to travel!
Having been an only child my entire life, I have become accustomed to many stereotypes. Additionally, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints also comes with many stereotypes. Being both creates quite an interesting story.
I know some of you are thinking to yourself, how is she an only child? Don't members of that church have lots of children?...
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Christmas Traditions and the Rhythms of Life
Every December, I imagine missionaries breaking river ice below a midnight moon in Switzerland, making space in the frozen current for my great-great-grandmother to push her fully clothed body into the water before immersing it entirely. The baptism happened at night because Swiss culture was “vigorously anti-Mormon” and viewed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a “grotesque religious conglomerate” (Swiss Mission Manuscript).
Unfortunately, performing the baptismal ritual under cover of a dark winter night did not protect her and her family from the severe persecution that followed. My great-great-grandmother Emma, abandoned by friends, and her husband, fired...
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Men are More than Priesthood Vessels, Providers, and Presiders
Men are more than priesthood vessels, providers, and presiders. Men should not be defined by their religious roles but by who they are.
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Sacred Music Sunday: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
I credit my love of music to my father. He doesn't sing or play a musical instrument, but he has a keen appreciation for classical music, and he shared it with me. When I was four years old, I knew what a bassoon was because there was a bassoon concerto he liked to listen to. But his favorite composer was Beethoven, and his favorite symphony was Beethoven's 9th. At least once a week, he would put the record on the record player and listen to it. I always loved the final movement when the choir joined in. Since I...
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The Deep End
It seems the church wants me to act as a buffer to keep my children in the safe, shallow end. But I would rather train my children to safely navigate the deep end - to be prepared to meet the dangers with skill and confidence.
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New Rituals, Ancient Legacy
My pioneer ancestors stored food like a repository of matrilineal love. As their rearguard, my life pulses with the seasonal flow of home canning. I'm the librarian of recipes, the armourer of pots and jars. I know when to put up peaches (mid-August-September), how to bottle carrot pudding (fill 3/4 of the way, pressure can method), and the easiest way to pit cherries (don't). I've adjusted some things as science and technology change. For example, my mom steamed her carrot pudding and I still marvel that we didn't get botulism. Not all traditions are healthy.
As a new mom...
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Love the Weather Legend
A strong memory of love.
In Provo, married, shared housing with singles, Provo River rumbling outside. Fiona Apple throbs decibel level ear damage. Wearing only bra, garment bottoms, so sexy, dancing, abdomen isolating circling like a middle eastern dancer. Young lovers. Separate from parents. Cherries popped, virtuously, stems neatly tied in mouths. Saliva exchanged, salvation. Sacred holy offering. Before the pregnancy. Before the checkup, Before the still born. Before the dusty box on the bookshelf, I showed future kids to tell them I knew for sure families were forever. A memory of a boy who was not. Their dead brother,...
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Parents Teach, Children Decide
Someone once described parenting to me like blowing as hard as you can on a cannonball that has already launched in an effort to make it change course. Now that I am a mother, I can understand that comment much better. Despite our tireless efforts as parents (as in other aspects of life), so much seems out of our control. In many ways, that is an extraordinary and magical thing. Why should my child be just like me or my husband? If I only wanted to stare at a copy of myself, I would’ve looked in a mirror and...
What is Exponent II?
Exponent II provides Mormon feminist forums for women and gender minorities across the Mormon spectrum to share their diverse life experiences in an atmosphere of trust and acceptance. Through these exchanges, we strive to create a community to better understand and support each other.
Exponent II was founded in 1974 by a group of Mormon women in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These women were inspired by the original periodical, “The Woman’s Exponent,” to create a forum “posed on the dual platforms of Mormonism and Feminism.”
For 50+ years, Exponent II has shared women’s voices in its quarterly magazine, and members of the community have convened at an annual retreat. Our reach has expanded as technology has advanced: the blog, founded in January 2006, has reached millions. As we look to the future, we are focused on growth and building a more inclusive community.
