Blog Tag: Mormonism
1341
Written by
1
The September Six and the Struggle for the Soul of Mormonism
Sara M. Patterson's boo The September Six and the Struggle for the Soul of Mormonism releases this month. Come for the stories of the September Six, stay for Patterson’s in-depth analysis of the church’s purity system that placed some ideas and bodies inside a circle of acceptability and pushed others out.
909
Written by
Step in front, then step aside
In 2015 I had the pleasure to attend a Sunstone Education Foundation event, "Theology from the Margins Conference" where the keynote speech was given by Rev. Dr. Fatimah Salleh. Her sermon was one of the most profound spiritual experiences of my life. She spoke about the Canaanite woman who sought out Jesus to receive a healing for her daughter (Mark 7:24-30). Christ's disciples tried to turn her away because they found her cries annoying, yet she persisted. Even Jesus tells her that he didn't come here to teach her and she replied, "even the dogs eat the crumbs that...
3515
Written by
I am not free while any woman is unfree.
June 1, 2020
By LMA
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. And I am not free as long as one person of colour remains chained. Nor is any one of you.”
-Audre Lorde, “Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism”
One week ago today, on May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Many people in the United States and around the world are responding to the systemic racism, trauma, and injustice in his death, and the deaths and pain of so many other...
320
Written by
Guest Post: Cut Grass
by Miriam
Cut Grass
Sometimes I'm like green grass
Growing millimeters
At a time.
But just as I reach the heights,
There comes the lawnmower--
Loud, menacing.
In straight, orderly rows
I'm shorn,
Hot metal spewing.
What would it be like to let me grow?
Reaching heavenward
Until the spikes tip over
Heavy-laden with seed,
Then fading to yellow--
Stalks drying to drop new life
In wild and tangled beauty.
Will I ever know what could be
If the mower keeps on cutting me down
To keep me in the bounds that man has set?
Miriam is a lover of the ocean, meditation music, birds, and blue skies, who has lived long enough to see the hand of both Mother...
384
Written by
Guest Post: Mormonism as a Muse
by Elle Mae
"A place that wasn't quite Zion, but tried." (Hunt Steenblik, Rachel. "Jane." I Gave Her A Name.)
Mormonism lives in a tender place in my body. I carry it with me at all times. In the past, it has felt like a thirsty desert--crying out for rain. A special brand of anger. Other times, the anger radiates in my body and feels like it cannot be contained. Sometimes, I have no words. I remember "Jesus wept."
What do you say when the most beautiful nurturing place in your life has been dangerous and cruel all along? What do you...
287
Written by
How to Call Ourselves
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35
My favorite judge retired a few months ago. He was always kind to everyone, and he treated everyone with respect. When he first arrived, before I had ever met him, everyone always said, "The new judge, Judge So-and-so, is just so...nice." And it was true. It wasn't an act. He was fair-minded, but also warm-hearted. He oozed love. He never lorded his authority over claimants or attorneys, and he had empathy toward my clients. I represent people who suffer from severe...
435
Written by
Guest Post: This is Why Feminism and Expanded Doctrine of Heavenly...
by Kelsi
My brother is a die hard Aggie fan. He absolutely loves sports and one of his favorite things to do is to discuss (read: argue) sports especially with fans of other teams. He especially seems to find enjoyment out of needling BYU fans. This is why I was not surprised when I was looking through my twitter feed the other night to see that he had been discussing (read: trolling) some BYU fans on twitter. But then I read the tweet in the image up above. My brother had needled one of the BYU fans into using derogatory/demeaning...
617
Written by
Book Review: Letters to a Young Mormon
I read Adam Miller's Letters to a Young Mormon a bit ago, to the youngest Mormon I know well. (I think that she was six months, then.) I have been meaning to write a review since that time, but it is difficult to write well (or really, at all) about something so small that means something so big.
Because it is a personal book, perhaps I can begin personally: my Mormon heart has felt broken lately–by PR letter after PR letter, and the poor welcoming of women and men who should not have to fight to belong to the body of Christ. Miller's words are some of the first to...
645
Written by
Worthiness
As part of her New Year's resolution, a friend of mine is trying to watch a few TED talks a week. Together we were revisiting Brene Brown's moving TED talk on vulnerability as a key to emotional connection and I was struck by her use of the word, "worthiness." (Many, hopefully most, of you have seen this talk, it was given in 2010. If you haven't seen it, I'd suggest you take 20 min and watch it, especially with someone you love. It's well worth the time). MRaynes blogged about Dr. Brown's book here.
In Mormon culture, we hear worthiness...
525
Written by
Sophia Gathering 2010
When I went to bed last night, my throat was really sore from talking too much. It occurred to me that I had done more talking in the last three days than I had in the last three weeks. That's what happens when women get together, isn't it?
This last weekend we had our 2nd annual Sophia Gathering. It was in Carlsbad, CA about 6 blocks from the beach. We had about 20 women, mostly Exponent bloggers, with some other Mormon feminist friends from AZ and CA.
In addition to the Exponent II publication staff retreat, we had sessions on feminist...
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.
