Last Sunday, I went back to Church for the first time in fifteen years. Yes, to Mormon church. I’ve been talking about doing this for awhile now, ever since the North Seattle Stake sent a letter inviting LGBT members back to a supposedly open and affirming atmosphere. I didn’t leave the Church because I am …
During the most recent LDS General Conference, Apostle David A. Bednar delivered a talk that promised to “hush” members’ fear. But in a highly manipulative series of twists and turns, he instead amps up fear, channels it down routes that benefit the Church, reframes the source of fear, and then in an exciting backflip into …
Pearson is a relative newbie who wasn’t a General Authority when I was still a member. He is charismatic, animated, and funny. While I liked his delivery style, the core of his message centered on thought reform. This message is, “Keep on believing no matter what.” Don’t let any trials, doubts, and questions steer you …
April 2015 LDS General Conference seemed to have one major theme: Apostasy. The majority of talks were about bolstering personal faith in the face of doubt and dealing with wayward loved ones. This session seemed as reactionary as last fall’s. Then, in the context of legalized marriage equality, leadership emphasized family values. This conference, in …
October 2014 LDS General Conference: Mind Control Overview Last weekend, the Mormon Church held its semi-annual General Conference, two days of religious talks that all members are expected to watch. I’ve listened to many Conference talks in my lifetime, both before I left the Church and since. This year, one talk stood out, because I saw …
The Exponent II is publication for Mormon feminists. These open-minded women are true believing Mormons who question certain aspects of the LDS faith, especially those relating to women’s issues. It is named after the original Women’s Exponent newspaper, which was read by 10% of LDS women until the Church came out with an official women’s magazine …
Godless in Dixie has a good post today about some of the effects of leaving a high-demand religious system, in his case, a Christian denomination. He’s a little more harsh about Christianity in general than I’d be, but his points are valid nonetheless. The most useful part of his post is the section on how to deal …
Brené Brown calls herself a “vulnerability researcher,” and through her work, she’s learned more about shame than she ever wanted to. I found her conclusions highly enlightening, and I quoted her in Recovering Agency on the chapter in shame. She also taught me more about unconditional love than I’ve learned from any other single source. Healing …
