I've posted before about the casual survey of ex-Mormons I undertook to help myself (and hopefully others) understand the complicated, nuanced reasons people leave the LDS church. What I posted — a breakdown of the 660 responses I recieved, based on broad categories like "social issues" and "church history" — necessarily paints a picture of... Continue Reading →
The Future Husband Requirement List
What I learned from finding my "Future Husband Requirement List," which I wrote during the fall of my senior year of high school, in 2006.
I’d Like to Bury My Testimony
I've been thinking a lot lately about rituals — the actions we take part in every day that give us some peace in this out-of-control world, whether that means drinking our morning coffee out of a special mug, getting breakfast every morning from the same bodega or simply doing our laundry on the same day... Continue Reading →
How Do You Deal With Death After Mormonism?
From the time I came to understand the reality of death, I was very fortunate not to lose anyone I loved. That all changed last month, when my dad called me in the middle of an event I was hosting in my backyard to tell me that after a long illness, my mom had passed... Continue Reading →
Why We Leave: 660 Ex-Mormons on Why They Left the LDS Church
I surveyed 660 ex-Mormons on why they no longer believe the LDS Church is true. This post starts a series of deeper dives into what I discovered.
To Everyone Who Didn’t Want to Be a Mom When They Grew Up
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" In my Mormon ward in Northern Utah, there was only one correct answer to this question: "A mom!" Whether you also wanted to be a doctor or writer or president of the United States was of secondary importance. We all knew that first came motherhood,... Continue Reading →
The Worth of Licked Cupcakes in God’s Kingdom
Imagine that you’re 16 and a group of older men is standing in front of you, the closest one telling you that your body is a wonderland. You’re not at a sugar baby convention, though. You’re at church, and you’d rather be almost anywhere else. Maybe he didn’t quote John Mayer, exactly, but he may... Continue Reading →