The Inconvenient Truths about Mormon Lactivism

Recently there has been much talk surrounding a YW leader who is unfortunately threatened of having her temple recommend withdrawn if she does not leave the room or cover herself while breastfeeding at church meetings. (Call to Action – Lactivism) There are many things wrong with this scenario.  The LDS church is all about the Family, and one would think they would consider the most beneficial options surrounding parenting in their policies and practices to reinforce the “family” way.  We are Read more [...]

My Utah Show and Tell

Every writer must remind herself to show not tell. Dont waste 500 words telling your reader that your character is a nincompoop. Instead show it. Have him mistake the London Underground for a political movement, or fill an entire evening with praises to his patroness, Lady Catherine DeBourgh, or sketch his favorite animal, the liger. And so on. In a Mormon context that might mean that instead of standing in testimony meeting and telling the ward about your Christian tolerance for your friends Read more [...]

“If I see Harry Reid in the temple, I’m going to hit him.”

Hey, Mormons: Wilco Tango Foxtrot? (Comments are now closed at the original post, so please comment below) Serious kudos to The Millennial Star and John Fowles for taking on this topic in this M* guest post: Harry Reid fireside canceled because of politics IMHO, it’s a pitch-perfect response to this outrageous situation, and ought to be re-posted far and wide, at official sites such as the LDS Newsroom Blog as well as on every member’s Facebook page and family blog. Linkage: J. Read more [...]

A quick Q&A with Todd Whitaker about that testimony of his

Todd Whitaker recently bore his testimony. The video of Todd testifying to his ward has now gone viral. As you may have seen, it was not your typical Mormon F&T meeting fare. I caught up with Todd by email and he agreed to answer a few questions. CB: Before we get started, I just wanted to mention a comment I noticed on another board that neatly described my own reaction the first time I watched your clip: “This video has many layers of win.” From your deadpan delivery of some harsh Read more [...]

The Ethics of Speaking Up

Hi everyone, I’m honored to join the Main Street Plaza crew. My name is Mike, and I chose the nickname Saganist because Carl Sagan has been a big influence on my thinking. Just a bit of background on me: my religious history is long and complicated, but I joined the LDS church in 2000 at age 22. I was a believer until between two and three years ago, when I finally admitted to myself that the evidence was pretty damning, and that I needed to fit my beliefs to the evidence and not vice versa. My wife Read more [...]

Idaho Local TV Report Asks: What Is A Family?

Excerpt from transcript of Danielle Grant’s Local News 8 report: The definition of family is under scrutiny. This comes after a local same-sex couple was denied a family pool pass at Lava Hot Springs. The two claim the staff at the swimming pool facility told them they didn’t fit the description of a family and couldn’t get the reduced rate. The executive director of the Lava Hot Springs Foundation says they define parents as adults who are legally in charge of dependent children Read more [...]

Narratives and the Golden Rule

I was doubtful as to whether to complete this, since I guess things have kinda blown over in recent times, and perhaps we may not even need this message. But something I read recently made me want to write about it all over again… You may have seen our great Wall of Text discussion recently in a recent article I wrote here, but you know, I think there was enough stuff in the comments between Bruce, Chanson, and me alone (so I can’t really recommend reading through all of them unless you have Read more [...]

The Home Economics of Testosterone

On occasion of ECS’s post on Feminist Mormon Housewives about the benefits of home economics, I remembered how my father had taught my brother and me how to maintain our wardrobes. My father was a career soldier. Of course, every soldier has to be able to maintain his gear in the field and to appear properly dressed on the parade ground. It would be hard to find a modern institution that embraces male gender stereotypes more enthusiastically than the military. At the same time, the military Read more [...]

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    Lists of Brodie award winners:





    X-Mormon of the Year 2012: David Twede


    X-Mormon of the Year 2011: Joanna Brooks


    X-Mormon of the Year 2010: Monica Bielanko


    X-Mormon of the Year 2009: Walter Kirn