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Main Street Plaza

A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

Main Street Plaza

A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

Author: chanson

C. L. Hanson is the friendly Swiss-French-American ExMormon atheist mom living in Switzerland! See "letters from a broad" for further adventures!!

Sunday in Outer Blogness: Spirit of Contention Edition!

chanson, November 29, 2009November 9, 2011

After last week‘s quiet contemplation of thy neighbor, this week Outer Blogness has been itchin’ to pick a fight! The Gay Dot says it all, in Wanna fight?! And if that’s not enough to get tempers flaring, it looks like Klaus Baer called Hugh Nibley a “crackpot”! Here’s a little…

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Atheists and Traditions

chanson, November 27, 2009

Religion has a lot different facets that different people find appealing: identity/community transcendence/awe/altered states of consciousness rituals tradition/culture purpose/guidance belief in the supernatural And surely many others. It’s my impression that people tend to focus on a few of their favorites among these components and ignore the rest. It’s just…

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Sunday in Outer Blogness: It’s All in Your Head Edition!

chanson, November 22, 2009August 9, 2011

It seems that Outer Blogness this week has spent quite a lot of time contemplating religious people to figure out what makes them tick! USU Shaft analyzes the latest stats on both happiness and depresssion in bipolar disorder, thy name is Utah. Bull has been reading Krakauer (like many of…

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Bordeaux Mission wrap up!

chanson, November 16, 2009November 16, 2009

Really enjoyed these latest chapters. As an atheist with LDS friends, it’s a fascinating (and a little scary) look into the Mormon mission world. I’m also impressed with your ability to empathize with and accurately characterize a teenage male’s sexual drive! I went back and read the whole thing together…

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Sunday in Outer Blogness: Personal Narratives Edition!

chanson, November 15, 2009January 15, 2011

It all started when I read this story from the bizarre-yet-eerily-familiar parallel universe of growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness. Then HH had a nostalgic-weird-coincidence moment. Is it something in the air? Or is it “Talk Thursday” that has folks reminiscing about life-altering memories? And about finding your personal history’s…

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Enjoying Some Jack-Mormon Cheese

chanson, November 14, 2009November 9, 2011

It’s an open secret that Salt Lake City, the seat of Mormondom, is such a (comparatively) liberal city (see Craig’s old post). Though Holly reported (earlier this year) that word is starting to get out, but slowly. That’s why — when I found this cheese at my local snooty French…

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The conclusion of Bordeaux Mission!

chanson, November 10, 2009

Feeling the light breeze on my face, I looked out at the water. The edges of the moving water between the feet of the bridge curled into little whirlpools here and there. I tried to drag up all the rusty memories of my former life in Orem, back when everything…

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Sunday in Outer Blogness: Another Day in the Culture Wars Edition!

chanson, November 8, 2009

Via Gen. J. C. Christian comes the plight of the right-wing parent: “I cant even sit my kids in front of ‘Sesame Street’ without having to worry about the Left attempting to undermine my authority.” While Sesame Street makes a joke about “Pox News,” Jon Stewart does a full parody…

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Trespassing on Main Street Plaza? Colbert nails it!

chanson, November 4, 2009June 21, 2011

This is too hilarious!!! Have a look at Nailed ‘Em – Mormon Church Trespassing from Colbert Nation. (Via Sterkworks)

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It’s not that simple…

chanson, November 3, 2009

Friday morning I gathered my things and Elder Beaverton helped me carry them to the other side of town to the mission office. Elder Beaverton didn’t have to move his own things this time — he just had to gather up his new companion, Elder Wilson, and bring him back…

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Brodie Awards!!!


X-Mormon of the Year!!

  • 2025: Rebecca Bibliotheca!!
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  • 2023: Adam Steed!!
  • 2022: David Archuleta!!
  • 2021: Jeff T. Green!!
  • 2020: Jacinda Ardern!!
  • 2019: David Nielsen!!
  • 2018: Sam Young!!
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  • 2016: Jeremy Runnells!!
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  • 2014: Kate Kelly!!
  • 2013: J. S. Anderson & M. Ferguson!!
  • 2012: David Twede!!
  • 2011: Joanna Brooks!!
  • 2010: Monica Bielanko!!
  • 2009: Walter Kirn!!

  1. chanson on Thanks Gloria!September 20, 2026

    @Donna -- I wouldn't say you were one of the "dumb girls". You were a young starry-eyed convert who thought…

  2. chanson on New church schedule! Good? Bad? Inspired?September 19, 2026

    @Holly -- yes, I have absolutely felt that parallel in my life. I was fortunate enough to be able to…

  3. Holly on New church schedule! Good? Bad? Inspired?September 16, 2026

    You're no doubt right. Living in Trump's America right now feels to me the way I felt about the church…

  4. Donna Banta on Thanks Gloria!September 15, 2026

    There were years of cognitive dissonance, at least in my case. I told myself that the church was a compassionate,…

  5. chanson on New church schedule! Good? Bad? Inspired?September 14, 2026

    I can't help but feel like in today's church you wouldn't even have had the opportunity to mention Santa's not…

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