Editor’s note: this post was originally published on September 11, 2011.

Thinking back today on that unimaginable morning in 2001 I am reminded of how long I sat, glued to the images repeating themselves on the television screen. It seemed the more horrific, more unbelievable the images became the more I had to watch. Like all of us, my mind was reeling, trying to make sense of what had happened and what was going to happen. I sat in our little apartment with my brand new baby and toddler, wondering what was coming for us and how I could possibly keep them safe. And I watched.

It is this watching that is curious to me. [Read more…]

Recently I was thumbing through some old books when a piece of paper, folded in thirds and stuck in the middle of Arthur Henry King’s “The Abundance of the Heart”, caught my eye. As I unfolded it my eyes fell on the letterhead at the top of the page. I recognized it immediately as the written conversion story and testimony of one of the dearest people I came to know as a missionary in Ohio.

Bob was a well-educated, quick-tongued, good-natured retiree. His name was given to us by the ward mission leader as one in a list of part-member families. He was immediately welcoming, though not at all hesitant to let us know he’d been through every set of missionaries in every ward he and his member wife had been in and, while we were always welcome, there wouldn’t be any baptism happening and we would be wise not to burn our bridges by trying.

The ground rules had been laid, but there were some things none of us had counted on. [Read more…]

The interwebs have been all abuzz as of late with reviews both positive and negative regarding the new Mormon.org ad campaign. Not being a fan of egregious animal cruelty, I don’t want to beat this dead horse, but I think there’s a side to this whole thing that’s been largely (if not entirely) ignored: The seeming inability of actual Mormons to abide the message of diversity and acceptance the ads imply.

Anyone within a mile of the Bloggernacle already knows that the most glaring complaint about the new ads stems from what many see as a disconnect between the lifestyles featured in the ads and the over-the-pulpit direction church members actually receive. One area of controversy concerns the videos feature working moms. This is problematic for some because they feel the church is not openly supportive of mothers working or pursuing interests outside the home. As disconcerting as this duplicitous message may seem, what is more troubling is the lack of understanding and support offered by general members of the church to other members whose lifestyle choices fall into the realm of “diverse”. [Read more…]