Posts by rosemary
The threat of excommunication and the future of progress
Yesterday the New York Times reported that LDS feminist agitator Kate Kelly and heterodox activist John Dehlin have received notice that they are being summoned for disciplinary councils. This announcement came as a shock to many heterodox Mormons, including the growing ranks of feminists– several hundred of whom recently came out in support of women’s ordination. In Mormonism, disciplinary councils are meetings between a member and her local leaders; they are rather rare, reserved for cases of serious personal sins (think non-repentant adultery, illegal activity, abortion, or gender reassignment surgery) and for apostasy. According to the Church Handbook...
Read MoreRomney’s Mainstreaming Impulse
I was on the edge of my seat for much of last night’s town hall debate between President Obama and Governor Romney. Aside from the moment or two where I feared (or hoped?) the embroiled discussion would devolve to fisticuffs, my favorite moment of the night came during Gov. Romney’s answer to the final question, on what he considered to be Americans’ biggest misconceptions of him as a person: “My — my passion probably flows from the fact that I believe in God. And I believe we’re all children of the same God. I believe we have a responsibility to care for one another. I — I served as a missionary for my church. I served as a...
Read MoreLDS Church announces changes to missionary age
The LDS Church announced today in General Conference that the are lowering the minimal age for serving a mission: to 18 for men and 19 for women, down from 19 for men and 21 for women. Missions, which last for 2 years for men and 18 months for women, are paid for by the missionary’s family and are a requirement for men but not women. The goal of the new minimum age is to help more men and women serve missions, because logistics of military, education, and marital commitments can be interrupted by a mission beginning at a later age. While the discussion about the change– from the Church press conference, news reports, Twitter and Facebook...
Read MoreMy Juvenile Instructor Guest Post
The good folks over at Juvenile Instructor invited me to do a guest post on my research yesterday, so I took the opportunity to share some of the frustration I’ve been experiencing as a result of the insider/outsider problem of studying non-native cultures. Although I recognize there are no easy solutions to this dilemma, and that its one shared by many researchers (of Mormonism and every other closed group culture), its still nice to see others dealing with these issues and working through them carefully and thoughtfully. Thanks for letting me vent!
Read MoreA non-Mormon’s guide to Utah
Several months ago I received a fantastic opportunity: a dissertation fellowship at the University of Utah’s Tanner Humanities Center. The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation Fellowship in Mormon Studies is intended to support my dissertation work on evolving LDS identities in the internet age. I’ll be in residence at the U in Salt Lake City for a year. I arrived in Utah late Wednesday night, unpacked all day Thursday, and became acquainted with my new office on campus on Friday; but– since today is Monday — I’m considering this my “first week” in Utah. I am not Mormon, and I’ve not spent time in Utah (nor...
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