For National Suicide Prevention week, Main Street Plaza reviews a study of active and former Church members A team of researchers investigated whether active Latter-day Saints were different from inactive and former members in terms of how and how much they thought about suicide. Over 600 people identifying as sexual…
Bob Frankenstein and the threat to the church from its right
In the 1980s, three Mormon men “exercised unrighteous dominion” over me, which is a Mormon way of saying that they abused their authority to gratify their own egos and hurt someone else. Each of them did the same thing: they demanded that I sit in a room alone with them…
Elder Holland, consequences, and cruelty
On Monday Aug 23, the President of BYU announced an “office of belonging” to “combat prejudice of any kind.” Sexual orientation was specifically mentioned. That same day, Jeffrey Holland, former president of BYU and member of the Quorum of the Twelve, denounced “flag-waving” and “parade-holding” around “this same-sex challenge.” He…
Testimony
Continue Reading
Psychotherapy, Mormonism, and me
When I read advice for counseling Church members, I did not expect to see myself A while back, searching for something else, I came across an academic paper advising psychotherapists how to treat Mormon clients. I began reading the article, by Stephanie Lyon at the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological…
Should I respect the way “the Church” wants to identify?
A while ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put out this style guide, and I have to admit I find that almost every point falls somewhere on the spectrum from questionable to objectionable. I actually try to respect it as much as possible, but should I? I…
But Does She Still Go to Church?
Four years ago I ran across an old Mormon acquaintance on Facebook. I’d always liked this woman. Back in the day (1990’s) she’d seemed relatively open-minded. A quick glance at her wall suggested she was still one of the “good ones.” Fourteen years ago, I wouldn’t have considered reaching out…
Worthy to Enter vs Welcome to Enter
It will take more than policy changes to make the LDS Church a welcoming place Spend half an hour in the right sector of Twitter, and you’ll be besieged by hopes and dreams for the LDS Church to become more welcoming. If you want a good example of a welcoming…
General Conference-Will it Ever Change?
Today the First Presidency announced that the Saturday evening sessions to the semi-annual general conferences will be discontinued. Traditionally, a Saturday evening session was held for priesthood holders in April and then women in October. Also traditionally, the priesthood session featured a lineup of male speakers, while the women’s session…
A Silver Lining Behind Tad Callister’s No-Good, Heartless, Horrible Church News Article
Just in time for Pride Month, a General Authority emeritus has published an article in The Church News declaiming the social safety nets because governments must ensure wickedness never was happiness. Well, not in so many words, but it has all the unloving, racist, outdated implications you’d expect. Tad Callister…
Nobody expects the excommunication of Natasha Helfer!
No, I have to admit, I was actually surprised when I heard that the CoJCoL-dS excommunicated Natasha Helfer. And then I was immediately surprised that I was surprised. She fits the triple-criteria-set that is a guaranteed path to excommunication: She has a large following, She publicly corrects the wrong statements…