I have friends and family who have left the church in different ways. Some have quietly walked away without looking back while others have left with such fury that the embers are still smoldering years later. As I've moved through life, I've encountered many things in the church that don't work for me, some of which really hurt. Right now I'm trying to find new ways to address my Mormon roots. The two main stories (close your eyes to the issues and stay OR leave it all behind) don't work for me at this point. I can't seem to do either and stay true to who I am. Doing this podcast is part of me looking for alternate ways to engage with Mormonism.SARA
I grew up in southern Utah and currently live in Provo. I am a Gospel Doctrine teacher in my present ward and have been a lifelong Mormon, though that elusive Young Womanhood Recognition Award is still just beyond reach. My testimony centers on my relationship with Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, my testimony of the Holy Ghost, and the example of Jesus Christ. I consider myself a writer, a reader, a disciple of Christ, a thinker, a feminist, and a hippie at heart. The principal loves of my life include the Pacific Northwest, "The Land Before Time," campfires, Regina Spektor, the Young Women's program, scarves, and my precious husband.AMELIA
I'm a 9th generation Mormon born and raised in a fairly traditional, conservative Mormon family. I went to BYU as a teenager and could not have been more completely a poster child for mainstream Mormonism; I left BYU six years later a staunch feminist with liberal social and political leanings. For about a decade after graduating, I actively practiced Mormonism as a feminist liberal intellectual while pursuing graduate study in literature; during that time I was content to be a bit heterodox in belief while maintaining orthopraxy. And then came Prop. 8, which catalyzed a new re-examination of my beliefs and praxis. I will always identify as Mormon, but I assert my right to determine my beliefs and my practice for myself and do not believe that any institution, authority figure or social group has the right to prescribe belief or practice for me. I have blogged (somewhat sporadically) for the Exponent Blog since its inception in early 2006. I recently relocated to Salt Lake City for a new job. I'm passionate about books, beauty, travel, and good food (especially pie and cheese).
I'm a lifelong Mormon; my parents converted to the Church while in their teens. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, received my bachelor's in math at BYU and am currently enjoying the beautiful weather and people of California. I'm the mother of 2, a Sunbeam teacher, and I volunteer my time to support women who want to breastfeed. I also love being involved in my community and consider myself an environmentalist, lactivist, feminist, knitter, and all-around activist for the world and people on it. I blog at Mutual Approbation, a blog in which I add Heavenly Mother to scriptures to broaden the way we think about Her.KATRINA
I was born in Utah and grew up in Ohio in a pretty typical Mormon family. I have always been active in the Church but my testimony has definitely changed the last few years. I have an artists soul with a bit of hippie spirit thrown in. I studied Broadcast Journalism at BYU and then had a brief career as a TV news producer. After meeting my husband, I moved to North Carolina where he was in grad school. We are now back in Salt Lake where I am lucky enough to be home with my babies with a small photography business to keep my creative juices flowing. I am passionate about my husband, our children, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, feminist issues, plant based whole foods, and of course photography. When I grow up, I'd like to have a big garden and hope to one day see my photography in a gallery. I am a mother of two and step-mother of three.JULIANE
I was born and raised in Germany by my semi-feminist mother (read: I wore purple overalls and tie-dye shirts) in a somewhat spiritual, but non-religious home. I started investigating the Church in 2001, and was baptized in 2002. I tried the Molly Mormon thing, until one day I woke up and realized that I didn't even recognize my life anymore. I am presently in a state of transition, being open to wherever God will lead me. My heart is neither set on staying in, nor on leaving the Church. Yoga, running, and writing help me keep my sanity (sort of). I have one very patient husband, four fabulous daughters, and live in beautiful Montana (if any of you live close to Missoula, for crying out loud, puh-lease contact me, I feel a little isolated...). I recently went back to college, and will be graduating next May (fingers crossed) with a B.A. in Communication Studies. I'm in love with blogging, and am currently working on my first book, which I will hopefully self publish in late summer 2011.JENNI
I grew up as a sheltered, homeschooled Molly Mormon; a champion scripture chaser who knew how to garden, change diapers, sew quilts, and bake bread by the time I was in Mia Maids. I considered myself rebellious when I painted my toenails hot pink and wore a black bra. I liked being 'peculiar' so I specifically chose a college that was not BYU, because I wanted to have to stand up for what I believed. I got my teaching degree, then got married and settled in to be a stay at home mom. My journey to motherhood involved four miscarriages, an adoption, and finally two births. My parents had always taught me to question the status quo and find my own answers about things, and I apply that to everything now. Study and personal revelation informs my parenting, my spirituality, my politics, and everything else. I am active in the church, but interpret some things my own way, and integrate several pagan practices as well. I am a founding member of The Amethyst Network a nonprofit for miscarriage support, I'm training as a doula and childbirth educator, working on three books, and I blog at Mindful Serenity. I live in Alaska with my husband, three sons, and a slightly psycho dog.
COURTNEY
I'm a life long member - with some detours along the way - and I'm currently trying to figure out how to stay in the Church and be happy with my choice. Although I feel that being Mormon is part of my spiritual journey, I struggle to reconcile this with my desire to embrace different faith traditions, practices and rituals. I have gained enormous spiritual clarity and strength from practicing yoga and am learning to recognize the presence and influence of my Divine Mothers. My interest in science, natural healing, nutrition, female empowerment, and natural living have led me to pursue further education as a midwife and I am currently working with women as a doula. With my convert husband I have 4 children, 3 daughters and a son, and our goal as a family is to be self sufficient with land and animals that will provide for us as we care for them. I am passionate about changing the way that we exist with the Earth, not just on it. I blog at The Exponent as Corktree, and I am excited to be part of the voices lovingly calling for positive changes. I believe God is with us and asking us to not be afraid of speaking up.
The hope of this podcast is to give voice to our experiences, our issues, our lives, as Daughters of Mormonism. If there is a particular subject you would like to hear discussed, or you would like to be interviewed on Daughters of Mormonism, contact Sybil at daughtersofmormonism[at]gmail[dot]com
