There is no faith without imagination. One reason I choose Mormonism as my religious framework is that–at its best–it urges me to the most noble imaginings. So much of my life involves imagination. I have taught poets who had far greater gifts than I, essayists who invited me into new paradigms or experiences, and fiction writers who took me on unanticipated journeys. Recently, I taught a young man who I also knew as a missionary. He was in the MTC... Read more
My husband and I celebrate twenty-eight years of marriage today, May 17th. Bruce, as most of my friends know, was my professor before he was my husband. I got free tuition when I married him. He was thirty-four and insecure. I was twenty-nine and damaged. On one of our early dates, we went to the temple. I quietly prayed that we would be able to do sealings after the endowment session–a rather odd request, I know, but it seemed terribly... Read more
I prepared my conference paper with a particular audience in mind—the one I know: Mormons, specifically academic Mormons. The conference was the American Academy of Religion, Seattle, and I (so I thought) would be part of the Mormon contingent. I went to my session with Blair Hodges, who was also set to present. As my readers would expect, I had prepared a presentation on race and Mormonism—specifically what we mean by the recent Church statement, “We condemn racism, including any... Read more
He could be anyone. I might have made him up. Or this might be the template letter I sent to every missionary I wrote to after they returned. Someone once told me that we need a post-mission MTC–the RMTC. The struggles missionaries encounter upon their return when they are suddenly without a companion, back in the “real world,” and in culture shock when they enter their own bedrooms deserves some special treatment. So here is my letter: Dear R.M. I... Read more
I wrote some of this in 2013, but it has additional relevance today, so I have brought it up again and revised it. Not much revision. I retired from BYU two years ago. I don’t know if there’s an African American Studies major, though I know African Studies exists. I would love more information. DARIUS: In 1965 when Darius Gray came to BYU, he was called in to the Dean of Students’ office. “We’ve had complaints,” the dean... Read more
Dear Ms. C: I received this in an email from a Congolese friend, Aime Mbuyi, two years ago: Long before I went into the Ghana temple as a missionary, I knew that it was the House of God. Two years earlier, my cousin had come to me and told me that he had had a discussion with some people who had just been in the USA. He said that these people had told him bad things about the Church and... Read more
If you don’t want to get involved with a charity to help a poverty-stricken child, then don’t ask for “more information” when these organizations advertise. They will send you a picture and ask if you’d like to sponsor this particular child. You will do it. You cannot look into a child’s eyes and say, “No. I don’t want to help you.” This is our human response to what philosopher Emmanuel Levinas terms “the face of the other.” He suggests that... Read more
This is the story of Len and Mary Hope, black converts to Mormonism. Len was baptized just before WWI near Magnolia, Alabama, and Mary later on in Cincinnati. When they first attended church, they were asked not to return. Their response was, “Can we still pay our tithing?” Len and Mary became dear friends with Elder Marion D. Hanks, one of the missionaries who went to their home monthly and served them the sacrament. After the sacrament the Hope family... Read more
Our courtship is slightly famous. Bruce gives his students copies of the essay he wrote about it, and I have my students read it as well. And then, to boldly move it into the public blogosphere, Rosalynde Welch wrote about it here. The truth is, Bruce had been assigned by his friend Phil Barlow to write the essay for a book, but he hadn’t finished it by the 1984 deadline. Actually, he hadn’t started it–though he had good ideas. He thought he’d... Read more
Dear Bishop: I just did a bad thing. I didn’t mean for it to get to out of hand. I underestimated my passion, and the passion of…well, you know how it happens. It started out so innocently. First of all, it was April Fools’ Day, and I did what felt right. I wrote a lie on Facebook. I included you, Bishop, in the lie. I said: Seriously, I’m surprised. I have no idea who inspired this (Gladys Knight?), but my... Read more
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