What I miss about being (a conservative, believing) Mormon:

the feeling of belonging to a tight-knit, globe-spanning community.
the sense of certainty concerning my place in the universe.
knowledge of exactly what was expected of me and a clear sense of right and wrong.
opportunities to serve, to feel valued.

Ironically, my greatest blessing in my post-Mormon life is also […]

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I’m getting cheerful correspondence from local LDS leadership again:
My attention was recently called [to] the 5/26/07 posting on your website. I was frankly surprised at the obvious lack of sensitivity for the beliefs of your present and former friends and associates in the Church. Such is not only disrespectful, but […]

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Every couple of months, I pick up the latest issue of Bust magazine (”For women with something to get off their chests”) from the local Borders. Sometimes I get weird looks from the cashier, like I’m mistaking it for Maxim or some other soft-porn monthly. Anyhow, I was especially excited to read this […]

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Before you scroll or click any further, think of the first three adjectives that come to mind when you read the word, Mormon. Toss out any nouns and non-adjectives.
No changing them (after all, this is an exercise in pseudo-free association), and don’t succumb to the temptation to type them in the comments as they […]

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Recently a prominent LDS filmmaker left the Church, and Jana and I were surprised by the harsh criticism leveled at him by liberal, intellectual Mormons we thought relatively sympathetic and generous. In this post, I wave my rhetorical gun haphazardly in their direction.
For a people that aggressively woos potential converts away from tight-knit faith […]

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I hope you’ve all enjoyed Oj?Æchan‚Äôs Funeral.¬† Publishing it in blog format has been an experiment, and I would appreciate any feedback you have to offer.¬† Should I have published the story in full?¬† Was it weird to read fiction on a blog (which usually has op-ed, links, and personal journal type entries), in a […]

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This post is continued from this one.

My thoughts were interrupted by Christiansen, who was running up the hill towards me.
“The cremation’s done,” he said between breaths. “They’re ready for you.”
I hurried back to the crematorium.
A large stainless steel tray the size of a coffin had been wheeled into a private room on something like an […]

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In Part One, a Mormon missionary finds himself with his contrary companion at his Buddhist grandfather’s wake.
In Part Two, he is tempted to worship idols.
Part Three follows. As his grandpa’s body is consumed in the crematorium, Elder Degraw puzzles over strange past manifestations of the Spirit. This section is almost entirely autobiographical.

On the […]

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This is the second segment of a four-part, prize-winning, semi-autobiographical story. If you haven’t done so, you’ll want to read Part One first.

The next day, we followed the hearse in my Uncle Hisao’s minivan. He was always ‚ÄúUncle‚Äù to me, although he never married my Aunt Kazumi. When I was nine and living with […]

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I’ve always wanted to be an author–not just a blogger, but a bona fide, writing-is-my-day-job and at the local Barnes and Noble there’s a few colorful books with my name on the spine.
I haven’t blogged much about my fiction. In fact, writing for Mind on Fire often leaches what little time and compulsion […]

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