Middle Space, A Blog

M. has preferred to remain anonymous at this time. The following post, heart-felt and honest, also functions as her introduction to the Middle Space community.  When people ask me what religion I belong to, I always tell them, “I’m a Mormon.” I then immediately qualify that by saying, “but I’m a very liberal Mormon.” Sometimes this comment elicits blank stares, sometimes people will ask me what I mean. But every time I say it, I feel a churning inside me, some resentment that I shouldn’t have to say it at all mixed with anger that the religious leaders I believe should know better don’t. I grew up with parents from mixed-faith backgrounds. My mother was raised Southern Baptist, and had a Jewish grandmother. My father was raised Mormon, but his father had joined the church as a young adult and was never active until my father was around 12 years old. His original religious background was as a Christian Scientist. As a result, I knew firsthand what other religions believed, ...

Brenda is a beach lovin' grandma who loves tacos too much to be a vegetarian. Some voters are one-issue voters.  If their candidate is pro-life and votes against abortion, these voters support them.  …regardless of whether or not they are a reasonable, decent human being or whether or not they accept funding (bribes) to make decisions on behalf of corporations or lobbyists or the NRA or the Koch brothers or are people who make millions from selling charter school property when the school moves…  or whether or not they vote to improve our city, our state, our country for those who live here, or work to take care of veterans, look out for our senior citizens, working families, and yes, even our immigrants.  They vote for people who are pro-life regardless of whether this candidate will work to strengthen our infrastructure (so potholes get filled and bridges don’t collapse) or to improve our public schools (where 95% of our students attend) or make health care ava...

Administrative Note: Several of the forthcoming posts to this blog will include descriptions of the Middle Space some members of the church find themselves in. A few things to keep in mind: These posts are descriptive, not prescriptive. These posts are meant as descriptions of where some members of the church are at- not as an advocacy for the "middle space" space. This blog's objective is always to build community and foster empathy. Our ambition is that active members might better understand the members in their congregations currently occupying the "middle space" and that members in the middle might know they aren't alone.  Jakob is a PhD candidate in mathematics at an east coast university, and a sometimes reluctant member of a singles ward, where he serves as the organist.  My name is Jakob, and I'm a Mormon. (And I'm going to keep using that term, not least because much of this was written before the very strong shift in tone on t...

Despite his best efforts, Taylor Kerby is a dedicated and believing member of The Church. He earned two Masters' Degrees from Claremont Graduate University and, egomaniac that he is, feels you should know that. Prophets and Revelation, Part One Well, I was Wrong, Wasn't I? In October 2013 then President Uchtdorf literally made headlines when he said in General Conference- “We openly acknowledge that in nearly 200 years of church history — along with an uninterrupted line of inspired, honorable and divine events — there have been some things said and done that could cause people to question.” “To be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in the church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles or doctrine.” Stories centered around this quote were published in outlets normally not overly interested in a General Conference of the Church, including The Huffin...

Bruce is an independent researcher with a degree in Political Science and an MBA. He researches Mormon History in Tennessee where he lives, sharing his findings online in blogs, Twitter, and at history conferences like MHA. He travels frequently for his day job as a business consultant. He prefers to identify as Mormon even as the church has moved away from the label. When was last time you were asked what your calling was at Church? No, don’t tell me. But ask yourself this question. Why did they think they needed to know? Were they just curious and making small talk? Were they trying to place you in the scheme of the local social order? Did they want to know if you were one of the privileged few with a library key? Were they trying to gauge your faithfulness? Or, perhaps to determine what the Church leadership thought of your faithfulness? Not sure? I live across the country (United States) from my parents so we don't talk as much as my siblings who live much closer ...

Post by Randy Powell, a Ph.D. candidate in History at Washington State University, a proud opponent of the death penalty, and a lifelong member of the church.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prides itself on being a practical religion. It is heralded as a belief system that produces tangible and measurable results among its membership. I believe this to be true.  Numerous members of the Church have ascribed their peace, serenity, happiness, and material success to church teachings. Others have struggled to find happiness or security even as they practice daily scripture study, pray often, and attend Sunday services. Even as they do these things, many faithful members find themselves continually irritated at their church callings, struggling to abide by the Word of Wisdom, or in the throes of depression. Because they struggle with the some or all of these issues, they assume that they are not true disciples of Jesus Christ. However, the opposite is true....