Millennial Mormons: Where Myth and Reality Meet

A note from the editor: A couple of weeks ago I read a play called The Christians by Lucas Hnath. It’s about a pastor who, in accordance with his own changing beliefs, one day preaches to his congregation that there is no Hell, which ends up causing a big schism in his congregation as people try to grapple with what the universe would look like without the idea of Hell. He begins this initial sermon with his desire to talk with God, “I have a powerful urge to communicate with you, but I find the distance between us insurmountable.” He then later remarks, “We put the distance there. When we shun our neighbors, when we judge our friends, when we look down at people from other places and other religions, we create an insurmountable distance where there is no distance at all.” I liked this play for many reasons. It felt complicated and sticky, not unlike my own self, and there was no clear resolution in the end. There was only distance. Distance that could continue to g...

If you want to really understand someone, you have to "walk a mile in their shoes."  This blog has hopefully let you take one step in someone else's shoes. It's a good start, but walking a mile in someone's shoes comes through hours of open conversation, of introspection, of unfeigned compassion, of withholding judgment. Basically it comes down to the words of Cinderella's wise mother: have courage and be kind. I hope that we can all find people to tell our stories to and that we are becoming the kind of people with whom others want to share their stories. I'm not sure how many more stories I will get. I'll post them if they come. But know that there are more.  Told or untold. I thought I would take this Sunday to highlight some of the struggles and triumphs I've heard from my peers during this season of life. Because struggles are more manageable when shared, and joys more sweet.  Our strugglers differ. Feeling lonely. Feelin...