Mormon Blogs: Welcome to the Bloggernacle
April 13th, 2009
A variety of views on the LDS faith abound online
By Leo Dirr
Mormon blogs aren't just written by and for Mormons. Noo-hoo-hoo.
The diversity of online discourse and debate on the LDS Church is staggering and astounding. My mind is completely boggled. And my mind does not boggle easily.
The Mormon blogosphere, referred to colloquially as the Bloggernacle, supports widely varying views. From pro-Mormon to anti-Mormon to something we'll call middle-Mormon.
Read on, brothers and sisters, read on ...
Pro-Mormon Blogs
Pro-Mormon blogs are probably the most likely of all the blogs listed in this story to qualify for membership in the Bloggernacle, as it is strictly defined.
Definitions of this holy blogosphere are up for debate. But purists seem to require that a Bloggernacle blog tackle Mormon discussions from a "relatively faithful perspective."
In this story, I am applying the term Bloggernacle much more broadly and allowing it to include blogs that examine LDS issues from all sides. If you don't like that or disagree, I think you know where the comments section is.
Now that we've got that out of the way, there's someone I'd like you to meet.
His name is Jeff Lindsay. He's the author of the blog Mormanity.
Jeff is a scholarly sort. He uses his blog to provide timely information about the LDS Church and the Book of Mormon. But he also welcomes all views. Well, almost.
"I don't require everything to be nice, pro-LDS stuff," Jeff says by telephone from his hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin.
He does, however, have some general rules regarding decency and civility. He occasionally deletes off-topic rants or anti-Mormon insults.
Critics can be brutal when a blog addresses controversial issues such as LDS family life, dating, morality, Proposition 8, interfaith marriage, race, or science and religion, as Mormanity does.
"When something touches upon social issues, it can stir up heated debate," Jeff says.
Ex-Mormon Blogger Who Still Believes
One of the intriguing things about the LDS Church is its membership protocol. The church's leadership has a very formal system for conferring membership, monitoring its members progress and worthiness, revoking membership, and allowing a former member to re-enter the church.
Our next guest provides a fascinating example of this.
This Mormon blogger is known online as Book Slinger. I asked for his real name, honest I did. But he prefers to remain anonymous.
Book Slinger's story reads like, well, kinda like a book:
- Joined LDS Church in his early 20s
- Served a foreign mission in mid-1980s
- Got disaffected and went inactive in 1987
- Requested name-removal from church records in 1991
- Returned to church in 2002
- Started giving out foreign language copies of Book of Mormon in 2004
- Still looking forward to rebaptism
Huh. And now he operates a fairly well-known Mormon blog at http://indybooks.blogspot.com/.
The blog documents his efforts to distribute the Book of Mormon and other LDS texts to immigrants in their native languages.
Be ye Mormon or non-Mormon, that's interesting. Isn't it?
Anti-Mormon Blogs
OK, I really don't want to dwell on this section of the Mormon blogosphere.
And it's not that I'm here to fill your head with religion, either. That's not the purpose of this story. But it also is NOT the point of this article to demean or offend anybody.
I do, however, believe in the basic democratic principles of freedom of speech and robust civic dialogue. So, suffice it to say, there are plenty of places you can go online for news and views that are less than friendly to the LDS Church.
Here are a few:
Middle-Mormon Blogs
Wedged neatly between the Mormon-bashing blogs and the LDS-faith-promoting blogs are online forums that fall somewhere in the middle.
Behold: The New Order Mormons .
This term describes people who seriously question some LDS Church doctrines but want to retain their membership for various reasons.
Here is an excerpt from this group's homepage:
"New Order Mormons recognize both good and bad in the Church, and have determined that the Church does not have to be perfect in order to remain useful. New Order Mormons seek the middle way to be Mormon."
10 More Links for Mormon Blogs
3. LDS Liberty
10. Mormon-Blogs.com
Reader Comments
Jon Evans
I think someone, lots of people, can be 'Anti-Mormon' and still be friendly. Also, 'Middle-Mormon' readers could also be labeled as 'Wavering-Mormon' readers, right?
Thank you for your contribution to our web-community be providing open discussions. Is this a practice you look forward to carrying on to your actual community?
Reader Comments
Dave Johnston
I don't think my blog fits neatly into any of these categories.
A dating and relationship advice column for LDS Teens, their parents, YSAs, and SAs, "Dear Bro Jo" stays true to Gospel Principles, but doesn't necessarily quote scripture or Church Authorities.
Posted Daily, in under 3 months, Dear Bro Jo has grown in readership to all 50 US states, all Canadian provinces, and 10 other nations around the world.
So many LDS written Blogs seem either Doctrine Driven or Appologist, but I think "Dear Bro Jo" is different - it's not about the Blogger, it's about the Readers - and it's targeting issues and a demographic that often go ignored.
I'm probably biased here, but I think it's worth checking out.
- Bro Jo
http://www.dearbrojo.blogspot.comJeremy Ashton
I want to thank you for mentioning my podcast/blog - LDS Liberty - in your story. We'll be sure to mention this story and website next time we record.
Tom Stockwell
Hi Leo, Interesting summary of what's happening around the topics of the Mormon faith. I'm curious if the bloggers are doing anything unique or interesting or innovative in their use of blogging that make any of these blogs real innovators and leaders?
