“The R House” family. Photo Cred: Aileen Reilly Photography
Many readers are familiar with the oft-quoted article of a New York feminist/atheist on Salon.com about Mormon Mommy bloggers: “These blogs are weirdly uplifting…The basic messages expressed in these blogs—family is wonderful, life is meant to be enjoyed, celebrated the small things—are still lovely.”[i]
Perhaps not so familiar is what Elizabeth Orpina, who writes for The California Aggie, stated: “Mormon mommy blogs: I can’t stop/won’t stop….
“A minute of scrolling on these blogs and I was suddenly sucked into a world of adorable young love. Everything I secretly wanted in life was displayed in filtered photographs of babies, kittens and hipster husbands in San Francisco….
“They have serious followings. Thousands if not hundreds of thousands of readers check in every day for update on babies, fashion inspiration and an escape from our obviously non-Mormon Mommy Blogger lives….
“And the reason why I refer to these addicting websites as Mormon is because on almost every blog there’s a link labeled our beliefs’ which leads to the Mormon.org website. Either this is one giant advertising campaign by the Church or the release of the recipe for the fountain of youth and happiness. I’m assuming the latter is likely.”[ii]
I, too, read Mormon Mommy blogs, but not for the same reasons as these two writers. I do not find them “weird.” I am not a young mother wishing I had the life of a Mormon Mommy blogger. I am a grandmother, but I read a dozen or so blogs because I want to cheer for these young Mormon mothers for the way they at the invitation of Church leaders have “joined the conversation” on the Internet.
Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated: “You have a great opportunity to be a powerful force for good in the Church and in the world. There is truth in the old adage that the pen is mightier than the sword….
“The Lord, over the centuries, has had a hand in inspiring people to invent tools that facilitate the spreading of the gospel. The Church has adopted and embraced those tools, including print, broadcast media, and the Internet.
“There are perhaps few inventions that had had a greater impact on the world than the printing press, invented by the inspired Johannes Gutenberg around 1436….
“Today we have a modern equivalent of the printing press in the Internet. The Internet allows everyone to be a publisher, to have his or her voice heard, and it is revolutionizing society….The emergence of new media is facilitating a worldwide conversation on almost every subject, including religion, and nearly everyone can participate….
“May I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration.”[iii]
Hundreds of computer- and photography-savvy young Mormons (mostly female, but some male) have created a wide variety of blogs, focusing on such areas as family life, cooking, design, fashion, and photography. Some bloggers are very forthright that they are Latter-day Saints; others are less so. But many have links to lds.org or Mormon.org or make references to Church events, their activity in the Church, or to their faith; some offer to send readers a Book of Mormon. Mormon grandmother blogs also are on the Internet, but given the social media skills of the younger generation, Mommy blogs are definitely more prevalent. Some bloggers are now businesses; others post on their blogs mainly for their family and friends. The two bloggers of www.sistasinzion.com “started their blog in 2009 as a way to keep in contact when they were no longer living in the same state. Being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the ladies decided to write on matters of faith. Their hope was to create a place where their friends and family of all faiths could openly converse and also share humorous aspects of Mormon culture. The plan to keep the convo between family and friends was instantly obliterated as people started to share their posts, now these women are a major part of the faith-based scene.”
The influence of these Mormon blogs cannot be ascertained, but given the number of readers, this influence on both non-Mormon and Mormon readers is extensive. One blogger reports that she has received notes from a dozen people whose interest in the Church and subsequent baptisms was instigated by her blog.
One LDS young mother/blogger recorded: “Not only do we embrace Christ, but we embrace His teachings, and our readers feel that in their hearts. When they read our blogs, they feel good. The good emanates because we embrace the teachings and principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…We choose the good part. They see the truthfulness of the lives that we are leading. They feel the Holy Spirit entering their homes and entering their hearts. Mormon Mommy Blogs are a powerful force for good in this world.”
I myself enjoy how these bloggers record and picture details of their families, of their gospel-centered lives, and of the difficulties that sometimes beset them. I delight in their enthusiasm and optimism about life, their creativity, their finding joy in everyday occurrences, and their diligence in near-daily postings on their blogs. Most of all, I love how these bloggers bear testimony of the gospel and how they are indeed missionaries in their own particular way via the Internet.
Moreover, I see these blogs as a fulfillment of a prophecy given by President Spencer W. Kimball in 1979: “Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world (in whom there is often such an inner sense of spirituality) will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different-in happy ways-from the women of the world.”[iv]
While the list of blogs I usually follow is short, I often like to search for other blogs to view. Often blogs have links to other blogs. One can find categorized lists, such as parenting, health and wellness, special needs, crafts, and daddy blogs, by going to www.mormonmommyblogs.com. Googling or other search engines can also provide more website addresses.
We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ
[i] Emily Matchar, “Why I can’t stop reading Mormon housewife blogs,” salon.com, Jan. 15, 2011.
[ii] Elizabeth Orpina, UC Davis Campus, www.theaggie.org, Oct. 11, 2012.
[iii] M. Russell Ballard, “Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet,” Ensign, July 2008, ldschurch.org.
[iv] Spencer W. Kimball, “The Role of Righteous Women,” Ensign, November 1979, <a href="https://ldschurch.
<hr class=’system-pagebreak’ /><hr class=’system-pagebreak’ /><hr class=’system-pagebreak’ /><hr class=’system-pagebreak’ />org”>ldschurch.org.
MicheleNovember 10, 2013
So fun to run into this article when I was looking for a way to share my blog with other mothers. Thank you for your wonderful post!! https://mommybug-ibhsell.blogspot.com
Cougar SassMarch 13, 2013
I'm surprised not to see Nie Nie's sister, CJane (Kendrick) not on here! She is my favorite!