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Sorry I have been MIA for a while, but I’ve been really busy at work (between my 5 part-time jobs.) I’ve received some interesting emails and letters over the past few weeks, and I wanted to get your thoughts. (1) Today when I came home, my wife handed me an anonymous letter addressed to her. The return address of the letter was our church address with no name attached. I don’t have the exact wording, but it went something like this. (Note this is not an exact quote, but pretty close.)
“Wendy, you should know something about your husband. He blogs under the name Mormon Heretic, and he blogs at a place called Wheat and Tares. It is full of apostate bloggers, some of whom support polygamy. He has also attended Sunstone for years, and even presented at Sunstone this year. When someone finds out about his online identity, he tells them not to tell his wife or church members because they aren’t smart enough to understand. I thought you should know about what he is doing to himself, his ward, and his church.”
My wife has known about my blog and moniker for a few years, and she even attended my Sunstone presentation “to support me.” She’s not fond of my moniker, and wasn’t fond of my presentation about the history of the priesthood ban. It’s one of those things we have talked about, but she doesn’t like to talk about. I have fond blogging to be a wonderful outlet for me, and I do like my anonymity. When I first started blogging, I didn’t want my wife to know, but I told her probably 2 years ago. Like I said, she’s not fond of it, but tolerates my blogging. I wanted to post the letter on my blog and let the world know that my wife does know about my blogging, but my wife is a very private person and asked me not to.
(2) A few days ago, I got an email from someone at Deseret Book asking me to review a new book by Terryl Givens. Since it is an email, I can actually quote it here.
“Rick,
My goodness what a girl has to do to track down the REAL Mormon Heritic! I hope you don’t mind me reaching out to you. I got your contact info from Kaimipono Wenger this morning after I emailed him asking him to help me decode some of the monikers I see all over the Bloggernacle. I wanted to get in touch with you because I’m helping with the release of Terryl and fiona Givens’ new book, The God Who Weeps and I am looking for bloggers who would be willing to read and review the book. Actually, let me rephrase, I’m looking for interesting bloggers who would be willing to read and review the book and that is why I wanted to find you.
If you are interested and willing, I would be love to send you a copy of the book this afternoon. I have also arranged a Q&A session with the Givens that will be held this Friday at 1:00 for bloggers and writers who are interested in talking to the Givens about the book or other similar topics. I would love to add your name to the guest list if you are in town and available.
Again, I hope you don’t mind me tracking you down and reaching out. I’d love to meet you in person someday–hopefully our paths will cross at some point. Let me know what you think–if you’d be willing to read the book and if you are interested in attending a Q&A on Friday.
Warm Regards,
she signs her name”
I thanked her for the email, sent her my mailing address, and I’m on the list for the Q&A tomorrow with Terryl Givens. I got a Facebook message from Emily Jensen of the Deseret News telling me Kaimi was trying to get my email address, but apparently someone else found my email address for her.
(3) In response to a throwaway comment at W&T where I said I was trying to get a copy of a 1st edition of Mormon Doctrine, a lurker at W&T asked me to email her. I did, and she sent me a photocopy version of a 1st edition of Mormon Doctrine, as well as some other cool materials. She lives in Texas but asked for strict anonymity. She spend about $12 just on postage, which was really nice. Then a few weeks later, she sends me some more materials that she thought I would enjoy, spending another $5 in postage. It was pretty cool of her. I promised her anonymity, and noted that I like anonymity too, which is why I blog as Mormon Heretic. (I also sent me reimbursement for postage.)
(4) Another commenter at W&T has been emailing me about the priesthood ban. I think he lives in SLC area, but not sure. We’ve had some interesting email conversations, and I have told him to post those on the blog. He too has stressed anonymity, and I completely understand.
So, regarding (1), my wife thinks it is somebody in my ward. I’ve often asked people in my ward if they have ever heard of the bloggernacle, and still nobody has answered yes. There is only 1 person in my ward that I really don’t like, and I could see her doing that because that’s totally her personality. But we don’t talk because we don’t like each other. I don’t see her as a bloggernacle participant at all, but anything’s possible. (I really like her husband, who is a stake clerk.)
I’ve been thinking about becoming un-anonymous, but I don’t know what to think. Commenter (4) and I have been discussing Lester Bush’s mistreatment and I don’t really want to be seen as disloyal like Bush, but I think Bush is completely right regarding the ban. I hope to publish my Sunstone presentation in JMH as soon as I hear back from Newell Bringhurst, who is currently reviewing my paper. Of course that will be published with my real name, but I don’t currently plan to tie that together with my moniker. My paper will support Bush and refute Ronald Esplin’s hypothesis on the ban.
The only person in my ward that I told about my Sunstone presentation is my next door neighbor, and former bishop. We’ve talked about Sunstone in the past, and he has spoken about Sunstone poorly. When he did recently, stating that the church counseled against Sunstone, I responded that message was 20 years ago, and I know church employees that participate now. I told him I was presenting at Sunstone and invited him to listen. He said he was busy, but the day I came home from the presentation, he seemed supportive and asked how my presentation went. To my knowledge, he has no knowledge of moniker.
I guess it is funny that an anonymous person tries to “out” me, but I was already outed to my wife. (Sorry for the long post.) Anyway, what are your thoughts? (Apparently my (1) anonymous friend doesn’t know about my affiliation with StayLDS, as that didn’t make the letter.)
There’s too much comedy mixed with paranoia and a too-long nose in other people’s business for it not to be both funny and sad. Got nothing else right now. Do what you feel impressed to do – and thank your wife for being who she is.
I don’t think you have anything to fear from the upper echelons of the hierarchy. They don’t seem to be in the business anymore of disciplining members for talking about uncomfortable history. You already know about my mild run-in with SLC HQ calling my Stake Pres, and us having a chat. It went well. I just told him how it was — I love the church and want it to be successful. I talk about controversial stuff with people who are having faith crisis. This is how I help the church. That was the end of it. You have a different problem because of where you live though — the local social community of Mormons. I would probably downplay things more if I lived in an area where all my important social connections, and my family’s, where with very conservative Mormons.
On the other hand, I think it’s time to show the world of Mormons how to be a critical thinker
ANDand a faithful ally of the Church. The reason it’s so scandalous to blog and write papers that analyze our religion is that a SMALL but highly vocal minority have bullied our culture in that direction. It only takes a few dissenters from that to change the tone. If you can do that, it helps the church move forward in a healthier direction. I do think there are times when it becomes more of a personal cost than it is worth to continue blogging. No one can determine that but you.
I respect you and your work. Keep us posted.
I have an update on this. Apparently the anonymous person that mailed my wife also mailed my bishop. The return address was MY home address, and it was mailed directly to the church. Because the church doesn’t have a mailbox, the mailman delivered it to the nearest house where it sat for a few months. Finally the neighbor gave it to the bishop. On Sunday, the ward executive secretary asked if I could meet with the bishop tonight. I was expecting a new calling, but instead, my bishop told me he received a letter (that I now have in my possession.) He said he thought the letter was pretty “chicken”. (He said if he was on a farm he would use stronger language.) Anyway, he asked me how everything was going, and if I enjoyed my new calling as a temple worker. (I said I did.) I’m curious how this person knew my address, but didn’t know my bishop’s address. (Bishop lives 3 houses from me.) Obviously they are not in my stake, but really who would go to such lengths to send a letter to my bishop and wife???
:wtf: First, I think I have a man-crush on your Bishop. Second, that just is bizarre.
My guess is that it was someone who was offended by something you wrote on your personal blog and decided to get even – or whatever. A few years ago, I had an anonymous commenter blast my blog constantly with comments about my bankruptcy (trying to “expose your hypocrisy”, not knowing anything about the circumstances), and I am positive it was a specific person I had offended by a comment about the Priesthood ban in a thread on Times & Seasons.
Bizarre. You really just never know with people. Cool bishop though!
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