Mormon bloggers: LDS women share testimonies with readers

A group of 32 Mormon bloggers is creating packets for interested readers explaining what the bloggers believe and why they choose to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mariel Wangsgard, oneshetwoshe.com

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With The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the national spotlight, people across the country are asking questions — and a group of Mormon bloggers is happy to give answers.

With vintage-style photographs, picture-perfect desserts, fashion tips and family-life anecdotes, Mormon bloggers have attracted the attention of readers far outside the LDS blogosphere.

Last year, Emily Matchar wrote an article on salon.com attempting to explain her fascination with these blogs.

"Their lives are nothing like mine — I'm your standard-issue late-20-something childless over-educated atheist feminist, Yet I'm completely obsessed with their blogs," she wrote. "On an average day, I'll skim through a half-dozen Mormon blogs, looking at Polaroids of dogs in raincoats or kids in bow ties, reading gratitude lists, admiring sewing projects."

Mariel Wangsgard, creator of the Or So She Says... blog, is taking advantage of such interest to answer questions through the "Why Are Your Favorite Bloggers Mormon?" project she launched last week.

The project sends readers a packet of testimonies from 32 LDS bloggers and a free Book of Mormon as a way for readers to better understand Mormons and what they believe. The packets are sent only to interested readers and kept offline to encourage civil discussion, according to Wangsgard.

"I just got to the point where I saw all these people wondering and not getting good answers," Wangsgard said. "I just think people want to know, so we don't have to be so afraid. ... Most of us aren't afraid to say that we're LDS, but it usually stops there. We wanted to stop holding out on our readers."

Three months ago, she began emailing every Mormon blogger she knew, asking if they would be willing to submit a page or two for the packet. Bloggers would then send suggestions of other bloggers she should contact. The number of participants grew from there.

Shawni Pothier, author of the blog 71 Toes, was one of the bloggers recruited to submit a page explaining her experience of being Mormon. For her, the project offered the opportunity to clarify Latter-day Saint beliefs.

"I just feel like there are a lot of misconceptions with our church, so I was just happy that someone was taking a stand," she said. "As mothers, bloggers and Mormons, we have a lot of power to influence what's out there. ... There are some crazy things that people hear, and I just want people to know how much it can bless people's lives."

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865562644/Why-your-favorite-bloggers-are-Mormon-LDS-women-share-testimonies-with-readers.html
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