Feminist Mormon Housewives
Encyclopedia
Feminist Mormon Housewives (fMh) is a group blog featuring commentary on contemporary Mormon culture
and women's issues
. According to The New York Times
, "Unlike the more mainstream Mormon blogs – known collectively as the Bloggernacle
– that by and large promote the faith, this online diary
focuses on the universal challenges of mothering young children and on frustration with the limited roles women have in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
teacher, and Democrat
living in Boise, Idaho
, along with four of Butterworth's friends. During the 2004 American presidential election
, Butterworth felt she couldn't discuss her liberal, feminist politics in her local LDS social circle. She found online discussions by critics of the LDS Church, but disliked their angry tone. When she stumbled up on an article on liberal Mormons at the Times & Seasons blog, she found that civility and openness could be maintained. This inspired Butterworth to contribute to the growing Mormon blogging community, called the Bloggernacle
, by creating Feminist Mormon Housewives, with the tagline "Angry Activists with diapers to change" (this was later changed to "A safe place to be feminist and faithful"). fMh provided a place to focus on women's issues, such as abortion, education, polygamy, parenting, and Mother in Heaven.
The blog's atypical premise drew attention from others in the Bloggernacle, then throughout the mainstream media
. The role it served in the online Mormon community was the subject of a 2006 session at a Sunstone
Symposium.
The site was originally operated at Blogspot by Butterworth and her liberal niece-in-law Beth. The number of regular contributors eventually grew to a widespread group of women from England
, New York City
, Australia
, Massachusetts
, Missouri
, Idaho
, and Utah
. Some notable figures in Mormon studies have participated with fMh, including Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
, Todd Compton
, Margaret Toscano, and influential players in the Bloggernacle.
. Discussion of the blog has been featured in The New York Times
, Newsweek
magazine, National Public Radio, Bust
(the feminist magazine), and the Salt Lake Tribune.
Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
A culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reflecting the cultural impact of basic beliefs and traditions of the church, distinguishes church members, practices, and activities...
and women's issues
Women and Mormonism
The status of women in Mormonism has been a source of public debate since before the death of Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844. Various denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement have taken different paths on the subject of women and their role in the church and in society...
. According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "Unlike the more mainstream Mormon blogs – known collectively as the Bloggernacle
Bloggernacle
The Mormon blogosphere is the Mormon portion of the blogosphere...
– that by and large promote the faith, this online diary
Online diary
An online diary is a personal diary or journal that is published on the World Wide Web on a personal website or a diary-hosting website.-Overview:...
focuses on the universal challenges of mothering young children and on frustration with the limited roles women have in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
History
Feminist Mormon Housewives was founded by Lisa Butterworth, a wife, mother of three, active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Sunday SchoolSunday School (LDS Church)
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.-Purpose:...
teacher, and Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
living in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, along with four of Butterworth's friends. During the 2004 American presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Butterworth felt she couldn't discuss her liberal, feminist politics in her local LDS social circle. She found online discussions by critics of the LDS Church, but disliked their angry tone. When she stumbled up on an article on liberal Mormons at the Times & Seasons blog, she found that civility and openness could be maintained. This inspired Butterworth to contribute to the growing Mormon blogging community, called the Bloggernacle
Bloggernacle
The Mormon blogosphere is the Mormon portion of the blogosphere...
, by creating Feminist Mormon Housewives, with the tagline "Angry Activists with diapers to change" (this was later changed to "A safe place to be feminist and faithful"). fMh provided a place to focus on women's issues, such as abortion, education, polygamy, parenting, and Mother in Heaven.
The blog's atypical premise drew attention from others in the Bloggernacle, then throughout the mainstream media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
. The role it served in the online Mormon community was the subject of a 2006 session at a Sunstone
Sunstone Magazine
Sunstone is a magazine published by the Sunstone Education Foundation, Inc., a 501 nonprofit corporation, that discusses Mormonism through scholarship, art, short fiction, and poetry. The foundation began the publication in 1974 and considers it a vehicle for free and frank exchange in The Church...
Symposium.
The site was originally operated at Blogspot by Butterworth and her liberal niece-in-law Beth. The number of regular contributors eventually grew to a widespread group of women from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Some notable figures in Mormon studies have participated with fMh, including Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich , is a historian of early America and the history of women and a university professor at Harvard University...
, Todd Compton
Todd Compton
Todd Merlin Compton is an American historian in the fields of Mormon history and Classics.- Biographical background :Compton is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who lived for a number of years in Santa Monica, California. He has served an LDS mission to Ireland...
, Margaret Toscano, and influential players in the Bloggernacle.
Prominence
fMh is recognized as one of the top Mormon blogs and often featured at Mormon Archipelago and Mormon Blogs, both LDS blog aggregators, and in Bloggernacle coverage at the Mormon TimesMormon Times
Mormon Times was a website and newspaper insert containing news and information for and about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . According to mormontimes.com, it has moved back to Deseret News....
. Discussion of the blog has been featured in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine, National Public Radio, Bust
Bust (magazine)
Bust is a bi-monthly United States-based women's lifestyle magazine. It was founded in 1993 by Debbie Stoller, Laurie Henzel, and Marcelle Karp.-Content:...
(the feminist magazine), and the Salt Lake Tribune.
See also
- BloggernacleBloggernacleThe Mormon blogosphere is the Mormon portion of the blogosphere...
- Blogs about Mormons and Mormonism
- Culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsCulture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsA culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reflecting the cultural impact of basic beliefs and traditions of the church, distinguishes church members, practices, and activities...
- List of blogs
- FeminismFeminismFeminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
External links
- Official website
- Original website at Blogspot
- "The 'travails and triumphs' of Mormon mommies blogging," by Emily W. Jensen
- "Feminist Mormon Housewives Founder Lisa Butterworth" – Interview on Mormon Stories
- "The Next Generation of Mormon Feminism," by Tresa Edmunds, PatheosPatheos- History :Patheos was founded in 2008 by Leo and Cathie Brunnick, both web technology professionals and residents of Denver, Colorado. Leo, a non-practicing Catholic, and Cathie, a Lutheran-turned-Evangelical, started the project the week they were married as they tried to blend their...