Is it blasphemous to publish a cartoon about Angel Moroni? How about Jesus? How about God? Sunstone has been exploring the limits of what LDS culture is willing to laugh at for decades. Using many hilarious (and possibly blasphemous) examples, Stephen Carter talks about the times when Sunstone ran afoul of sacred sensibilities, and also …
Why I Stay
I was really surprised to be asked to talk about why I stay because in some ways I feel like I don’t stay. I mean, I go to church every Sunday. I sit with my husband. I’ll sing in the ward choir, although I am not talented. I can be part of a chorus; just …
A History of Sunstone Cartoons—Part X
So, for our first 100 years, Mormons wanted all the ground to be stable. We might think of the Nauvoo Mormons draining the swamp so that they could have solid ground to build their houses on. We can also think of them trekking across the prairie to get to Salt Lake City where they could …
Episode 156: Mountain Meadows Massacre, Pt. 4
In September 1857, southern Utah became the stage for one of the darkest tragedies in American frontier history, the Mountain Meadows Massacre. This was no spontaneous clash but a calculated act of religious extremism and territorial paranoia that left 120 emigrants from the Baker-Fancher party dead, while Mormon leaders shifted blame onto Southern Paiute tribes. …
A Borderlander in Mexico
I recently had the opportunity of corresponding with “Roger,” a successful Borderlands member. Following is an edited version of our email exchanges with names and details changed to protect identities. Initial Contact Message Hi, my name is Roger. I am a lifelong member of the LDS Church. I have read most of your Borderland columns …
Against Blessings
During a sabbatical in Germany, our good friend Petra invited my wife and me to make cookies at her home. As we waited for the Vanillekipferl to cool, I noticed a sign on her wall, a “gift” from her grown children. It read, “Be nice to your kids so they will choose a good nursing …
Sunstone 50-year Time Capsule: Part IX
One of the myriad of rabbit holes that tunneled through Sunstone’s ads led to this place in Salt Lake City. And, yes, it was every bit as trippy as it looks. As you can see, the Cosmic Aeroplane sold incense, pipes, and used books, specializing in Utah, Mormon, and Western Americana books. Which makes you …
Restaurants in the Mormon “Good Place” Part 2
Looking for yet another binge-watch time sink? If you haven’t gotten to The Good Place yet, go there. Among the many joys of the afterlife-themed sitcom are the pause-or-you’ll-miss-’em restaurant names like “Ponzu Scheme” and “Biscotti Pippen” and “(Everything) on a Stick.” Which begs the question: What if Kristen Bell and Ted Danson were in …
Episode 155: Mountain Meadows Massacre, Pt. 3
Just when we thought we’d talked enough about disappointing Mormon men, George A. Smith pulls us back in. In this unflinching episode, we unpack how the so-called “Father of Southern Utah” helped lay the groundwork for one of the darkest moments in LDS history, the Mountain Meadows Massacre. With a wig in one hand and …
E205: Perfectionism: Mormon Style.
Is your life a sermon? Do you imagine your every action being narrated by a general authority? In this episode, Stephen Carter dives into perfectionism, showing how it manifests in people’s lives, and proposing a few odd ways to escape it. (Hint: Not through fasting and prayer.)