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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.)
Part IX of the Sunstone Classics series Lavina Fielding Anderson was a prolific editor who had a huge impact on LDS journal articles and books over many decades. She was also an extraordinary writer. She was excommunicated in September 1993 for her work on the Mormon Alliance, thus becoming a member of the September Six. …
I grew up moving from country to country, embassy to embassy, but during my nomadic childhood I clung strongly to my identity as a Utahn, Mormon, and American. I tried to be “in the world, but not of it,” listening obsessively to Michael McLean tapes and reading Charly. But in 1997, when I graduated from …
In 2015, Lynn Gorton Cropper published an article in Sunstone titled, “Laughs Precede the Miracle.” She starts with two studies. The first study, “Humor and Group Effectiveness,” (2008), concludes that successful group humor can create an attitude of psychological safety for the group members, enabling them to feel less defensive when faced with tension and …
I am really good in a crisis. Seriously. Really good. I’m actually kind of famous for it. Cancer diagnosis? I’m your gal. Divorce? I’ve got you. Lost your job? I’m here to help. Years ago, my mom and I were watching my younger brother play in a soccer game. My brother broke his arm and …
