The Mormon Diaries traces the
journey of the author Sophia L. Stone through her life as a Mormon woman to her
eventual abandonment of Mormonism for a broader interpretation of Christianity. Written as a challenge to write daily about
the author’s life experiences and expanded into 28 chronological essays, this
book explores the reality of being a woman within the confines of Mormonism. As with all good memoirs, this story is about
a journey, a period of time where the author challenges her thoughts and
arrives at a new understanding.
Stone details her life growing up
in a Mormon family; the challenges and comforts of growing up in a religion
that provides a complete road map to life.
As she writes “Everything
important was drawn out for me through living prophets. All I had to do was use the thick, black
marker of my choices to trace the lightly penciled sentences that were written
by those with authority, who’d lived longer and knew better about my life’s
purpose.”
Stone details the realities of life
as a Mormon woman in a way that is very intimate and real. She relates her anxiety surrounding her
baptism and testimony, the challenges of finding the right husband, as well as
the manner in which her identity became wrapped up in being the nurturer, at
the cost of her own needs and desires.
There is a list of Mormon “Thou shalts” – starting with “Thou shalt keep
the Sabbath day holy” and ending with “Thou shalt not doubt, ever” – that spans
a full four pages and serves as a brilliant reminder of what the realities of
living a Mormon life is like.
The author also tackle the thorny
issue of leaving the Mormon Church – the dismay and confusion of loved ones, the
strain that her journey left on her marriage, the delicate navigation of
religion with her children. There is a deep
thoughtfulness in this book, along with a lot of love for family and friends. Towards the end, the author bears her new and
expanded testimony:
“I
believe God loves me and that he can save everyone. I believe there’s light and goodness in all
religions, in all traditions, and in all people.”
Mormon Diaries is available on both Kindleand Nook for $0.99, as well as in paperback form for $8.99
and Nook for $0.99, as well as in paperback form for $8.99