The Fear of God

It’s been a while since I’ve given the Old Testament much attention. Since I toiled for years in the Primary, I haven’t really studied the O.T. since I was in my early twenties. And when I was in my early twenties, I was easily distracted. [Disclaimer: I am not disparaging those [...]

Turning My Kids’ World Upside Down

So, we’re moving. If you’d have told me a year ago I’d be saying such a thing, I would have looked at you like your head was on backwards. But a lot can happen in a year (e.g. reversals, epiphanies, startling answers to prayer, not to mention a good long stare into [...]

The Art of the Essay: An Interview with Patrick Madden

I recently reviewed a fascinating collection of essays called Quotidiana, written by author and BYU professor Patrick Madden. Such an interesting conversation with Pat ensued in the comments that I thought it would be a great idea to invite him back and interview him on the topic. Here at Segullah, we’re particularly interested [...]

Writing is Scary. But We’re Not. So Come to the Segullah Writing Retreat!

Here’s the truth: Every time I sit down at my computer to write, I’m a little bit afraid. Afraid that the words won’t come like I want them to. Afraid that the mysterious yawning emptiness of the story will swallow me whole. Afraid that I’m kidding myself, that this story (essay, [...]

Patrick Madden’s Quotidiana: A Review

A few pages into BYU English professor Patrick Madden’s collection of essays, Quotidiana, he describes what his graduate study of the essay form taught him:
“I learned that essays were not stories, did not focus on great adventures or recoveries, were not extraordinary in their subject matter at all. Essayists are keen observers of [...]

A Natural Woman

I’m glad I’m a woman. I’m glad I’m a wife. I’m glad I’m a mother. I’m glad I’m a Mormon. In fact, my Mormon-woman-wife-and-motherness is the core of my personal identity, and I recognize it as the source of my greatest blessings and opportunities for growth in this life. I am not, [...]

Success as Joy’s Counterfeit

What if the famous scripture in 2 Nephi 2:25 read this way?
“Adam fell that man might be; and men are, that they might be successful.”
I’m sure most of you, like me, would find such a scripture discouraging and irritating and false instead of inspiring and hopeful and true. But sometimes I look around me [...]

I’m Not Perfect. Can I Still Go to Heaven?–An Interview with Anthony Sweat

Anthony Sweat is a full-time religious educator, currently teaching seminary at West High in Salt Lake City, and a regular speaker at Especially For Youth and Education Week conferences. He is the co-author of the bestselling book WHY? Powerful Answers and Practical Reasons for Living LDS Standards, and the author of the newly-released I’m Not [...]

Speak Now, or Forever Hold Your Peace

1. When I was a kid, I was a hand-raiser. I remember once in the 4th grade almost bursting out of my seat, palm flailing, wanting wanting wanting Mr. Poulsen to call on me. His eyes kept scanning the classroom from one end to the other, settling on my eager face for [...]

And the Soul Felt Its Worth

I sat in my car, my hands gripping the steering wheel, glaring at the front end loader inching its way across the road. Perhaps the sheer force of my gaze could speed the thing up? But no. It lurched forward, then back, then forward, then back, performing what appeared to be a [...]

Segullah Suggests: Books to Buy This Christmas

I‘m a traditional kind of girl—you know, one who puts off her Christmas shopping until the day after Thanksgiving and then spends December in a frenzy of list-making, bargain-shopping and gift-wrapping. Although I wish I could be one of those women who creates dozens of heartfelt handmade gifts, alas, craftiness is not my thing. [...]

To Sleep. Perchance.

I just settled into my office chair to write this blog post. It is 10:52 p.m. I realize that I need to get up by 6:45 to get my oldest son off to Jr. High, but with an out-of-town husband and a long day of kid-shuttling, laundry-folding, assignment-grading, journal-editing and potty-training (yes, I [...]

Take What You Want and Pay For It, Says God

The title of this post is a Spanish proverb I encountered in a really good book I just finished reading, a literary mystery/thriller by Irish writer Tana French called The Likeness. (LDS Reader alert: It’s an excellent novel—both suspenseful and gorgeously written—and there’s no sex and surprisingly little violence, considering it’s a thriller. [...]

I’d Write Creative Nonfiction If I Knew What the Heck It Was

Note: This piece is a discussion of the literary genre of the personal essay. While I’ve posted it here on a blog, what I’ve written is not a good example of the genre of the blog post. For one, it’s waaaaaay too long. Hope you enjoy it anyway.
One of the things we [...]

Young Love

Tomorrow my husband and I celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary, a milestone that makes me feel both proud (still goin’ strong!) and old. We celebrated an anniversary last year that made me feel even older, though: in November of 2008, we’d been “together” for 20 years, which freaked me out a little because, in [...]

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