Why I Love the “I’m a Mormon” Media Initiative

The “I’m a Mormon” / Mormon.org media initiative that was launched last year is making its way to my neck of the woods (inland Northwest).  Starting the first week in October, there will be TV spots, radio ads, billboards and bus signs with cool, trendy people proudly proclaiming their Mormonness.  In preparation for the media blitz, our ward received in-depth training from Salt Lake this past Sunday, so that we can be ready for the increased questions and attention that will inevitably come our way.

I am completely enthusiastic about this initiative — have been from the start.   I’m not sure how well it’s working in terms of creating convert baptisms (that’s probably not trackable, since it’s a branding campaign as opposed to a response-driven campaign)…but that’s not what excites me most about it anyway.  While I certainly hope it improves our public image, what I really love about the “I’m a Mormon” initiative is the message it sends to Mormons about who gets to be “in!”

Mo or No?: Ryan Ramirez

All season long, I’ve assumed that Ryan Ramirez on So You Think You Can Dance is Mormon.  Then I realized I hadn’t really analyzed my reasons for my assumption. So I thought I’d post about it and then throw it out there — Ryan: Mo or No?  What say you?

Evidences in favor…

• She just kind of seems like one.
• Her mom is always wearing Mormony outfits.
• She admitted last week on the show that she’s never been in love.  Not that Mormons don’t fall in love, but who is a devout young Mormon woman going to fall in love with when she’s spent the past 3-5 years in LA’s professional dance scene?
• Sometimes she has kind of a vague smile on her face.  I’ve noticed that we Mormons smile vaguely from time to time when we’re uncomfortable but aren’t quite sure how to handle a given situation in a nice way.
• She’s a big-time overachiever: she graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA.  Mormons are known for over-achieving.
• She didn’t get her driver’s license until she was 18 or 19.  This isn’t necessarily a real reason, but I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 18, and I’m a Mormon, so she must be too, right?  😉

My Mo Rating: 72%.

How about you?  Enter your percentage in the comments below.  In the meantime, I will search around the internet for the answer!

UPDATE: I believe I have uncovered the answer, thanks to a fairly diligent bit of Facebook stalking.  Check here when you’re ready.

ABOUT MO OR NO?: I play Mo or No? all the time with my husband and a couple of friends.  Whenever we pass a candidate in the street or at the store, we give each other a percentage based on a cursory glance–and then search for additional evidences (such as capped sleeves, long shorts, CTR rings, extra undershirts, etc.) to verify our hunch.  Online, the game works the same.   Enjoy!

Relief Society Lesson Plan: Living a Christ-Centered Life

Special Note about My LDS Lesson Recaps: Please feel free to use any of this material in preparation for your own LDS Relief Society lesson plan or sacrament meeting talk — no attribution required. 🙂

This lesson outline comes from a mini-workshop I taught this past Saturday at our stake women’s conference on Living a Christ-Centered Life.  This is how it came to be: the stake relief society president caught me after church one Sunday and asked if I would be willing to teach something at the conference.  I said yes.  She said, “What topic interests you?”

I replied, “Well, Sister E., I’m happy to teach whatever you’d like, but you should know that I’m over the moon for Jesus.”

And thus this lesson was born.

Mo or No?: Shanna

I swear, The Biggest Loser has more Mormons than any other reality TV program in the universe (in fairness, I have no way to substantiate that claim because The Biggest Loser is the only reality TV show I watch).  This season, there is one confirmed Mormon contestant, Burgandy Keel (check out her Facebook fan page where she links to Mormon messages — a dead giveaway)…but last night I found myself wondering if there might be another: Shanna.

Evidences in favor…

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Her voice.

Evidences against…

None. Did you hear her voice?

My Mo Rating: 110%.

How about you?  Enter your percentage in the comments below.  In the meantime, I (or perhaps our resident Googler, Eric) will search around the internet for the answer!

ABOUT MO OR NO?: I play Mo or No? all the time with my husband and a couple of friends.  Whenever we pass a candidate in the street or at the store, we give each other a percentage based on a cursory glance–and then search for additional evidences (such as capped sleeves, long shorts, CTR rings, extra undershirts, etc.) to verify our hunch.  Online, the game works the same.   Enjoy!

Mo or No: Sam and Koli

Today's Contestants: Sam and Koli

If you’re watching The Biggest Loser this season, you’ll notice two things…

1. These are the FATTEST CONTESTANTS EVER! (They say that every year…)
2. There’s a pair of Tongan cousins who just might be Mos

Evidences in favor…

• They’re Tongan.  15.5% of Tongans are Mos.
• They just seem nice like that.
• I tried to come up with more evidences in favor, but really, that’s all.
• EDIT: Koli cries all the time.  That’s a total Mo-man thing to do.  Granted, people on The Biggest Loser cry a lot in general, but Koli seems to cry more than usual, which makes me think he, in particular, is mo’ Mo than the Sam.

Evidences against…

• I once heard them drop a swear.
• Sam has (gasp!) earrings.

My Mo Rating: 61%…though I think Sam might be inactive if indeed he is Mo.

What about you?  Enter your percentage in the comments below.

EDIT: Thanks to Eric, our resident master of Googling, we can now answer this question more definitively.  Go here to check Sam and here to check Koli.  If you want to play, answer in the comments first…and then click the links to check your answers.

ABOUT MO OR NO?: I play Mo or No? all the time with my husband and a couple of friends.  Whenever we pass a candidate in the street or at the store, we give each other a percentage based on a cursory glance–and then search for additional evidences (such as capped sleeves, long shorts, CTR rings, extra undershirts, etc.) to verify our hunch.  Online, the game works the same.   Enjoy!

I’m a Christian First

Today, I made a change to my Facebook profile.  In the “info” box, I wrote:

Katie L. is a wife, a mother, a professional copywriter, a devoted Christian, a friend, and a teacher-to-be.

After I wrote it, I sat there for about 10 minutes, wondering if I should post it, afraid my self-identification as a Christian might alarm people.  In the end I decided it doesn’t really matter, because it’s how I feel.

I’m a Mormon, yes.  But I’m not a Mormon first.  I’m a Christian first, a follower of Christ.  He is the One I worship, adore, and to whom I owe everything.  He is the One who pulled me from perfectionism and anxiety and brought me lasting peace.  The LDS church, for all the good it does, is not itself the vehicle of my salvation.  Christ is.  And it is to Him first and foremost that I owe my allegiance.

Mo or No?: Russell Brunson

It’s with tremendous joy that I bring you my first ever Mo or No? post.  I’ve had this idea for months, but until yesterday, had not found a viable candidate!

Here’s how it works: I stumble across someone in the media, online, or in pop culture who strikes me as particularly Mormon.  I post a picture and some information.  Then we all get to give a percentage of just how Mo we think s/he is!  Sound like fun?  You betcha!

Today’s Contestant:
Russell Brunson

I received a solicitation from sales guru Brian Tracy in my inbox the other day advertising a program by internet marketer Russell Brunson.  When I clicked through to the website and saw the video on the page, my eyes just about popped out of my head.  I thought, “this guy’s gotta be Mormon.”  Here’s the video.  As you watch, note the evidences…

• He looks like he’s 22
• …And he’s married
• …with 4 kids
• …in pictures in a field in the background
• He’s got some sort of tender quote on a colored board displayed in his office
• He’s from Boise
• He’s wearing a collared shirt buttoned up to the second button, with an undershirt underneath
• He just has that “glow”

My Mo Rating: 96.3%.

How about you?  Enter your percentage in the comments below.

EDIT: We have found a definitive answer regarding Russell Brunson’s Mormon-ness (thank you, Eric, for your tireless research).  To play, just enter your rating in the comments section BEFORE checking your answer.  Then check your answer by clicking here.

ABOUT MO OR NO?: I play Mo or No? all the time with my husband and a couple of friends.  Whenever we pass a candidate in the street or at the store, we give each other a percentage based on a cursory glance–and then search for additional evidences (such as capped sleeves, long shorts, CTR rings, extra undershirts, etc.) to verify our hunch.  I will have you know, I am incredibly good at this game.  (My friend April’s pretty damn good, too.)