ALSSI Newsletter
November 2022
Season 5 of the podcast is a wrap! Now you have time to catch up on conversations you may have missed, and we have time to catch our breath…and begin planning for next season. After 117 episodes, you might think we’d be running out of things to say. But thanks to so many of you who reach out with experiences and ideas, there’s more to talk about.
We started ALSSI hoping we could find a way to amplify many women’s voices. This season, we finally started to realize that vision! After doing so much talking, it felt like a privilege to be able to listen instead as you offered the stories of your hearts to this community on our voicemail episodes. I believe every time a woman shares her story, another woman feels less alone when she hears it. Feeling known as individuals is the best medicine I know for almost every problem I perceive in the organizational church.
I grew up in a family that was just a little bit challenged in the love department. What I mean is, as a kid it wasn’t always easy to see or feel love in our interactions. We’re awkward folks! So when I watch people greet each other at the airport, I’m often filled with holy envy. Other families seem to know how to do this naturally, rushing into each other’s arms in a burst of such eager affection. With my family, I know the underlying affection is there, but the greetings look like trading snarky quips while shifting awkwardly or staring at our shoes. I’ve made peace with this as an adult, but understanding it hasn’t made me stop wishing we were different.
I’ve thought about this a lot in my church life. There’s been love there too, but sometimes I’ve had to look hard for it. Sometimes I’ve struggled to feel it. I believe if we all felt more known, more at home, more comfortable—more like our whole selves—at church, we’d see and feel the eager rush of God’s love every time we gather as members. When I criticize our culture or organization, I’m most often speaking from my desire to have this thing I love be better in ways I believe it can. I’m speaking from my hope.
One of the themes that emerged for us during this season was the need for Latter-day Saint women to better support one another, despite holding a variety of viewpoints. Speaking to the Bountiful RS in November 1876, Eliza R. Snow said, “It is nescesary [sic] that we should put our shoulders together, that we should be United, let each one of us lay it to heart.”
The message she thought those sisters needed 146 years ago still feels essential to me today.
I’m trying to “lay it to” my own heart. It’s my number one goal going into next season: to better express the space I imagine—big enough to hold all the Church’s women. A community united in the kind of love that can be readily seen and felt by each of us, no matter how we show up. I know I could sometimes say things better than I do, so I hope you’ll continue to help me. As a community of real sharing, together we can craft a message that will change and grow hearts—our own, and hopefully some others’ too.
— Susan
”How will the fact of being women have affected our lives? What precise opportunities have been given us, and which ones have been denied? What destiny awaits our younger sisters, and in which direction should we point them?”
― Simone de Beauvoir
Coming up next:
It’s almost time for this month’s online discussion group. The theme will be potpourri, meaning we’ll discuss whatever topic is on your mind or heart! Bring your thoughts and avail yourself of the collective wisdom of a group of supportive sisters.
ALSSI Ladies’ Lunch In
Thursday, November 17
12:00 noon, Mountain Time
Register by clicking here
After registration, you’ll receive a Zoom link via email.
Hope to see you there!
Did we miss you?
Our Fall Gathering in SLC was such a good time! After two live events, we can see that many of our listeners really value the opportunity to meet up with other like-minded women…and say things out loud. We’re talking about adding some smaller pop-up-type gatherings in the future: opportunities to simply meet, mix and mingle with ALSSI hosts and listeners. Stay tuned for details—if you haven’t joined us yet, hopefully a future gathering will be convenient for you!
Speaking of missing…
We know your time is precious and Season 5 was super-sized, with 27 episodes rather than the usual 20! For many of you, there are probably some you haven’t heard. If you’re wondering where to begin, here are a few of our recommendations:
Episode 91: What Women Don’t Get In Our Church
— This episode includes Cynthia’s essay of the same name…and that list!
Episodes 94 & 95: Everyone Back to Church…Maybe?
— Listeners share how the pandemic influenced their church lives and engagement
Episode 97: Christ Chose Women
— What do you know about female apostles in the early church?
Episode 100: The Ultimate Big Deal, Part 3
— More thoughts about the temple, because there’s always more to say
Episode 104: The Process of Staying
— We talk about our personal how and why when it comes to choosing the Church
Episode 108: What About Sealings?
— Hint: It’s complicated, and the stories women share illustrate just how complicated it can be. So many feelings on this one!
Episode 110: We Don’t Believe Our Own Stuff—Repentance Edition
—This conversation generated so much great discussion!
Episode 114: This Is Your Brain On Church—a Conversation with Jill Evans Opdahl
— A fascinating conversation about how the words we hear and use repeatedly have a real impact on our thinking
“Self-knowledge is no guarantee of happiness, but it is on the side of happiness and can supply the courage to fight for it.”
― Simone de Beauvoir
Welcoming the season of gratitude and giving…
We’re continually humbled by the generosity of so many! Thank you for listening and engaging in this community, and thank you for contributing to our financial support! (Looking at you—you know who you are!)
We sometimes get inquiries from listeners who are unsure about how to donate. On our website—in the sidebar on your computer or scroll down on your phone—you’ll see this image with the heading Support ALSSI. Click and it will take you to our donation link. It’s as simple as that! Whether one-time or subscription, your donated dollars go a long way to helping sustain this project.
Meanwhile, what’s cold weather without…cake?
This bread stayed moist and tender for a full week. (Kept in fridge.) I love fall spices and the subtle sweetness of bread. — Cynthia
Cynthia’s Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread
2 cups (10 ounces) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (3/4 tsp. if high altitude)
1 teaspoon baking powder (3/4 tsp. If high altitude)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
1 cups (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 cup olive oil (light or extra virgin)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl, the flour through the salt.
In separate bowl, whisk pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients and combine until just blended. Pour into a 9”x5” greased loaf pan (lined with parchment if possible) and bake in a preheated 350° oven for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes our clean.
Happy Fall!
Thanks for being here! We look forward to seeing you in the new year for our next season of conversations. Until then, find us on social media, on our website, at Ladies’ Lunch In…or reach out to us via email or voicemail.
With love,
— Cynthia and Susan