Bernard Gui Posted July 22, 2018 Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) Has anyone followed Tara Westover, the former-LDS author of Educated? I don’t if this was discussed here.... https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900013464/q-a-byu-grad-and-educated-author-tara-westover-talks-difference-between-forgiveness-and-reconciliation.html Edited July 22, 2018 by Bernard Gui 1
rpn Posted July 22, 2018 Posted July 22, 2018 I really loved the book (though not always what it describes). It was incredible writing.
Traela Posted July 22, 2018 Posted July 22, 2018 Her brother is in my ward. He and his family seem to be on reasonably good terms with her.
mfbukowski Posted July 22, 2018 Posted July 22, 2018 3 hours ago, Bernard Gui said: Has anyone followed Tara Westover, the former-LDS author of Educated? I don’t if this was discussed here.... https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900013464/q-a-byu-grad-and-educated-author-tara-westover-talks-difference-between-forgiveness-and-reconciliation.html Great. Another fully expected-by-the-world account of Mormon ignorance erased by education? Whoopie! Just guessing? 2
Jeanne Posted July 22, 2018 Posted July 22, 2018 I have heard of her before and was very impressed with this interview here with DN. She seems to be very fair with her thoughts and feelings and it makes her approachable on so many different fronts.
Tacenda Posted July 22, 2018 Posted July 22, 2018 46 minutes ago, Traela said: Her brother is in my ward. He and his family seem to be on reasonably good terms with her. Was this the brother that was abusive towards her? Hope not...here is a Radiowest interview where she describes it.
Bernard Gui Posted July 23, 2018 Author Posted July 23, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, mfbukowski said: Great. Another fully expected-by-the-world account of Mormon ignorance erased by education? Whoopie! Just guessing? Apparently not....she seems to be quite positive about the Church even though she has left. Her family was isolated in the Idaho mountains and practiced some rather extreme survivalism including no medicine and no school. “Educated” refers to her breaking out of that bad situation and becoming a well-educated college graduate....PhD Cambridge. She seems to hold no grudges against the Church, realizing her family was definitely not in the mainstream. I have not read her book, but my daughter Bellalindissima has and says she enjoyed it. Edited July 23, 2018 by Bernard Gui 3
Bernard Gui Posted July 23, 2018 Author Posted July 23, 2018 3 hours ago, rpn said: I really loved the book (though not always what it describes). It was incredible writing. That was my daughter’s reaction too. 1
sunstoned Posted July 23, 2018 Posted July 23, 2018 Read the book and listened to JD interview her on Mormon Stories. Very interesting and inspiring story. 1
Traela Posted July 23, 2018 Posted July 23, 2018 15 hours ago, Tacenda said: Was this the brother that was abusive towards her? Hope not...here is a Radiowest interview where she describes it. No, he's the one who got her into college.
jkwilliams Posted July 23, 2018 Posted July 23, 2018 22 hours ago, mfbukowski said: Great. Another fully expected-by-the-world account of Mormon ignorance erased by education? Whoopie! Just guessing? Hmmm. I heard an interview with her on the radio a few weeks ago, and she was quite positive about the church and BYU, especially a bishop and some professors at BYU who really helped her. Her family is definitely not mainstream LDS, and her story is amazing, that she had enough courage to get her GED and go to college, despite the condemnation of her family, and then get a PhD from Cambridge (IIRC). Anyway, I haven't read the book, but I plan on doing so. 1
bluebell Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) The book is currently traveling around the women in my ward and I'm now in line to get it. Everyone has said really positive stuff about it so I'm excited to read it. Edited July 24, 2018 by bluebell
Tacenda Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 1 hour ago, bluebell said: The book is currently traveling around the women in my ward and I'm not in line to get it. Everyone has said really positive stuff about it so I'm excited to read it. Well get in line bluebell!
bluebell Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 1 hour ago, Tacenda said: Well get in line bluebell! 😆 I meant noW in line....
Kenngo1969 Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 11 hours ago, bluebell said: The book is currently traveling around the women in my ward and I'm now in line to get it. Everyone has said really positive stuff about it so I'm excited to read it. 10 hours ago, Tacenda said: Well get in line bluebell! 9 hours ago, bluebell said: 😆 I meant noW in line.... Auto-complete strikes again?
jkwilliams Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 On 7/22/2018 at 4:31 PM, mfbukowski said: Great. Another fully expected-by-the-world account of Mormon ignorance erased by education? Whoopie! Just guessing? Shame on the Deseret News for giving space to someone like that! 1
Popular Post bluebell Posted July 24, 2018 Popular Post Posted July 24, 2018 On 7/22/2018 at 4:31 PM, mfbukowski said: Great. Another fully expected-by-the-world account of Mormon ignorance erased by education? Whoopie! Just guessing? She says right in the beginning that she rejects any attempt to use her words to speak negatively about mormons. 5
jkwilliams Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 2 minutes ago, bluebell said: She says right in the beginning that she rejects any attempt to use her words to speak negatively about mormons. In the KUER interview, she had very positive things to say about the church, even though she said she wasn't active anymore because she didn't want the kind of life she believes the church envisions for a woman. Her family's Mormonism is not the Mormonism most of us are familiar with, and if anything, it was her time at BYU that helped her sort out a lot of things in her life. I think she's incredibly impressive, having survived abuse and a pretty crazy fundamentalist family to accomplish all she has. 4
bluebell Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 1 minute ago, jkwilliams said: In the KUER interview, she had very positive things to say about the church, even though she said she wasn't active anymore because she didn't want the kind of life she believes the church envisions for a woman. Her family's Mormonism is not the Mormonism most of us are familiar with, and if anything, it was her time at BYU that helped her sort out a lot of things in her life. I think she's incredibly impressive, having survived abuse and a pretty crazy fundamentalist family to accomplish all she has. I just started reading the book last night and her family is crazy! 1
jkwilliams Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 9 minutes ago, bluebell said: I just started reading the book last night and her family is crazy! I can't wait to read it. It's in line after I finish Vanity Fair and Evicted.
mfbukowski Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, bluebell said: She says right in the beginning that she rejects any attempt to use her words to speak negatively about mormons. I appreciate her doing that. The fact of the matter is though it is negative publicity. All people see is Mormons equals abuse and ignorance and polygamy. You get educated and then you leave. I know you can't see that but I was in the world half my life. The way many people see us is on the same level as seeing an image of Christ on a piece of bread. That is the kind of thing we need to overcome. Or as they say in the musical "Mormons just believe." Edited July 24, 2018 by mfbukowski
Tacenda Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) 5 minutes ago, mfbukowski said: I appreciate her doing that. The fact of the matter is though it is negative publicity. All people see is Mormons equals abuse and ignorance and polygamy. You get educated and then you leave. I know you can't see that but I was in the world half my life. The way many people see us is on the same level as seeing an image of Christ on a piece of bread. That is the kind of thing we need to overcome. Tell that to Deseret News. Sometimes I wonder about LDS Living too, wondering if there is a mole or something. Some of their articles, hum. Edited July 24, 2018 by Tacenda
jkwilliams Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) 30 minutes ago, mfbukowski said: I appreciate her doing that. The fact of the matter is though it is negative publicity. All people see is Mormons equals abuse and ignorance and polygamy. You get educated and then you leave. I know you can't see that but I was in the world half my life. The way many people see us is on the same level as seeing an image of Christ on a piece of bread. That is the kind of thing we need to overcome. Or as they say in the musical "Mormons just believe." That certainly isn't the message of her book or the article. She didn't leave because she became educated, and she makes it clear that her family's kind of Mormonism is not mainstream. If she had somehow wanted to escape from Mormonism to get an education, it seems odd that she'd choose BYU. Maybe you ought to read up on her, or at least listen to her interview, as you might find her as inspiring as a lot of people do. Edited July 24, 2018 by jkwilliams 2
ALarson Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 33 minutes ago, mfbukowski said: I appreciate her doing that. The fact of the matter is though it is negative publicity. All people see is Mormons equals abuse and ignorance and polygamy. You get educated and then you leave. I know you can't see that but I was in the world half my life. The way many people see us is on the same level as seeing an image of Christ on a piece of bread. That is the kind of thing we need to overcome. Or as they say in the musical "Mormons just believe." She's telling her story and from what I've read, she's positive towards the church (and makes it clear that her experience wasn't with mainstream Mormonism). Maybe it's best to just read her book if you really want to know what's in it or refrain from criticizing her. That would be the fair thing to do, IMO.
jkwilliams Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, ALarson said: She's telling her story and from what I've read, she's positive towards the church (and makes it clear that her experience wasn't with mainstream Mormonism). Maybe it's best to just read her book if you really want to know what's in it or refrain from criticizing her. That would be the fair thing to do, IMO. I'm reminded of a guy I know (though not well at all) from my mission who was extremely upset with me for publishing my book. He said something like, "Yeah, it's just another one of those books where the mission rules are oppressive and stupid and the leaders were all a bunch of idiots, and you followed your conscience to overcome the stupidity." I said, "You haven't read it, have you?" and he confessed he hadn't. He just assumed it was a diatribe against the church and its missionary program. I had read about Ms. Westover's book in a BBC article, but I didn't know much about her until I heard her interview on the radio one night when I was driving to Provo. I was really impressed with her, and I look forward to reading her book. Her story would be amazing, even if it had no connection at all to Mormonism. Edited July 24, 2018 by jkwilliams 1
Recommended Posts