Mosaic

Please Vote

Derrick Clements — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 01:50:24 +0000

Photo by Derrick Clements. Taken at a local polling place in Provo, Utah on Nov. 8, 2016.

Next week, on Nov. 6, 2018, Americans will have an opportunity to vote to significantly check President Donald Trump’s power by electing Democrats to the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In this episode of Mosaic, an urgent invitation to vote, and a reflection on the last time Americans had the chance to weigh in on who should hold the power in this country.

Subscribe to David Chen’s email newsletter here and read Tayari Jones’ piece, “There’s Nothing Virtuous About Finding Common Ground,” here.

Season One Update

Derrick Clements — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 22:20:23 +0000

Hey there, Derrick here. I just got finished writing out a long list of to-do items, and I wanted to give you an update on where things stand with season one of the podcast.

As I mentioned on Twitter recently (@mosaicpodcast if you want to follow) I recently moved from Houston to New York City, where my partner Katie is working on a graduate degree in social work. Since moving here, I have been spending most of my time chasing down work as a freelance audio producer like our lives depend on it.

Given this new life situation, it has taken some figuring to be able to get back to making new podcast episodes and putting them out into the world.

Well, I’ve come up with a way forward, although either my math is faulty, or I may be my own victim of a pyramid scheme, because this new plan actually involves getting more episodes out than I originally planned when I started. But I’m excited about this new plan, and I think it’s going to work.

The initial idea of Mosaic was that each episode would be a mashup of several different stories. Then, after the first season wrapped, I would take a long break before hopefully being able to release a season two.

Going forward, I’m going to introduce shorter episodes. Sometimes shows will contain multiple segments, like before, but other times an episode may have just one story. This will mean I’m going to sort of abandon the idea of a long break between seasons. Even the idea of seasons itself will become less meaningful with this change. When a story is finished, you’ll hear it.

As long as I’m able to find enough work to support myself while I work on new episodes, I’m hoping there won’t be too many long stretches without new stories in the feed.

So Derrick, are you saying that the episodes will be more frequent and shorter? Wait, both of those things sound like improvements!

The reality is, Mosaic has already evolved quite a bit from the original idea I started with. It’s kind of funny — the season one trailer that I released just a few months ago has ended up bearing very little resemblance to what the podcast has shaped up to be so far. I was originally going to draw mostly from my archive of stories and interviews I’ve done over the past decade, and not a lot of original reporting.

But then I learned about McKenna Denson’s story, and I felt a strong pull to cover #MormonMeToo with the depth and complexity that is possible in an audio documentary format. So my plans had to change early on, and original reporting had to be done in that case.

Whatever comes through the Mosaic episode feed, whether old or new, will be delivered with all my care and love, and I am grateful to anyone who listens.

Oh, and about those teased things…

Also. I teased two things in the last episode. First, I mentioned that Part 3 of the #MormonMeToo series would broaden out the subject matter from what I had covered so far. Second, I mentioned that before that would be released, I had another thing I couldn’t wait to release first.

So, two updates.

That “other thing” is still coming. And it’s really special. I’m not quite done with it yet. In fact, I’m planning on releasing something else before it because it is more time-sensitive. But you should expect this special episode soon, like some time between the next two major holidays.

As for Part 3 of #MormonMeToo, given the new structure of the show, I’m rethinking the best ways to present the material I have gathered on the subject, as well as other reporting that I hope to be able to do in the future.

You may have heard the voice of Sam Young in that tease of Part 3 — well, he’s had a whole epic story of his own since the episode was released, including his excommunication from the LDS Church. Oh, and it’s not called the LDS Church anymore. Anyway a lot has changed, and I want to make sure whatever I release to this feed has had the care and thoughtfulness it needs to really tell the story right.

So while “Part 3” may or may not happen, the material is still coming, along with a lot of other stories I’m excited about.

But in the meanwhile, others are covering #MormonMeToo with a ton of depth that I strongly recommend you check out. Gina Colvin has had some incredible interviews on her podcast A Thoughtful Faith, the group Unrighteous Dominion has shared many news stories and personal stories that are worth reading, and Lee Hale at KUER has had a number of worthwhile radio pieces to come out on the subject as well.

Oh, and if you aren’t yet listening to Joanna Brooks’ new podcast American Beauty, you absolutely must. It’s brilliant, essential listening for our historical moment.

I’m a Patreon subscriber. Where are my rewards?

For those who have contributed on Patreon or in any other way — thank you! You literally make it possible for me to make this show. And you have rewards coming. I said I would get to them after season one, and now that I’ve low-key blown up the idea of distinct seasons, is that a clever way of getting out of getting you what’s yours?

No! Your rewards will come very soon. In the meantime, if you haven’t become a Patreon subscriber, please consider supporting the show with a one-time donation or with a Patreon subscription.

TL/DR?

More episodes are coming soon, including shorter ones, and in a slightly different order than originally planned. No more long break planned after season one. Thank you to all who listen to Mosaic!

By the way, if you want to hire me for your audio producing, engineering or editing needs, please get in touch!

Talk to you soon,

Derrick

#MormonMeToo Part 2: The Church Responds

Derrick Clements — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 14:49:17 +0000

Photo by Derrick Clements.

In the previous episode of this series, McKenna Denson shared her experience recording a conversation with her former Missionary Training Center president, Joseph Bishop, in which he can be heard admitting to sexual misconduct with multiple women while he was a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On the recording, she confronts him with the allegation that he raped her while she was a Mormon missionary in 1984, an allegation he denies.

In this part of the series, the spiritual dimension of this story begins to untangle.

How has the church responded to emerging facts — both “the church” as a collection of individual believers, as well as the corporate institution based in Salt Lake City?

On today’s episode:

“‘This Former Church Member’” (0:00-34:47) — McKenna Denson tells her story of conversion to the LDS church and how her faith changed after the MTC. Plus, Lindsay Hansen Park offers analysis of the LDS church’s institutional response to her story. What does this response suggest about the institution’s own competing priorities?

“Paradigm Shifts” (34:47-56:35) — How have Mormons reacted to details of McKenna’s story in their private experiences of faith? Nicole Jensen explains how the story has triggered some Mormon paradigms to shift, like coming to see the LDS church as a corporation, or reevaluating church authority. How, in particular, are other Mormon survivors of abuse processing the news?

“Belief Unto Repentance” (56:35-1:08:22) — A call to repentance. Featuring excerpts from a 2002 talk by former LDS general Relief Society leader Chieko Okazaki.

#MormonMeToo Part 1: The First Law of Heaven

Derrick Clements — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 04:43:01 +0000

McKenna Denson (left) is pictured at the Provo Missionary Training Center in 1984. Image courtesy of Jessica Lowder, with permission by McKenna Denson.

While McKenna Denson was was training as a Mormon missionary in the MTC in Provo, Utah in 1984, she says the MTC president, Joseph Bishop, raped her in a basement room.

Last year, she confronted Bishop in person and recorded their conversation, where he can be heard admitting to sexual misconduct with multiple women throughout his time as a high-ranking church leader.

Bishop denies the rape allegation, but a Brigham Young University police report shows that he told officers that while he served as president of the MTC, he asked a young sister missionary to expose her breasts to him in a basement room.

On this episode of Mosaic, the #MeToo movement comes to Mormonism.

In this first entry in a special series on #MormonMeToo, we’ll look at how the Mormon concept of obedience helps shed light on this complex, difficult story.

On today’s episode:

“Do You Know Who I Am?” (00:00-28:40) — A sister missionary confronts her MTC president on tape, she obtains a confession, and the tape gets out.

“In Her Words” (28:40-54:43) — McKenna Denson describes her decision to confront Joseph Bishop and what she experienced during the meeting.

“Dossier” (54:43-01:29:37) — We meet Denson’s biological daughter Jessica Lowder, who was brought into this story after she was named on a dossier compiled by a lawyer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an apparent attempt to undermine Denson’s credibility.

Preview: #MormonMeToo

Derrick Clements — Thu, 17 May 2018 08:39:50 +0000

Courtesy of Mormon Newsroom

The next episode of Mosaic will cover how the #MeToo movement has reached Mormonism.

McKenna Denson will join the podcast to discuss her recorded conversation with Joseph Bishop in which he admitted to sexual misconduct with multiple women. Denson has accused Bishop of raping her at the Missionary Training Center while she was a missionary and he was the MTC president.

The story will also feature Jessica Lowder, Sam Young, Lindsay Hansen Park, Gina Colvin and others in a multi-episode series.

Look for the first episode in the series to drop starting on May 23.

UPDATE (May 25): Still hard at work producing the first episode of this series. It’s a complex story with a lot of pieces. Need just a little more time!

Mormons + Disney = ❤️

Derrick Clements — Fri, 11 May 2018 07:58:09 +0000

The influence of the Walt Disney company on Mormonism is real — and the reverse is also true, with Mormons having played significant roles at the company going back to its very beginning.

What is it about Disney culture that makes it so compatible with Mormon culture? Or is it the other way around? And is that a golden Moroni on top of Cinderella’s castle?

Turns out, taking a close look at the relationship between Disney and Mormonism offers an opportunity to understand each one in deeper ways.

On today’s episode:

“Make Way for BYU” (00:00-39:55) — A parody song goes viral in this story by Derrick Clements in which the relationship between the Walt Disney company and Mormonism is interrogated.

“The Heart of the Mother” (39:55-01:23:30) — A conversation with Rachel Hunt Steenblik on her poems about Heavenly Mother, including one poem inspired by “Moana.” Why has the topic of the divine feminine been a controversial one in Mormon culture? And what might its recent resurgence have to do with contemporary political concerns?

“Live From Orlando” (01:23:30-01:30:14) — A performance by America’s Choir, live from the happiest place on earth.

Identity Mosaic

Derrick Clements — Wed, 02 May 2018 23:12:59 +0000

The formation and maintenance of a personal identity can involve a lot of difficult inner work — and even the most rigorously defined ones can be messy, contradictory and full of holes. And when personal identity comes into contact with the identity of a community, the resulting friction can pressure one side or the other to evolve — or break.

On today’s episode of Mosaic, we’ll hear three stories about personal identity interacting with community identity and belonging.

On today’s episode:

“A Young Mormon’s Inner Struggle of Self-Identification” (00:00-30:55) — An audio essay by Derrick Clements that describes how a person’s religious identity can feel conspicuous when placed in a new context. What are the limitations of trying to make one’s inner identity seen and understood by others?

“Interfaith Life and Spiritual Ecosystem” (30:55-01:21:30) — A conversation with Gina Colvin about the story of her Kiwi, Mauri, Mormon, Anglican identity, including recent developments and changes.

“All Remains Stable” (01:21:30-1:31:46) — A new song by Officer Jenny/Stephen Cope that expresses the pressures of artistic identity through contemplative lyrics and music.