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From Housewife to Heretic: One woman's spiritual awakening and her excommunication from the Mormon church
A Mormon woman recounts how she was excommunicated from her church because of her support of the Equal Rights Amendment.
415 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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October 9, 2011
Forgive the length of this review; I have a lot to say about “Feminism.” I started reading classic feminist literature in my teens (Susan Fauldi, Germaine Greer, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, Betty Friedan, Naomi Wolf, Gloria Steinem, Simone De Beauvoir, Kate Chopin, Henrik Ibsen, Virginia Woolf, etc.). As an undergraduate, I minored in history and took several courses in women’s studies with particular emphasis in slavery, suffrage, and the women’s movement. I also took sociology/world history courses about women’s experiences in places like the Middle East, Africa and China. As a graduate student in educational/counseling psychology, I took courses on development, diversity and minority experience. I have directly benefitted from the contributions to change that women have pushed for over the course of history. I was raised by an educated, single, career-driven mother and also single, artist grandmother. This upbringing has had its challenges, but has also proven to be invaluable as I make my way in the world. I consider myself a feminist. As such, I have applied feminism to my life as I have sought my own fulfillment as a human being (education, politics, career, the arts, motherhood) rather than relying on my husband to provide it for me. In addition, with my knowledge of feminism, my open-minded husband and I have set up a richly satisfying egalitarian marriage/parenting practices.
By all above accounts, it would seem that I have a very reasonable understanding of women/gender roles/culture. False assumption. I was completely unprepared with the magnitude to which the truth of women’s experiences in religious patriarchal cultures would hit me. It just goes to show, things are fuzzier when you are in the midst of them, specifically, Mormonism. For me, Sonia Johnson’s memoir “From Housewife to Heretic” was a game changer. Although it was written in the late 1970s, the content is still very current. Minimal change has occurred in the LDS Church in decades and nothing has needed to change because the church wielded its political/financial strength and defeated the Equal Rights Amendment(Much like it has recently defeated Proposition 8).The Church will cling to its power and patriarchy at any cost. Johnson sheds much needed light on common practices and dogma in the Church that have lasting consequences for both sexes and the culture as a whole.
Several of the consequences are:
“Patriarchy.” In the Mormon Church, patriarchy is sacred; it is held to be the principle of organization by which a male God created and governs the world through other males like himself. It is the masculine glue that holds the world together. Members of the Church are taught this all our lives, and have it reinforced one hundredfold in the temple, the most sacred Mormon structure in which the divinity of maleness—is the basic message.
“Priesthood.“ Women are able to have babies, men should have the priesthood=everything else=power=privilege. Women are more spiritual and righteous than men; therefore, men need to have the priesthood to teach the men to be better persons. Women don’t need to hold the priesthood when they have men to act for God on their behalf. Men are women’s link to heaven above even their own personal inspiration. When did God begin being withholding of people for being more righteous? When it served men’s interests.
“The Pedestal.” (Patriarchal Reversal.) As the rhetoric about women in a patriarchal institution or society ascends—the oppression descends. As rhetoric becomes more elevated, more exalted- (women are superior and have never had it so good!) -reality sets in where women actually experience their lives. The language is a deliberate attempt to distract women from what is really happening to them in their lives. The rhetoric manipulates our perceptions so we will believe what it benefits men to have women believe. Men are the authorities and women have never had it so good because men say so.
“God-ordained Roles” are divisive to women who stay home and those who work. Role theory has systematically subjugated women. It places too much burden on men for sole breadwinning and too much pressure on women to find all they need to at home with children. It perpetuates high levels of intolerance and are also extremely destructive the psyches of those with genetic same sex attraction. If these roles are so sacred and important to keep, where is “Mother in Heaven” and why are we deluded in to thinking that she is too precious and sacred to even acknowledge? Doesn’t she deserve to have a say in the parenting with more than half the world’s population is female?
“In Authority.” The mandate for relying almost exclusively on priesthood leaders for spiritual direction provides too much control for leaders over our lives. It is a form of spiritual oppression when we are too dependent upon them for “word from God.”
“Institution.” The institution is far more valuable than any of its members who sacrifice their whole lives for it. Politics that are threatening to the institution of the Church are grounds for excommunication and dismissal. Apparently, the idea of equality is grounds for dismissal in the Mormon Church. The patriarchy is so “sacred” that it will use any method necessary to keep it in tact. Lying, intimidation, secrecy, and coercion are all free game for “Men of God”/ “good ‘ole boys club” to use. (The methods used to excommunicate Ms. Johnson were pretty horrifying.)
Bottom Line: This book was written years before the enacting of the “Proclamation of the Family” and gender roles were not yet considered doctrinal. In recent years (post women’s movement and in the midst of gay rights) gender roles have become doctrinal and even more dogmatic for the Church and the New Right. There are good men in the Church who believe in priesthood and try to act kindly and honorably, I don’t dispute that a belief in priesthood can guide and inspire them to be better people. Nor do I dispute that women do so much good when they are home with their children. I do however, take issue with the assumption that having babies being is the same league as being able to act for and in the name of God. To me, perpetuating that assumption as “from God” and basing an entire system on that principle feels blatantly wrong and unequal to human beings. I believe in an equal distribution of both “male” and “female” roles in all aspects in order to fully experience humanity.
As a memoir, “Heretic” is a little long and flowery, but the content is vital. Overall, highly recommend and worth seeking an out of print copy.
“I still thought I could be a good Mormon and a good feminist at the same time. It is an impossible combination. Either one is true to oneself as a woman and to other women out of direct experience of being female, or one is loyal to patriarchy’s idea of what a woman is, which comes out of men’s direct experience of being male and benefiting from the devotion and unpaid labor of women. But women cannot serve two masters at once who are urgently beaming antithetical orders, many women try to do just that—compromising, adjusting, rationalizing, excusing and apologizing for the men and the men’s system. It is psychologically unhealthful and in the long run spiritually disastrous for both sexes. Either we believe in patriarchy—the rule of men over women—or we believe in equality. We cannot believe in both at once. Neither can we with impunity choose not to choose which one we believe in. To remain in indecision erodes great chunks of our identity, along with great chunks of our integrity.”-Sonia Johnson
By all above accounts, it would seem that I have a very reasonable understanding of women/gender roles/culture. False assumption. I was completely unprepared with the magnitude to which the truth of women’s experiences in religious patriarchal cultures would hit me. It just goes to show, things are fuzzier when you are in the midst of them, specifically, Mormonism. For me, Sonia Johnson’s memoir “From Housewife to Heretic” was a game changer. Although it was written in the late 1970s, the content is still very current. Minimal change has occurred in the LDS Church in decades and nothing has needed to change because the church wielded its political/financial strength and defeated the Equal Rights Amendment(Much like it has recently defeated Proposition 8).The Church will cling to its power and patriarchy at any cost. Johnson sheds much needed light on common practices and dogma in the Church that have lasting consequences for both sexes and the culture as a whole.
Several of the consequences are:
“Patriarchy.” In the Mormon Church, patriarchy is sacred; it is held to be the principle of organization by which a male God created and governs the world through other males like himself. It is the masculine glue that holds the world together. Members of the Church are taught this all our lives, and have it reinforced one hundredfold in the temple, the most sacred Mormon structure in which the divinity of maleness—is the basic message.
“Priesthood.“ Women are able to have babies, men should have the priesthood=everything else=power=privilege. Women are more spiritual and righteous than men; therefore, men need to have the priesthood to teach the men to be better persons. Women don’t need to hold the priesthood when they have men to act for God on their behalf. Men are women’s link to heaven above even their own personal inspiration. When did God begin being withholding of people for being more righteous? When it served men’s interests.
“The Pedestal.” (Patriarchal Reversal.) As the rhetoric about women in a patriarchal institution or society ascends—the oppression descends. As rhetoric becomes more elevated, more exalted- (women are superior and have never had it so good!) -reality sets in where women actually experience their lives. The language is a deliberate attempt to distract women from what is really happening to them in their lives. The rhetoric manipulates our perceptions so we will believe what it benefits men to have women believe. Men are the authorities and women have never had it so good because men say so.
“God-ordained Roles” are divisive to women who stay home and those who work. Role theory has systematically subjugated women. It places too much burden on men for sole breadwinning and too much pressure on women to find all they need to at home with children. It perpetuates high levels of intolerance and are also extremely destructive the psyches of those with genetic same sex attraction. If these roles are so sacred and important to keep, where is “Mother in Heaven” and why are we deluded in to thinking that she is too precious and sacred to even acknowledge? Doesn’t she deserve to have a say in the parenting with more than half the world’s population is female?
“In Authority.” The mandate for relying almost exclusively on priesthood leaders for spiritual direction provides too much control for leaders over our lives. It is a form of spiritual oppression when we are too dependent upon them for “word from God.”
“Institution.” The institution is far more valuable than any of its members who sacrifice their whole lives for it. Politics that are threatening to the institution of the Church are grounds for excommunication and dismissal. Apparently, the idea of equality is grounds for dismissal in the Mormon Church. The patriarchy is so “sacred” that it will use any method necessary to keep it in tact. Lying, intimidation, secrecy, and coercion are all free game for “Men of God”/ “good ‘ole boys club” to use. (The methods used to excommunicate Ms. Johnson were pretty horrifying.)
Bottom Line: This book was written years before the enacting of the “Proclamation of the Family” and gender roles were not yet considered doctrinal. In recent years (post women’s movement and in the midst of gay rights) gender roles have become doctrinal and even more dogmatic for the Church and the New Right. There are good men in the Church who believe in priesthood and try to act kindly and honorably, I don’t dispute that a belief in priesthood can guide and inspire them to be better people. Nor do I dispute that women do so much good when they are home with their children. I do however, take issue with the assumption that having babies being is the same league as being able to act for and in the name of God. To me, perpetuating that assumption as “from God” and basing an entire system on that principle feels blatantly wrong and unequal to human beings. I believe in an equal distribution of both “male” and “female” roles in all aspects in order to fully experience humanity.
As a memoir, “Heretic” is a little long and flowery, but the content is vital. Overall, highly recommend and worth seeking an out of print copy.
“I still thought I could be a good Mormon and a good feminist at the same time. It is an impossible combination. Either one is true to oneself as a woman and to other women out of direct experience of being female, or one is loyal to patriarchy’s idea of what a woman is, which comes out of men’s direct experience of being male and benefiting from the devotion and unpaid labor of women. But women cannot serve two masters at once who are urgently beaming antithetical orders, many women try to do just that—compromising, adjusting, rationalizing, excusing and apologizing for the men and the men’s system. It is psychologically unhealthful and in the long run spiritually disastrous for both sexes. Either we believe in patriarchy—the rule of men over women—or we believe in equality. We cannot believe in both at once. Neither can we with impunity choose not to choose which one we believe in. To remain in indecision erodes great chunks of our identity, along with great chunks of our integrity.”-Sonia Johnson
March 6, 2012
I think this is an important book for every Mormon feminist to read. (Actually I wish every Mormon would read it; we'd get some more feminists if they did.) It is both inspiring and infuriating. It was often unpleasant to read what Sonia Johnson went through. I wanted to scream at the absurdity of what she experienced. I also felt sad to realize once again that my Church has been the cause of so much suffering. And even more sad to read this book 30 years later and realize how little has changed for women. Still no ERA after so many worked so hard for so long. I think its really important to read the stories of the women who have come before us. It is important to see how their struggles are still our struggles.
May 19, 2012
This book is out of print, which is a tragedy in and of itself. No copies at any of the independent book stores (what?). No copies at any of the libraries in the entire Salt Lake City system (you have got to be joking) and so I went online and ordered it from a more ethical version of Amazon.com. Now I want to stock every library and bookstore in the state with a copy.
Why did I not read this book 15 years ago? It would have opened my eyes as to why I always felt "less than", why I felt that I needed to be married to be whole, why I did not value education for myself, why I felt uncomfortable with the norms that I had grown up with, why certain females in my church who I admired made me feel inadequate for wanting more for myself.
I probably did not read it because it would have been seen as being an anti-mormon book...though to me it was faith promoting.
Sonia Johnson showed me that if she could survive her journey, I could survive mine. She showed me the strength that lies within us and the rights that I should never be ashamed to expect and demand from my society and my church. I add Sonia Johnson to my personal list of heros who has stood on the side of right, even when it is not popular. I did not know that I was a real feminist, but it appears that I absolutely am because I think that I am absolutely equal to men in my right to have afforded to me all the liberties, freedoms and benefits that they do as citizens of this country.
For my daughter I am a feminist and I have Sonia Johnson to thank for that. I don't think that you can read this book as a male or female, and not be moved to the cause of equality for people on this earth.
Why did I not read this book 15 years ago? It would have opened my eyes as to why I always felt "less than", why I felt that I needed to be married to be whole, why I did not value education for myself, why I felt uncomfortable with the norms that I had grown up with, why certain females in my church who I admired made me feel inadequate for wanting more for myself.
I probably did not read it because it would have been seen as being an anti-mormon book...though to me it was faith promoting.
Sonia Johnson showed me that if she could survive her journey, I could survive mine. She showed me the strength that lies within us and the rights that I should never be ashamed to expect and demand from my society and my church. I add Sonia Johnson to my personal list of heros who has stood on the side of right, even when it is not popular. I did not know that I was a real feminist, but it appears that I absolutely am because I think that I am absolutely equal to men in my right to have afforded to me all the liberties, freedoms and benefits that they do as citizens of this country.
For my daughter I am a feminist and I have Sonia Johnson to thank for that. I don't think that you can read this book as a male or female, and not be moved to the cause of equality for people on this earth.
September 6, 2015
I knew Sonia long before she became a prominent women's advocate. It was 1973 and my wife and I were attending the English-speaking congregation of the LDS Church in Seoul, Korea where Sonia and Richard and their children also attended. I was in the Army, while Richard was in Korea on a sabbatical from his work, doing research of some kind -- or so he told me. Sonia was serving as Relief Society President -- the leader of the local Church women's organization.
My first contact with her was when my wife came to me on our first Sunday there, immediately after Relief Society meeting, telling me what a gifted president they had -- a PhD in English and learned on many subjects. My wife's initial positive image of Sonia changed dramatically over the next few months as she heard Sonia become increasingly critical of the Church -- yet claiming absolute loyalty. I shared my wife's concern, because when I spoke with her she displayed a distinct air of superiority on virtually any subject she discussed. She criticized aspects of the Temples of the Church, and made it clear that her wisdom was far above that of the Church leadership.
Other women in the congregation beside my wife were also concerned with her egotism. I wondered how long it would be before her arrogance caused open conflict within the congregation. Shortly after she was released from her calling without fanfare and not long after that Richard and Sonia and their children moved out of the area. My wife and I wondered for some time what became of them, and we were shocked a few years later to learn that she had become openly defiant in the American press against LDS Church leadership. Like Sonia, my wife had initially supported the ERA, but unlike Sonia, my wife ultimately considered it a "Pandora's box" that would unleash many negative consequences on American society. She chose to support the LDS Church leadership in opposing the ERA -- not because she wanted to see women suppressed or oppressed, but because she and they considered it bad legislation that would lead to the removal of vital protections for women
My wife and I had always admired the many LDS women we had met who were gifted with great intellect as well as humility; Sonia had the former, but we had never seen the latter quality in her. Despite Sonia's arguments to the contrary, in my 50 years since becoming a convert to the Church I have seen that Church leadership at all levels teaches the equality of men and women, as well as distinctness in their primary God-given responsibilities; that in the home they are equal partners, and no husband is living by Church precepts who dominates or rules over his wife. Mormon "Patriarchy" as Sonia describes it is largely a myth -- except among Mormons-in-name-only, who do not understand or practice actual LDS doctrine. Since the earliest days of the LDS Church higher education has been encouraged among LDS women, and has never been an impediment to their service in the Church; ironically, the Relief Society in our current LDS congregation in Alabama holds a Ph.D. in English, but is also one of the most compassionate and humble people we have ever met. Emma Smith, wife of the first president of the LDS Church was well educated for her day and an outspoken advocate of women's rights and opportunities, with her husband's full support; she served as the first General Relief Society President of the Church, and her service is admired by all LDS women I have met who know her story.
My wife and I have no rancor toward Sonia Johnson; we simply regret deeply that she chose a path so at odds with the values she claimed to espouse earlier in her life, that she has distorted and misrepresented LDS teachings, and has alienated herself from many family members and former friends.
If she is a martyr, as she would portray herself in her writings and speeches, she is apparently a self-made one.
My first contact with her was when my wife came to me on our first Sunday there, immediately after Relief Society meeting, telling me what a gifted president they had -- a PhD in English and learned on many subjects. My wife's initial positive image of Sonia changed dramatically over the next few months as she heard Sonia become increasingly critical of the Church -- yet claiming absolute loyalty. I shared my wife's concern, because when I spoke with her she displayed a distinct air of superiority on virtually any subject she discussed. She criticized aspects of the Temples of the Church, and made it clear that her wisdom was far above that of the Church leadership.
Other women in the congregation beside my wife were also concerned with her egotism. I wondered how long it would be before her arrogance caused open conflict within the congregation. Shortly after she was released from her calling without fanfare and not long after that Richard and Sonia and their children moved out of the area. My wife and I wondered for some time what became of them, and we were shocked a few years later to learn that she had become openly defiant in the American press against LDS Church leadership. Like Sonia, my wife had initially supported the ERA, but unlike Sonia, my wife ultimately considered it a "Pandora's box" that would unleash many negative consequences on American society. She chose to support the LDS Church leadership in opposing the ERA -- not because she wanted to see women suppressed or oppressed, but because she and they considered it bad legislation that would lead to the removal of vital protections for women
My wife and I had always admired the many LDS women we had met who were gifted with great intellect as well as humility; Sonia had the former, but we had never seen the latter quality in her. Despite Sonia's arguments to the contrary, in my 50 years since becoming a convert to the Church I have seen that Church leadership at all levels teaches the equality of men and women, as well as distinctness in their primary God-given responsibilities; that in the home they are equal partners, and no husband is living by Church precepts who dominates or rules over his wife. Mormon "Patriarchy" as Sonia describes it is largely a myth -- except among Mormons-in-name-only, who do not understand or practice actual LDS doctrine. Since the earliest days of the LDS Church higher education has been encouraged among LDS women, and has never been an impediment to their service in the Church; ironically, the Relief Society in our current LDS congregation in Alabama holds a Ph.D. in English, but is also one of the most compassionate and humble people we have ever met. Emma Smith, wife of the first president of the LDS Church was well educated for her day and an outspoken advocate of women's rights and opportunities, with her husband's full support; she served as the first General Relief Society President of the Church, and her service is admired by all LDS women I have met who know her story.
My wife and I have no rancor toward Sonia Johnson; we simply regret deeply that she chose a path so at odds with the values she claimed to espouse earlier in her life, that she has distorted and misrepresented LDS teachings, and has alienated herself from many family members and former friends.
If she is a martyr, as she would portray herself in her writings and speeches, she is apparently a self-made one.
August 26, 2013
I don't even know how to go about rating this book. 1) I was totally gripped -- from start to finish. I felt like I was finally getting actual information on Mormon history that has been pretty hushed for my generation. And boy, was there plenty to tell. That was some dirty, dirty business. 2) I questioned her, doubted her, and trusted her all at the same time. Who knows if she's a complete nut-job or a full-on prophetess, but I love that she had the lady-balls to tell her side of the story at all. I wish I could read Gordon B. Hinckley's take on the exact same thing. Alas, none of the brethren felt compelled to actually speak on this subject except to ex- her. Patriarchy at its finest?
Yes, she has her moments of being a bitter, over-the-top feminist, but seeing as she wrote it a year after her excommunication, I chose to cut her some slack.
I had to order this book from Amazon, as it is out of print. To my surprise, the antiquated copy I got came signed by Sonia herself. Mormon Feminist GOLD!
Yes, she has her moments of being a bitter, over-the-top feminist, but seeing as she wrote it a year after her excommunication, I chose to cut her some slack.
I had to order this book from Amazon, as it is out of print. To my surprise, the antiquated copy I got came signed by Sonia herself. Mormon Feminist GOLD!
September 13, 2014
Even though it wasn't my favorite book, I do think her experience is one that very Mormon should learn about. I was excited to get some insight from one of the pioneers of Mormon feminism. I had just watched another high profile Mormon feminist, Kate Kelly, be excommunicated by the church. The parallels are all over the place. It was fascinating.
I struggled with her writing style. I felt like it could have used a few more rounds of editing, and that it could have easily been 100 pages shorter. She used footnotes to explain some background that often would have made sense woven into the story. The story was gripping, but sometimes you would go most of the chapter without advancing the narrative at all.
I struggled with her writing style. I felt like it could have used a few more rounds of editing, and that it could have easily been 100 pages shorter. She used footnotes to explain some background that often would have made sense woven into the story. The story was gripping, but sometimes you would go most of the chapter without advancing the narrative at all.
September 22, 2014
This book is amazing. I can't believe it's out of print - I'd think it would be a classic women's studies department text. There are really three books woven in together as one. Ignore the inflammatory title; this is a serious work.
The first is the documentation of the time around the ERA from the point of view of someone who started out very small town America and became galvanized. It is an important history book that notes the events and often some behind-closed-doors events around the voting and ratification.
The second thread is feminist polemic for women who came of age in the 50s and lived in through the 70s. It is a well-written, timeless essay of women's rights, easily equal to The Second Sex.
The third book that is in here just peeks out from the other two narratives, but potentially the most interesting - it is the author's personal narrative of what happened to her internally and externally. She realized her own internalized denigration of women. It is fascinating to see her internal mind and how thoroughly she had internalized the attitudes. She actually had her husband come home with divorce papers and ask her to sign them as "phony divorce papers" - of course two days later he announces that, yep, he has another woman and really does want a divorce.
The thing that was most interesting to me is how absolutely unaware she was at the start (and she is clearly a bright and insightful person). She married because this man was slightly less objectionable than many who were truly objectionable. This part of the narrative is colored by her youth, and her part in the whole sordid affair seems murky to her, and more so to the reader.
Also, the idea of being cut off from your community of origin - I wish we had seen more of the feeling of that for her and what that meant, how catastrophic it must have been. But again, only hints of this in the context of the greater story.
Johnson went on to run for president (probably would have been a better candidate than Walter Mondale) and do well for an alternative party candidate. I've tried to search for what she has done since and is doing now, and unfortunately there's not a lot of information. It seems that she may have been in New Mexico running a B&B in an area near where I traveled, and if so, I'm sorry I didn't know and stop.
This book seems even more relevant in the context of recent Proposition 8 in California. It would have been great had it included her original speeches as appendices.
It seems her life may have taken a strange turn, and she may have ended up so deeply wounded that she never recovered (women's alternative commune etc). I hope she has found some peace and was able to grow beyond her terrible injustice and abuse at the hands of so many. She seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. I wish her well.
Reading this book also made me so incredibly grateful to the women of her era - those who grew up through probably the worst time to be a woman in the last 300 years, on whose backs my life is so much better, and not to have been born in the worst of these anti-woman cultures as she was. This book should be much more widely read in American Studies and Women's Studies departments.
The first is the documentation of the time around the ERA from the point of view of someone who started out very small town America and became galvanized. It is an important history book that notes the events and often some behind-closed-doors events around the voting and ratification.
The second thread is feminist polemic for women who came of age in the 50s and lived in through the 70s. It is a well-written, timeless essay of women's rights, easily equal to The Second Sex.
The third book that is in here just peeks out from the other two narratives, but potentially the most interesting - it is the author's personal narrative of what happened to her internally and externally. She realized her own internalized denigration of women. It is fascinating to see her internal mind and how thoroughly she had internalized the attitudes. She actually had her husband come home with divorce papers and ask her to sign them as "phony divorce papers" - of course two days later he announces that, yep, he has another woman and really does want a divorce.
The thing that was most interesting to me is how absolutely unaware she was at the start (and she is clearly a bright and insightful person). She married because this man was slightly less objectionable than many who were truly objectionable. This part of the narrative is colored by her youth, and her part in the whole sordid affair seems murky to her, and more so to the reader.
Also, the idea of being cut off from your community of origin - I wish we had seen more of the feeling of that for her and what that meant, how catastrophic it must have been. But again, only hints of this in the context of the greater story.
Johnson went on to run for president (probably would have been a better candidate than Walter Mondale) and do well for an alternative party candidate. I've tried to search for what she has done since and is doing now, and unfortunately there's not a lot of information. It seems that she may have been in New Mexico running a B&B in an area near where I traveled, and if so, I'm sorry I didn't know and stop.
This book seems even more relevant in the context of recent Proposition 8 in California. It would have been great had it included her original speeches as appendices.
It seems her life may have taken a strange turn, and she may have ended up so deeply wounded that she never recovered (women's alternative commune etc). I hope she has found some peace and was able to grow beyond her terrible injustice and abuse at the hands of so many. She seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. I wish her well.
Reading this book also made me so incredibly grateful to the women of her era - those who grew up through probably the worst time to be a woman in the last 300 years, on whose backs my life is so much better, and not to have been born in the worst of these anti-woman cultures as she was. This book should be much more widely read in American Studies and Women's Studies departments.
August 23, 2009
A fascinating look at the 1970's battle to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the extensive effort by LDS Church went to block it. It was eerily reminiscent of last year's election season when the LDS church once again threw it's massive monetary and man-power against the Same Sex Marriage props on various ballots. Except, to my knowledge, no one was excommunicated over the SSM fight. It was intriguing, depressing, and enraging to read this first-hand account by Sonia about her feminist awakening, her involvement in the fight to get the ERA ratified, and her excommunication from the Church because of it.
Sonia detailed very well all of the problematic issues of patriarchy, specifically is it plays out in the LDS church.
She tended to use too wide a brush for my tastes in painting out the stereotypes; the male church leader, the faithful church lady, the husband/father, the wife/mother, etc etc etc... All based on real situations, but she tended to lump everyone together without much nuance in a way that was off-putting for me.
And she tended to jump back and forth on the time-line quite a bit in a way that was semi-disorienting.
Plus the last few chapters were difficult to slog through; redundant and giving the appearance of trying to wrap things up but instead just going on and on and on.
However, this book made a great jumping off point for our book club discussion. :)
Sonia detailed very well all of the problematic issues of patriarchy, specifically is it plays out in the LDS church.
She tended to use too wide a brush for my tastes in painting out the stereotypes; the male church leader, the faithful church lady, the husband/father, the wife/mother, etc etc etc... All based on real situations, but she tended to lump everyone together without much nuance in a way that was off-putting for me.
And she tended to jump back and forth on the time-line quite a bit in a way that was semi-disorienting.
Plus the last few chapters were difficult to slog through; redundant and giving the appearance of trying to wrap things up but instead just going on and on and on.
However, this book made a great jumping off point for our book club discussion. :)
October 1, 2023
The inside cover of my copy has this note:
“10/31/83
To Marian—
Best o’luck in the good fight for Human Rights for *Everyone* -
Jenny Holzinger”
40 years on and it’s a shame that fight is still ongoing. I love that I’m picking up the torch from these women who have gone on before (and the book was a Halloween gift?! Amazing.), but damn it was hard to read this book and see so much of the same rhetoric being used as I grew up hearing. It’s enormously disheartening. I had to read this one in fits and starts.
From an editorial standpoint, Johnson’s narrative does show its age a bit in how she sees (or doesn’t see at all) the connections between feminism and racism/homophobia, but this *was* 40 years ago, so I’m inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt (not least of which because of her own later interactions with the queer community. It’s enormously hard to shake that Mormon upbringing when it comes to internalized racism/misogyny/homophobia.) I’d also say that the narrative itself can be a bit muddy to follow. Johnson goes on lots of philosophical tangents which are engaging and interesting, but make it a bit hard to place yourself in the timeline of events.
Still—the kind of book that’s going to stick with me for a long time. I’m only just at the beginning of uncovering the silenced voices of the many Mormon women who have gone before me, and this was a potent place to start.
“10/31/83
To Marian—
Best o’luck in the good fight for Human Rights for *Everyone* -
Jenny Holzinger”
40 years on and it’s a shame that fight is still ongoing. I love that I’m picking up the torch from these women who have gone on before (and the book was a Halloween gift?! Amazing.), but damn it was hard to read this book and see so much of the same rhetoric being used as I grew up hearing. It’s enormously disheartening. I had to read this one in fits and starts.
From an editorial standpoint, Johnson’s narrative does show its age a bit in how she sees (or doesn’t see at all) the connections between feminism and racism/homophobia, but this *was* 40 years ago, so I’m inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt (not least of which because of her own later interactions with the queer community. It’s enormously hard to shake that Mormon upbringing when it comes to internalized racism/misogyny/homophobia.) I’d also say that the narrative itself can be a bit muddy to follow. Johnson goes on lots of philosophical tangents which are engaging and interesting, but make it a bit hard to place yourself in the timeline of events.
Still—the kind of book that’s going to stick with me for a long time. I’m only just at the beginning of uncovering the silenced voices of the many Mormon women who have gone before me, and this was a potent place to start.
Read
September 7, 2008My great-aunt wrote this book. It has some very interesting radical feminist ideas and gave me insight into my family history. It also delves into the Mormon religion in interesting ways, but it is a little out there.
August 9, 2023
I connected with so much of this book and only wish I would have read this 15 years ago.
Read
August 24, 2014I'm struggling with how to write a review of this one. I'll start with the only thing I didn't like: Sonia had to deal with a lot of men telling her what to do, and that sucked. In her book, she claimed to know what the men (and some women) were thinking, feeling, and what their motivations were for the things they said and did. She didn't know what they were thinking or feeling, and her pretending to know was off putting and frustrating for me.
Her story, the things she felt and thought, the things she did and the ERA group did, were all fascinating and powerful for me. She brought up questions I have been asking. (I was fascinated to learn that women were asking these questions forty plus years before me. I had honestly thought my questions and concerns about patriarchy and women's issues were original thoughts!)
I remember hearing stories about Sonia thirty-five years ago, and had easily dismissed her as being mislead and deceived. It was good for me to read her story in her words.
I was also fascinated by the parallels I saw between what happened to Sonia Johnson in 1979 and what happened to Kate Kelly in 2014. The church and the pr department handled it identically, even though the two women were 35 years apart.
I recommend this book to anyone who judges Sonia by the stories they heard at church. At least judge her by her own words.
Her story, the things she felt and thought, the things she did and the ERA group did, were all fascinating and powerful for me. She brought up questions I have been asking. (I was fascinated to learn that women were asking these questions forty plus years before me. I had honestly thought my questions and concerns about patriarchy and women's issues were original thoughts!)
I remember hearing stories about Sonia thirty-five years ago, and had easily dismissed her as being mislead and deceived. It was good for me to read her story in her words.
I was also fascinated by the parallels I saw between what happened to Sonia Johnson in 1979 and what happened to Kate Kelly in 2014. The church and the pr department handled it identically, even though the two women were 35 years apart.
I recommend this book to anyone who judges Sonia by the stories they heard at church. At least judge her by her own words.
March 15, 2016
Sometime around 1982, my mom read this book. Mom had not grown up Mormon, like Johnson, but had been similarly indoctrinated in many ways - old school morals, the necessity of marriage in order to live a fulfilled life as a woman... She married my dad, who felt entitled to her life as well as his own, and set to being a good wife and mother. This is not to say that she didn't think for herself, but just that her thoughts didn't really matter to my dad, and her life was lived entirely for the purpose of taking care of others. She credits this book with waking her up, making her a radical feminist, starting her on a path that led to going back to school to finish her undergraduate degree and get her masters, and then divorcing my dad.
So I read the book to gain some more understanding of my mom. At first, I didn't understand the appeal, in spite of their similar beliefs that were pushed on them while growing up. But reading of Johnson's involvement in the ERA fight of the 70s and subsequent excommunication from the Mormon church, I recognized her influence more in my mom. It was a fascinating book for her own story - but far more so since it was so much a part of my mom's story, and therefore of my own.
So I read the book to gain some more understanding of my mom. At first, I didn't understand the appeal, in spite of their similar beliefs that were pushed on them while growing up. But reading of Johnson's involvement in the ERA fight of the 70s and subsequent excommunication from the Mormon church, I recognized her influence more in my mom. It was a fascinating book for her own story - but far more so since it was so much a part of my mom's story, and therefore of my own.
August 15, 2019
Ok. So this was both easy to read (the writing style) and also hard to read (it hits too close to home). I will be giving a more thorough review on the Exponent II blog and will link there. Recommended for all Mormons, especially feminist Mormons.
Gosh, have we not changed in 40 years?
ETA: here’s the link up on The Exponent. https://www.the-exponent.com/book-rev...
Gosh, have we not changed in 40 years?
ETA: here’s the link up on The Exponent. https://www.the-exponent.com/book-rev...
January 15, 2009
I read this when it first came out in hardback (couldn't find that edition in the search engine). Didn't quite "get it" at the time.
Later, I got to hear Sonia Johnson speak in a workshop at Michigan Women's Festival in 1989. She's fabulous. One of the best feminist minds of my generation.
Later, I got to hear Sonia Johnson speak in a workshop at Michigan Women's Festival in 1989. She's fabulous. One of the best feminist minds of my generation.
July 26, 2010
I appreciate where she's coming from and find her very brave in what she did. Her writing style was tedious at times though and I think the book would have been more powerful if it had been about 100 pages shorter.
May 27, 2016
... Wow.
June 8, 2022
I loved everything about this book - except how relevant it is, how accurate it is, 40 years after it was written. I love this book. I hate that nothing about it is obsolete.
August 13, 2019
By TopHat
Four decades later and Sonia Johnson’s memoir about her feminist awakening, support of the ERA, and excommunication are still very familiar and relevant.
This book has been on my shelf for a few years now. I thought it might open a wound of frustration for me if I read it so I kept putting it off, all while the book spine faded more in the sunlight. I took the plunge into reading it earlier this summer and I was not disappointed.
In short summary, this is a memoir of the few years of her involvement with Mormons for ERA, her divorce that happened simultaneously, and her excommunication.
This book was both reassuring and defeating. On one hand, we are dealing with the same attitudes in 2019 as Mormon feminists were in 1979 and that’s frustrating. On the other hand, the words and experiences felt so familiar that it was like listening to a friend recount and commiserate. Oh Sonia- your brother called you to then talk to your husband about why he can’t rein you in? My brother-in-law once asked, “Why hasn’t McKay (my husband) told you to stop blogging!?” Oh, is Senator Hatch befuddled and aggressive towards you and your ideas? He only stepped down from that same position this year, still working against women’s and LGBT rights. Sonia, you shared some of your hate letters, from “good” Mormon people threatening to harm or kill you. Let us open up our Twitter DMs and we’ll see the same.
To continue reading: https://www.the-exponent.com/book-rev...
Four decades later and Sonia Johnson’s memoir about her feminist awakening, support of the ERA, and excommunication are still very familiar and relevant.
This book has been on my shelf for a few years now. I thought it might open a wound of frustration for me if I read it so I kept putting it off, all while the book spine faded more in the sunlight. I took the plunge into reading it earlier this summer and I was not disappointed.
In short summary, this is a memoir of the few years of her involvement with Mormons for ERA, her divorce that happened simultaneously, and her excommunication.
This book was both reassuring and defeating. On one hand, we are dealing with the same attitudes in 2019 as Mormon feminists were in 1979 and that’s frustrating. On the other hand, the words and experiences felt so familiar that it was like listening to a friend recount and commiserate. Oh Sonia- your brother called you to then talk to your husband about why he can’t rein you in? My brother-in-law once asked, “Why hasn’t McKay (my husband) told you to stop blogging!?” Oh, is Senator Hatch befuddled and aggressive towards you and your ideas? He only stepped down from that same position this year, still working against women’s and LGBT rights. Sonia, you shared some of your hate letters, from “good” Mormon people threatening to harm or kill you. Let us open up our Twitter DMs and we’ll see the same.
To continue reading: https://www.the-exponent.com/book-rev...
May 2, 2019
I chanced upon this book looking for another book on the dangers of religion, and more stories of "unlearning" things taught to us in childhood. But what I found is a more universal story of a woman's struggle to be fully human in a patriarchy. The Mormon church is a rather extreme version of a patriarchy, but the conditions there can be generalized to most places in the world today.
Sonia Johnson was a major spokesperson for, and leader of, Mormons for ERA (the Equal Rights Amendment). For her trouble, she was excommunicated from the church. The story is a sorry one, full of betrayal by the church leaders (all men), and finally even by her husband, who appeared to be a prince among men until he wasn't. (He didn't leave her because of her feminism, but for another woman.)
The ERA seems like ancient history, but the dismissal of women as individuals is still unhappily with us, as can be seen clearly in our current presidential election cycle. When I picked up this book, Sonia Johnson was unknown to me, so I wasn't sure how good the book would be, but it's excellent. And relevant. And inspiring.
Sonia Johnson was a major spokesperson for, and leader of, Mormons for ERA (the Equal Rights Amendment). For her trouble, she was excommunicated from the church. The story is a sorry one, full of betrayal by the church leaders (all men), and finally even by her husband, who appeared to be a prince among men until he wasn't. (He didn't leave her because of her feminism, but for another woman.)
The ERA seems like ancient history, but the dismissal of women as individuals is still unhappily with us, as can be seen clearly in our current presidential election cycle. When I picked up this book, Sonia Johnson was unknown to me, so I wasn't sure how good the book would be, but it's excellent. And relevant. And inspiring.
October 1, 2017
I have mixed opinions on this one. I want to feel like Sonia was doing important work, but at the same time I feel like her idea of feminism was so limited and really lacking cross-sectionalism or any sort of global focus. Her feminism felt rudimentary to me, and I suppose that makes sense considering she was born 60 or 70 years before me. She's so intelligent, I can't help feeling that she should have devoted her time and efforts to something greater than the Mormon church. I wouldn't consider this book a powerful piece of feminist literature, but it definitely covers the topic of sexism within Mormonism, which I personally found fascinating. I especially loved her exploration of sex shaming and objectification that's so ingrained in the culture. Overall, a worthwhile read for anyone who has an interest in the church and its treatment of women, but not a book that will go on my list of must reads.
May 10, 2024
A scathing indictment of patriarchy and a moving call for equality. Written in 1981, this book is still unfortunately very relevant in both its critique of patriarchy and of the LDS church's ongoing devaluation of and lack of support of equality of women. Should be read by anyone interested in feminism and anti-ERA Mormon covert political action during the push for the ERA in the late 70s.
I found this book via intra-library loan as it is out of print. It must have been donated by someone who had it initially signed by the author. Inside the front cover, the inscription reads "To Tim, Trusting you to be one of the rare men who actually care about women. Your sister, Sonia Johnson."
I found this book via intra-library loan as it is out of print. It must have been donated by someone who had it initially signed by the author. Inside the front cover, the inscription reads "To Tim, Trusting you to be one of the rare men who actually care about women. Your sister, Sonia Johnson."
April 14, 2021
I was fascinated by this women's story as I live in a historical area for the LDS people. I was not completely surprised by her experience from my learning about the church evolution from the beginning and my observations of how women are treated by their husbands, even 40 years later. Very good insite into some of the church workings and power the church wields from Salt Lake City.
June 10, 2019
Could have cut out 100 pages. It was good in the beginning but towards the middle got kind of dull. Also she kept flipping back and forth from when she was excommunicated and when she wasn’t so that was annoying.
January 2, 2023
I read this in the early 1990s, and the author's stance inspired me to stand up for myself and my needs as a strong, social, and independent woman. I wasn't tracking my reading then, yet I remember the book's impact.
December 2, 2018
I read this book ages ago. I know it's close by on one of my bookshelves, but I haven't seen it in forever. I appreciated this book *so* much. Such courage!
March 12, 2023
[Read for my work.] Johnson’s words resonate today. Classic of feminist literature.
November 20, 2012
Well, don't I feel sheepish? I was all set to write Sonia Johnson off, to dismiss her and to laugh at her. You can't blame me entirely when you title a book 'From Housewife to Heretic' a name like that strikes me as about as melodramatic, about as outlandish as you can get. Too, I read her biography on wikipedia before I read the book and the facts of her life make her sound as if she really winds up going off the deep end.
I suppose I thought this would be one of those memoirs that is purely axe-to-grind. And, to be honest, there is a fair amount of that going on. In fact I wish there was a counter memoir written by her husband and one written by the Church, so I could hear their sides of the story.
Still, having said all that, I feel sheepish. Why was I so ready to throw her under the bus? I am a fellow female, and a fellow feminist, and I too ostensibly have noticed and am bothered by the fact that when a woman gets excited or passionate about a cause, or horror! angry, men and some other women want to write her off as a looney, as emotional, as a loose cannon. So, I have to examine myself.
This memoir describes both Johnson's personal life and her political, feminist awakening--her fight to get the ERA passed and her conflicts with the Mormon Church because of her position. Since all of this happened before I was born it is hard for me to imagine why the Church was so opposed to a seemingly obvious piece of legislation. I guess society has come a 'fur piece' since then. Her experience did remind me of the Church's recent fight against gay marriage in California.
At any rate, Ms. Johnson makes some points that resonate with me and make me think. I can see she is able to elucidate quite well how the patriarchy still has a hold on our society and our Church. Still, I am hopeful that things are changing and we are all evolving together.
Some quotes:
"I knew I was responsible for those kids. The church and society had told me so often enough. I knew I couldn't fail because if I did, no one would come in and pick up the pieces. He knew he could fail, because I'd be there, finally responsible, to take care of things. ..the mother's doing the nurturing and the father's making the rules kept him an adolescent parent. Fathers can't be decent parents until they see themselves--and society supports them--as nurturing, supportive, warm, and loving people first and successful wage earners second. Father as head of the house is not a useful concept in parenting. It allows too much distance, too little final responsibility. It puts an impossibly heavy and unfair burden on women, which prevents even the strongest and best of us from doing the kind of parenting job we'd like to do-- and could do, if men took their share of the responsibility."
"My life no longer centered around him, as his had never centered around me. I began to live an independnt life, such as only men are entitled to. That's when I overstepped my bounds and it was all over. And I've thought since, with considerable wryness, how for nineteen years I waited for him, and how he couldn't wait for me for one."
"He was accustomed to being the center of my life, but my center had shifted, as is only healthy, to interest in the world around me. He felt abandoned, but he needn't have. I hadn't abandoned him nearly so thoroughly as he'd abandoned me for all our married life while his work consumed so much of his time and interest. By performing motherly duties for nineteen years, I had kept him immature. . . .It would have been a disservice to him if I had re centered my life around him then, I think. There comes a time when we must face ourselves alone, and nothing is going to forestall that day forever."
"Most women do not feel any more fulfilled being housewives than most men would feel being farmers. We are as individual and as different from one another in all respects as men are from one another, and as able to direct our lives, given a decent chance."
"But still the fact remains that, for the most part, women, in whose bodies life begins, do the nurturing and the protecting of the human family. Not because they are more nurturant by nature, but because this extraordinarily difficult role has been assigned them by men who want to do easier things."
I suppose I thought this would be one of those memoirs that is purely axe-to-grind. And, to be honest, there is a fair amount of that going on. In fact I wish there was a counter memoir written by her husband and one written by the Church, so I could hear their sides of the story.
Still, having said all that, I feel sheepish. Why was I so ready to throw her under the bus? I am a fellow female, and a fellow feminist, and I too ostensibly have noticed and am bothered by the fact that when a woman gets excited or passionate about a cause, or horror! angry, men and some other women want to write her off as a looney, as emotional, as a loose cannon. So, I have to examine myself.
This memoir describes both Johnson's personal life and her political, feminist awakening--her fight to get the ERA passed and her conflicts with the Mormon Church because of her position. Since all of this happened before I was born it is hard for me to imagine why the Church was so opposed to a seemingly obvious piece of legislation. I guess society has come a 'fur piece' since then. Her experience did remind me of the Church's recent fight against gay marriage in California.
At any rate, Ms. Johnson makes some points that resonate with me and make me think. I can see she is able to elucidate quite well how the patriarchy still has a hold on our society and our Church. Still, I am hopeful that things are changing and we are all evolving together.
Some quotes:
"I knew I was responsible for those kids. The church and society had told me so often enough. I knew I couldn't fail because if I did, no one would come in and pick up the pieces. He knew he could fail, because I'd be there, finally responsible, to take care of things. ..the mother's doing the nurturing and the father's making the rules kept him an adolescent parent. Fathers can't be decent parents until they see themselves--and society supports them--as nurturing, supportive, warm, and loving people first and successful wage earners second. Father as head of the house is not a useful concept in parenting. It allows too much distance, too little final responsibility. It puts an impossibly heavy and unfair burden on women, which prevents even the strongest and best of us from doing the kind of parenting job we'd like to do-- and could do, if men took their share of the responsibility."
"My life no longer centered around him, as his had never centered around me. I began to live an independnt life, such as only men are entitled to. That's when I overstepped my bounds and it was all over. And I've thought since, with considerable wryness, how for nineteen years I waited for him, and how he couldn't wait for me for one."
"He was accustomed to being the center of my life, but my center had shifted, as is only healthy, to interest in the world around me. He felt abandoned, but he needn't have. I hadn't abandoned him nearly so thoroughly as he'd abandoned me for all our married life while his work consumed so much of his time and interest. By performing motherly duties for nineteen years, I had kept him immature. . . .It would have been a disservice to him if I had re centered my life around him then, I think. There comes a time when we must face ourselves alone, and nothing is going to forestall that day forever."
"Most women do not feel any more fulfilled being housewives than most men would feel being farmers. We are as individual and as different from one another in all respects as men are from one another, and as able to direct our lives, given a decent chance."
"But still the fact remains that, for the most part, women, in whose bodies life begins, do the nurturing and the protecting of the human family. Not because they are more nurturant by nature, but because this extraordinarily difficult role has been assigned them by men who want to do easier things."
June 20, 2024
I wish I read this book much earlier in life. Sonia Johnson was incredibly brave calling out the hypocrisies in the Mormon church leadership and their unethical involvement in the politics surrounding the ERA. She, at the time, was a faithful Mormon, who was demonized. A must read for all Mormon women, faithful or not. We need to learn our history from our women's experiences.
May 3, 2025
“I relinquish them since I must,
stinging with fear of vague but
bitter consequences and
determined to hold tighter.
…
I open it and see that from the first
I need to have carried only this.”
From an original poem on pages 59-60
I Wish Sonia Johnson Were Irrelevant
Same. And many other commenters here on Goodreads agree. How has it been 45+ years since Sonia’s excommunication and Mormon women are still waiting for Mother in Heaven and a place at the tables where decisions are made?? Why does my church excommunicate/threaten to excommunicate people?!! In 2025 we still do it! It’s spiritual violence.
I have big feelings about Sonia’s story. Learning more about how my church squashed the ERA brought me right back to Prop 8. I wish I had known this history, wish I had known I wasn’t alone and first and wrong.
Memoirs aren’t my favorite genre, and this one did get a little long for me, but still, I could not put it down. Sonia is an absolute force and a gifted writer. I would love to read Jeff’s version of what happened. Where is Jeff now?
———
I bought a used copy of this book in 2021.
Inside the cover:
August 4, 1984
To Hilda & Don for Birthday #57!
Love, Jazz
Inside is a bonus newspaper clipping from the New York Times, Sunday, August 12, 1984
“Feminist Seeks Presidency for Citizens Party”
I was one year old when Sonia was excommunicated from the Mormon church, four years old when this book was published. And I didn’t hear her name until I was 42.
stinging with fear of vague but
bitter consequences and
determined to hold tighter.
…
I open it and see that from the first
I need to have carried only this.”
From an original poem on pages 59-60
I Wish Sonia Johnson Were Irrelevant
Same. And many other commenters here on Goodreads agree. How has it been 45+ years since Sonia’s excommunication and Mormon women are still waiting for Mother in Heaven and a place at the tables where decisions are made?? Why does my church excommunicate/threaten to excommunicate people?!! In 2025 we still do it! It’s spiritual violence.
I have big feelings about Sonia’s story. Learning more about how my church squashed the ERA brought me right back to Prop 8. I wish I had known this history, wish I had known I wasn’t alone and first and wrong.
Memoirs aren’t my favorite genre, and this one did get a little long for me, but still, I could not put it down. Sonia is an absolute force and a gifted writer. I would love to read Jeff’s version of what happened. Where is Jeff now?
———
I bought a used copy of this book in 2021.
Inside the cover:
August 4, 1984
To Hilda & Don for Birthday #57!
Love, Jazz
Inside is a bonus newspaper clipping from the New York Times, Sunday, August 12, 1984
“Feminist Seeks Presidency for Citizens Party”
I was one year old when Sonia was excommunicated from the Mormon church, four years old when this book was published. And I didn’t hear her name until I was 42.
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