Meagan Kohler

Utah

Contributor at Deseret News

#HearHim. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Contributor @Deseret and @PublicSquareMag.

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Articles

Maybe male critics are not experts on religious women's underclothing

1 week ago | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

This week my underwear made it into The New York Times. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wear undergarments called, well, garments, as a symbolic reminder of their relationship to Christ. Many religious traditions wear symbolic clothing to express their religious commitments, and for members of our church, this clothing is - quite purposefully - the layer worn closest to the skin.
Can womanizing save the world?

1 month ago | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

Can womanizing save the world? According to a recent WSJ article, Elon Musk, seems to view uncommitted sex as a way to address population decline. "Low birth rates will end civilization" he recently posted on X. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that a paternity test had confirmed Elon Musk to be the father of his 14th child. Ashley St. Clair, the child's mother, has gained prominence for refusing $15 million dollars from Musk in exchange for keeping his paternity a secret.
The hidden tragedy of an 'upbeat divorce'

1 month ago | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

Several years ago, a friend announced on Facebook that she and her husband were getting a divorce. In her reel, she assured everyone, through smiles and occasionally laughter, that no one had "done" anything - they were both just feeling the need for change and growth in a new direction. According to the friend, what mattered was that both of the spouses were at peace with their decision. The upbeat divorce narrative is not new, but social media has taken it to new heights.
Living the gospel makes women less consumed in superficial appearance

Dec 31, 2024 | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

A recent article in the Washington Post has dubbed 2024 "The Year of The Mormon Woman." Indeed, it has been a great year for us. President Camille Johnson, for example, addressed the European Union Parliament in March. In May, Sarah Jane Weaver became the Editor of the Deseret News, and the first woman to do so. And in September, Bonnie H. Cordon was inaugurated as 10th President of Southern Virginia University.
Christmas invites us to be soft, instead of just strong

Dec 21, 2024 | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

Have you ever considered how odd and peculiar it is to celebrate the God of the universe as a helpless infant? Christmas presents us with an insightful paradox: the hope of the world, Alpha and Omega, lying tiny and vulnerable in a feed trough. Although nearly as recognizable as the cross, the image of the baby in the manger continues to challenge values and assumptions popular today.
Is the option of assisted death at younger ages compassionate, or just the opposite?

Dec 7, 2024 | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

"She gets very down and often says she wants to die rather than carry on, as she can't see any good in the future."This is a journal entry made by English actress Liz Carr's mother when Carr was 12 years old. Carr was 7 when she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. Describing her childhood self as "popular" and "fit," Carr recounts how the illness progressively stole these aspects of her identity from her. By the time she was 11, she was in a wheelchair.
This is how I was making my political anxiety worse. Can you relate?

Nov 4, 2024 | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

I have struggled with anxiety since I was a child, which sometimes manifests as obsessive thoughts. I will be seized by a sudden fear or worry and start to obsessively try to "work out" the solution. This often results in getting stuck inside convoluted thought-spirals that simply generate more questions. It's a pie eating contest where the first prize is more pie. I am always tempted to try and reason my way out of these spirals.
How women revolutionized the world and transmitted Christianity across generations

Oct 17, 2024 | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

In October 2019, President Russell M. Nelson cautioned in an address to women of the church that "if the world loses the moral rectitude of its women, the world will never recover." I believed him, but I confess that for a long time I couldn't see how the moral choices of women could matter that much.
Why is it exciting to watch others betray their faith and families?

Sep 16, 2024 | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

Public reaction among Latter-day Saints to the latest Hulu series sensationalizing "Mormon wives" has focused on lack of representation - as it should. These featured women represent the typical Latter-day Saint woman about as well as the Kardashians represent the typical American one. But does most of the viewing public actually believe these characters represent Latter-day Saint women?
are erasing Hannah Neeleman's true identity

Aug 2, 2024 | deseret.com | Meagan Kohler

I wrote two years ago about how Hulu's bizarre portrayal of my faith painted a picture of men that was the inverse of my own experience. Multiple historians and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pointed out the glaring historical inaccuracies on which the narrative hinges in "Under the Banner of Heaven," with Brenda Lafferty's sister lamenting the disservice it did to her sister's memory.