Date of Award
Spring 5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Creative Writing
First Advisor
Tom Zoellner
Second Advisor
Rafael Luevano
Third Advisor
Joanna Levin
Abstract
For one-hundred-eighty years, my family has been a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as Mormons. Being a member of the Church is more than just attending church on Sunday mornings, it rules over your entire life. Mormonism comes with a life checklist and everyone in my family stuck to it. So what happens when someone doesn't feel like they belong? In these pages, I take readers on that journey. I never felt like I belonged in the Church but didn’t have the courage to do anything until I was in college. My story starts with my family’s history with the Church, through my adolescence and into the present day. Included are fun anecdotes from my personal life, excerpts from Church teachings and practices, including temple ceremonies, as well as some hard life lessons and experiences.
Recommended Citation
Woodall, Tessa M. I Was a Mormon: I Knew it, I Lived it, I Left it. 2025. Chapman University, MFA Thesis. Chapman University Digital Commons, https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000620