Mormon Mommy Bloggers have become an unexpected fashion today, focusing on largely traditional family structures and lifestyles—a style many consider a little old-fashioned but somehow appealing. Several of these Mormon bloggers are in leading positions for best video blogs.
Circle of Moms is searching for the best 25 vlogs, which are video blogs. In first place is Cute Girls Hairstyles, run by Mindy McNight. She started by posting hairstyle tutorials and then moved to YouTube with video tutorials. She has six children, including a set of twins and two adopted children. She specializes in fast styles, possibly because she has five girls to style.
In tenth place is Katilette, who actually got her start in her husband’s viral YouTube video. Eventually she decided to start her own and now gives advice on parenting and family.
Both bloggers have made a point of sharing their religious beliefs on their blogs, Mindy by pointing viewers to Mormon Channel and Katilette by creating a video in which she explains her beliefs.
A 2011 article on Salon revealed to the world that a lot of atheist, feminist women without husbands and children have a secret fondness for Mormon Mommy blogs. They are fascinated by a message so different from the one the world presents of families. Too many people are anxious to portray the world of at-home moms as stressful, demeaning, and terrible. However, Mormons have always held motherhood and family in great esteem. Men are taught from babyhood to treat women with great respect and to honor their mothers. Married men are instructed in their classes to help their wives with the housework and children, to take their wives on a weekly date, and to put her first before themselves or even their children—because putting your wife first is putting your children first also. Children thrive best in a home with parents who love each other.
While some Mormon mommy blogs focus on lighthearted crafts and cooking, others often tackle more serious subjects. Stephanie Nielson had a traditional Mormon mommy blog until the small private plane she, her husband, and her husband’s flight instructor were in crashed. The instructor was killed and she and her husband were burnt, but survived. Stephanie was in a coma for a long time and when she emerged, she discovered nearly all of her body had experienced severe burning.
The challenge of having her appearance so dramatically altered, to the point that one of her children refused to look at her, changed her life. While she was in a coma, her sister had kept up her blog, keeping readers updated. Eventually, Stephanie realized she was still herself, no matter how differently she looked. She drew on her deep faith to help her recover both physically and emotionally. Today, she is the author of a book and millions follow her blog that describes her family life and the strength of her faith. She has been featured in a video about her life, which you can watch at the end of this article, and has made numerous television appearances.
Mormon mommy blogging is a glimpse into the way life once was and how it still can be today.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
