MWEG in the News
December 1, 2018
What Utah Voters Really Want From Mitt Romney
The question has followed him ever since he first launched his bid for the United States Senate: Is Mitt Romney coming to Washington as a friend or foe of Donald Trump? Thanks to new polling data from the Associated Press, at least one thing is clear: Romney’s constituents back in Utah don’t want another presidential lapdog. Read more on TheAtlantic.com.
October 29, 2018
‘It could have been us’: Mourners and members of Utah’s Jewish community hold a vigil in honor of faithful killed in Pittsburgh
In the aftermath of a mass shooting that left 11 dead at a Pittsburgh seminary, father-son rabbis Avremi and Benny Zippel both characterized their reaction as “speechless.” But as mourners gathered at Chabad Square in Salt Lake City, Avremi Zippel found words of assurance: “Am Yisrael Chai” — “the people of Israel live.” Read more on SLTrib.com.
October 28, 2018
After Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, Utah rabbi wonders how to protect his congregation and prays ‘that the world will regain its sanity’
When the sun went down Friday evening, Rabbi Avremi Zippel — like many Jews — unplugged for the Sabbath until nightfall Saturday. No TV. No internet. No news. Read more on SLTrib.com.
October 13, 2018
How Mormon women reacted to the church's suggestion they leave social media for 10 Days
Earlier this month, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints replaced its men-only session at its General Conference with a women's session for the first time. (Previously, men had their own meetings at every twice-yearly conference, and women met annually on a different weekend.) The president of the church, 94-year-old Russell Nelson, used the historic session to issue Mormon women a challenge: to "fast" from social media for 10 days. Read more on DallasNews.com.
October 10, 2018
In the time of #MeToo and the Year of the Woman, Mormon Church president tells women to get off social media for 10 days
For over a year since the #MeToo movement began, women have turned to social media with stories of sexual harassment and calls for reform that have powerfully reshaped our society. In recent weeks, women have flooded Facebook and Twitter and Instagram with pleas to #BelieveWomen, as Brett M. Kavanaugh gained a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court amid turmoil over accusations of sexual assault. Read more on WashingtonPost.com.
October 9, 2018
What the Brett Kavanaugh Protests Revealed about Mormonism and Women
Men who grow up in Mormon communities in the Intermountain West don’t have a lot of familiarity with women shouting in the faces of institutional leaders. Even those like Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who came of age during the heyday of second wave feminism, would have had little firsthand experience with such forceful appeals. However, life in Washington, D.C., is different and has become more so in the wake of the #MeToo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. Read more on ReligionandPolitics.org.
October 5, 2018
Dear Senators: The Opposition to Brett Kavanaugh includes churches, law professors, and conservatives - even his own friends
The opposition to Brett Kavanaugh that has gotten the most attention is, naturally, the Senate Democrats who are voting against his Supreme Court nomination, and members of the #MeToo movement who believe Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez when they say Kavanaugh drunkenly assaulted them in high school and college, respectively. Read more on TheIntercept.com.
October 4, 2018
How Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony Changed America
History often seems inexorable in hindsight, shaped by powerful figures operating beyond our control. But when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford walked in to face the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27, raised her right hand and swore to tell the truth, it was clear that an unassuming psychology professor and mother of two was about to change the course of current events in real time. Read more on Time.com.
September 28, 2018
In Ford-Kavanaugh Hearing, Sen. Crapo Says Senate Panel Already Conducted Investigation
Idaho Senator Mike Crapo questioned Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Thursday afternoon during a marathon hearing. Read more on BoiseStatePublicRadio.org.
September 28, 2018
Mormon Women’s Group Cheers Senator Flake For Insisting On FBI Investigation
Sharlee Mullins Glenn, a founder of the group Mormon Women for Ethical Government, believes it is both a matter of faith and principle that the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh are taken seriously. Read more on KUER.org.
September 27, 2018
Mormon Women Call For Suspension Of Kavanaugh Confirmation
With turmoil growing over sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, casting doubts over his confirmation to the Supreme Court, the Mormon Women for Ethical Government issued a statement aimed at influencing the four Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee who are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Read more on JimHeath.tv.
September 27, 2018
Utah Public Figures Weigh In On Kavanaugh, Ford Testimonies
The testimonies from U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford have kept people captivated far beyond the Capitol in Washington, D.C. During her testimony, Ford said she is 100 percent sure that this is not a case of mistaken identity, while Kavanaugh said he will not be withdrawing amid these allegations. Read more on KUER.org.
September 27, 2018
Kavanaugh hearing: Transcript
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Day 5, focusing on allegations of sexual assault. Read more on WashingtonPost.com.
September 27, 2018
Mormon Women's Group Calls on LDS Senators to Investigate Claims against Kavanaugh
The Mormon Women for Ethical Government, a coalition comprised entirely of women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), has requested the concerned Senate Judiciary Committe to halt the confirmation vote on Brett Kavanaugh, the Trump administration's nominee to the Supreme Court. The group has 6,000 members and identifies itself as a non-partisan body. Read more on WorldReligionNews.com.
September 27, 2018
Commentary: Sen. Hatch, it is time for you to choose the right
Dear Sen. Hatch: I urge you, as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to demand a balanced, rigorous and thorough investigation of the alleged assaults on women by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Sunday’s new accusations are troubling indeed. No one’s past sins — especially repented of — should rise to ruin one’s professional life. But one’s past sins (if any) do need to be acknowledged and justice meted out in appropriate measure if proven, rather than hurriedly rewarded or deemed trivial. Read more on SLTrib.com.
September 26, 2018
Mormon women's group calls on Crapo, others to delay Kavanaugh process
A group of Mormon women is calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to halt the confirmation process of Judge Brett Kavanaugh until a thorough investigation can be conducted into the allegations of sexual misconduct. Read more on IdahoNews.com.
September 26, 2018
Trio of GOP senators in spotlight on eve of second Kavanaugh hearing
Three Senate Republicans were already at the epicenter of the firestorm around Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court: Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Read more on WashingtonPost.com.
September 26, 2018
Crapo, Risch stay quiet on Kavanaugh
Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have been relatively quiet on the accusations of sexual assault now complicating the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Read more on MagicValley.com.
September 26, 2018
Time, TV and what to watch for in Thursday’s Brett Kavanaugh-Christine Blasey Ford hearing
Thursday’s hearing won’t just tank or seal a lifetime appointment that could swing the Supreme Court to the right for a generation. It also represents the highest-stakes showdown of the #MeToo movement so far — and could have major political consequences on this year’s hard-fought midterm elections. Read more on MercuryNews.com.
September 26, 2018
Mormon Women's Group Calls For Kavanaugh Investigation, Halt To Confirmation
An activist group of Mormon women is calling for a halt to the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation process until an investigation is completed into the sexual assault allegations he faces. Read more on WBUR.org.
September 26, 2018
This Group Of Mormon Women Are Asking Senators To Delay The Kavanaugh Vote
Women from all walks of life have urged the Senate to reevaluate President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick now that he's been accused of sexual assault. On Tuesday, a group of Mormon women who oppose Brett Kavanaugh's nomination called on the Judiciary Committee's Mormon senators to postpone the confirmation vote scheduled for Friday — just one day after one of Kavanaugh's accusers will testify in an open hearing. Read more on Bustle.com.
September 25, 2018
Mormon women demand Mormon senators stop defending attempted rape
A nonpartisan organization of more than 6,000 Mormon women is calling on the four Mormon members of the Senate Judiciary Committee — Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee of Utah, Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Mike Crapo of Idaho, all Republicans — to act according to their faith by suspending Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. Read more on AmericanIndependent.com.
September 25, 2018
Mormon Women Urge Probe of Kavanaugh Allegations
A group representing 6,000 Mormon women are calling for a delay in confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court until there is an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him, The Hill is reporting. Read more on Newsmax.com.
September 25, 2018
Mormon women call on Mormon senators to delay Kavanaugh vote
A group of Mormon women are pushing the Judiciary Committee — which includes four Mormon senators — to delay the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in the wake of sexual assault allegations against him. Read more on ThinkProgress.org.
September 25, 2018
Mormon women call on senators to postpone Kavanaugh confirmation
A group of Mormon women released a statement on Monday calling for Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court to be postponed until an independent investigation into sexual misconduct allegations lodged against him is completed. Read more on TheHill.com.
September 25, 2018
Mormon Women for Ethical Government calls for probe over Brett Kavanaugh allegations
The group Mormon Women for Ethical Government released a statement Tuesday that called for four members of Congress to stall Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation proceedings "until a thorough independent investigation can be conducted." Read more on Deseret.com.
September 25, 2018
Mormon Women’s Group Calls On LDS Senators To Investigate Claims Against Kavanaugh
A coalition of women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to suspend any confirmation vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh until an investigation is completed into claims of sexual misconduct. Read more on Huffpost.com.
September 25, 2018
Mormon Women’s Group Seeks Inquiry Into Kavanaugh Allegations
As turmoil grows over sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, casting doubts over his confirmation to the Supreme Court, a group of Mormon women is calling on senators to suspend his confirmation proceedings until a thorough investigation is completed. Read more on NYTimes.com.
September 25, 2018
Mormon women demand LDS senators halt Kavanaugh hearings so misconduct allegations can be investigated
An organization of Mormon women formed in response to President Trump’s election is calling for the four Mormon members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to pause hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh until the claims of two women alleging sexual misconduct can be investigated. Read more on WashingtonPost.com.
September 24, 2018
Mormon women’s group calls on Senate to postpone Kavanaugh confirmation until allegations are investigated
A group of Mormon women is urging the Senate to halt the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh until after an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by two women decades ago. Read more on SLTrib.com.
September 21, 2018
Guest opinion: Prayers for displaced persons
Living near the mouth of Hobble Creek Canyon, we have spent the last week praying fervently for protection of the homes, residents and firefighters affected by the Pole Canyon and Bald Mountain fires. Read more on Deseret.com.
September 12, 2018
Guest opinion: An open letter to Sen. Mike Lee
Dear Sen. Lee: We have been following the Senate hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh and recently watched the video of Sen. Kamala Harris questioning Judge Kavanaugh as to whether he had discussed the ongoing Mueller investigation with anyone associated with the law firm headed by President Trump’s personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz. Read more on HeraldExtra.com.
September 5, 2018
Letter: I’ll take my New York values elsewhere, thanks
I read the commentary from Mormon Women for Ethical Government, a group of women who recently commented on Sen. Orrin Hatch's remarks about New York values. Read more on SLTrib.com.
August 25, 2018
Commentary: An open letter to Sen. Hatch
As an organization of over 6,000 women, many of whom are your constituents, share your faith, and have worked closely with you and your staff, we are dismayed at your continued defense of things that are fundamentally indefensible. Knowing that you aspire to be a man of honor, we are puzzled by your frequent wresting of truth and logic as you excuse our current administration. Read more on SLTrib.com.
July 20, 2018
Commentary: We can almost hear the fabric of our democracy shredding
Dear Members of Congress: Watching the Helsinki Summit in real time, our hearts broke. Our president deferred to Russian President Vladimir Putin whose record on human rights, political strong-arming, and election meddling in more countries than just ours is egregious. We call on you to take action to safeguard our democracy and values. Read more on SLTrib.com.
June 26, 2018
Immigrants, Citizens Gather In Salt Lake In Solidarity For Separated Families
In response to the separation of migrant families crossing the U.S./Mexico border, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement in support of keeping families together. A non-partisan group of Mormon women held a vigil in Salt Lake City last weekend for families affected by the separations. Read more on UPR.org.
June 26, 2018
At vigil, protesters speak up for separated families
Hugging her cousin with one arm and holding a large, homemade sign with the other, 6-year-old Maia Esplin showed her support for migrant families Saturday evening on West International Street in Nogales. Read more on NogalesInternational.com.
June 24, 2018
Vigil at Nogales border for kids separated from families
Dozens came from as far as Flagstaff to Nogales in honor of the thousands of children waiting to be reunited with their parents. Read more on KOLD.com.
June 24, 2018
This Is What It's Really Like For Immigrants Trying To Enter The US From Mexico
Away from the headlines and the controversy over the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy are countless families awaiting an uncertain fate. Read more on BuzzFeedNews.com.
June 24, 2018
Mormon Women for Ethical Government hold vigil to call for reunion of families at the border
Mormon Women for Ethical Government is a non-partisan policy group, and at Saturday’s vigil, they called for an immediate reunification of families separated at the border and an end to the zero-tolerance policy. Read more on ABC4.com.
June 23, 2018
Utahns grieve for families separated at border, call for 'just and humane' immigration laws
Karim Jones said her mother was 19 when she crossed the border illegally 31 years ago, carrying her in her belly. She said she did it to escape the violent civil war in El Salvador, where people were being killed in the streets. Read more on KSL.com.
June 23, 2018
Vigil in Salt Lake City shows support for immigrant families separated at US border
Dozens of people gathered at City Creek Park to show their support for immigrant families separated while trying to seek asylum in the United States. Read more on Fox13Now.com.
June 21, 2018
Vigil planned in Nogales to demand family reunification
The Arizona chapter of Mormon Women for Ethical Government is planning a vigil in Nogales this weekend to demand that government leaders “do all that is necessary to reunite families they have ripped apart” during implementation of the "zero tolerance" border policy. Read more on NogalesInternational.com.
May 11, 2018
Commentary: Love leads the way in rescuing DACA
In September of 2017, President Trump rescinded DACA, the program that protected nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from being deported. Then he put the ball in Congress’s court and gave them a March 5 deadline to pass some kind of permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients. Read more on SLTrib.com.
May 7, 2018
'Mormon Women for Ethical Government' is growing fast and standing firm
On March 24, I attended the first annual conference of Mormon Women for Ethical Government at the Tanner Building on the BYU campus in Provo, Utah. It was a day-long choice of workshops ranging from a tutorial on how to write op-eds to “Immigration Myths” and other activist-themed talks. It was sold out. Read more on ReligionNews.com.
April 17, 2018
Mormon women worldwide lobby for ethical government
Sharlee Mullins Glenn said she had absolutely no idea she was starting a movement. As a writer and BYU graduate living in Pleasant Grove, she felt deeply concerned about the direction of the country following President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. Read more on Universe.BYU.edu.
March 31, 2018
Tribune Editorial: Romney should trash his extreme views on immigration and lead out with a solution
Mitt Romney is back in campaign mode and reminding Utahns why he lost the last time he ran for something. Read more on SLTrib.com.
March 30, 2018
Character Matters More Than Ideas
On my desk in my home office I have several yellow “sticky” notes upon which I write reminders, sometimes for my “to-do” list but mostly with those momentary but deeper reflections I feel I need to capture for later pondering. One of those deeper thoughts constantly before my eyes says, “Good policy requires good character.” Read more on CacheValleyDaily.com.
March 28, 2018
An open letter to Mitt Romney
We represent the Mormon Women for Ethical Government, a large and growing nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to the ideals of decency, honor, accountability, transparency and justice in governing. Read more on SLTrib.com.
March 24, 2018
Mormon Women for Ethical Government hosts training for mass casualty situations
It’s a long wait between when a tragedy occurs and when emergency responders arrive at a scene. And if someone is bleeding, a bystander’s knowledge can be the difference between life and death. Read more on HeraldExtra.com.
March 20, 2018
Meet the women of the Mormon resistance against Trumpism
When President Trump issued an executive order last January halting travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries, it prompted howls of indignation from progressive and liberal civil rights groups. But some of the loudest voices of protest came from members of one of America’s most conservative organizations, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com.
March 2, 2018
Mormon church has taken ‘baby steps’ toward greater gender equity, but LDS feminists say it’s time to lengthen that stride
As Russell M. Nelson ascended to the top of the LDS Church and its all-male hierarchy, the question came: What about women? Read more on SLTrib.com.
February 20, 2018
Op-ed: Guns and shootings — the problem is all of us
Yes, the problem is guns. Yes, the problem is mental illness. Yes, the problem is the FBI and other institutions not doing their job. Yes, the problem is the culture of violence we have created in this country. Yes, the problem is people. Yes, the problem is the lack of funding for research. Yes, the problem is an unfettered NRA and all the politicians it has in its pocket. Yes, yes, yes. Read more on Deseret.com.
February 16, 2018
Mormon bishops are told to ‘believe the sisters’ when they learn of marital abuse — but they don’t always do so
When Mormon women make the brave but agonizing decision to tell their LDS bishops that their husbands are abusing them, these volunteer clergymen have one initial obligation: “Believe the sisters.” Read more on SLTrib.com.
February 9, 2018
Mormon Women for Ethical Government release statement regarding abuse of women
On Thursday, Mormon Women for Ethical Government released the following statement "with regard to the silencing, denigration and abuse of women." Read more on Deseret.com.