Mormons and Blogging

If you spent much time trolling the bologsphere you may have noticed that an inordinate number of the most popular blogs are authored by LDS women.

At first I thought it was just me... I'm LDS, so the blogs that many of my other LDS friends linked to were written by their friends and so on. The longer I have spent traversing the internet, however, the more I have become convinced that it is more than coincidence.

Other people are starting to notice as well. There is a particularly interesting discussion going on over at Design Mom. And this article on the same subject was written by an atheist feminist in New York.

There are a lot of theories about why Mormon women blog. We are taught to record our lives by writing in journals and blogging is a natural extension of that. The 13th Article of Faith states that we seek after things which are virtuous, lovely and of good report, and blogging is a natural way to share the things that we find uplifting, creative and inspiring. Some people think that making do with what we have, being thrifty, and coming from families with tons of kids, just lend themselves to developing those enviable skills of being creative and crafty - which make perfect blog fodder. We are also very accustomed to operating within a community - sharing the burden, sharing the joy, sharing the ideas - and blogging is the modern and convenient equivalent of a sewing circle. I believe that all of these factors have influeced the rise of the Mormon Mommy Bloggers.

The theory that holds the most water for me is that these women, who are so bright and have so much talent, have finally been given a platform that allows them to share their ideas in a way that doesn't take them away from their vital work as mothers in the home.

Blogging has given a public voice to these women that does not require them to compromise their beliefs or their values. And they have a lot to say.

What do you think? Have you noticed this trend? I'd love to hear your thoughts.