Would you like to tell your story? Great!
We want stories from anyone and everyone who has a connection to Mormonism. We welcome all the stories - any age (over 18), any level of participation in any of the Mormon traditions, any ethnic group or language spoken, and any affiliation with a trad We aim to have as many stories as possible to show the full spectrum of experience with Mormonism.
It's important to find an interviewer with whom you share a basic trust - it's not necessary that you know each other well, although that can be helpful. Just be sure to be comfortable with the person (or people) in the room as you share your story - we want you to be able to speak freely, without having to edit your experiences or opinion out of fear or judgment. We want you to be able to speak as authentically as possible. If you can't find a suitable interviewer, feel free to contact us and we'll try to find an interviewer in your area.
Before you sit down to be interviewed, look over the list of questions. Don't feel obligated to answer every question on the page - these are just a general guideline of what we're looking for, and prompts for the interviewer to ask if needed. Once the interview begins, speak freely! This is your story! Don't feel like you need to be polished or refined -- oral histories are often conversational and informal. We especially love to hear stories - anecdotes, attitudes, and experiences. An opinion on a topic is interesting, but an illustration of how you came to have that opinion is even more interesting. The interviewer may prompt you to clarify or ask for more detail, but this is your story to tell, not a conversation. The oral interview usually lasts between 1 and 2 hours - some are longer, but they are rarely shorter.
After the interviewer is complete, your spoken interview will be transcribed. The transcription will include the interviewer's questions, as well as your responses. The transcription will then be returned to you to read over. If you see any errors or words that were mistakenly transcribed -- or if you would like to add an explanatory or clarifying footnote -- please let us know and we will make those changes. Be sure to check spelling of people and places, as well as important dates. Then email the document (along with a signed waiver and summary form) to MormonWomenOHP@gmail.com.
If you live with a disability that makes it impossible to be orally interviewed (hearing impaired individuals, for example) we can accept written answers to our oral history topics/questions.