About a month ago, I attended Time Out for Women in Raleigh, North Carolina, and enjoyed hearing Zandra Vranes and Tamu Smith speak. They were a pair of fun and dynamic speakers, with unique and thoughtful insights into Bible stories and life itself. They are also the authors of Diary of Two Mad Black Mormons.
Written as a series of diary entries, the "sistas" reflect on gospel lessons found in their everyday lives. They cover a wide range of topics, from "Dysfunctional Families Are Forever" to "Set Your Standards High So You Can Fly," and my personal favorite, "Don't Save the Drama for Mama," but the theme that runs through this book is learning to love Jesus and turn your life over to him.
Zandra Vranes and Tamu Smith share the gospel as they've learned it, bravely sharing stories from their childhood and youth that don't always portray themselves in the best light as they, like anybody, have needed to pass through hard things to find and follow Jesus.
The book is full of good choices and bad, real-life encounters with service, forgiveness, family drama, what it's like being the only black family at a Mormon church, and a healthy dose of "black momma sayings" (their words, not mine).
We are all individuals. There is such a range of personalities, choices, and life experiences, that I think it would be a mistake to assume any one book can represent the thoughts, feelings, and life experience of all black (or even African-American) Mormons - or Korean Mormons or Southern Baptists or --well, you get the idea. And yet, experiencing the gospel through the eyes of someone with a different life, culture, or race does help me feel more strongly connected with Saints all over the world.
I'm very glad I read this book. It was an enjoyable read, and helped me focus on the core of the gospel (as opposed to the pseudo-culture that is sometimes associated with the gospel). I felt closer to these great sisters in Zion, and appreciated their courage in sharing their views and experiences with the world.
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