Deborah laake is the author of secret ceremonies 3. Rather the better question is, was deborah laakes mental illness a result of being traumatized by the mormonlds church or by other factors. A question to long time exmos fear of leaving recovery. Number of german priest ordinations plummets to new low. This book landed in my lap via my husband who heard it mentioned in a crime podcast and was aware that i recently read several memoirs within this genre. Preface the author first became interested in researching the mormon church when he was given a copy of the book of mormon and was told that it had been translated from some golden plates that. I think it was in deborah laakes book secret ceremonies where she described how a perfect mormon wifes weekly duties included cleaning and organizing all the kitchen drawers that includes the catch all drawer we all have in addition to daily duties of cooking, canning and taking care of children, and cleaning the entire house. She attended byu, married and divorced three times and eventually left the lds church. Deborah laake was really deborah elspeth legler who was born in clearwater, florida in 1952. Some of the books on that shelf might include deborah laakes groundbreaking 2003 memoir, secret ceremonies, and more recent books such as jane barnes intriguing falling in love with joseph smith and joanna brooks heartfelt, embracing book. Deborah laake was a staff writer and columnist for the dallas morning news and editor and executive at new times. Jun 30, 2016 some of the books on that shelf might include deborah laakes groundbreaking 2003 memoir, secret ceremonies, and more recent books such as jane barnes intriguing falling in love with joseph smith and joanna brooks heartfelt, embracing book of mormon girl, both published in 2012. After being turned down by 12 publishing houses, the memoir she wrote about her mormon. This nice contrast from secret ceremonies and deborah laakes hysteria is a huge asset of this book.
So long story short is i was preparing for my mission and i came across the book. How i left the mormon church memoirs are a substantial subcategory of mormon womens memoirs, including such classics as ann eliza youngs wife no. Writing in religion news service, jana riess characterizes secret ceremonies as a goforthejugular expose typical of the exmormon memoirs of her era. There is a book out on the mormon way of doing business. Jul 25, 1993 deborah laake is pretty darned flabbergasted by the way her book, secret ceremonies, is being received. Secret ceremonies is the story of the awakening of deborah laake, who came of age in the early seventies in a manner that would have appeared outofstep but certainly not tumultuous to an outsider. Elsewhere, bob has provided editorial work on books by sidney sheldon, barbara bush, caroline kennedy, prince charles with jonathan dimbleby, debbie reynolds, anne edwards, and charles grodin. Laakes book became a sizzling new york times bestseller at least in. Deborah laakes book secret ceremonies answered quite a few of my questions. We are trained from a young age to learn skills that can be transferred to the business world. I think it was in deborah laakes book secret ceremonies where she described how a perfect mormon wifes weekly duties included cleaning and organizing all the kitchen drawers that includes the catch. Laakes book became a sizzling new york times bestseller at least in part because it provides readers titillating access to shocking insider information about mormon temple ceremonies and the.
Im not going to spoil the climax of this pageturner, but i will say that its the perfect companion see what i did there. At one point, i found myself sitting in the public library reading deborah laakes book secret ceremonies. Deborah laake is pretty darned flabbergasted by the way her book, secret ceremonies, is being received. In this book, deborah laake, a former member of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, chronicles her experiences with mormonism. As of last sunday, deborah laakes book secret ceremonies sat at no. A mormon womans intimate diary of marriage and beyond by deborah laake. Several leading church scholars have been excommunicated or disfellowshipped for apostasy, or acting in public opposition to the church or its leaders. Laake has betrayed the trust of the people of her former. Likewise, my introduction to mountain meadows came from.
Deborah laake 1953 february 6, 2000 was a columnist at the dallas morning news in the 1980s and later a staff writer, columnist, editor, and executive at the phoenix new times. Laake has betrayed the trust of the people of her former church. Laake didnt know that her mental illness would return or that she was developing breast cancer and that she would eventually take her own life february 6, 2000 when she was putting the finishing touches on this book back. In spite of oaths that would require bodily harm if she shared any information about the secret ceremonies, laake allows her readers to join her in the temple ceremonies which bound her to her first husband in this life and the afterlife. In summer stock in her teens, she appeared with dan dailey in take me along, with andy williams in bye bye birdie, and in annie get your gun. I first learned about the temple and what happened. Deborah laake was really deborah elspeth legler who was born. In the introduction, the author says that many times she gave up on writing this book. After being turned down by 12 publishing houses, the memoir she wrote about her. This, i believe, is the better question because it elevates this intriguing and riveting book.
The book secret ceremonies makes for a fascinating case study and not just the one that the author was aiming for. During the late twentieth century, two mormon womens autobiographies gained widespread attention in the united states. April 1993 as cited in deborah laake, secret ceremonies. A mormon womans intimate diary of marriage and beyond, a candid and critical account of her experiences growing up and marrying as a member of the.
Seven times mormon womens memoirs changed the conversation. A mormon womans intimate diary of marriage and beyond. A member of the mormon church describes the voodoolike rituals and behaviors revealed to her on her. Silly account of life in the lds church and with a couple of rigid mormon men. Secret ceremonies is laakes comingofage story about her life as a mormon wife and woman. A mormon womans intimate diary of marriage and beyond new york. The book is written in first hand experience of deborah laakes journey from innocents in the mormon culture to awareness of how the mormon culture is really. Also of help in providing information andor evaluating early drafts of this essay. Sep 28, 2014 with pros and cons, and the latter prevail, but regina tries to be fair. This is my first time posting and i have a question i was hoping you guys could answer. Secret ceremonies navy general library program downloadable. There is nothing wrong with having secret ceremonies or alternative beliefs.
Secret ceremonies by deborah laake, paperback barnes. A member of the mormon church describes the voodoolike rituals and behaviors revealed to her on her wedding day and the male dominance, strange teachings, and. She was famous for her 1993 book entitled secret ceremonies in which she criticized the. Fortunately for exmormon deborah laake, author of a sudsy new autobiography, secret ceremonies 240 pages. A candid, often startling memoir of the authors life as a mormon wife. I think its when i discovered about the secret underwear i always wondered what else was hidden from me. Jul 10, 2017 secret ceremonies, by deborah laake 1993. Preface the author first became interested in researching the mormon church when he was given a copy of the book of mormon and was told that it had been translated from some golden plates that god had given to twentyone year old joseph smith in the early eighteen hundreds in new england. This book landed in my lap via my husband who heard it mentioned in a crime podcast and was. Judith freeman is set free by the truth of her mormon. A candid, often startling memoir of the author s life as a mormon wife. The mormons have lost millions since deborah laakes book secret ceremonies was published and made the new york times best seller. She was famous for her 1993 book entitled secret ceremonies.
In 1994, she narrated the audio book version of columnist deboarah laakes book secret ceremonies. With pros and cons, and the latter prevail, but regina tries to be fair. I first learned about the temple and what happened inside from deborah laake. Deborah laakes book, secret ceremonies, set off a debate about how women in the church are treated. A mormon womans intimate diary of marriage and beyond william morrow. I walk home from work most days and on a one mile stretch of that walk, on western avenue in the allston neighborhood of boston, this ad appears on no fewer than three bus stop. Secret ceremonies is the story of the awakening of deborah laake, who came of age in the early seventies i. Consider converting to mormonism to score yourself. This, i believe, is the better question because it elevates this intriguing and riveting book past its banal particulars to far more valuable universal questions. A mormon womans intimate diary of marriage and beyond laake, deborah on. Secret ceremonies is the story of the awakening of deborah laake.
Seven years before my colleague deborah laake slaughtered herself, she wrote a famous mormonbashing book, secret ceremonies. May 22, 20 my nonmormon friends and i responded to the everpresence of mormonism within our lives by reading a lot of antimormon literature. As i read the section where she described the pre1990 temple ceremony which i had gone through. If the authors are serious, this is a silly, distasteful book. Several leading church scholars have been excommunicated or disfellowshipped for. This book is an easy read, and doesnt really give an entire picture so that the readers can judge freely. Craig foster provided essential genealogical information concerning the family background and other information relative to deborah laake along with information concerning laake s varied activities in salt lake city during the 1970s. Ever since the execrable roosh valizadeh decided hed rather be a patriarch than a pickup artist, he and the writers on his return of kings garbage site have been singing the praises of tradi. Her book was one of the first to cash in on the ongoing memoir craze and was best known for laakes mocking, detailed revelation of topsecret mormon temple ceremonies and, oddly enough. I read the late deborah laakes secret ceremonies years ago and she talks about how, even though she had left the church a couple of decades before, she was still shocked that her close.
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