In our final conversation with Dr Margaret Toscano, we’ll discuss the chapter in Sara Patterson’s book, “The Sept 6 & the Struggle for the Soul of Mormonism.” Margaret will discuss her and her husband Paul’s reaction to Sara’s descriptions of them in the book. Check out our conversation…

https://youtu.be/LqxYh6QHY3E

Don’t miss our other conversations about the Sept Six: https://gospeltangents.com/mormon_history/sept-six/

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Gospel Tangents

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More than two decades after the events known as the “Sept 6,” Margaret Toscano offers a candid look back, reflecting on the pain of excommunication, the evolution of her personal beliefs, and how she and her husband, Paul Toscano, hope to be remembered beyond that defining moment. Margaret highlights what she feels Patterson’s book misses about her and others’ journeys since 2003.

Toscano reveals that her 2003 interview, featured in the book, captured a time of significant pain. Being kicked out of one’s church, even for someone who might not be a “Believer,” is deeply painful, particularly when it’s tied to one’s heritage and family, a sentiment she notes is also true for others like David Wright. She is proud of her ability to navigate that pain and notes the documentation of it in the book is important.

Contrary to advice she received to simply “walk away” from Mormonism to heal, Toscano felt compelled to stay engaged. She identifies as Mormon, distinguishing this from being LDS (a member of the LDS Church), and views it as her ethnicity and heritage. This identity is crucial to her, and she has continued to write, research, and discuss Mormon issues, currently working on a book about Heavenly Mother..

Over the past twenty years, Toscano’s spiritual journey has evolved. While not a “true believing Mormon,” she has reached a point where she can openly say she is a Believer on some level, a stance she felt ashamed of years ago. Her ideas of God are complex and not aligned with traditional Mormon views, but she believes in God, an afterlife, and the soul. She describes herself as a “skeptic believer,” a person who doubts everything but has also had experiences that affirm her faith. Crucially, she feels able to claim her spirituality openly, something she couldn’t do as easily two decades prior. She asserts that being a scholar and an intellectual is compatible with having faith.

A major point of reflection for Toscano is the legacy she and Paul desire. They explicitly state they do not want the September Six to be the sole definition of who they were. Margaret doesn’t want to be remembered “simply as a dissident,” nor does Paul want to be remembered simply as one of the Sept 6.

Toscano highlights that Paul’s faith journey continued significantly after 2007, when the book reportedly leaves him having lost his faith. Paul has since “found his faith again,” seeing himself as a Mormon Christian with a deep testimony of Jesus Christ, which informs his interpretation of the Book of Mormon and his extensive writing. Margaret is immensely proud of Paul’s intellectual output, which includes some fifteen books—theology, memoir, novels, essays, and more. She wishes for him to be remembered primarily as a “man of Mormon letters,” an important Mormon intellectual, and a brilliant writer.

As for herself, Toscano hopes to be remembered as an important Mormon scholar and a beloved teacher at the University of Utah, emphasizing her continued work and care for the Mormon community. She underscores the importance of remembering and being remembered, noting her critique that the book overlooks the continued contributions and experiences of many involved in the 1993 events, including her own work and relationships since 2003.

Toscano also touches on the changes she’s observed in Mormon studies and at the Sunstone conference, where she was a frequent participant for decades.. She feels Mormon studies has become polarized, with some scholars unwilling to cite excommunicated individuals like herself. Sunstone, she believes, has shifted from a strong emphasis on scholarship, which included diverse perspectives from theologians, philosophers, and social scientists, to focusing more on personal experiences. This shift, she suggests, has made it harder for active, questioning church members, who previously found a space there, to feel represented or find sessions relevant to them. She notes the current dynamic often includes Community of Christ members, fundamentalists, and “angry ex-Mormons,” with less middle ground for scholarship or differing points of view from within the church. Despite the changes, she’s glad Sunstone continues.

In reflecting on her life and work, Margaret Toscano makes clear that while the September Six was a significant event, it is only one chapter in a long and complex story of scholarship, faith, pain, resilience, and an enduring connection to her Mormon heritage

What are your thoughts on Margaret’s scholarship, Sunstone, & the September Six?

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Gospel Tangents

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