Exponent II facts for kids

Exponent II is a special magazine published four times a year. It's the longest-running independent publication made for Latter-day Saint women. It started in 1974 in Massachusetts. The people who created it said it was like a "spiritual grandchild" of an older magazine called Woman's Exponent, which began 100 years before.

You can still get a printed copy of Exponent II. It has also been available online since 2007. The Exponent II group also holds yearly get-togethers (called retreats) since the 1980s. They also support a blog called The Exponent.

History of Exponent II Magazine

The Exponent II Board poses on the John Harvard Statue in Harvard Square in 1974; the board in 2014.

In 1970, a magazine for Latter-day Saint women, the Relief Society Magazine, became part of a larger church magazine called the Ensign. Because of this change, a group of Latter-day Saint women in Cambridge, Massachusetts decided to start their own independent magazine. They launched Exponent II in 1974.

Some of the founding women included Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Claudia Bushman, Carrell Hilton Sheldon, Judy Dushku, and Sue Booth-Forbes. They were inspired by two things: finding old copies of the Woman's Exponent magazine from 100 years ago, and a suggestion from a church leader in Boston, Richard Bushman.

The group had already worked together on other projects. They wrote a book called Mormon Sisters: Women in Early Utah. They also helped create a special issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought that focused on women.

Early on, the official LDS Church Historian, Leonard J. Arrington, supported their work. They even received a small grant to help with library and copying costs. The magazine was put together in the homes of the group members.

The first issue of Exponent II had a headline that said, "Am I Not a Woman and a Sister?" It included articles about the Equal Rights Amendment, poems, and stories about Latter-day Saint women who were leaders, scholars, and business owners. It also shared information about study groups and retreats.

After the first issue, some church leaders expressed concerns about the magazine. Because of this, Claudia Bushman stepped down as editor. Nancy Dredge then became the new editor.

The women formed a non-profit organization that is not officially connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was first called Mormon Sisters, Inc., and later became Exponent II, Inc. This organization still exists today. In the 1970s, some members of the Relief Society General Board were not allowed to subscribe to Exponent II. However, some subscribed secretly using their husbands' names.

The magazine started publishing online in 2007. In 2014, a special event was held in Boston to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Many of the original founders and current leaders attended.

In 2017, the Exponent II Board announced that a former treasurer had misused funds. New financial safety measures were put in place to prevent this from happening again.

Goals and Approach of the Journal

When Exponent II first started, it focused on two main ideas: Mormonism and feminism. Over time, it has continued to focus on the experiences and concerns of Latter-day Saint women from a feminist point of view.

By 1984, the magazine aimed to publish articles on topics important to women. It wanted to be an "open forum" where different types of writing could be shared. The magazine focuses mostly on Latter-day Saint topics. It aims to be open-minded and fair, and it is independent from the official church leaders.

Even though the Church doesn't have an official position on the magazine, some leaders in 1974 reportedly called it "Claudia Bushman’s Women’s Lib magazine." Some of the main topics the magazine covers include the challenges women face in modern life, like family demands, and different roles and ways of living for women.

Publication and Staff

Exponent II is published four times a year in a magazine format. When it first started, it grew very quickly. Within its first year, it had over 4,000 subscribers from all over the United States and other countries. This was much more than their goal of 500 subscribers.

Since 2016, Margaret Olsen Hemming has been the Editor-in-Chief. Before her, there were several other editors, including Claudia Bushman, Nancy T. Dredge, Susan E. Howe, Susan Paxman, Jenny Atkinson, and co-editors Aimee Evans Hickman and Emily Clyde Curtis.

There is also a Managing Editor, Pandora Brewer, who oversees how the magazine is made. Other editors handle art, layout, and specific sections. A very popular section from the beginning has been the Sisters Speak column. In this section, a question is asked, and readers write in to share their thoughts and debate the topic.

Artwork for the magazine, especially for the cover, is often created by the production team members or by other Latter-day Saint women artists. Some issues of the magazine have listed more than 40 volunteers who help in different ways.

You can buy Exponent II by subscribing to either the print or online versions. You can also buy single issues from 2014 onwards. Some older issues are available online for free. The magazine usually has between 16 and 40 pages.

Magazine Archive

You can find a large collection of older Exponent II issues online. These are scanned copies and are available for free. Also, Susan Paxman, who was the editor for the longest time, gave a collection of records about the magazine's work from 1977 to 1990 to Brigham Young University in Utah.

Exponent II Retreats

Since the 1980s, the Exponent II organization has held yearly get-togethers in the eastern United States. These events are called retreats. At these retreats, members and others can discuss important topics and share their experiences. These events are very popular and often sell out quickly.

The Exponent Blog

In January 2005, Caroline Kline, Jana Remy, and Deborah Farmer started a related blog called The Exponent. They did this with the approval of the Exponent II editorial board. More than two dozen writers regularly contribute to the blog. It also includes materials for Relief Society lessons written from a Latter-day Saint feminist viewpoint.

Other Publications

The Exponent II organization has also created and sold some other items. These include a coloring book called "Illuminating Ladies" with biographies of 25 Latter-day Saint women. They also published "Habits of Being: Mormon Women's Material Culture," which is a book of essays and poetry. Authors in this book include Jana Riess, Linda Kimball, and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. They have also sold a set of Latter-day Saint feminist stickers. Another book they sell is "All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir" by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Emma Lou Thayne.

How Exponent II is Run

Exponent II is managed by its Board. The Board is led by a President, Vice-President, and Treasurer. It also includes the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, two representatives from the Blog, and the Retreats Coordinator. There is also a group of Emeritus Board Members, who are past leaders, including Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Judy Dushku.