A Personal Update + An Invite to Connect

A photo I took of a tree in my neighborhood

I started on Substack years ago after transitioning from Medium, and yet aside from publishing a Substack column in Wayfare Magazine, I haven’t been terribly active on this platform. I certainly haven’t made much of an effort to connect and build community here.

I want to change that in a few ways.

First, I want to post here monthly.

Second, I want to connect with people who are interested in the same question I’m primarily interested in, which is: How do we find deep meaning, purpose, and community in an age that feels shorn of these ideals — an age where religion and secularism so often both feel… inert?

My question is colored, of course, by my upbringing as an American Mormon who grew up in (and who still lives in) Utah. I mention this because my question isn’t theoretical for me. I long to celebrate the best of the culture I was given while transcending the worst of it, all while embracing the reality that my life exists here, in this place.

With that in mind, I’m primarily looking to connect either with people who also live in Utah (particularly Utah County) or people who are living with this same question in other contexts. I want to learn what’s working elsewhere, what’s bringing new life into a variety of “post-secular” contexts. How are you bringing the best of, say, Catholicism, Buddhism, Stoicism, secular humanism, etc. into new ways of being in your community to help people find the deep meaning and purpose that’s so often, in my opinion, missing from a strictly secular life? That’s what I’m interested in.

If you’re interested in the same thing, I’d love to connect in the comments, via a direct message, through email, and so on.

To more clearly illustrate what I’m exploring and with the hope it sparks the connection I’m seeking, here are some of the projects I’m working on.

Uplift Kids: A curriculum and lesson library for families looking to explore timeless values and expansive spirituality regardless of belief or disbelief. It’s a fit for nontraditional religious participants, mixed-faith families, and families who have left religion — a resource to help all families enjoy a regular rhythm and structure in the home. We also offer family camps, parenting retreats, a local monthly meetup, and more. This is my full-time work and my primary project, and it grew out of my personal longing to give my kids a foundation of values and spirituality after I experienced what’s commonly called a “faith crisis” more than a decade ago. (If this project speaks to you, I’d love to chat, especially if you live in Utah County. We’re always looking for collaborators!)

Lower Lights: A mindfulness community led by meditation teacher Thomas McConkie. I’ve been involved in Lower Lights since it started more than a decade ago, and I’m still highly invested, having participated in many week-long silent retreats, weekend retreats, a nine-month cohort program exploring adult development, and much more. I’ve met some of my favorite people in the world here (Uplift Kids grew out of friendships I formed at Lower Lights), and I call it home. If you’re interested in mindfulness and meditation, check it out. I’d love to see you there.

Monthly Mindfulness Gathering: I’ve been facilitating a mindfulness gathering once a month for more than two years, currently at The Compass Gallery in downtown Provo. It consists of meditation practice and conversation about a different timeless value each month, and the people who come never cease to amaze me with their warmth and brilliance. If you’re interested, join the mailing list.

Faith Matters: Faith Matters holds expansive conversations related to Mormonism, often at the Compass Gallery. I’m such a fan of their events, and I admire the people on their team tremendously.

Wayfare Magazine: As I mentioned, I’ve been writing a column at Wayfare Magazine (a Faith Matters project) named “One Step Enough.” The pieces that seem to have resonated most include:

• “Love Does Not Insist on Its Own Way”

• “God Is Bigger: A Both-And Church”

• “My Search for Expansive Spirituality”

• “Expand Enough and You’ll Go Local”

Center for Expanding Compassion: A nonprofit led by Jordan Harmon, therapist and owner of Harmon therapy. We put on a community service night earlier this year where different local service organizations gathered in one place to showcase what they do. We also host a monthly community home evening to nurture belonging.

Mormon Transhumanist Association: I don’t know if I consider myself a transhumanist (especially if doing so requires believing that we should all embed AI into our brains or anything along those lines!), but I enjoy the MTA’s monthly meetups in Provo because I like talking about Mormonism and science fiction, and that’s what they tend to be about. A place for fun, weird, sprawling conversations with good people.

Teaching at Church: I hesitate to share this because I feel like I’ll be misunderstood as being a progressive Mormon, a centrist Mormon, or a Mormon apologist, but I currently teach the men in my LDS congregation once a month. My intention is simply to cultivate goodwill and nurture sincere spiritual experiences while maintaining ties to my root tradition.

Additional local projects that enliven me:

• Haymitch St. Stephen designs transformative experiences and leads a regular mindfulness group in Midway and Provo. I’m always amazed at what Haymitch is doing and am following (and am in conversation about) his future projects!

• Harmony Road Retreats from Tucker Boyle helps people navigate faith crises while respecting each person’s individual journey.

• Awakening Valley Sangha is a Buddhist community in the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. I’ve attended semi-regularly (not as often as I would like!) for nearly a decade.

If you live in the area, what other projects are you aware of? I’d love to know.

If any of these things interest you, send a message or leave a comment!

Best,
Jon