Sharlee Mullins Glenn never intended to become an activist, but her voice is now being heard across the country in an editorial published by The New York Times.
In the piece, Glenn shares her journey from a child growing up in a far-right conspiracy organization to the founder Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG), a group “to inspire women of faith to be ambassadors of peace who transcend partisanship and courageously advocate for ethical government.”
“One Sunday my mother emerged from her bedroom, her well-worn Bible in her hands, and announced that she was leaving the society,” Glenn wrote. “How long had she been contemplating this move? I don’t know. But we children were shocked. ‘Why?’ we asked. ‘Because I’ve realized it’s based in fear,’ she told us. Then she quoted from the second book of Timothy: ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.'”
According to Glenn, those words changed her life forever and became the standard by which she judges almost everything. “Is this organization, philosophy, behavior, position or policy based in fear — or love?” she adds. As she tried to find peace in a politically charged country that seemed to be thriving on both fear and moral outrage, she decided to start a small Facebook group to see if she could connect with others. The group exploded in membership and eventually became the MWEG, a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization with established chapters in nearly every state.
You can read all of Glenn’s editorial for The New York Times here.
MWEG states they “welcome all women who are willing to abide by our Six Principles of Peacemaking and who are comfortable belonging to an organization that is guided by faith and informed by the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrines of the Church.” Adapted from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Six Principles of Nonviolence, the Six Principles of Peacemaking are:
- Peacemaking is proactive and courageous.
- Peacemaking seeks to unify instead of divide.
- Peacemaking demands great tolerance for people and none for injustice.
- Peacemaking views human suffering as sacred.
- Peacemaking chooses love instead of hate.
- Peacemaking believes that ultimate peace is not only possible, but sure.
As a nonprofit organization, MWEG works through various methods, activities, and training to promote greater civic engagement, elevate public discourse, encourage and prepare women to be ethical public servants and leaders, and create a peaceful society that respects the dignity and fundamental rights of all God’s children. You can learn more about MWEG here.
Editor’s Note: As an organization, LDS Daily refrains from using the word “Mormon” as directed by the Church’s style guide. However, we respect the right of the MWEG to continue using the name of their choice and would point any concerned readers to the MWEG’s official statement on why they didn’t change their name after “months of intense prayer, scripture study, consultation, and pondering.”
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
