Ten Times a Moth Storyteller
It’s an odd thing to step up to a microphone in front of a crowded bar, look out at 200+ people, many of them drinking alcohol, and hoping you can say something that will move or shock them. Odder still, is realizing the past event which has best prepared you for this moment is fast and testimony meeting.
Really, it’s the same thing. Step up to the microphone. No props or notes. Start talking about the moments and realizations that matter most.
On Tuesday night, after a multi-year break which included a global pandemic and a personal mental health crisis, I again participated in a StorySLAM hosted by The Moth. It was my 10th time performing there. I’m officially double digits when it comes to sharing intensely personal experiences with a room full of strangers. This time, the crowd at The Blind Pig in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan heard me recount the darkest night on my mission—the night I helped perform a Mormon-style exorcism. But this post isn’t about that story.
At The Moth, I’ve told stories so personal and revealing I would never repeat them in cozier surroundings, like the living room at home or the breakroom at work to trusted colleagues. Only in a crowded bar do I let my proverbial hair down. Though, if The Moth ever wishes, they can replay the audio/video of my performance on the radio and internet.
The Moth, based in New York City, offers a less-formal, scrappier format than TEDx, but they draw some of the same high-profile talent to their main events, held in Broadway-sized houses. In my opinion though, the best magic happens at the local level in StorySLAMs. Folks like me can put our names in a bag and hope to be chosen at random to spend 5 minutes telling a true story live.
It should come as no surprise that Mormons join in at The Moth. I’m going to share links to two true stories by master Mormon storytellers. I encourage you to listen to one or both, and then come back here to share your reactions.
A College Kid Comes Out to his Bishop at BYU
“I hoped that the stories I had been taught as a child would be strong enough to protect me from a future I had been taught to fear.”
A BYU undergrad going through his pre-mission worthiness interview comes out to his bishop. Need I say more? This 7-minute story plays out as a classic and heartfelt priesthood lottery experience. It draws on the emotional fallout of the dreaded PoX of 2015. Give it a try.
A 20-Something Mormon Confronts Her Parents About Sex
“I started to cry because I think how sad it is. Like, is this what being an adult is? You can’t talk about your life to your parents anymore?”
Elna Baker recounts flying all the way to Russia to confess to her parents that she has lost her virginity. Why would someone fly halfway around the world to confess to their parents? Well, I shouldn’t have to explain that to Mormons, but it turns out Elna has a very specific reason she must do this. Her time is running out!
Questions for Discussion
Now that you have hopefully listened to one of the above stories, let’s talk. What were your impressions of the stories? Have you had similar experiences or different? In what ways? If you have been to the Moth, what was your experience? If you go to a future Moth StorySLAM, what Mormon story might you tell?
Wheat & Tares 
Thx for sharing your Moth experiences; that is a program that we greatly enjoy (on KUER, Salt Lake City’s NPR connection). And the Mormon-related talks were good and insightful.
Thanks for reading, Raymond. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Jake, is there a recording of your exorcism story?
I’m not good at dramatic storytelling, but I will tell you a micro story.
My mother had been struggling and on one particular occasion I had found her in a state of distress. She did not seem herself and at the time I thought she was acting as if possessed. Looking back it was definitely a mental health crisis. I was able to connect her with the bishop who was able to get her both some immediate and professional help.
I was a little shaken up by the experience and sought my grandpa for some counseling and a blessing. I had told him about what had just happened and the concerns I had. In the blessing he cast “unclean spirits” out of me. I found it odd, the opposite of comforting, and it didn’t really change how I felt. There was no explanation or elaboration. I was left to wonder why he did that. My grandpa was an emeritus member of the Q70 and I figured he knew better than I did. At the time I decided I must have had some unclean spirits I didn’t know about dwelling in my body and impacting my life. The reality is that the blessing he gave me didn’t change my circumstances at all. The things that were going well in my life continued going well and the struggles remained struggles. If anything I found the opposite of the peace and comfort I was seeking and I remember feeling cold.
That “blessing” haunted me for a long time. I believed that because things never really changed for me, I must have still been inhabited by unclean spirits. Every fast Sunday for a number of years following, I would fast and pray for any unclean spirits in my body to leave. I’m not really sure when or why I stopped doing that, but I did eventually stop. Maybe it was the unclean spirits that made me stop believing and forget about them.
Hi Waterbear! The Moth has recorded audio and video for the story, which now gets filed away digitally in their archive no doubt. Essentially, the story belongs to them now, and given the sheer number of stories they amass in a given year, its unlikely the performance will surface again on the air. And that’s fine. All the joy and fulfillment for me culminates in the applause, and the chance to stand on stage at the end of the night shaking hands, and occasionally even hugging strangers. The Moth is a pretty good place to shelve a story.
Thank you for sharing some of your experiences here. I’m sorry for the unclean spirits experience. I can appreciate how it stayed with you in a negative way. There are experiences I’ve had with prayer, blessings, even a funeral speaker or two where the words seemed heavy-handed and self-gratifying for the person speaking. Hopefully in this case, the fact it stopped in time has been part of your own process of growth and true emotional healing. Thanks again, for sharing it with us here