Segullah Magazine & Diet Coke

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by Seattle Jon (bio)

I gave my wife a subscription to Segullah for Christmas and her Spring issue arrived a few weeks ago. A few days later, I was verbally ordered to read the magazine. “Isn’t it a magazine for mormon women?” I asked. She pointed to the photograph on the back cover, a picture of sunglasses and a can of diet coke. I habitually reached for the soft drink, cursing Charlie (and Segullah) for taking advantage of my weakness for the fizzy drink.

The magazine isn’t thick – I read the issue in one sitting. The articles, poems and art were all well done, and some of the content was exceptional. There were no ads to distract my attention. I felt a range of emotions while reading – sadness, empathy, fear, joy, love – and once or twice felt a strong connection to what I was reading. For example, in Jessica Rasmussen's Making Footprints, she talks about what seems to happen when more babies arrive. I knew I was reading something important, something I should reflect on frequently as I interact with my own children. I'm not exactly sure why this happens, but it does.

"Another baby arrived - turned toddler - turned little girl. I learned another way. A way where I seemed to give less to everyone. A way divided. The sum of my parts was now less than the whole of me."

In short, I think this magazine should be in every mormon home. Just make sure the back cover – with the picture of the diet coke – isn’t resting on top of your copy of the Ensign. Just in case diet coke really is against the word of wisdom.