Christian Kimball is a ‘retired’ bishop, a ‘retired’ professor, and a ‘retired’ lawyer. Linda and Christian live in the mountains of Utah and travel frequently to visit their 11 grandchildren and their grandchildren’s parents.
Son of well-educated, white, upper-middle class, multi-generation Mormon parents. Grandson of an LDS Church president. Until age 40 he checked every box, including serving as a bishop in the 1990s. Shortly after release from that calling, he returned his temple recommend and has refused to sit for any kind of worthiness interview since.
1. Grow Up
Get yourself into an adult-to-adult relationship with the institution, with the leaders, and with your fellow members in the pews.
2. Break the binaries.
Don’t get stuck in true/false or in/out. There are options and variations and middle grounds.
3. Quit the magical thinking. [“magical thinking” probably doesn’t make sense in advance; it’s one of the phrases that requires some unpacking; but once you get it, it’s a good memory job]
The world is a complicated, uncertain place. There are no certainties, no sure things.
4. Develop a wisdom practice.
Think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, insight.
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