Mormon Stories Podcast Celebrating Carol Lynn Pearson | Ep. 2123
Mar 13, 2026
Carolyn Pearson, beloved Mormon author, poet, feminist, and activist whose diaries and books chronicled women’s and LGBTQ+ struggles. Tamara Wright, longtime friend, offers warm personal memories. Barbara Jones-Brown, Signature Books editor, explains the diary publication and historical framing. They celebrate Pearson’s activism, diary project, advocacy for ERA and LGBTQ+ inclusion, and her lasting cultural influence.
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Episode notes
Diaries As Primary Historical Source
- Carolyn began keeping near-daily diaries at 17 and later treated them as a primary historical resource.
- Barbara Jones-Brown and Signature Books curated 700,000 words into four volumes; Volume 1 covers 1956–1990 and reveals insider LDS context and social change.
Caring For Gerald During The AIDS Crisis
- Carolyn cared for her former husband Gerald when he contracted AIDS and wrote Goodbye I Love You about that hospice period.
- Her public compassion shifted Mormon and national perceptions of gay men during the 1980s AIDS crisis and led to wide media attention.
Feminism Rooted In Teen Diary Entries
- At 17 Carolyn wrote objections to the idea of eternal polygamy and domestic roles taught in seminary and Sunday school.
- Her early entries (1956–1957) show an innate feminist conscience that framed decades of activism and writing.
