She chose to give David time only, for she would have more time with him than she ever had with Patrick, but as recompense, Patrick got time & all eternity.

“For time & all eternity” had replaced “till death us do part”. Becoming gods & goddesses had replaced becoming sexless angels.

I wanted Mother to marry David so I wouldn’t lose him if I married, for there was a part of me that knew it was I who I kept him with us.

I could not reconcile the two becoming one flesh if a third was in the mix, but then, didn’t many wonderful things have more than two components?

I never understood why someone could only have one father & mother, but numerous children; one spouse, but numerous siblings.

As a veil was placed over a bride’s face, even had a veil been placed over our consciousness at birth, so we would live by faith, not memory.

They spoke of forever families, of gods & goddesses, of spirit children conceived in celestial terms.  David said it sounded like a Greek myth.

If Mother married David, I would need never worry about losing him, for he would be ours forever.

David was perfection personified, & Mother acted like it was a sin to see only his goodness–goodness that did not abase itself to piousness.

“You’ll always be his biggest advocate,” Mother said, stroking my cheek with her finger, “just as I knew you would be, for he is your whole life.”

Logline for Because of Mindy Wiley:  An Irish-Catholic girl coming of age in the Deep South during the New Millennium finds her family splintered when two Mormon missionaries come to her door, their presence and promise unearthing long-buried family secrets, which lead to her excommunication and exile.