Court of Love

Scatter rose petals in a pathway to your plush bed. Dim the lights, and strike a match to light sensuous candles. Play a little smooth jazz.

It's time to get in the mood for your court of love, baby!

Because what could be more romantic, more deliriously seductive, than a Mormon excommunication trial?! Don't forget to bring your naughty knickers and some godly sorrow dipped in chocolate!

SCENTS

"Court of Love" appeals to your sense of amour. It smells like fresh roses and is a wonderful romantic gift for that special someone in your life. Whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or an upcoming "court of love", this candle will deliver a perfect blend of romance and giggles.

•  Top Notes: Green Leaves, Morning Dew

•  Middle Notes: Rose, Carnation, Ylang Ylang

•  Base Notes: Rose, Peppercorn, Powder, Godly Sorrow

CANDLE INSPIRATION

Court of Love. n. what the Mormon Church calls their excommunication trials

Yes, they call it a court of love.

A name so ridiculous it just needed a candle!

Once excommunicated, your eternal ties to your family are severed. You become someone whose words are immediately dismissed by the majority of faithful Latter-day Saints. You become a social pariah. Being excommunicated means that priesthood authority has declared you to be among the worst of humanity.

Very loving, right?

Well, perhaps you're thinking that some people deserve such harsh punishments. Surely, truly wicked actions merit such measures?

I'll let you be the judge.

Here are some folks who've been excommunicated from the Mormon Church:

• In 2021, the LDS Church excommunicated sex therapist Natasha Helfer for, among other things, her public views that masturbation is a healthy part of sexuality and her open support of gay marriage. She also publicly criticized church leaders, and as we know, Satan really has to have a hold on you for you to do something as drastic as that!

How could she?!

• In 2018, the church excommunicated Sam Young for advocating for an end to the practice of bishops asking children sexually explicit questions in one-on-one interviews behind closed doors. I myself was subjected to extremely invasive sexual questioning as a teenager, and it traumatized me. But, as Dallin H. Oaks said in 2007, "It's wrong to criticize leaders of the church, even if the criticism is true." And that's exactly what Sam Young did.

Vile sinner!

• In 2016, the church held a "court of love" for Jeremy Runnells for publicly asking questions of the church regarding discrepancies between what the church teaches its members and the historical record. Runnells compiled his questions into a document called the "CES Letter". As of 2016, the "CES Letter" had been downloaded approximately 600,000 times.

Sacré bleu! Iniquitous fiend!

• In 2015, the church excommunicated John Dehlin on the grounds of apostasy for his online activities. He is most famous for his Mormon Stories podcast, where he invites ex-Mormons and Mormons from a variety of backgrounds to tell their own personal stories. When I left the church, I felt alone and in complete despair. Perhaps the great sin of Mormon Stories is that it helps apostates realize that they're not alone after all.

Talk about heinous!

• In 2014, Kate Kelly was excommunicated for advocating for gender equality within the LDS Church, including by founding an organization called Ordain Women. As it currently stands, in 2021, an 11-year-old boy has more authority within the Mormon Church than a 50-year-old woman with a PhD. Unsurprisingly, Kate Kelly's work resonated with an awful lot of Mormon women.

The dregs of society!

• In 1993, a group of scholars known now as the "September Six" were all either excommunicated or disfellowshipped for publishing scholarly work regarding Mormonism that veered from approved church narratives. These ranged from discussions of Heavenly Mother by Lynne Kanavel Whitesides, to D. Michael's Quinn's writings about post-Manifesto polygamy and Mormon women exercising the priesthood in the past.

Unforgivably evil!

• In 1942, German teenager Helmuth Hübener was excommunicated for his resistance efforts against the Nazis, in violation of the counsel from prophet Heber J. Grant that German Latter-day Saints should get along with the Nazis—albeit without the normal "court of love"—ten days after his arrest by the Gestapo. Hübener was executed later that same year, and remained faithful even after being excommunicated. After the War, in 1946, his excommunication was posthumously annulled.

Yeah...

The church is also currently excommunicating faithful gay couples who get married.

But they're punishing these people out of love, they promise. (Isn't that what domestic abusers say?)

.

.

.

Pro Tip: If you find yourself hauled into a "court of love", your best shot is outwardly demonstrating as many signs as you can of "godly sorrow". You may get off, as 15-year-old me did, with merely being disfellowshipped.

Bonus Trivia: Your eyes are not deceiving you! The love interest in this movie is played by none other than actor Aaron Eckhart! (He's no longer an active Mormon.)

QUALITY + SUSTAINABILITY

All ExMo Candles are hand-poured in small batches, and each of our recipes is tweaked and tested before coming online. We take pride in the quality of our candles.

Our candles are also vegan-friendly, made and packaged sustainably, and pthalate-free. Our commitment to sustainability includes a partnership with One Tree Planted, where we donate the money to plant 100 trees for every 100 candles sold.

Finally, the removable labels on our jars make them easy to upcycle. Woohoo!

DISCREET PACKAGING

We know that you might be living with members of the church, or heck, that your mailman might be Mormon. For that reason, we've chosen not to brand our outer packaging in any way. No one will be able to tell from the outside of the box that you've ordered anything related to being an ex-Mormon. This includes the shipping label, which will simply say it's from Jen + Adri.

PRODUCT + FULFILLMENT DETAILS

The "Court of Love" candle is guaranteed to give you 40+ hours of burn time. It comes in a glass jar with an aluminum lid, and it measures 3.5" tall and 2.75" across. The net weight is 7.1 oz.

Because all ExMo Candles are handmade to order, please allow a 7-day processing time before your order ships out.