Hi. My name is Susan Noyes Anderson (Sue), and I am happy to be joining the creative team here at Mormon Women. I’ve been aware of the site for some time through my blog pal, Michelle, and I hope I can contribute something of value to this wonderful community of writers, readers, and commenters who are linked by their shared interest in Mormonism. As a member of the LDS Church, I look forward to participating on a site where I can rub shoulders with others, both of my religion and not of my religion, with a view toward increasing our mutual understanding. Hey, finding out what makes other people tick is always a good thing, right?

I was raised in Southern California, the second child of a lovable but imperfect family that included three sisters, one brother, and me. My childhood was basically a joyful one, but as often happens, there were a few traumas along the way. Not the least of these was when my father, a bishop in our church, fell away from our religion and moved us rather abruptly to a new area. I was eleven years old at the time and held tightly through my junior high and high school years to the beliefs that had always anchored me. In college, however, I went through a time of questioning, testing the veracity and validity of everything I had been taught as a child. Over time, I proved to myself that the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, as I knew it, was true. Because I am a pretty thorough investigator, this was a long process, but I began to re-establish my ties with the Church shortly after marrying the man I’d been dating steadily for three years. Happily, he was a Mormon, too, (though a completely disinterested one) because we eventually became active in our local ward together and were sealed in the temple a couple of years later.

Neither of us does things halfheartedly, so we threw ourselves into church activity and had wonderful experiences as a result. Our life together has been filled with good friends, strong family ties, meaningful pursuits, and significant spiritual experiences. Today my husband is the bishop of a singles ward, attended by young men and women from the ages of 18 to 30. I teach Relief Society in our family ward and try to stay somewhat involved there while maintaining a close connection to the ward my husband now attends. Sometimes, this is quite a balancing act, but it is also deeply satisfying on many levels.

My interests are varied, but motherhood and writing are where I live. I have four grown children, three grandchildren, and a blog. I also maintain a poetry site that includes nearly 200 of my poems, and I look forward to sharing some of my work here as well. By the way, I’ve authored three books: two of the self-help variety, with the third being a coffee table book of photographs and poetry.

I look forward to getting to know all of you better!