Lindsey Stirling was one of the performers at the recent Pioneer Day concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Hear more from Lindsey Stirling about her life, her struggles with an eating disorder (anorexia), and how she sought healing and help to (re) learn of God’s love and her identity as a child of God. Her faith helped her face and overcome her trial and flourish as an artist.

(And if you are a cereal lover, you’ll love Lindsey’s story all the more!)

The post Lindsey Stirling – Mormon.org profile appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

The post She’s a Mormon, a Comedian, and a Dreamer appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Editor’s note: Many thanks to Micah for writing this piece for Mormon Women. You can also read about Micah on her Mormon.org profile, which we found while getting this post ready! You can also find Micah at her blog, Captain Micah.

Growing up, I simply got used to my family laughing at me when I would run outside to see what was flying overhead. After all, I had known since I was six years old that I wanted to be a pilot. What had started such a dream? Was it the helicopter pilot who landed at the elementary playground for a school assembly when I was in the first grade? He did look pretty cool in that flight suit. I was drawn to every aspect of aviation, and after my introduction to it as a youngster, I desired to do nothing else for work. I loved the idea of flight. Why being in command of a giant pressurized metal tube soaring through the sky ever appealed to my childhood heart, I may never know. I do know that I love what I do, and I am enjoying every second of my job as a corporate jet pilot.

Growing up in small-town Utah didn’t offer many chances to interact with aviation. To overcome that, my mom gave me a wonderful present for my fourteenth birthday…an aviation day camp at the local university’s flight school. After completing a day covering airplane systems, weather, and flight planning, I got an entire half-hour flight in a tiny single-engine airplane. Exhilaration doesn’t begin to describe how it felt to finally be at the controls of an airplane! The smile didn’t disappear for weeks. I was hooked.

Since that wonderful day, I have attained my Private, Commercial, and Airline Transport Pilot Certificates, along with my Instrument, Single-Engine, and Multi-Engine Ratings. I am also a Certified Flight Instructor for basic, instrument, and multi-engine, so I can not only fly it all but teach it all as well. (Pilots are really humble creatures, in case you were wondering. And I know from experience). I really enjoy sharing aviation with easily-excited kids just like me. And the term “kids” is used very loosely there. I am a type-rated Captain in the Hawker Beechjet 400 and flew one for five years before recently switching to a new job flying an Embraer Phenom 300. And, yes…it’s as cool as it sounds.

I am the one in the back of a commercial airliner, hoping that the flight attendant asks, “Does anyone know how to fly this airplane?”

Most weeks for work, I leave on Monday and get home on Friday. Every week is different, which is one of the many aspects of my job that I love. Destinations change constantly, and I get the chance to explore different parts of our beautiful continent. With this new gig, there is even talk of traveling to Europe and the Caribbean. I could be bullied into such situations, if it was absolutely necessary. I am a team player, after all.

I have a blast at work but also enjoy time at home with my loving Hubby. We’ve been together since 2008 when we met in our singles ward and married in the Mesa LDS Temple. It was nice to know that we had the same goals and ideals before we even began dating! Marrying in the temple means I will be with my husband not only for this life, but for eternity. We’ve been promised that things properly sealed here on earth will be sealed in heaven, and I can’t imagine life without my sweet man.

And he does the dishes.

Though I am in love with my occupation of flying a private corporate jet for now, we have goals to grow our family in the future. My incredible mom wasn’t able to be at home to raise her four children, and I am hoping to provide a stay-at-home-atmosphere for my kids. We’re going to have two boys and a girl, in case you’re wondering.

Hubby doesn’t dare hold newborn babies yet, so we aren’t in any hurry. And I’m having a lot of fun flying a jet around the skies, so that doesn’t help, either.

In my spare time (snort), I bake cupcakes with two friends from church. We cater weddings and special events with the most decadent (and not healthy in the least) cupcakes one can imagine. It is fun working with such neat gals and having a creative outlet at home. Using it as an official excuse to eat chocolate doesn’t hurt my feelings, either.

The greatest appreciation for my work comes on late-night flights when I am so close to the beautiful stars in the sky. I marvel that we get to learn and grow in this life and be happy. I know that living the Gospel of Jesus Christ leads to happiness, and that my life is fulfilled and meaningful when I follow the example of my Savior. I feel blessed beyond measure to know that I can kneel in prayer and converse with Him. He knows me personally, and I strive every day to know Him.

I welcome comments and questions on aerodynamics, flight school preferences (North Dakota all the way!), and how to bake cupcakes to perfection. I feel so blessed to live this life and love every second of it. I can’t wait to get to know all of you better, so bring it on.

The post Portraits of Mormon Women: Micah, Corporate Jet Pilot appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

On one of our Easter Sunday posts, we featured a painting by Rose Datoc Dall, a Mormon artist. We wanted to share a little more about Rose today. Rose’s faith in and love of the gospel of Jesus Christ are an inspiration.

Rose is married and is a devoted, full-time mother to four children. She does her artwork from a studio in her home. Rose talks about her decision to be a stay-at-home mom in the Mormon.org video below, on her Mormon.org profile, or in this interview at Today’s Mama. (The Today’s Mama interview explores more about what a typical day is like for Rose, how motherhood has influenced her artwork, advice for young moms who are wondering how to balance their dreams/passions with motherhood, and more. It’s worth a read!)

Rose is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  God’s plan for families is one of the things that appealed to her about Mormonism. She writes:

I joined the Church when I was age 19 after having known about the Church most of my life since my neighbor & best friend’s family growing up is Mormon. Ever since the age of 5, I spent much time in their home and always felt a very special spirit there. I also felt the interactions in their family and attended a few church activities and met many other members of the Church and I always felt that same spirit. They radiated something and it was something that I wanted. I wanted that secret to happiness. But as a child, all these things were in the back of my mind.

It wasn’t until Rose was in college that she began an active pursuit for truth. She felt “disgruntled at the shallowness and lack of meaning in such a swirling world of ideas and pursuits having been away at college for a year and “felt that there had to be more to life than day to day existence.” Her friend sent the Mormon missionaries to her door and the message of God’s plan of happiness resonated with her.

[T]o know who God and His Son are and to know who I am was like a light switch going on. Learning about a loving Heavenly Father’s plan for happiness was like the sweetest fruit I had ever tasted. I have a purpose, life has direction and relationships and families all have meaning. I wanted to have that love in my family relationships.

You can read more about what touched her spirit and clicked in her mind at her Mormon.org profile. She also shares more about her life, family, faith, and love of art in her Mormon.org video:

Rose has painted many pieces that reflect on the Savior, on her faith, on motherhood, on womanhood. This video shows a progression of drawing studies that became paintings in her series about the early years of the Savior’s life.

The post Portraits of Mormon Women: Rose Datoc Dall appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

There’s currently lot of media activity around The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and racism after a controversial article hit the press this week. We wanted to first share some snippets from official Church statements about Mormonism and racism:

The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. The Book of Mormon states, “black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33). This is the Church’s official teaching.

People of all races have always been welcomed and baptized into the Church since its beginning. In fact, by the end of his life in 1844 Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opposed slavery. During this time some black males were ordained to the priesthood. At some point the Church stopped ordaining male members of African descent, although there were a few exceptions. It is not known precisely why, how or when this restriction began in the Church, but it has ended. [It ended in 1978.]

…

The Church’s position is clear—we believe all people are God’s children and are equal in His eyes and in the Church. We do not tolerate racism in any form….

Some have attempted to explain the reason for this restriction but these attempts should be viewed as speculation and opinion, not doctrine. The Church is not bound by speculation or opinions given with limited understanding.

(See here and here at the Church’s Newsroom site for the full text of these statements.)

We understand that some may have questions about Mormon history and this priesthood ban. But as the statement says, we don’t fully understand it. So, rather than try to participate in speculations about the whys on the priesthood ban for blacks from Mormon history, we wanted to share links to personal thoughts, experiences, and testimonies of black members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hearing their stories may help answer the question that some people may have: Why would someone who is black choose to be Mormon? We’ll let our black brothers and sisters answer that (and other questions you may have about Mormon life and beliefs) for you.

And we hope that if you have questions about this issue, that you will take your questions to the Source of answers — God, our Heavenly Father. It is through prayer and receiving answers to prayer that these people have chosen to follow this faith. Going to God with questions and relying on Him for guidance is central to Mormonism, and something we encourage anyone to do in their life, regardless of what the questions may be.

Meet Mormons of Black or African-American descent at Mormon.org

More content about and from black Mormons will be featured in posts for the rest of this week. 

The post Black Mormons and their Faith appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

See more “I’m a Mormon” videos at Mormon.org.

The post Brandon Flowers of The Killers is a Mormon appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

A few days ago as I was walking home from school with my kids I saw something that made me very happy. My neighbor’s tree was budding. Not only budding, but was already beginning to flower. My mind instantaneously started singing the words to a popular primary song we sing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Popcorn Popping. Here are the words:

I looked out the window and what did I see?
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

Spring has brought me such a nice surprise
Popcorn popping right before my eyes.

I can take an armful and make a treat.
A popcorn ball that would smell so sweet.

I wasn’t really so, but it seemed to me!
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

Spring is coming! Today I found some things online that had the same effect on me as my neighbor’s budding tree. They are videos about four different Mormon Women who are sharing with the world how the Gospel of Jesus Christ impacts their lives.

This first video is about Shannon, a Mormon woman with cerebral palsy, who served a mission for our faith in New York. Thanks to Seth Adam Smith for this video.

Next is a video featured at Mormon.org about a mormon mommy blogger named Shawni who loves photography.

And here is Rochelle, an LDS mother in Texas, who is raising four beautiful children, two of whom have special needs.

And finally here is a Mormon.org video about Daisy, a resource manager, and convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I did! Now you don’t have to wait for spring to come to your town to see something that warms your heart.

The post Making My Day appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Yvette is a single LDS woman who loves being a middle school math teacher. She received an award for excellence in science and math teaching. She notes that “There isn’t a cookie-cutter way to be a Mormon.” Her faith helps bring structure to her life. She is an avid sports fan and loves being an aunt.

Hear more from Yvette in the following Mormon.org video [which can also be found on the Church’s Mormon Messages YouTube channel]. You can read Yvette’s Mormon.org profile as well.

Meet more Mormons at mormon.org/people or on the MormonMessages YouTube Channel.

The post Meet Mormon Women: Yvette appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.