This is a question we recently received in response to a post about why Mormons often “have a lot of kids.”

We do believe in having children, but there are also plenty of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who adopt, and some who foster as well. The Church also provides support services for single moms and adoption services for parents interested in adoption.

As for personal stories from Mormon women about adoption/fostering, see the following posts at our site:

First Person: Adoption

Family Friday: A Mother’s Love

Links We Like: Videos on trusting God, faith and prayer, priorities

First Person: God Knows Me

First Person: Fostering Love

Relief Trip to Haiti Ends with Adoption for Mormon Couple

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~by Cheryl

Our family loves the outdoors. One of our favorite things to do is hike! My husband and I started hiking while we were dating, and we’ve continued to do so throughout the last 11 years.

Hiking is a wonderful family activity because it combines exercise, beauty, photography, discovery, conversation, and laughter. Our kids know that if mom or dad says, “Hey, you guys want to go for a hike?” then chances are, we will end up hiking –no matter the weather! We have hiked in the snow, the rain, and the sunshine. We’ve hiked to waterfalls, lakes, and secluded groves of trees. We’ve hiked with food, without food, and for the point of a picnic. Hiking for us, is just fun! Here are some pictures:

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What does your family like to do together? Do you have stories and pictures you can share? Email us at mormonwoman(at)gmail(dot)com with your thoughts and photos.

For other Family Friday posts, please click here.

The post Family Fridays: Hiking Together appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

My name is Rebecca. I am 38 years old and have been married for 13 years to my husband Steve. We have three children (ages 11, 9, and 6) and live in Arizona. My hobbies are reading, writing, drawing, and blogging. I went to Brigham Young University (BYU) and have both a BA and a MA in communications from there. I served a mission from 1991-1993 (England London South). I work part-time from home as a marketing research analyst. I have also started writing books.

One of those books is about family scripture study. My interest in the topic grew from feeling dissatisfied with the way my kids reacted and behaved during our family study time. I could tell by their actions and eyes they were not interested, but I really wanted them to be. So I started experimenting with different techniques to hold their attention and get them excited about scripture study time. The result was a book I wrote/illustrated called Adventures with the Word of God. When I have kids asking me when it is time for family scripture study then I know it is successful. I have followed up my first book with another called Home Evening Adventures with the Word of God [“Home Evening” refers to a weekly family night that most Mormons hold on Mondays, where we discuss gospel principles, have fun activities, eat together, and just enjoy each others’ company as a family]. And I am currently working on a third book about temples.

I am grateful for the gospel, and grateful to know that God is there and answers prayers. This past January my kids and I traveled to Denver to visit my younger brother and his family. While there, my brother’s family dog, Daisy, escaped the house and took off. Daisy had a bad track record doing this and then getting herself so lost she was unable to return home on her own. My brother and sister-in-law would have to comb the neighborhood for an hour or two on foot to find her. So the fact she escaped was bad news. An hour or so later they found her, but she escaped again shortly thereafter, sending stress levels up very high. To make a long story short, the kids (my own and my niece and nephews) and I knelt in prayer to ask that Daisy could be found. Shortly thereafter my brother walked in the front door carrying Daisy. I felt strongly this was an answer to prayer.

Being a Mormon Woman means expanded horizons to me. I feel my faith in Christ and His gospel/leaders has provided me with answers to some life questions in a way that helped me to make the best decisions possible. I followed counsel to get an education, which has tremendously blessed my life. I served a mission to London and had incredible opportunities there and continued blessings since. Getting married and having children has brought a rainbow of experiences that I would never give up. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had not followed His counsel and made these good choices–I don’t think it would be as full. My horizons are broader and greater than they ever would have been otherwise. And I am excited to see what life brings me in the future as I choose to follow Him.

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