During winter the first thing I do every morning is peek through the blinds to gauge the weather for the day. Some days I am surprised by a blanket of soft white snow. The fresh snow is always breathtaking. Rarely, it seems, a bright clear sky welcomes me, the kind of winter day that calls for sledding and snowballs. Most often the view is a dirty grey all the way to the horizon: cloudy, foggy skies above and icy grey snow beneath. This kind of day makes me want to crawl back into bed.

I often let the weather decide my mood, struggling through the grey days and bouncing through the sunny, cold ones. In the middle of a particularly long stretch of miserable grey this winter, I came across this scripture: “Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4).

I was struck by the phrase “an anchor to the souls of men.” I am a believer. I work at nurturing the faith in my heart. But do I have the kind of hope that anchors me? Hope born of a deep and abiding faith?

If my mood can be swayed by something as simple as the weather, perhaps I need to drop my anchor a bit deeper, and lodge it more surely. The imagery in these verses is so tangible: a huge iron anchor attached to a thick, burly chain holding tight to a tiny seafaring vessel on top, buffeted on the surface by waves, storms, and wind. I want my hope to anchor my soul to the sure place where Christ is the Savior and King.

This winter has been especially bleak. Our brothers and sisters in Haiti are suffering at nearly apocalyptic proportions. The distressed economy threatens to swallow up friends and neighbors. The wars and rumors of wars churn fear and uncertainty. Without the anchor of hope, I could easily be adrift on an ocean that is especially troubled and violent.

Instead I work at making my hope tangible and hefty. I need my anchor to be strong! My morning habit has not changed. I still peek out at the weather: I need to know if I should pull on my boots or my flats. But the weather in my soul is more constant as I have renewed my small and simple efforts at coming to Christ.

I pray with clear intent, on my knees, out loud, using those moments with my Father to thank Him and hope with Him. I am careful with my scripture study, underlining causes for hope (there are so many!) and thinking about the things I’ve read during the day. I seek for evidences of hope from my Father in the small things: the Christmas amaryllis that finally blooms bright red, the loaf of bread from a friend, the warm wisdom from a neighbor, and the testimony shared by others.

Funny that the small acts of worship, the small moments of love and gratitude, can weigh so much. They make my anchor so much heavier; they make me so much more sure and steadfast. I can make it through another grey winter with this kind of hope for a better world.

The post First Person: Hopeful appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

The past month has been tough for my family. My husband made an extremely costly error at work. My chronic illness left me immobile for several days. My children have had behavior and potty training issues. My husband’s employee fell ill and very nearly died. With the loss of those extra hands on the job site, my husband has been working from 5 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily.

One night after returning home late from work, two of my small children awoke at the sound of my husband’s truck pulling into the driveway and followed him into our bed. He welcomed their sleepy embraces and snuggled them tightly. I could see the stress of the day fall off his shoulders as he heard tiny voices chime “I love you Daddy.” Our children quickly buried under the covers next to my husband, seeking the warm crooks of his arms to use as pillows. He relished the chance to spend a few seconds snuggling with them, taking care not to move abruptly so they could fall back asleep before he carried them back into their beds.

When he returned, my husband reached across the bed and touched my head, “I love you, Brenda. I miss you and the kids when I work this much.” I reached up and entwined his hand in mine and told him I loved him too. A familiar peace washed over me in that moment and I recognized the feeling as joy. That night I fell asleep smiling, my heart swelling to nearly bursting, with love for my family.

Shortly after this experience, I read a scripture that matched my emotion. The scripture that touched me is found in a book of scripture called the Pearl of Great Price and it is quoting Eve, mother of all. In this scripture, Eve is reflecting on the choice she and Adam made in Eden.

Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed (children), and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient Moses 5:11

After reading that scripture I thought back to that familiar peace I had felt only nights before and realized my heart was singing Eve’s song. Despite the physical and emotional pains brought on by mortality I was still able to experience joy, just like mother Eve.

In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Lehi explained Adam and Eve’s choice further:

And they would have had no children, wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy. 2 Nephi 2:22-25

I am thankful to Adam and Eve, for choosing life, and for giving me the opportunity to experience joy here on Earth and in the life to come.

The post First Person: Singing Eve’s Song appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

The author of this essay is Michelle F, the mother of two young boys.  Before she married, she served an LDS mission in Bulgaria.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

I remember visiting my “well to do” grandparents in California when I was about 14 years old. My Grandmother had been raised in an LDS home, but had gone inactive under pressure from her first husband. Her second husband was a self-proclaimed atheist who believed in his own two hands, hard work and common sense. I think he felt that believing God would be like believing in a “free lunch.” He was also the most lively, generous, motivating force in my life second only to my own mother. My grandparents had flown me to California for four days where they took me out to dinner, shopping, to the movies, and sight seeing. Coming from a family of six children all haggling for our parents’ attention; I was in heaven.
One evening as we were sitting in front of a crackling fire, and their dalmatian, Abby, had finally stopped thump, thumping the arm chair with his happy tail, and had lain his head on his paws to sleep, they asked me a question. The conversation went something like this:

Grandma Dorothy: What is it that you really believe in, Michelle? I mean, why do you go to church every week?

14 year old me: Um, well,…I believe in a loving Heavenly Father who sent us down to earth in families so we could get a body and have experiences.

Grandma Dorothy: But your church believes so strongly in raising families when there are too many people on the earth right now; many of them starving! Isn’t it irresponsible to have more children when the planet already can’t feed what it has? And what if a woman wants to have a career instead of raise a family?

14 year old me: . Well, um…I know that the church encourages everyone to get a good education so that they can provide for their families. I know I plan on going to college.

Grandma Dorothy: (She waves away my answer and moves on.) But what about all the crimes, murders, atrocities, and wars that all have their roots in religion? Religion really seems to incite more problems than solutions, wouldn’t you say?

14 year old me: Um, I guess I’ve never really thought about those questions. But, I do know that God lives.

Grandma Dorothy: But how could you know that?

14 year old me: Well, I know I feel good when I talk about Him, or pray or read the scriptures. And I have felt peace when I was afraid or needed help.

Grandma Dorothy: But couldn’t that all just be in your mind? Like your own confidence kicking in?

14 year old me: I don’t know… But I feel like the church has helped me make good decisions and kept me away from things that could have hurt me like drugs or immorality.

Grandpa Norm: That’s probably true. In any case, I think you should probably marry a Mormon if it’s that important to you.

He then gave Grandma Dorothy a look that meant “That’s enough,” and the conversation drifted on to something else and soon we all said goodnight. I plodded down the hall to the guest room and it’s black comforter and carpet. I had failed. I knelt down by the bed and cried and prayed. I felt the weight of a lost opportunity on my shoulders. I had no answers for my grandparents. I had no idea what to tell them. My belief in God had seemed childish and immature, and for the first time I really wondered what it was that I believed in.

Help me, I prayed. Please. Help me.

And then I felt something as I prayed. I felt a tiny warm, calming sensation in my stomach that grew and spread until it reached every part of me; like a blanket had been pulled from inside me and was then wrapped around me; filling me with a living, energizing peace. And I knew with absolute clarity three things; 1) God was real 2) God loved me and 3) He was pleased with my sincere effort to explain my faith.

And now, as a returned missionary, a college graduate, a wife, and a mother, I’ve wondered how I would answer all those questions. I would be lying if I said that I ‘d never experienced suffering, unfulfilled longing, pain, or loneliness. But I would also be lying if I didn’t tell of how in the moment I most needed something, or someone—He was there. When we moved to a new country every three to four years for my Dad’s assignments in the Foreign Service—He was there. When I was too scared to fall asleep at night when my parents were traveling—He was there.  When I opened the envelope with the rejection letter from graduate school—He was there. When my son’s breathing was so labored that I lay awake watching every breath—He was there. When I fiercely hungered for another baby and cried every month—He was there. I have felt God’s loving warmth, His peace. And though I can’t pin it to a smell, a color, texture or flavor on it, I know He’s real. And every time I am able to feel peace during a crisis I know–I have my evidence.

——-

To read more Sharing Our Voices posts, including First Person essays, see here. To submit an essay, poem, video, song, or other content, email us at gmail, with the username mormonwoman.

The post First Person: I Know He’s Real appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Usually we have a weekly feature on Mormon Women called ‘Ask A Mormon Woman.’ Today we’ve turned the tables, and we’re asking you a question!

If you are here, on the Mormon Women website, chances are that you’re at least a little curious about the Mormon religion. Maybe the missionaries knocked on your door and you said, “No, thank you.” But now you’re wondering about something they said, or about the pamphlet they left, but aren’t sure you want to call them back. Perhaps you have a friend from high school that was Mormon and you look back and wish you had asked her some questions. It could be that someone you work with turned down an invitation to drinks after work, mentioning that they are Mormon and don’t drink alcohol. Now you wonder what else your co-worker believes. These, and many others, are reasons that this website exists.

There is another way for you to get personal answers to your questions in a friendly, non-confrontational way. Chances are that there is a Mormon woman in your community, maybe even someone you already know, who would like to share her faith with you. I’m a Mormon woman and I’d also like to share my faith with those that I know in real life in a friendly and non-confrontational way. Could you give me your opinion about how I should actually go about doing it?

A few people have accused Mormons of being preachy or overbearing. Mormons hear about this and become timid about sharing their faith. You could have a Mormon neighbor and not even know it. We’re not being secretive about our religion, we’re only trying to be respectful of your religious choices and our own. And I must admit we are afraid of possible negative reactions.

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently told the LDS people, “..over one-half of the people in the United States and Canada have little or no awareness of our practices and beliefs. I am certain the percentage would be much larger in other parts of the world. This same survey also showed that when non-members interact with faithful members of the Church over an extended period of time or are exposed to clear and accurate information regarding Church beliefs and doctrines, their attitudes become positive and open.”

The LDS church membership is encouraged to share what they believe with their neighbors and friends. Some would say we do this only to increase our numbers. We do want all to feel welcome in our church, the Savior directs us to share his gospel with others. And we want to share because of what it all means to us. The gospel brings us so much peace and perspective.

But there is another reason, a reason Elder Perry mentions. We want to communicate clearly with the world who we are. We firmly believe in freedom of religion and that includes your choice not to belong to ours. But we also want you to understand what we believe, or don’t believe.

Thank you for seeking out active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who are trying to be faithful to their religion to learn about what our lives and beliefs are like. And please, don’t forget to leave a comment to give us a little advice on how to let you know who we are, without making you feel uncomfortable.

The post A Mormon Woman Asks You appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament, Jesus says that if we only have as much faith as the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains.

I love gardening, and was thinking about faith when I planted some carrots recently. Have you seen a carrot seed before? They are tiny. If you have some carrot seeds in your palm and even a light breeze blows, you might lose some if you’re not careful. It’s hard to pick up just one or two seeds by pinching your fingers together; they’re that small.

When I was poking little holes in the dirt in my backyard, and trying my best to put just two or three seeds in each hole, I thought about what these seeds would be by the end of the summer. From these teeny seeds to beautiful, substantial roots in just months. It’s a miracle, really. Each time I plant seeds in my garden, I worry a bit. I go outside each day to water, and feel hope mixed with anxiety. Will the seeds sprout? Will enough seeds turn to plants that bear a decent harvest? What could I do to help them along?

Then, between a handful of days to two weeks, I can usually count on going outside to visit my garden, and seeing little leaves trying to push their way through the dirt, making their way to the son. Yeah! They did it! Each time I see it is exciting. It never gets old, it never loses the excitement.

Some months, it’s easier for me to feel faithful, hopeful. The connection between my Heavenly Father and me seems clear and continuous. Other seasons, exercising faith doesn’t feel natural. It’s more work, and can even be discouraging. I have to remind myself why I pray, why it’s important to nurture my testimony, why I should read my scriptures. Sometimes I just long for a testimony much larger than the one I carry at the time. I want to feel closer to my Savior, know more about His words and teachings than I do. It’s then that I remind myself about the seed analogy – all I need right now is as much faith as a small seed, and to nurture that seed. It will grow.

——-
For more First Person essays, please click here.

The post First Person: Faith appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Next week, youth in the Salt Lake City, Utah area (USA) will have such an opportunity.

Thousands of young people (ages 12-18) from 51 stakes will participate in a cultural celebration, entitled “Come Up to the Mountain of the Lord, commemorating the dedication of the Draper and Oquirrh Mountain temples. Such cultural celebrations have occurred all over the world (e.g., in Ghana, Finland, Chile, Brazil, Panama, and others).

Performances of this celebration on May 29 and 30, 2009 will be held in the Church’s Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. They will also be broadcast via satellite to several meetinghouses throughout the state.

Youth have been auditioning, practicing, texting, writing, going to the temple, planning, and setting personal goals to prepare for this event. I’ve been impressed to read the thoughts of some of the youth as they prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Their enthusiasm is evident. We look forward to hearing more about this event over the next few weeks. (Are you involved in this celebration? Have you been involved in others in the past? Please consider sharing your experience through pictures, words, original video, etc. Send submissions at gmail to mormonwomen.)

—–
Read more about LDS youth at MormonYouth.org. The Church’s official site, The New Era, also gives glimpses into the lives of Mormon Youth, and includes content of interest to youth.

The post <i>Noteworthy News</i>: “Come Up to the Mountain of the Lord” – Cultural Celebration, May 29-30 appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

The app “includes space for noting your personal scripture faves, and incorporates a few scripture mastery games. You have the option as to whether or not to include the information on your personal profile.”

The More Good blog post also mentions the Ensign magazine page on Facebook, which is an official Facebook page of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Ensign is a monthly magazine for adults. (You can read the Ensign online here.)

Other official Church Facebook pages include the following:

The New Era — magazine for youth (read online, and find other resources for youth here)
The Friend — magazine for children (read online, and find games and activities for children here)
The Liahona — international magazine (the print version comes in various languages)

LDS Newsroom (also on Twitter)

The post LDS (Mormon) Facebook Application (+ other Facebook resources) appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.