I was about 13 when the movie Apollo 13 came out. There is a scene in that movie where Jim’s wife has to go tell her mother-in-law that her son may never make it home. Then that old woman leans forward and says something along the lines of, “If they could find a way to make a washing machine fly, my Jimmy could land it.”

That scene hit me in a pretty powerful way. To me it seemed that in a moment that could easily be dominated by fear and worry, this mother had only faith. I’ve often thought since then that I want to be that kind of woman.

As you might expect, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; in other words, I am Mormon and have been for my entire life. My mother sacrificed quite a lot and risked being disowned to join this church. Her mother, my grandmother, is an incredible woman who married an Army man at the age of 16, moved far away from her home and family and went on to raise 4 beautiful daughters. Her mother’s mother was a farm wife who raised 11 kids through blood, sweat, and–I am certain–tears. These are women who have survived The Great Depression. These are women who sent husbands, sons, and brothers to World War II and Vietnam. These are incredible women.

I point this out because I recognize that “Mormon” and “Woman” are two separate things. Mormon or not, women share similar desires, joys, heartaches, insecurities, and love regardless of religion. I think we all feel that bond, and are aware of the power in our unity. Look at the movement we’ve made for breast cancer research and other causes. I love being a woman!

I also use the examples of my mother and grandmother and great-grandmother to share my knowledge that Mormon women do not have the market cornered on faith in Jesus Christ nor on raising strong families.

This is why when the question: What does being a Mormon Woman mean to you? was posed, it was one I couldn’t immediately answer. I thought about it while I washed my dishes.  As I folded laundry.  As I swept the floor, made the bed and scrubbed the toilet.

It seemed obvious to me that just as much as I am a woman –I am also a Mormon. It is in my very core. It is in my life, every day. It’s in what I do and what I don’t do. And the question Why? is equally as obvious to me: Because I know that the teachings of this church are true. I’ve studied, read, prayed, and I know. But, even with all that it still didn’t seem to answer what being a Mormon Woman means to me.

Then it clicked. It’s faith. It’s obedience. It’s more than simply knowing the teachings of this faith, it’s that I live them. Daily. It’s realizing that God has a purpose and a plan for my life and that His plan for me is perfect. It’s the promise of not only eternal life but an eternal family to share it with me. It’s about who I have the potential to become.

This gives my life meaning, even in my day-to-day tasks that may seem menial. There might not be any significant consequences for having a clean toilet or folded laundry but my family is eternal and in serving them I become a more loving and Christ-like person. Being a Mormon Woman, to me, means that I can become the kind of person who can meet terrible challenges with a heart full of faith and love.

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~by Amy

I went to Eastern Europe in August. I went for some sightseeing and a little vacation time from my hectic work and school schedule.

But really, I went to hold babies that needed to be loved.

I went to a little village named Tutova in Romania for three weeks with a volunteer organization. I went on a team with 19 people, 15 of whom were to work at the recuperating pediatric clinic with me. While I was in Romania I turned 19. I was one of the youngest, and the only member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the team.

While I was there I learned many lessons about myself, and about my faith and what it means to me. The greatest lesson is one I learned while holding and loving a little girl who couldn’t talk or smile or even make eye contact.

Her name is Maria Cleopatra, and she is a princess. This little angel is hydrocephalic – her head is swollen with water to three times a normal size. She also has little more than a brain stem. Her situation is so bleak that she functions entirely on reflex. She can eat and cry and poop. Tiny muscle spasms make her arms flail, her legs kick, and her eyes roll, but she can’t control any of it.

I couldn’t control how much I loved her. I held this helpless little one in my arms day after day. Nothing changed, but nothing stayed the same. I’d sing to her the Primary songs I’d learned as a child in church. Her spasms would quiet and her eyes stopped roving. When I finished one of the songs, her eyes flipped up, as close to focusing on mine as they’d ever. Her big brown eyes begged me to keep going.

I sang it again: I am a child of God. “His promises are sure; Celestial glory shall be mine If I can but endure.”

Her condition might be treatable, but the economics of seeking a solution means that instead, Maria Cleopatra will be in that clinic until she dies. The authorities expect that will be within months.

The ways of men are not perfect, but the ways of God are. I know Maria Cleopatra will someday run and laugh and sing. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, she will have a resurrected body, and because of her pure state, she will inherit celestial glory.

I hope to someday wrap my arms around her again. And someday, she’ll be able to hug me back.

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The things I enjoy most include: people, history, traveling, hiking, exploring, discovery, science, reading, backpacking, and basically anything outdoorsy. My major in college and my career go along with my interests — I hike through the wilderness conducting environmental surveys. I am a proud archaeologist!

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but my belief in it didn’t just come at one time. It has been gradually building. I notice that the times my testimony takes the biggest step is when I’m outside. At one time, I was digging out on the Arizona Strip (just north of the Grand Canyon) and every day before work I would stand on a ledge and look at the world around me. I would think about the beauty that I am surrounded by and the fact that it is here because of God’s grace. It is here for me, it is here for me to love, enjoy, and protect. He created this gorgeous world for us because he loves us.

Recently, I was recently hiking in Arches National Park (Moab, UT) and I went on a night hike to Delicate Arch. It was a full moon and as I came over the rise, and saw that majestic arch standing still in the moon light, I had the same thought come to me: God loves me. I knew I couldn’t  look at something like that and not think that there was a higher power out there.

I love being a Mormon Woman because I know I can still be myself and believe in the restored gospel. I believe that the church has given me stability, hope, and self-worth. When my life is spinning out of control I know that there is one constant that I can hold onto. I believe and know that I am a child of God. How can I not have self worth if I believe that? As long as I know that I am a child of God then there is nothing that can bring me down!

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