I was born in California but grew up in American Samoa, where I spent my childhood climbing trees, snorkeling over the reefs, and wandering around in the rainforest. I left the island at 16 to go to school at BYU-Hawaii where I met my husband-to-be. Four years later I graduated with a BS in Biological Science and was married the very next day. We lived in Utah for 7 years, Indiana for two, and have spent the last eleven back here in Hawaii.

We have one son and four girls. In moving back here we have accomplished one of my daughter’s dreams, to live by the mountains and the sea.

I currently serve as First Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency of our local ward congregation, and love being with my sisters in that organization.

My interests include lifelong learning, walking on the beach with my girls, writing, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gospel is the firm ground upon which I stand in an ever-whirling world. It has been the source of peace in times of hardship and joy in my everyday living. Through it I have come to know that I am a child of God, greatly loved, cherished.

One of the most meaningful practices in my life is to write, particularly in my journal. As I write, I realize the happenings of the day are often blessings, interventions, lessons from a loving and powerful God. Writing fills me with gratitude.

I absolutely love being a woman, a wife and mother. There is nothing in this world I would rather do. I often tell my family, “I have the best and most important job in the world!”

Being a Mormon woman has taught me who I am, God’s daughter with divine qualities and potential. Looking through this glass, I see myself as I really am, and I love what I see.

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All my life I’ve wanted just a little more sleep to do the right thing. To earn God’s love. Crazy I know but there it is. I tell people I’m a recovering oldest daughter. Must do it right.

Now it’s about pleasing God and not doing it right. That new attitude is the result of what I now call my happiness program but when I started it I called it my “survive-the-day” program. My first husband had gone off to live the life of a gay artist. I was a single mother and the sole financial support of eight children with my own business, finishing up my college degree and serving as the activity chairman in our ward. I had 48 hours of things to do each day and only 20 hours to do it.

That’s when I started my “survive-the-day” program. I figured God knew what was coming in the future – when a client might decide to change the appointment I’d just spent all night preparing for or a professor would give us extra time for a project. He knew what was essential. So each day I took my very long list of things I needed to do to God and asked Him what to do. He told me. He’d have me cross things off the list and add a couple of things I hadn’t listed (i.e., call and set visiting teaching appointments.) I did that. And God took my overburdened life, got it under control, sent my second husband Parker – a generous man of Scottish ancestry (he’ll give you the shirt off his back but not the money to buy it with) into my life and gave me a completely different life than I had written out on my five year goals.

Then I stopped doing it because, hey, my life was under control. Until it got out of control again. After I married Parker, I stopped being an executive in the high tech industry, started marketing products online, was serving as Relief Society president in our branch, and still had two sons and an additional two foster sons at home. Once again God took my life and made it work. More than made it work. Taught me, changed me and gave me new understanding that changed my life. What did I learn?

While serving as Relief Society president in our small branch I came to feel His total love for His daughters some of whom were messing up royally in my opinion, but apparently not in God’s, because He always just told me to bring them comfort and cheer not advice on how to shape up. After a couple of years it finally sank in that He loved imperfect me that much too. But I still kept trying to “do it right.”

Seven years ago we sold all of our stuff, got a friend to handle the Internet business and drove off to serve missions, using the program I now thought of as God’s “tasks-for-the-day” program to plan our days. Our first senior mission was Spanish-speaking Albuquerque, New Mexico where we did not learn to speak Spanish but did learn excellent Spanglish. We started a successful irreverence program in one extremely unfriendly ward, hauled young missionaries around since we had unlimited miles for our car and they didn’t, checked apartments and taught and baptized a few dear friends – the best part.

In the middle of that mission where we were both committed to keeping all the young missionary rules and feeling overwhelmed as a result God finally said gently but firmly, “Stop trying to do it right and just do it well.” Oh.

Our second senior mission was to Alaska where, to my great relief, I was not eaten by a grizzly bear. We did eat fresh seal, lots of salmon and some caribou. Again we went to God for our tasks and ended up entering 8500 names of Inupiaq ancestors into a genealogy database. Parker also had the unique experience of baptizing a young man in the just-barely-thawed Arctic ocean.

Today we live on 38.5 acres in wild wonderful West Virginia. I wanted to be near as many grandchildren as possible and Parker wanted free natural gas. Which we have thanks to the gas well on our property. Once again I’m serving as Relief Society president in our small branch where Parker is first counselor to the branch president.

I blogged and emailed about the experiences of turning my life over to God on a day by day basis then collected the writings together into a book. Or three. But I just didn’t know what it was all about. I asked God what the theme was since it looked like just a bunch of strung together anecdotes to me.

He said it’s about learning to be happy. And that’s when I really got it. It’s what Christ meant when he said “the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” John 8:29

It’s not a “survive-the-day” program or a “God’s-task-for-the-day” program. It’s a “how-to-be-happy-soul-deep” program. Each day I take my very long list of things I want, ought, need to do to God and ask Him what He wants me to do. He tells me. It’s often not easy to do. But I do it. All day while I’m doing it I feel His love and pleasure. And I’m happy. And I’m not even 70 yet. Must still have lots to learn

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Where to begin?

First I could tell you that she’s a wife of a scientist, a mother of two girls, a college graduate (statistics was her field — yes, they are smart ones in their house). She serves as the secretary of the Relief Society in her ward congregation. But I don’t have photos for all of that. So I’ll tell you that…

…She’s a whiz in the kitchen. I’m the lucky taste tester for many of her creations. Here, she is making freezer jam. YUM.

Oh, I almost forgot. When I took these jam-making pictures, she sent me this disclaimer to include:

I do not make jam because it is on the “Righteous Mommy Checklist.” I make it because store-bought jams taste “burnt.” Freezer jam to me is fresh strawberries in late January. When Michelle posts my pictures also take note of the REALITY in the background – there is a mess at my house.  I was making jam – not being June Cleaver – there were no pumps or pearls!

(I guess I don’t need to say that she has a sense of humor — and is not afraid to be human! Nor does she do things for pretense. She does things that for her make sense.)

…She’s smart (ah, yes, I already said that), organized, and resourceful. She not only has a great food storage (the story of how she got going on food storage will have to wait for another day, but it’s a faith-promoting one), but…

…She also uses it. (Again, she will often use it to bless others, like me. Here is the bread she made for us a while back for General Conference weekend, sharing their family tradition of “General Conference Bread” with us. (Her hummus is also to die for. And I’ll need to ask her if I can share her granola recipe. More YUM.)

I love how she has a vision for things and makes things happen. I wish I had a photo of her with her tool belt on…she’s very handy and can fix anything. She frequents hardware stores and other places where she can get different materials to improve her home, whether that means adding light to a room or sawing wood to create storage shelves or taking metal strips and hooks and turning them into a wall decoration.

…She paints. Also tucked away for another day are photos of more of her paintings. She likes watercolor in particular.

She quilts. She pieced this together from a pattern in her head.

This next painting represents something else she is working on right now — her family history. This painting is from a photo of her grandfather on his farm. She’s working on a book that includes information, photos, and patriarchal blessings of her ancestors. She’s doing this as a gift to her children and her extended family. I’ve really enjoyed hearing about the progress that she is making on this project.

…And she serves others. I’ve been the recipient of her kindness more times than I can count. (But I don’t have to, because she doesn’t keep score. Yet another reason I appreciate her.)

Not too long ago, while a friend of ours was dying of cancer, she helped put together a quilt, and — again creating something with mostly just a pattern in her head — made this awesome card holder so our friend could read notes from people who cared about her.

(This is Pauline with our friend who recently passed away.)

Pauline is the kind of person who does things quietly, not wanting praise or pats on the back. So I know this post is going to make her squirm a little. She only let me take these photos and post them here because she knows how important sharing about the lives of Mormon women is to me.

I hope she also knows how important she is to me. Thanks, friend, for what you do and are.

– – – – – – –

In the comments, tell us about a friend who has made a difference in your life.

And, if you know a Mormon woman you’d like to let us get to know, please let us know! We’re at gmail, username ‘mormonwoman’

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I have been a member of the Church all my life. My husband and I raised seven children and I am a contented grandmother of thirteen. I love doing many things: Family History, reading, keeping up with politics, gardening, attending and working in the temple, collecting dolls, and playing the violin.

The more I attend the temple, the more honored I feel to be able to be there. I am grateful to be a worker to help those who come as they participate in sacred ordinances and take time be in this place that for us, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the holiest place on earth.

This Easter, I was asked to play my violin for the temple workers in the early morning prayer meeting.  I didn’t hesitate to accept, but had an extra challenge to be able to play well, because I have had fibromyalgia for about eight years, and the pain and shaking make playing very difficult.  I worried, and took my problem to the Lord in prayer, asking him to help me perform in a manner He would approve of, and to help me overcome my fibro, just for this once.

The piece I chose to play was “The Holy City.” It is an inspiring, stirring, classic piece based on a verse in Revelation where John sees The New Jerusalem.  I have always loved it. But because I would have to play at 6:30 am, it would be hard to get my hands dextrous enough to do it correctly.  Some mornings I arose early to practice, but I was half asleep as I played, and it sounded terrible.  I was really worried, but kept on practicing and praying, neglecting to make dinner and do housecleaning. I tried not to look at the things piling up around me.  I just “sawed!”  Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who picked up the slack in the kitchen and did the laundry for us.

The night before I was to perform, I hardly slept. I dozed for two hours, then got up and practiced to keep my fingers warm, the notes in tune and consistent, and my vibrato steady, then went back to bed and dozed again. I prayed as I played. At last it was 3 am and I rose for the final time,  got ready and practiced while my husband got ready.  I was frightened and shaking with nerves.  I went on my knees to ask my Heavenly Father to be with me and help me to play in a manner worthy of his holy house.

We arrived at the temple a little before six, and I felt peace and quiet there, and was able to calm down.  I changed into my white dress [we all wear white in the temple] and walked down to the chapel.  My accompanist and I had time to go over it once, and I felt comfortable and prepared. I glanced at my sisters and brothers, dressed in pure white and smiling, and felt their love and support very strongly.  The Lord’s Spirit was there.  My husband sat beside me to silently cheer me on, and when the time came to get up and play, I felt Heavenly Father soothe my nervousness and help my playing  project his love at this Easter time to my fellow temple workers.

When we finished and I sat down, my husband whispered, “Perfect!”  After the meeting, I received compliments from just about everyone, and all throughout the morning they came up to express their love.  Some said it brought tears to their eyes.

I knew that my Heavenly Father helped me to play in a “heavenly” manner in His house, and took away my physical problem for those few minutes.  I felt His spirit there with me, and will never forget that rare privilege.

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Hi—I am Valerie.  I am thirty-two and am married with four children, ages 10, 5, 3 and 7 months.  I love photography, crafts, blogging, teaching, cooking, spending time with family, hiking, playing basketball and discovering new places.

I would like to share an experience I had that tells me that God answers prayers.  I had just graduated with my Associates degree in Elementary Education.  I was accepted to Brigham Young University but had not scored high enough on the PPST, therefore, I wasn’t accepted into the teaching program.  I was not a good test taker, but was a hard worker.  I had a 3.8 GPA.  The worse part was that one point separated me from everything falling into place.  BYU had just raised the test score requirements.  If I had been able to apply for the program months earlier, everything would have worked out just fine.

But here I was, stuck . . .

I prayed to my Heavenly Father and asked that he would help me know what to do.  I was confused and distraught.  I didn’t know where else I would go.  I wrote a letter of appeal to the Dean of Education at Brigham Young University in hopes something would come of it.  In the meantime, I had an impression to return to the two-year school that I had just graduated in.  “Why would I want to do that?”  It would be kind of embarrassing to return, but I felt a strong urge to do so.

I returned and took the classes as if I were going to Brigham Young University.  I decided to not worry about my situation and exercise my faith and put my trust in the Lord.  I also decided that I wasn’t going to stress about school and grades and that I was going to just have fun and enjoy life.  It turned out to be the best semester of my life and on top of it, I ended up with a 4.0 that semester.  I also heard back from Brigham Young University that they had accepted my appeal and that I would be able to start next semester.

Everything worked out and I got my degree in 4 years, despite the minor setback.

I have always been grateful for the power of prayer, for a loving Heavenly Father who is mindful of our needs and hears and answers our prayers.  Sometimes it’s not in a way that we understand at that moment, but in a way that works out in the end.

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~by Jess

Hi!  My name is Jessica but most just call me Messy Jess.  I grew up in the Mormon Church. I married in the temple at age 26 and eight years later I am happy to be a stay-at-home mom with four children. I like to be active and busy.  My two favorite things right now is photographing my children’s every move and working out at the gym.

As a child I moved over 45 times before I graduated from high school.  Life was hard.  Most of my life lessons were learned from my mother as she lived the gospel as a single parent.  Her life was full of grace and sacrifice and service.  It is because of my mother that I have become who I am today.

I gained my true testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ after I graduated from high school.  Until then the gospel was something that had been taught to me – the ways of my family.  I took care of many children in their homes as their caregiver.  I experienced different ways of lifestyles and religion.  I spent summers on the island of Nantucket where many churches bellowed their sermons and music filled the Sunday morning air.  I relished the time I spent wandering from church to church being a guest in their house of worship.  It made me question the way I was raised and made me think about God and his purpose.

I pondered how Joseph Smith must have felt with so many churches claiming to be the true church as well as the faith and desire he had to serve God and to know who He was.  I myself wanted to know God and to know what God wanted from me.  I wanted to know if the things my mother had taught me were true.  I needed to know for myself if the things written in the scriptures were true.

I think it is through trials that I have grown closer to God. I think he wants us to remember Him and he wants us to talk with him in prayer.  He has always given me what I needed to progress and learn and grow. He has placed people in my life to help me.  Friends, teachers, mentors, and family.  Even when I felt alone I was never forgotten.  There were gentle reminders if I chose to look for them.

I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to know that I have a loving Father in Heaven and the miracles of forgiveness is through my Savior Jesus Christ.  I am so blessed to be able to teach this to my children so that they know who they are and whom to look for when they need encouragement or comfort and even to know whom to give thanks to.

Having a testimony of the gospel isn’t just something you believe in….it’s the way you live day to day.  It is who you are.  A child of God.  I pray that you will have the courage to allow God’s spirit in your life.  Yours truly, Jess

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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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“Something’s gotta give,” Micke thought after she failed several of her college courses last semester. Between church, homeschooling, her own college courses, and caring for her four kids alone while her husband was away with the Navy, something really did have to give.

And something did give. Her desire for perfection.

“My life is crazy. My floor is dirty, I have piles of laundry. But I am happy because I know that I am a daughter of God.”

A few months ago, Micke felt the prompting to go back to school. She spoke with her husband and he said, “If it’s a prompting you need to follow it.” So she signed up for classes and failed miserably. Micke felt her failure was actually part of the prompting, “If I had not failed, I would not have been able to I realize that I was overwhelmed.”

Micke decided to stop homeschooling her children and enrolled them in public school. “After I enrolled my kids in public school, I felt better about all of the issues I had with my children’s education. I wanted the opportunity to teach my kids to be independent learners, and I got that opportunity during the years I offered homeschooling to my children. After a few days in the new school, my fears about them adjusting were gone. My fears about them being behind were gone. We got some really great teachers. I hit it off with them immediately. The kids made friends right away. To me that was that was a confirmation that I had made the right choice. I definitely know that enrolling my kids in public school was the right choice for my family, so I am so thankful for that prompting.”

When asked what she really wanted to share with other women Micke replied, “I want to let other women know that there isn’t a perfection standard. Just because my house isn’t perfect or dinner is not a five-course meal does not affect my worth. That does not change how Heavenly Father sees me. I feel like I have reached that point, that I am in a season in my life with my husband gone, and me alone, that it comes down to me and Heavenly Father. I’ve reached a point where I’m at peace with myself and what God feels about me.

“I understand the feelings of inadequacy women have,” Micke continues. “I’ve looked across the aisles at church and school and seen families whose kids are well-behaved and their husband is home and they are all dressed immaculately, and I’ve thought, “Why isn’t my life like that?” But now, I’m OK with the fact that my situation is different than theirs. It all goes back to my priorities. Is it more important that my floor is spotless or that I sit down and play a board game with my kids? Is it more important that dinner is made from scratch or we got to sit together and read books, or take the dog for a walk or went for family bike rides? In 10 years from now I want my kids to remember how we watched movies every Friday night and ate popcorn until we passed out. If I relieve one woman’s perfection burden today, than I will have achieved my goal with this interview.”

When asked what it means to be a Mormon Woman Micke responded, “Being a woman in the Church, I feel like I have a better understanding of who I am, why I’m here and what my purpose is. I have a better understanding of how important my role as a mother is. I have a better understanding of what an impact I have as a mother to my children in teaching them the gospel foundation I set for them in their lives and how important that is. I feel like I have a better understanding as my role as a wife. I am a partner to my husband. We know that our marriage doesn’t end here when we die. Knowing that there is something else after this life for our marriage makes me want to work harder here to make my marriage better. I think that those aspects of our religion are huge for me personally. I think it has given my life more purpose because I know there is a reward for the hard work here.”

Micke has lived her entire life in Wisconsin, USA and currently lives on the outskirts of Milwaukee. She has been married to her husband, Justin, for 11 years and has four children ranging from 9 years to 9 months. Justin is currently serving in the United States Navy as an airman and is considering moving forward into Officer Candidate school.

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For Caitlin, a college student living away from home, her “family” right now includes roommates and other friends. She and a friend attended General Conference together.

The Hampton family enjoyed gathering together to attend General Conference. Mom and Dad and the two youngest children in the family traveled from California and met up with three of the five other children who are currently living in Utah. Two dates joined the group as well!

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My name is Rebekah, and I am a Mormon Woman.

I have been married for just over a year. I was married to my husband in the Atlanta, Georgia LDS Temple, and we do not, yet, have any children. I was born into a Latter-day Saint family, and was baptized at the age of eight. My mom is a convert; missionaries from the Church taught her family while they were living in Puerto Rico and she was baptized at the age of 16, along with her mother, brother, and sisters. My Dad was born to LDS parents, who were converted and baptized into the church just before he was born.

I am currently a student attending BYU-Idaho, although I grew up in Tennessee. I am majoring in Communications, with minors in Photography and Humanities. In the Church, I am currently serving as a Family Home Evening Group Leader (in our area, young, married couples get together on Monday nights once a month to share a gospel message and get to know each other through games and activities). I am also serving on the Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Board, helping to put together enriching activities for the women in our Relief Society.

I enjoy the outdoors more than most anything else: I love hiking, camping, rock climbing, repelling, and swimming. Some of my hobbies include writing and photography. I am currently taking piano classes and trying to develop my musical talent and I also love to dance!

When I was in high school, I was one of only a few LDS kids at my school. I was a cheerleader and had a lot of really wonderful friends. However, it was often a struggle for me to have friends and keep my standards at the same time. I didn’t drink or smoke or do much of what was often happening around me. I didn’t want to attend most of the parties, and felt a little alienated from some of my friends because I just didn’t want to participate. I felt different. But, I could feel what my parents and church leaders were teaching me was right, and I held onto it. It wasn’t until after high school that I realized what a blessing these standards were in my life! Although I wasn’t perfect, and made plenty of mistakes, the things that my family and church leaders had taught me kept me clean, healthy, and happy. It also allowed me to have the knowledge of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, so that I could repent and start fresh when I slipped up. I now feel that I have lived wisely and without regret. It is a joyful way of life.

I love the joy that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings. Being a Mormon Woman blesses my marriage and keeps it strong. It gives me guidance as to how to live a happy, healthy, and productive life. Most of all, it teaches me to progress daily and provides a way for me to repent and grow closer to my Savior. Being a Mormon woman teaches me of my identity as a child of God and gives direction as to what this life is all about and what I should be doing here to get back to my Heavenly Father with my family some day.

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