~by René (on left in photo; pictured with her daughter)

When I think of things that I could list when asked to describe myself, I am always stopped short. What makes me unique? What makes me, ME? I love to read biographies because I think that I am secretly looking for what makes a person the individual. I was the only woman on this earth that my husband chose to love for almost 36 years. I am a mother. You may be a mother. What makes me unique is I am the mother of Taylor, Preston, Hayley, Kendall, Quinn, and T. J. I am a daughter, but only I can be the daughter of Rene Cathcart and I can only be the sister of Steve and James. I am a Mia Maid Leader in our Ward. Others may teach in the Mormon Church’s Young Women program, but I am the steward of 14-15 year old girls in my particular ward.

I am a temple worker in the Portland Oregon Temple. Many sisters join me on my Tuesday evening shift, but I will interact with one sister at a time, smile at only them and I may make the difference in one sister’s evening and help them to do the most important work on this earth.

I have a child with cerebral palsy. You may have a child with a disability but I am the only person on this earth who has the blessing of bathing this perfect angel every morning. Only I know how to touch his bent limbs, read his vacant eyes and interpret his huge smile. Others help me with his care occasionally, but he and I have a 25-year bond that is unique and sacred.

I have a testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You may as well, but you don’t have mine. Mine comes from my secret prayers, my experiences while reading the scriptures, and the still small Voice that whispers in my heart and my ear that I am a unique and choice daughter of God.

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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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My name is Stephanie and I served in the Netherlands, Amsterdam Mission from August 1983 to February 1985.

I always had said I would serve a mission if I wasn’t married by the time I turned 21.  However, I met a young man just the February before my 21st birthday.  We started hanging out and dated.  The Spirit confirmed to me that I needed to serve a mission.  I told this young man, Dale, that I was going on my mission.  The night before going into the MTC (Missionary Training Center) he called and proposed to me.  I told him I needed to serve this mission.  We wrote letters back and forth until about half way through my mission when I was having a difficult time with companions and the work.  He was the only regular writer besides my parents so I took my frustrations out on him and sent him a “Dear John” [a letter essentially cutting off the relationship]. But the November before my mission ended, we started exchanging letters again.

When I look at my life now and knowing what has happened, the trials I have endured, I am very grateful for the missionary service that I did.  Dale was a convert to the church and so my service has been a big example to my children of the importance of missionary work.  Dale and I did get married August 1985, but he passed away in December 1993 leaving me to raise our four small children.  I think a mission helped prepare me for this experience in my life knowing and confirming deep within me the Plan of Salvation and that we can and will see our loved ones in the life after mortality.

A couple of experiences come to mind when I was on my mission where I knew God answered my prayers.  I hadn’t been out in the field long, it was cold and windy outside and we were proselyting door to door.  In Rotterdam Holland, there are high rises with many apartments where you stand downstairs and push a button and talk on the speaker. My companion and I were in a little entry way pushing buttons when something got in my eye. I rubbed it and realized my contact fell out.  Now this was in the time period that we didn’t have disposable contacts and they were expensive.  I didn’t have an extra pair and it was dark outside.  We looked on the ground but couldn’t see anything.  My companion and I said a prayer and still looked, but nothing.  We decided to call it a night and walked across the street to unlock our bikes and the impression came over me to look back to where we were.  I saw something shiny and told my companion to wait a minute. I went back and there it was, my contact lens.  I know that Heavenly Father had a hand in me finding my contact that night.

The other experience is from the time I served in Den Haag.  There was a nice older woman who had been seeing the missionaries for a long time and had always talked to the Elders.  In fact her son was already a member, but something kept her from joining the Church.  We would go over every week and give her a discussion and one day the Spirit prompted me to challenge her to be baptized.  She surprised us all by agreeing and was later baptized. I asked her after what had changed her mind after so many missionaries and her response was that it was something we had said.  Heavenly Father had worked through the Spirit to answer our prayers on how to show her the way.

My mission impacted my perspective on God’s love and of my own self worth.  It helped me to see that Heavenly Father loves all mankind and knew me and knew what I was in need of at those times.  It helped me to be more self confident and independent and know that I could have my own testimony and speak boldly of the Savior’s love and the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ without relying on the testimony of my parents or leaders.

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~by Mahina

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As a member, I serve in my ward (congregation) in whatever capacity I am needed. Currently, I am a teacher in the Relief Society, and one Sunday I was preparing to give a lesson based on two excellent talks (“Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in a Time of Need“by Elder Richard G. Scott and “Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples” by Elder Stevenson).

The lesson topic was temple worship and how to make our homes a sacred place.

In preparation for my lesson I have made a greater effort to “attend” the temple. When I say “attend” I don’t necessarily mean within the walls of the temple, though I am doing that as well. That week I took the opportunity to visit the temple grounds with our girls. We went twice.

Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, once counseled, “as we touch the temple, the temple will touch us.” So, I decided to take the girls to the temple so they could “touch” the temple.

On both occasions, we had a great experience. On one of the visits we sat in the shade of a tree and talked about and sang the children’s hymn “I Love to See the Temple.” I asked the girls what we can learn from the lyrics of the song. Here are some of the things we came up with:

• We are children of God
• Families can be together forever when sealed in the temple
• We go to the temple to pray, to listen, to feel the spirit
• The temple is God’s house
• We make promises in the temple
• The temple is a place of beauty
• We must prepare to enter the temple

On another occasion we sat in front of the fountain and talked about the significance of the water and how it represents the “living water” of Christ of which we can partake of to never thirst again.

On both visits, we walked to the back of the temple and touched the walls of the temple just outside of the Celestial room. I told them about the quote from our prophet about touching the temple and asked them what it meant to have “the temple touch us”.

During both visits the thing that struck me was how quiet and reverent they were the whole time we were on the temple grounds.

If you live near a temple, I highly recommend walking the temple grounds. If you have children, take them with you. It is a great place to feel the Lord’s Spirit and let the peace of the temple touch you. Our girls, along with myself, look forward to our next visit.

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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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For more Portraits of Mormon Women, please click here.

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This is Gladys. She is a Mormon Woman, lives in Canada, and today is her 87th birthday! (This picture was taken nearly 5 years ago with one of her great-grandsons.)

Gladys was born the youngest of 11 children –today, she is the only living sibling in her immediate family. Her parents came from Utah and settled in Canada before she was born. She has been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints her entire life, and she loves the gospel.

Gladys worked as a phone operator for 10 years, in a bank for 1 1/2 years in Salt Lake City (Utah), taught in schools as an aid in Idaho and Canada, and managed an LDS (Mormon) bookstore for 12 1/2 years. She retired at the age of 70! But her longest career so far has been that of a mother. She has 6 children, 21 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren (with 2 more on the way), and 1 great-great-grandchild.

For 43 years and 8 months, Gladys was married to the love of her life. He died nearly 11 years ago, but she says she still feels close to him in the Temple. One time, a grandchild asked her why she didn’t visit her husband’s grave at the cemetery. Gladys responded: “I know he is not there in the cemetery. His spirit is elsewhere; that’s just his body. When I want to feel close to my husband, I go to the Temple. That is where I can feel him and feel his love for me. Going there reminds me that I will see him again, soon.”

Gladys has many hobbies and talents. Some of them include: playing the organ and piano, singing, dancing, making angel food cakes and chocolates from scratch, and traveling. Dancing was always a part of her life. For decades, she would attend dances nearly 3 times a week. She even met her husband at a dance. “That was a different time,” she says of the dances. “We danced real dances back then; it was exercise!” Another hobby Gladys enjoys is visiting as many Temples as she can. To date, she has been to 19 different Mormon Temples. She loves to travel and has been to Lima, Peru; Jerusalem; Hawaii; and all over the United States and parts of Canada.

When Gladys was in her late 20’s, she had the opportunity to serve a mission for the Mormon Church. She was called to labor for 20 months in the Eastern United States Mission from 1948 to 1950. Of this experience, Gladys says, “Serving a mission strengthened my testimony greatly. We would track every day and usually I was the only one who could play the piano in the branches and wards (congregations). I served a month in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and then did the Hill Cumorah Pageant (A Witness for Christ) in Palmyra, New York, and practiced every day. Being around the Sacred Grove and places where the Church was restored really strengthened my testimony. Afterwards, I went to Norwich, New York for a year to serve…”

Recently, Gladys was a Visiting Teaching supervisor in her ward [congregation], and she served as a Temple Patron for 2 years (Temple Patrons are asked to attend the Temple twice a week during their call). When asked what she loves the most about being a Mormon Woman, she said: “Families can be together forever because we have Temples. I know I’ll see my family again. Also, we are taught from a young age the law of health (Word of Wisdom) which has given me health for life. I truly believe I am healthy because of it!

I’m 87 years old and doing great. I’m still active. I still love to be in my kitchen dipping 50 pounds of chocolates a year. I also make 150-200 cakes a year. Also, because we were taught to stay physically active, I was able to dance for many years. I know the gospel is a gift, and I’m grateful to have it in my life.”

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For more Portraits of Mormon Women, please click here.

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My name is Heidi. I am 44 years old and have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints all my life. I currently serve in the Primary, and I love working with the children. My husband and I have been married for almost 23 years. We are parents to three children who are currently 19, 14 and 7. It has been interesting to have them so spread apart (by chance, not by choice) and it has given us the time to enjoy each one of them as individuals.

I love my husband and children very much. Loving them up and seeing to their needs does take up most of my time. However, when I do have extra time, I love to garden, read, write and, in the past, dance.  I am too old and tired for the dancing, now, but I absolutely adore music. I also love photography and doing family history research. Lately, blogging is pretty high up there on my list of hobbies, as is finishing my latest novel.  I am a total anglophile and have done a ton of reading on the British Isles. I adore well-researched historical fiction or any book that spoon feeds you history in a fictionalized setting. I love flowers and the color pink–those are two things that always have the power to lift my spirits, along with the best kinds of music.

I have had many experiences when I knew that my Heavenly Father was fully aware of me and my struggles. One that I often share is when my oldest was four years old. By this time I was 29 and the mother of only one child. Though we loved him with all our hearts, he was born with many disabilities and his future was unsure.  Coming from a family of eight children and the aunt of numerous nieces and nephews, it felt lonely and odd to be the mother of only one child.  Since the work of a parent is, in my estimation, the greatest/hardest/most enduring thing a person can do, I had been making our future family a matter of much prayer.  It weighed heavily on me that I felt like I had accomplished so little of lasting value at that point in my life.

Finally I felt sure that I was pregnant, however, I took a pregnancy test and it was negative.  Great was the despair at our house but we were careful to not discuss it in front of our four-year-old.  A few days later my husband and I were sitting at the breakfast table feeling glum when our little boy walked into the room and said, “Jesus is bringing me a little sister!”  I was so upset about my negative pregnancy test that I snipped at him.  “Well, did He tell you WHEN?”  My husband was wiser and started asking questions.  After conversing with our son, we felt positive that he had had a spiritual experience that told him he would soon be the brother of a baby sister. A few days later I took another test and I was indeed pregnant.

Eight plus months later, we were thrilled to deliver a baby girl.  During the course of my pregnancy many people tried to prepare us for a boy as my parents had mostly all boy grandbabies, but I knew without a doubt that it was a girl.  People shook their heads at my foolishness in proceeding with girly decor in the nursery and buying all girl baby clothes but I didn’t let that bother me and even announced her name to everyone several months before she was born.

When my son feels discouraged and that his life amounts to nothing, we remind him of the day he answered his parents’ prayers by announcing the arrival of his baby sister.  It helps him to remember who he truly is, indeed, who we all are: children of a loving Heavenly Father who knows our joys and sorrows and who loved us enough to send His Son, Jesus Christ, whose atoning sacrifice for us is the greatest gift that any being could ever receive.  Often we forget that this atonement not only pays for our sins but also makes up for our lacks.  As humans we are far from perfect and never will be in spite of our best efforts.  It will only be through His sacrifice that our imperfections can be made perfect.  On days that I feel especially inadequate for the tasks and responsibilities with which I have been blessed, I remind myself that whatever truly needs to happen, CAN happen if I have the faith to believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Heidi Ashworth is the author of Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind (a Regency romance novel), and is currently working on the sequel to this lively book.

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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!

For more Portraits of Mormon Women, please click here.

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Sarah moved in a year and a half ago. We connected on the phone before we even met. Our husbands have similar jobs. We have shared some similar personal struggles — some depression, feelings of inadequacy (not uncommon with motherhood, right?). Sometimes we’ll cry on each others’ shoulders. She calls to share the little things in her life, and I share mine (for example, we’ll celebrate a cleaned room, or a finished project, or when fish have babies). Sometimes she’ll show up on my doorstep with her latest meal creation, or a plate of cookies just because.

Sarah is the woman who comes and gets my children off to school when my husband is out of town. Even if that is for a week or two (or three!) at a time. She claims it’s no big deal, but with sever insomnia issues, it is a big deal to me.

Last night, I had to take my child into the doctor (for the third time this week). Immediately, she offered to watch my other daughter while we went. I nearly cried. I was so weary from the week (it’s a hubby-out-of-town-week, and all of these doctor visits have happened while he was gone). The simple fact that she would offer to help at that moment meant much to a tired mommy.

Another snapshot of my good neighbor is also from this week. I was running around, getting ready for an event I was managing as a volunteer. I was stressed and pressed for time.

Our dead bolt has needed fixing, and hubby didn’t have time to fix it before he left. I hadn’t had a chance to tackle it, either. And this was a day when I would be gone for several hours, and really wanted to have a locked house — one that I could then get back into!

While I was frantically getting last-minute things done, the doorbell rang. There stood Sarah, with screwdriver in hand. I felt sheepish having her do something I could do, even more embarrassed by the fact that I barely had the time to let her in, let alone talk with her while she worked.

None of that mattered to her. She quietly fixed my door, and went home without a word.

Every time I look at that lock, I will think of Sarah, who understands what it means to be a good neighbor.

-by Michelle

If you would like to tell us about a Mormon woman you know, please submit a brief essay (and a picture, if desired) to ‘mormonwoman’ AT ‘gmail’ DOT ‘com’

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I didn’t know Brenda then, but I remember watching the massive news coverage of the murder. Joe was shot by a the son of a disgruntled employee, an illegal immigrant who already had one aggravated assault charge on the books. Because it was a politically hot topic (and still is), the media covered the murder relentlessly and unfairly.

Eleven days later little Trevor Joe was born. Brenda and I delivered our babies in the same hospital only one day apart. We remember the same inconsolable baby crying down the hall and we both remember flipping through the TV channels and seeing coverage of Joe’s murder on every channel. I thought, “Losing my husband, watching him vilified on television and then having a baby alone– that is my worst nightmare!”

After selling Joe’s business and paying all the debts Brenda was left with a bank account of $0– and she was grateful for that! With four children to care for and little work experience Brenda had no idea how she would care for her family.

I moved to this area six months later and met Brenda at the swimming pool. As we talked and I pieced the story together I could not believe that this vibrant, cheerful, beautiful woman in front of me was a widow of only six months. There was nothing pathetic about Brenda. She settled into her parents home, went right back to serving as the children’s chorister at church, found a job at a dentist’s office and worked tirelessly to cheer her children.

Brenda was and is wise about accepting help. One woman came and babysat her children every week, a sister filled her fridge with food, a neighbor fixed her car. She let people share her pain and take away a piece of her grief. Brenda had bad days, very bad days, but she never let herself slide into self-pity.

Faith is Brenda’s defining trait; her faith is simple, “God loves me and will lead me.” She isn’t troubled by politics, anti-Mormon banter or defending doctrine like I can sometimes be — she simply believes.

Today Brenda has a home of her own and a manageable work schedule. She is constantly doing something fun: playing tennis, sledding with her kids, visiting the neighbors to play ‘Guitar Hero.’ At the elementary she volunteers as a dance teacher and dresses thematically whether the dance is disco, line dancing, or ballroom. Neighborhood kids often stop by her house just to talk. My kids simply adore her.

Obviously I could go on and on, but the greatest lesson I’ve learned from Brenda is that your attitude– not your circumstances–determine your happiness.

Earlier today we went to the temple to remember Joe. The temple is so calm and pretty and full of sweet old ladies who look you right in the eye. On the way home she told us that she had finally had the courage to watch her wedding video with little Trevor. “Look my daddy talks! My daddy moves! Can we go clean daddy’s grave mommy?” Trevor has grown up with daddy as a story, a photo, a grave to visit, but never as the living, moving father he should have known.

When I dropped Brenda off at home she had a floral delivery of 4 dozen red roses— ah, people are still looking out for her, still taking away a piece of the pain.

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