This is a vulnerable post for me, so please be nice.

I am grateful for second chances. That you can change what you want to be when you grow up.

I started drinking alcohol when I was 12. I overdosed from alcohol at 14 and almost died. I started smoking marijuana at 15. At 20, I started cocaine and meth (we called it crank), along with a variety of different drugs with different nicknames. Once, I was sitting around with a bunch of “bikers” and one of them said “We are free! We don’t follow laws! We live by our own rules!” I never felt so trapped and lost. I did meth every single day for six months, which almost destroyed my marriage. I quit cold turkey and never looked back.

So, if you ever wonder why I jumped at becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please reread the above paragraph. I feel like God personally plucked me out of a bad situation, and I thank Him every single day.

I am thankful for peace and comfort and the knowledge that our Savior understands us personally and never holds a grudge. It’s been about 7 years now that my dad said to me, “You must not be real smart and must be uneducated to be a member of the ‘Mormon’ church.” I respectfully said to him, “Would you rather have me doing drugs, drinking until I pass out, and having little to no morals?”

I ended with, “Thanks, but I am good staying just where I am.”

The post “I am grateful for second chances” #GiveThanks appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Last week, we focused on the following activity option:

Read D&C 89. Discuss how Heavenly Father blesses us when we faithfully live the Word of Wisdom. Help plan and conduct an activity to teach the Word of Wisdom to others.

We decided to use the internet to share more about the Word of Wisdom with others. We worked together around my kitchen table to create a presentation on Google docs.

So, what is the Word of Wisdom? I’ll let the girls answer that question.

(They liked using the acronym W.O.W. so we helped them frame a subtitle around that.)

The post LDS Activity Days Girls Teach About the Word of Wisdom appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

A short answer about what Mormons do to bring in the new year is that, like many other people, we’ll throw or attend parties, or have family gatherings. Youth will sometimes have organized Church activities to be together in a wholesome environment. Some people will stay home and watch the New York ball “drop.” In my family of origin, watching football games is pretty much a given on New Year’s Day.

Mormon New Year’s Eve parties and gatherings may be a little different than some, though, because we don’t drink alcohol.

You can read Jenny’s response to this question from last year’s Ask a Mormon Woman post here.

LDSSplash shares some New Year’s tradition ideas.

What about New Year’s resolutions? Mormons are like others and will often set goals at the beginning of a new year, although the concept of goal-setting and improving oneself are really just part of Mormon doctrine to implement all year.

Looking for tips for New Year’s resolutions? Mormon Soprano shares a video with some possible tips for setting personal goals, with counsel from Elder Richard G. Scott.

What are your New Year’s Eve / New Year’s Day traditions or plans? Do you set New Year’s resolutions?

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: How Do Mormons Celebrate New Year’s? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Doctor: “I see in your paperwork that you don’t drink alcohol.”

Me: “That’s right.”

Doctor: “Not even a little on New Year’s?”

Me (smiling): “No, not even a little on New Year’s.”

Doctor (sternly): “Really?”

Me (sternly): “Really!”

You may remember from previous posts on Mormon Women that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a health code referred to as “The Word of Wisdom.” One of the admonitions in this health code is abstaining from alcohol and other strong drinks (even on New Year’s!). This may lead some to think that we don’t celebrate New Year’s or that our celebrations are boring. But that’s just not true!

Similar to our Christmas celebrations that we posted about two weeks ago, the church is worldwide and full of a variety of people so our celebrations vary too. (I find it hard to believe that any of my fellow Mormons would tolerate a boring party, though!)

Many LDS people have traditional parties on New Year’s Eve, just without the alcohol. Sometimes these parties are family affairs, where children are involved in the celebrations, and sometimes the adults like to get out and have fun without children to care for so they hire a babysitter. I’ve had great times at adult parties with my husband and friends as we play games, watch videos, and maybe even dance.

There have been years that my husband and I have been content to celebrate New Year’s at home. This is especially true if we have a new baby in the family or are worn out from our Christmas celebrations. Even when we stay home we have a good time. There are always games – board games, card games (no gambling), charades, and the like. We might watch a movie or the New Year’s celebrations around the world on TV. There is always food too; sometimes LDS people joke that what they don’t consume in alcohol they make up for in sugar!

My friend Esther told me about how her family of six celebrates the New Year. They start the evening with takeout Chinese food, a special treat for their family. Then the family sits in a circle with unlit candles. They go around the circle one by one, lighting each other’s candles and telling about the accomplishments and positive qualities of another family member until everyone’s candles are lit. This promotes such great feelings of love between family members as they encourage and recognize the great in each other. After enjoying the accomplished goals of the previous year, the family looks forward to the next year. They read a scripture, Luke 2:52 that tells about Jesus Christ’s growth as a child. They use that scripture as a pattern for their goal making, setting goals in the four areas mentioned: wisdom (intelligence), stature (physical), God (spiritual), and man (social – family, marriage, friends). Everyone then receives a journal where they can record their goals, plan, and write about their progress. Great things have been accomplished in their family as they each strive individually, and collectively as a family.

Recently the leadership of the LDS church has given the youth of the church (ages 12-18) a special way to bring in the New Year. It is through a celebration called “A Brand New Year.” You can learn more about it on the website dedicated to it here. (And you can read more about it here and here). A DVD was produced (and translated into 11 languages) to be used as part of New Year’s events that are great alternatives for teens that want to celebrate with friends in a wholesome and safe atmosphere. (For photos from last year’s event, see here.)

I am always excited at the prospect of a new year. The renewal of the year reminds me of the renewal we all receive from Jesus Christ. Each new day is a blessing, each new year a chance for joy, love, and growth.

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: How Do Mormons Celebrate New Year’s? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I have been married for 61 years. We have four sons, four daughters-in-law, thirteen grandchildren, and fifteen great-grand children (with two more coming). I have been a member of the Mormon Church all my life.

My career is my family. I went through High School and then to University for only 1 semester. I have worked out of the home for a total of about 1 year. It was mostly before I was married. I have had many opportunities to serve in the Church. At this time my calling [volunteer service assignment] is Visiting Teaching to three women. I also work online on the computer doing name extraction for The Family Search Indexing Program [volunteer family history work, transcribing information from paper records to a searchable online format].

I love to do crossword puzzles, jig-saw puzzles (which my husband and I do together), and keep in touch with our family. I have been a member of a Friendship Ladies Club for over 50 years. We still meet once a month at each other’s houses.

My testimony and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ has grown over the years. One time, my Visiting Teaching Companion and I were visiting one sister and I had a spiritual impression that we needed to hurry to the next appointment. We were early but the feeling was very strong that we needed to go. We went to her home and got no response when we rang the doorbell. We tried the door–it was unlocked so we went in. The dear sister was sitting in a chair in her kitchen; she was slumped over and we could tell immediately that she needed medical help. We called 911 and then called her son, who lived with her but was away at work. Soon we had the help from all parties. She was rushed to the hospital where she got the help she needed. She recovered and was home again in a couple of days. Had we not responded to the prompting from our Father in Heaven she most likely would have died. All went well and we visited her for many more times. Her family was very thankful for what we had done. This experience is only one, but I have a firm testimony that we are led by a loving Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is a way of life. I have been spared many trials that others seem to go through. It is such a blessing to have a plan of happiness. I know where I came from and why I am here and where I am going when I pass on. I do not fear death. At my age it is coming soon, probably. My health has been very good, though. I give credit to the Lord for giving us a plan of health [sometimes called the Word of Wisdom] to live by. Our children have not had troubles with liquor or tobacco related illnesses, they haven’t had trouble with the law; they are good people and try to do unto others as they would have others do unto them. We are blessed every day. My children love me, my husband loves and respects me because these are all principles we are taught in our Church. I thank God every day for my blessings.

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For more Portraits of Mormon Women, please click here.

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