This is #6 in a series of posts in which I share some of the things I have experienced because I am a Mormon. In each of these posts, I will give you a basic background and share a small experience. I hope that through the sharing of these small things you can have a glimpse into my experience as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will also try to explain principles and doctrines of my faith that bring me so much happiness.

Background: In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, local members serve as the leaders of our congregations. In fact, all positions in a congregation are filled by members. Bishops are somewhat like pastors in a congregation, and they usually serve for 5-7 years. If something goes wrong or something great happens, or anything in between among the members of his congregation, the bishop is there to help. Bishops serve with 2 counselors who assist them in their duties. They are called by inspiration and are ordained High Priests and set apart by the laying on of hands. During sacrament meeting each Sunday, the bishop presides and he and and his two counselors sit on the stand.

Choosing Happiness

Richard had just been called to serve as the first counselor to our bishop in Arizona. I was expecting our fourth baby, we were 2 1/2 weeks away from moving to our new house. I felt overwhelmed. How was I going to take care of four children during church without his help?

It didn’t help when someone shared her negative attitude about my situation that first day that Richard didn’t sit with us. I came home angry because she said that my life was going to be terrible for the next several years.

That week, I remembered what my mom had told me years ago when asked how she managed to take care of her children when my dad was a bishop’s counselor. She said, “The Lord trusts women to do difficult things.” I also never heard her complain.

In rebellion against negativity, I decided that I would never complain about sitting alone with the children. I decided that I would not only endure, but I would blossom during these years that Richard would serve.

I was busy with the children while he had meetings and visits with the bishop, but I made sure that he always had a white shirt clean and pressed in the closet. It was small, but choosing a good attitude and performing this small service made a huge difference at church, at home, and in our marriage.

Choosing to see the good allowed me to appreciate the women who offered to help when I had to take our baby out for a change. It allowed me to enjoy seeing Richard be outgoing and respected. I grew in my confidence because I learned that with the Lord’s help, I COULD take care of 4 small children during sacrament meeting. They learned to be reverent. They were good kids. I made an effort to have a church-like experience in my home when I was alone with a sick child on Sundays, watching DVDs of conference talks and listening to my Mormon Tabernacle Choir CDs. I learned that my cup could still be filled, even if I wasn’t able to attend church.

I look back at that time of stretching and I honestly don’t remember the difficulties as much as I remember being happy to spend time with our children and seeing my husband grow. It was a good time in our lives.

This is one of a series of posts in which I will share some of the things I have experienced because I am a Mormon. In each of these posts, I will give you a basic background and share a small experience. I hope that through the sharing of these small things you can have a glimpse into my experience as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will also try to explain principles and doctrines of my faith that bring me so much happiness.

Background: In our Church worthy men and boys age 12 and older are given the priesthood, which is the authority to act in God’s name. It is through priesthood that God directs the Church and blesses His children. Although the priesthood is given only to worthy men, priesthood and gender are not equivalent. The role of women is no less important in our Church. Equality does not mean sameness.

The power that comes from the priesthood is contingent on personal righteousness. A wicked man will not be able to have priesthood power. (3 Nephi 8:1,  D&C 121:36-37)

Although women do not hold the priesthood, the blessings of the priesthood are for all. I have received priesthood blessings for comfort and healing from bishops, my father, my brothers, missionaries, an Elders Quorum President, and my husband.

To learn more about the priesthood in the Church, you can go here to see a series of videos on the topic.

CTR rings are a common piece of jewelry worn by members of the Church. They are given to children to remind them to Choose The Right. We are not required to wear the rings; it’s just a little reminder to be good.

Light in the Darkness

It was a dark day. We were living in Austin, Texas and I awoke to excruciating abdominal pain. I was 18 1/2 weeks pregnant with our Daniel and the pain was so intense that we rushed to the hospital. After some tests and an ultrasound, they discovered a tumor or cyst that required immediate surgery to remove.

The pain medication made the rest of my experiences that day a little hazy. Richard made some phone calls from the hospital. I knew that he had called my parents in Utah, but apparently he called some other people, too.

As I waited with Richard by my side, I became aware that we were waiting for the Elders Quorum President (a priesthood leader) from our congregation (ward) before they took me into surgery. When he arrived, I felt his deep concern and love. This meant so much at this scary time. He and Richard placed their hands on my head and gave me a priesthood blessing that I can’t remember. I only remember feeling completely peaceful and loved.

As the nurse wheeled me into surgery, he showed me the ring he had on his finger. It was a CTR ring. My nurse was a member of my Church, too! There were ministering servants all around me on that day and their presence and the blessing they gave to me carried me (and wee Daniel) through the darkness.

Image from lds.org

This one in a series of posts in which I will share some of the things I have experienced because I am a Mormon. In each of these posts, I will give you a basic background and share a small experience. I hope that through the sharing of these small things you can have a glimpse into my experience as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will also try to explain principles and doctrines of my faith that bring me so much happiness.

Background: During my junior year of college I lived in an apartment with wonderful friends. I attended church with them in a congregation (ward) made entirely from college-age young men and women within a four block radius. My responsibility was to serve as first counselor in the Relief Society presidency. You can read about what a Relief Society President does here. We visited many young women and organized many activities. One of my responsibilities was to see that Sunday meetings always had a teacher, music, and that an uplifting message from the manual was being taught.

The Body hath Need of Every Member

I have always been wary of big social situations. Add to my shyness the highly charged dating environment of a “singles ward” at Brigham Young University and that I had just broken up with someone in the room and you can visualize me sneaking out the back door of the party to go home and hide in my apartment.

So what I tell you about this experience is not boasting. I was simply escaping a really stressful social situation when I decided to visit this young woman.

As a member of a Relief Society presidency, I was aware of an apartment with 4 girls who were not coming to church on my pathway home. As I scurried down the street, I decided to knock on the door of this apartment and say hello.

The only young woman who was home that evening answered the door wearing her usual hat with her long blond hair streaming down her back. I knew her name, but nothing about her. I told her that I needed a place to escape and she invited me in. We talked for a long time. She showed me her collections. I learned she had served a mission for the Church. I learned that she was a cancer survivor. She removed her hat to show me that one of the consequences of her brain tumor was that her hair wouldn’t grow back on the crown of her head. “Male pattern baldness” was the reason she always wore hats.

I’m not fooling when I tell you that I admired her. So often as I have visited women over the years for Relief Society, I have found unique and beautiful stories. Mormon women are incredibly diverse. Some may dress alike or act in similar ways, but visit a Mormon woman in her home and you will see that she is no copy.

Our friendship grew. It was natural that we would share things that were important to us. She shared her books. I just liked talking with her. I invited her to come back to church.

Within a few months she and her roommates did come back to church. It was a happy time to see them feel welcome there. I got married at the end of the school year and we said goodbye and I moved away.

My friend’s cancer returned while I was living in New Mexico and she passed away about a year after we had met.

My desire to see my friend come to church was a little bit like the desire I have to see her again in heaven. Truly, the Church has need of every member, quiet and outgoing, healthy and unhealthy, rich and poor, wounded and strong.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:4

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12

Also the body hath need of every member, that all may be edified together, that the system may be kept perfect. Doctrine and Covenants 84:110

This one in a series of posts in which I will share some of the things I have experienced because I am a Mormon. In each of these posts, I will give you a basic background and share a small experience. I hope that through the sharing of these small things you can have a glimpse into my experience as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will also try to explain principles and doctrines of my faith that bring me so much happiness.

Background: Richard and I were married while we were still in college. Mormons attend church according to a map; we do not choose our congregation. It is assigned to us based on the location of our home. Our first congregation (ward) in Provo had a wonderful mixture of ages, talents, and backgrounds. We were asked to serve in the Primary organization, teaching the 9-11 year olds on Sunday. Richard taught the boys and I taught the girls. I also served as a leader for the girls for their weekday activities on Wednesday afternoons. The Primary organization is for children under the age of 12 to be taught the gospel through Sunday school lessons and group lessons that are rich in interactive activities and songs. Primary is a fun place to serve.

Pressed down, shaken together, and running over

It was 1997 and Richard and I had graduated from college and were preparing to move to Texas. For nearly two years I had taught my small group of girls each Sunday. We had traveled through the Book of Mormon and perhaps the New Testament together in our lessons. They had held newborn Paige and watched her grow old enough to crawl and try to walk. We had spent many Wednesday afternoons together, learning the names of trees and plants, baking pies, learning to sew, collecting photos for their scrapbooks, and doing many things I can no longer remember.

These girls were in my thoughts during the week as I read the scriptures to prepare lessons. My Saturday nights were devoted to these girls, making fun activities for them to experience the scriptures the next day.

I was sad to leave them, and I was surprised to learn that they had organized a goodbye party for me. One morning, Richard discovered them carrying two large cakes down the street that they had purchased for me from the Provo Bakery. They had also prepared water balloon activities on the church lawn. Never having been the popular type, I had not expected a party.

I regret that I lost touch with these girls. They would be around 25 or 26 years old now. They may not remember me and I would probably not recognize them as grown women. However, my memories of them carry extra emotion because they were the first of many Primary children I would teach and love over the years.

There were practical and spiritual blessings from teaching Primary. The notes that I took in the margins of my scriptures for lessons are still a treasure to me. I sat at the feet of an amazing chorister who modeled the way to effectively lead the music for children. My next Primary responsibility (calling) in Texas was to lead the music. I was so thankful for what Sister Uharriet taught me.

There were blessings of the heart from teaching Primary. The children didn’t know my inexperience and they accepted me. I accepted them, their little feet balancing on the fence around my yard and their silly giggles at church. Teaching in Primary gave me confidence and a serving of love that I needed.

Their sweet ways and their memorable final act of gratitude filled my heart in good measure.

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38

This is the first of a series of posts in which I will share some of the things I have experienced because I am a Mormon. In each of these posts, I will give you a basic background and share a small experience. I hope that through the sharing of these small things you can have a glimpse into my experience as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will also try to explain principles and doctrines of my faith that bring me so much happiness.

Background: From the age of 27 to 30, I served as the Relief Society President in my congregation (ward) in Austin, TX. The Relief Society is the women’s organization of my church. Every adult woman at church is a member of the Relief Society. A Relief Society President sits in council with the priesthood leaders of the congregation and works closely with the Bishop (similar to a pastor) of the congregation in seeing to the temporal and spiritual needs of women and families. A Relief Society President presides in Relief Society Meetings, overseeing the teachers and doctrines taught. She assists the Bishop in the welfare program of the church to provide opportunities for work, food, and other necessities for those in need. A Relief Society President spends time visiting the homes of members. She provides special service to families after the death of a family member, providing comfort and assistance. Under the direction of the Bishop, a Relief Society President oversees the women in the congregation in service and sending them to visit and teach other women. She seeks out those in need and those who are not attending church. The ultimate purpose of the Relief Society is to help save souls.

Six Muffins and a Few Wishes

It was 2003 or 2004 in Austin, Texas and I was serving as the Relief Society President of my congregation (ward). My purse was empty and my baby Timothy was always on my hip. Our budgeting over the past few years had led to a cash-in-specified-envelopes system which gave me tangible proof that our income was limited and that my natural impulse to buy gifts had to be curtailed.

A woman in our congregation had just brought home her new baby from the hospital. She was new to the area and had not had an opportunity to make friends. Although I didn’t visit every new mother as one of my Relief Society duties, I knew that it was important that I visit this one.

“How could I visit a new mother without a baby gift?” I sighed. I had a blueberry muffin mix in the pantry, so I baked her some muffins, loaded my children into the wagon, and began the walk to her apartment.

As I pulled my little wagon with two little boys inside through the wooded apartment complex, a woman opened the door of her apartment and called out to me, “Could you use some baby shoes?”

She had in her hands two new pairs of baby girl shoes that she wished to give to me. She told me that she had seen me and knew that she should give them to me. I didn’t have baby girls, but I told her that I was on my way to visit a mother of a new baby girl and that the shoes would go to her. I thanked her for following the impulse to be generous to a stranger.

The woman with the shoes was not a member of my church. I had not prayed for a miracle. I was just acting in my calling, following an impression that I needed to visit someone in need.

I call this my loaves and fishes experience because my gift was miraculously multiplied. The Lord knew the woman I was going to visit and He loved her. The feelings that I had were strong that I should visit her. He knew my financial situation and my heart and he placed someone in our path who could help. Through this experience and many others, I saw that the Lord’s hand is in the work of the Relief Society. He trusts women to do important and difficult things in His church, but sometimes it is the simple acts that make the biggest impact. I saw His love for the individual and a concern for details. He provided a beautiful baby gift for this new mother when all I had to offer was 6 muffins and a few unspoken wishes that I could give more.