Hi, I'm Kristi

I was adopted and I am happy I'm a Mormon!

About Me

I have five children and am blessed to stay home and take care of them. It's a busy, wonderful life! When I was a little girl I lived in the Samoan Islands for two years. My brother and sister are Samoan and we are all adopted. I have also lived in the USA and South Korea. I love to visit new places and meet people who will teach me about their culture and beliefs. I have a strong testimony that each person is a child of God. Biographies are my favorite non-scriptural reading material because I think real life is more amazing than fiction.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon because of the warm feeling I get when I study the doctrines of this Church. I describe the feeling as "the warm chills" because that is the way it felt to me when I was first discovering my own testimony. Almost like goosebumps but in a good, tingly way. It's probably different for each person but I knew that there was a special feeling that came over me as I read the scriptures, then thought and prayed about them. I knew that I felt the same feeling when I was praying with my family and when I attended church meetings and activities. I also found that I did not have that same feeling when I attended the services of other religions. This did not happen to me all at once. It was gradual. Over time I noticed that I felt happier, more empowered to face challenges, and more fulfilled when I learned and applied the teachings of the latter-day saints. When I chose a different path than the one I had been taught, I found myself confused, disappointed, and unsure. The more I conform my life to the ideals of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the happier and more satisfied I became even during trials. Through my own experience I have learned that living my life this way makes me happy, helps me accomplish more and gives me a great sense of purpose. The best way to find out if what I have learned is true is to try it for yourself! Live the gospel for a week or month or whatever seems right to you. I promise, you won't regret it.

Personal Stories

How can your talents and gifts bless others?

When we give our time and our talents unselfishly it is amazing what Heavenly Father can teach us. I learn so much when I serve others and really get to know them. We don't really know what our talents are until we use them and even go out of our comfort zone to try something we never thought we could do. It feels great to help others but it also gives us a chance for personal growth and learning. When a situation causes us anxiety or fear, we should respond with faith and trust that God will help us to reach out and help others. It's amazing what he can do with us when we are willing to try.

Why do Mormons do family history or genealogy work?

I used to think that family history was just something old people do. I didn't understand the importance of it until I had an amazing experience that gave me a strong testimony of the blessings that come to us as we seek out information about our ancestors. We found my father-in-law, alive, 30 years after we thought he had died. What joy! We do not know the blessings that God has in store for us and for our families as we obey his commandment to seek out our ancestors.

This command is so important that it is the last thing mentioned in the Old Testament! I believe that the prophets who wrote the Bible had some understanding of the selfish and self-centered world that we would live in today. Maybe they knew the blessings we needed to help us avoid some these traps of worldliness and pride come from sacrificing our time to build our family trees and learn the lessons of those who have gone before us. Please, go to www.familysearch.org and start your genealogical journey. Mine has already taken me half way around the world and I am sure that is just the beginning. God has great, personalized blessings for each person who has the courage to do this work. You have my promise that if you will just start, the blessings will be well worth the effort. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain!

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

I was too young to pray, but God answered me anyway. He also answered the prayers of my parents and the prayers of my biological parents too. I don't know the circumstances that led to my biological parents putting me up for adoption, but I am so grateful for them and for the courage they had to make that very difficult decision. They gave me a chance for the wonderful life I enjoy now and, since they agreed to have me adopted through the LDS Church's adoption program, they also gave me the opportunity to be part of an eternal family. I can't begin to describe how much that means to me!

Only God can take the situations created by human mistakes (that cause heart-break or sorrow) and turn them into something wonderful. I know if we each pray then he will make sure the best blessings come to us as we strive to overcome the challenges we face.

What blessings have come through your faith in Jesus Christ?

My family, my whole life. When I was younger I had a plan and vision about what I wanted my life to be. I thought that I would find happiness by seeking worldly success. Because I had faith to follow what my heart said was right, instead of what my head said would bring me happiness, I found real joy. I would not have known that raising children and being a wife and mother could be so fulfilling and exciting because that is not what the world teaches girls. I'm so grateful that I have been blessed and led by the spirit to walk the path that I have.

What is hope and what do you hope for?

I think that hope is akin to faith. Hope is a feeling that everything happens for a reason and that better things are ahead.

Sometimes people ask me why I do the things I do if there is no "proof" that the gospel is true. I feel like I have proof because of the feelings I have that confirm this is Christ's church and that I am living his gospel. However, if you take all that away (and consider nothing of the doctrines of the church) I can see that people who live according to the teachings of the LDS Church are happy and successful over the long term in a way that others seem to lack.

I hope for eternal life with God and my family. This life provides glimpses of that, and overall our lives can be very happy, but true joy comes later. I have faith that the gospel is the path that will lead me to the fullness of joy I hope for.

How I live my faith

Everything I do centers on my faith in Jesus Christ and I try to always live with him as my example. I love my family so I teach my children about the scriptures and show them how families can be together forever. We research our family tree online at www.familysearch.org and I volunteer to "index" records so more people can learn about their ancestors. You can volunteer too at www.familysearchindexing.org. Sharing my testimony with friends, neighbors, and people I meet is really exciting for me. I love to tell people how I feel about the Savior and I volunteer to teach with the missionaries each week. I'm active in my church's women's organization and I get to play the piano for children on Sunday. There are many opportunities for me to help people and I enjoy spending time visiting in their homes and serving them. The most important ways I live my faith are through daily prayers and scripture study. I also visit temples regularly. These habits help me feel God's love and that brings me so much peace! When I feel close to my Heavenly Father, it doesn't matter what challenges I have to face because I know he is with me and will teach, help, and guide my footsteps.

What do Mormons believe about the nature of God?

Kristi answered...

We believe that God is the Father of our spirits and that he has a body. As the Bible teaches us, we believe that we are created in his image. Of course, unlike him, we are just mortal and very imperfect but I think that there are Godly attributes in each person. If we look at others and try to love them unconditionally like Heavenly Father loves us then every once in a while we will catch a glimpse of something special in each and every child of God.
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Kathleen answered...

This question is easily answered in the words of one of the children's songs "I know my [Heavenly] Father lives, and loves me too". We believe in a loving God, who knows us each individually. Another way I know that God loves me because he has heard and answered my prayers many times. Some people think that God is angry, but I do not believe that is so. Matthew 7:11 reads, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask him?" I think that just explains it all- as parents we want the best for our children. God, our Heavenly parent, wants the best for us, too. As parents, we recognize that giving our children everything they ask for isn't necessarily what's best for them. God does this for us also.

Why do some call Mormonism a cult?

Garth answered...

I just saw news footage where a minister called the Mormon Church a ‘cult’ and the news commentator turned around and said it wasn’t. The news commentator was right. One definition listed for ‘cult’ in Webster’s Dictionary is “a religion regarded as unorthodox.” ‘Unorthodox’ according to whom? Catholicism and over 2000 churches who broke off of the Catholic Church or the original teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ? We believe some of the original doctrines contained in the original Church of Jesus Christ fell into apostasy and were changed by men. One example is the definition of the Godhead as laid out in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds that are widely accepted by most Catholic and Protestant churches today. We believe the Godhead is made up of three separate and distinct individuals that are one in purpose not in body. When I read about the atonement in Matthew 26:39 (KJV), “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” I believe God the Father, Jesus Christ, Peter and the other Apostles would find the teaching that ‘Jesus Christ was praying to himself’ as quite ‘unorthodox’. I choose to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, not the teachings of men…regardless of the names they choose to call us.