Hi, I'm Peggy

I studied civil and mechanical engineering, I am a stay-at-home mother of 5, and I am a Mormon.

About Me

I am a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am a wife and mother of 5 (one child deceased of SIDS). I love to quilt, sew, crochet, read, and recently became very interested in my Family History.

Why I am a Mormon

I was born into a family that has roots that date back to the restoration of the gospel and have been a member all my life. Many ancestors sold everything they had and came to the United States from England and Denmark. Although I was raised in the gospel, I still had to gain a testimony of my own of the Book of Mormon. I remember as a youth of about 12 years old, I was challenged to read the scriptures every day. After spending many hours reading the Book of Mormon, I remember praying to the Lord and asking Him if the Book of Mormon was true. I was overcome with the most incredible feeling that warmed my heart and soul. I knew then that the Book of Mormon was true.

As I got older someone once said, "If the Book of Mormon isn't true and the gospel isn't true, why would Joseph Smith and many others go through the persecution and even death. It would have been easy to say it was a hoax." They knew, as I know, that it is true, without a shadow of a doubt. This testimony is what has helped me to continue on when trials and challenges are in my life.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons do family history or genealogy work?

Mormons do family history to link our generation to our forefathers. We believe in being an eternal family and if we don't know who our ancestors are, how can we "link" us together forever. I have been researching my family and with the help of the internet, I have been able to find information and even life stories and a few pictures of those who have passed on before as far back as the 1400s. It has been exciting to know more about them. It has made me appreciate the sacrifices and challenges that they faced in their lives. Many of these sacrifices have made it possible to live where I do today and to have the Gospel in my life.

How I live my faith

We recently moved into a new area and started attending a new ward (congregation). My husband and I were called to be Family History Consultants. This has helped me gain a huge interest in my family history. My mother had done a great deal in the past, but I have found many more relatives with the aid of the internet. It is fascinating to see how my family joined the church and immigrated to the United States from various countries.

In the past I have worked with the young children in many capacities, a den leader in the Webelos Cub Scout program, and also with the young teenage girls. I loved having the opportunity to work with the young women and have made lasting friendships with several of them.

What are Mormon church services like? Are visitors allowed at church meetings? Can I attend church?

Peggy answered...

Anyone is welcome to attend church services. The Mormon church services consist of three meetings. One meeting, called Sacrament meeting, is where the family sits all together and listens to speakers who talk about the Gospel and how it has affected their lives. We also partake of the emblems of the Sacrament (bread and water) and renew our covenants (promises) that we made at baptism.

The second meeting is Sunday School. The adults meet together and study different aspects of the Gospel. This year we are studying the Old Testament. The youth meet together in their respective age groups and study the same topics. During the second and third meeting, the children meet together and have lessons, singing time, and activities that are appropriate for their age.

The third meeting is where all the men meet together, the women meet together, and the youth divide into young men and young women groups. During this meeting, each group has a lesson that pertains to the needs of that group.
Show more of my answers Show less of my answers One Moment Please
Brian answered...

Mormon church services are unique. When I first started attending I felt three hours was too long to be in church, but I quickly grew to like it because I realised that each of the three meetings has a very practical, edifying focus. The Sacrament meeting is the principal meeting and it is where everyone (women and men, young and old) come together to have the sacrament (communion) and hear talks by their fellow church members. Since there is no paid clergy, Mormons take turns speaking to the congregation about how a particular principle or doctrine has strengthened their faith in Christ. Depending on the size of the congregation, a Mormon can speak as often as once a year to once every two or three years.

In Sunday School, the youth attend classes according to their age and the adults attend a class together. The curriculum varies from year to year, but the focus each year is on a book of scripture and how its lessons can help us develop stronger families, be better neighbours and parents, etc. For example, this year (2011) all the adults are studying the New Testament.

In the third hour we group together as men and women. The men's class looks at how the gospel of Christ can help us in our roles as men, husbands, fathers, etc., while the women study how Christ's teachings can help them be better women, wives, mothers, etc.

Visitors are welcome in all of these meetings.

Why did your church previously practice plural marriage (polygamy)?

Clayton answered...

Why did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Solomon practice plural marriage? Because God told them to. So why did Mormons practice polygamy? Because God commanded us to. There is nothing new about the concept of polygamy. It is only a tool that the Lord sees fit to put in place on his own time.

Any other reasons for it are God's reasons and the fact of the matter is that an all knowing, perfected being, who also happens to be the father of our spirits commanded that it should be done. It really all comes down to your faith in God.