Hi, I'm Courtney E.

I grew up near Washington, DC. I'm a wife, a mom, and a college graduate. I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I'm a recent college graduate with a degree in family science and child development. For the past year I tutored children ages 5-12 in reading and math. I am a mother to a sweet little girl that always keeps me on my toes! I stay home with her during the day and keep busy with crafts, housework, errands, and playtime. Life is good.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because I have learned for myself that the Book of Mormon is a true record. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, and I know that he translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God. It is through reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible that I gained a testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. I know He loves us. I know that He died for all of us so that we can repent a live with Him and our Heavenly Father again. I am a Mormon because I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet, just like Moses, Abraham, and Isaiah. I am not a Mormon because my parents are Mormon or because my husband is a Mormon. I am a Mormon because I learned for myself that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet today, and that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.

Personal Stories

Please explain the part prayer plays in your life?

Prayer is an open communication between me and my Heavenly Father. I'm able to pour out my heart to an all-knowing and all-loving God. When I pray to Him I feel His love. I am strengthened by a confirmation that I am His daughter.

I pray about many things. I prayed about what college to attend, about who to marry, about what degree to pursue, and about having a baby. There are many more things I could list, but this list should give you a good idea. I want to do things that will bring me the most happiness, the most eternal joy. That is why I pray so often. Heavenly Father helps me to make decisions that will bless my life in ways that I cannot see. Prayer is a gift He has given to us because He does not want us to face life alone. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to succeed. He wants to help us in every way that He can. By praying to Him I am able to bring peace into my life.

How has your knowledge of the Plan of Happiness changed/benefited your life?

I was exposed to death at a very early age. I have an older brother and sister who died from a rare genetic disease that basically made their muscles too weak to move. When I was a little girl, probably around 4 years old, I remember waking in the middle of the night crying because I missed them so much. I never met them in this life, but it is my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation that has given me strength and comfort in knowing that I will see them again. Through the years I've lost family members and friends, and with every passing my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation has made me stronger. I know that we will be able to see our loved ones again. I have felt that peaceful confirmation over and over again in my life.

How I live my faith

I teach a Sunday School class called Marriage and Family Relations to a group of young adults. I am also assigned to visit with 2 women in my congregation every month. In these visits I share my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and address the needs of each sister. It is a rewarding, built-in service opportunity that I have grown to love.

What do Mormons believe about the Holy Ghost? Who is the Holy Ghost?

Courtney E. answered...

The Holy Ghost is a spirit that the Lord chose to be our companion while we are here on Earth. He is also known as the Comforter. He is the one that helps us make choices between right and wrong; He guides to make our own decisions; He gives us comfort when we feel sad, stressed, or lonely. He helps us feel happy when we are in good places with good people. When I read the Book of Mormon for the first time, it was the Holy Ghost that helped me understand what I was reading and if the Book of Mormon was true. The Holy Ghost also helps us to know if someone needs our help or if we need to get out of a certain situation. He is our guide, and everything He tells us is what the Lord wants us to know.
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Why don’t women hold the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? How do Mormon women lead in the Church?

Leeny answered...

This is a question I had to really consider before joining the Church. My mother is a non-denominational chaplain, and both my sisters are pastors. Female leadership in church settings is very important to my family.

It is to me as well. I think many people become offended when they learn that only men hold the priesthood because they misunderstand it. The priesthood is a tool given to men in order that they might serve others more. It does not in any way give them power or dominion over women. Those people who suppose the priesthood is a way to control others are deeply mistaken.

My husband is a priesthood holder, this means I am too. I have claim on my husband's priesthood power. Even more than he does. If I am sick, discouraged, or in need of help I can call upon my husband to give me a blessing through the priesthood that he holds. I then recieve many blessings because of my husband's worthiness to work in behalf of Christ. My husband is never able to give himself a blessing though. If he is sick or discouraged he must call on other priesthood holders to administer to him. My husband holds the priesthood so that he can bless me and our child - never himself.

The priesthood is the power of Christ on the earth. It allows those who hold it to serve their families in the same way Christ served the Church. Did Christ do any deed for himself during his earthly ministry? No. Christ spent all his energy serving the people. This is what the priesthood does for my husband. It infuses him with Christ's compassion and ability to love, and then my husband is able to use that celestial love in our family.

Why don't women also recieve this special gift then? The simple answer is women don't need it. As women we are innately endowed with compassion, selflessness, and love. Think about the way a mother loves her child. I believe there is nothing more pure and similar to Christ's love for us, than a mother's love for her children. Women naturally have the ability to love as Christ does.

In an ideal situation, which is what God always intended for us, there are two partners in marriage. There is the husband and father, a priesthood leader who can be called upon to administer blessings and serve in Christ's name. And there is also the wife and mother, who is blessed with the ability to love as Christ loves and sacrifice for her family. These are two seperate and divinely appointed roles. Each complementing the other. Both make a complete home.

Women do not hold the priesthood because they do not need it. Women have other God-given powers that raise them up to the task they are called to. A man is appointed to serve his wife and children - it is the power of the priesthood that enables him to do this.

I am grateful to have a husband who is worhty to use the priesthood in my behalf. It has blessed me many times and I know that it is a special gift from God - not only to my husband, but to me as well.