Hi, I'm Lydia

I have 12 siblings. My favorite memories are of eating homemade salsa and listening to Dad read aloud. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

My husband and I have been married for nearly four years. Our oldest daughter is almost three. She amazes us every day with her intelligence and love. I recently gave birth to our second child, another girl. She is a handful! I graduated from college just after we were married and my husband has one semester of college left before he starts teaching history. We love reading, walking, talking and cooking - just about anything is fun when we do it together.

Why I am a Mormon

My parents prayed and studied the scriptures with me consistently from before I can remember to the time I left home. They encouraged me to study and pray on my own so that I could know for myself that what they taught me was true. When I was about twelve I really started to make that effort. I began to understand and feel the truth of what I was learning. It gave me peace, comfort, and direction. I felt God's love and I recognized His hand in my life. Ever since then I have continued to study the words of God's prophets, ancient and modern pray daily and try to do what is right. As my understanding and obedience improves, I am happier. I'm learning to find peace, comfort, and even joy, in the middle of otherwise trying times.

Personal Stories

Please share your feelings/testimony of Joseph Smith.

In 1820 Joseph Smith was a simple boy with a simple question and a very simple faith. All he wanted was to know what God wanted him to do - which church should he join? He believed that if he asked, God would answer, and all the confusion of opinions wouldn't matter anymore, because he would know for himself. God responded to Joseph's simple prayer with an outpouring of truth and light.

I know that Joseph Smith really did see Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They really did speak to him. Through him, they restored the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know these things because I asked God the same way that Joseph did and God answered my prayer. I didn't see a vision, but I felt peace, joy and love. I still feel that way every time I read the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith's account of his experience. I know that those feelings come from God.

How has the Holy Ghost helped you?

Several times I have come close to making a major mistake, the kind that would hurt for the rest of my life, and the Holy Ghost gave me the insight I needed to choose wisely right when I needed it. At other times I have been guided to do something, not knowing why, and I found out later that it was the answer to another person's prayer. I regularly receive strength to overcome my challenges, push out my fears and doubts, and do the right thing after I pray. I know that it is the influence of the Holy Ghost in answer to my prayers.

Why do Mormons go on missions?

I think everyone who choses to serve a mission does so for a reason of his or her own. My reason for serving was that I believed it was the most effective way to help other people to be happy. I had gone to college hoping to learn what I could do to make the world a better, happier place. After several years of studying, I was convinced that the only thing that could bring lasting peace, happiness and good will to the world was for people to accept and live the teachings of Jesus Christ. Serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave me a chance to devote all my time and energy, for a time, to inviting others to come unto Christ by learning His gospel and committing to live it. It also helped me learn ways to continue making that invitation now, while I carry out my duties as a wife and mother.

How I live my faith

I enjoy visiting other female members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regularly to see how they are doing and to share a message about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have also enjoyed opportunities to teach gospel lessons in our women's class on Sundays.

My husband and I currently team-teach a class of three and four-year-old children. We love attending Primary, the organization for children, with our class. The songs and lessons we share with the children help us remember and apply the simple teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The children are so very sweet and we love them. I'm definitely happier as a result of being able to serve with my husband among such innocent children of God.

What do Mormons believe about “eternal life?”

Lydia answered...

We believe that everyone will live again after death because Jesus Christ made it possible - we call this immortality. We also believe that we can live forever with God and with our families - we call this eternal life. In order to have eternal life, we must make certain promises, or covenants, with God and do our very best to keep them throughout our lives. We believe that it is through the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ that we can hope for eternal life. Thus, we cannot earn eternal life, but we can qualify to be cleansed and purified through the saving power of Jesus Christ if we do our very best to keep all of God's commandments.
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Why do Mormons perform proxy baptisms in their temples?

Patty answered...

Proxy baptisms are Heavenly Father's solution to the conflict between the need to be baptized in order to obtain eternal life, and the fact that not everyone gets the opportunity to be baptized in this life. We preform baptisms on the behalf of our ancestors, and then our deceased ancestors, in the spirit world, are given the opportunity to choose whether or not they want this baptism to be valid for them.