Hi, I'm Alison

I'm a wife, mother, a writer for children, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I'm a forty-something wife and mom. My oldest child is away from home, serving as a missionary for our church. My younger two are still in school, which means I spend a good chunk of my time volunteering in schools and running my kids here and there. I'm also a children's writer who loves to read, knit, sew, cook, and learn new things.

Why I am a Mormon

I was born into a Mormon home and it was a wonderful way to grow up, surrounded by family and full of the hope of being together in the eternities. But even those who are born in the Church need to find out for themselves why they're there.
I was about nineteen and away from home when I realized I needed to know for sure. I began to read the Book of Mormon. It wasn't the first time I'd read it, but it was the first time I'd read it with the intent to find out. Its words filled me with a great love for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I wanted to serve Him, no matter what that meant or where it would lead me. So I knelt to pray, wanting to know if the Book of Mormon was true. The answer that came into my mind was, "you already know."
And I realized I did know. The warmth, light and peace I'd felt while reading the book had been the Holy Spirit telling me it was true, answering my question before I even asked.
The Book of Mormon, then, is the key to why I remain a Mormon. When I read it, I'm happy. It brings me closer to Jesus Christ. That same light and peace fill my life with each reading. And so, I try to read it often.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons do family history or genealogy work?

We do family history or genealogy work because we believe in a loving Heavenly Father. He wants all His children to have the teachings and ordinances they need to return to Him. Baptism is one of those ordinances. Christ himself said, "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)
Therefore, we seek out the names of our ancestors and in our temples we perform those necessary ordinances in their behalf. We do it knowing that our ancestors might reject those ordinances. But at least they'll have the choice.
It's a labor of love--ours and Father in Heaven's.

How I live my faith

One of the great things about the Mormon church is that eveyone participates in the running of it. There is no paid clergy. The members are the leaders and the teachers as well as the participants. And that stretches you in ways you didn't know you needed to be stretched. By nature, I'm more of an idea person than an organizer, but I've been in positions where I've helped organize gatherings for 300 to 400 women--something I wouldn't have thought possible for me. When the Lord is on your side, you can do amazing things. Things you never would have guessed you could do.

Are all Mormons required to serve a mission?

Alison answered...

One of the basic tenets of Mormonism is free will, the ability to choose. We would die to defend our right--and yours--to choose. That's why the word "required" doesn't fit into our beliefs. Young men are expected to go on missions, certainly. But there is no requiring, no forcing (and if there is, something's not right).
Taylor answered...

Quite simply, no. The young men of the church have been strongly encouraged to serve a mission at age 19, and the sisters are able to serve at age 21, but no one is required to serve. We do it because we want to! Who in their right mind would give up two years and pay that's right, missionaries pay their own way to go somewhere they had never been and do all that they do? We serve missions becuase we know that Jesus is the Christ, and we want the happiness that knowledge bring to be available to everyone! So no, Mormons are not required to serve a mission. It's a personal choice to share the happiness and joy they've received from the Gospel.

What are Mormon Temples used for?

Corey answered...

A temple is a house of the Lord, a place where we may worship our Heavenly Father and feel of His presence. It is a sacred place where no unclean thing can enter. Because of the importance and sacredness of the temple, a temple recommend is required and is received based on individual worthiness within the church in order to enter its holy walls.

The temple is where I go to find answers, to find peace, and to feel the Spirit. We are encouraged to go as often as possible and to attend seeking Spiritual guidance. Inside we perform sacred ordinances for ourselves and more often for others, those who are deceased. God requires that all to make covenants in order to return to His presence and many died without the opportunity to make these covenants. In the temple we perform the ordinances for them in their name giving them the opportunity to reject or accept the ordinance and thus enter into the presence of the Father. The temple is a very sacred and holy place.