Hi, I'm Jeannette.

I am a single woman; I am a storyteller in two languages; I am an artist with cloth and thread. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

One of my good friends says my hobby is "collecting hobbies." The world is so full of so many wonderful things, that each day is an adventure for me in curiosity and discovery. Some of my favorite pastimes include collecting children's picture books (see my blog happilyafterall.com), knitting (especially in new or unusual ways that use circular needles), crocheting, travel (Europe, Asia, Australia, and throughout the US so far), cooking, embroidery, reading, organic gardening. I am a single woman; I am a storyteller; I am a perpetual student at heart; I am a somewhat baffled homeowner trying to live organically and sustainably in an urban setting; I am the daughter of a European diplomat and an American rugged individualist who spent my earliest years in the islands of the South Pacific; I'm a non-stop knitter. I'm a Mormon.

Why I am a Mormon

My mother's family has been in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since the very beginning. One of my ancestors was a bodyguard of the Prophet Joseph Smith and was with him the day before he was martyred. My father's family is predominantly Catholic and for generations lived in the rocky mountainous villages of Corsica. I grew up straddling multiple cultures, multiple countries, multiple religions. That has given me an abiding respect for the teachings and rituals and virtues of my friends and family in other religions, but it is only in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I have been able to find the full breadth and depth of the gospel of Jesus Christ that I seek.

How I live my faith

My current "official" calling in the church is to teach a doctrinal lesson to the women once a month. I have also held positions in the past teaching children, teenagers, and the adult gospel doctrine class. Unofficially, I like to find ways to use my skills/hobbies to serve others, such as by knitting caps for cancer patients or blankets for new babies, or contributing recipes to a cookbook for fundraising, or by sharing gardening and food preserving ideas with others.

I also make time in my life for private worship. I read from the scriptures daily - The Old Testament, the New Testament, and The Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I pray daily, for my own needs and for those people I know who are ill or need other special assistance. I have great faith in the power of prayer to protect and strengthen people in all aspects of their lives. I attend the temple whenever I can and am looking forward to having a temple in Indianapolis.

What do Mormons believe about family?

Jeannette. answered...

As a single woman, I'm occasionally asked by people how I can belong to a church that puts so much emphasis on the family. My first response to that is that the church teaches me I am a child of God and helps me to have a strong and loving relationship with Him. Loving God with all our heart, might, mind and strength is the first great commandment, according to the Bible, and loving our neighor is the second. My second response is that the church teaches family relationships are eternal. I am connected to my parents, and grandparents, and beyond, and to my siblings, and my cousins, and outward. I'm not married, and I don't have children, but I have a large and loving family. My third response is that the members of the church are like family. I have lived in several countries and many states. In each place, I have found deep friendships with members of my church family. And finally, the church exemplifies, through its missionary work, its perpetual education fund, and its humanitarian service program, that we are all family, all children of the same God. I admire the church's teachings on the importance of having strong families. I do what I can to strengthen the family as an institution, as well as to help the members of my extended family and my broader community. And I put my primary emphasis on loving and serving my Heavenly Father.
Bradley. answered...

The family is a key component to support us in God's plan for gaining immortality and eternal life. All of God's children (all the inhabitants that lived, are living, and will live on Earth) are inseperably connected to each other, both (physically) by our Earthly families and (spiritually) by our Heavenly Father.

Families help us to understand our divine heritage. In this, life takes on purpose and meaning. Our immortal spirits were created by our Heavenly Father before Earthly existance, and we are directly connected to Him in this way. As a spiritual family, our collective purpose on Earth is to follow the commandments of God that lead us to live in heaven with Him again.

Our spirits need to progress, learn, and grow. In order to achieve that, Earthly existance was created as our test. Our Heavenly Father knew that being exposed to opposing forces on Earth was the only way for us to gain knowledge and wisdom.

However, we will not always choose righteousness, and so our Savior, Jesus Christ, is that great mediator to pay the debt of our mistakes. He is the only way by which we can be saved from our sins and transgressions. He is the ultimate example by which direction we need to live our lives. With the support of our earthly kin, we can learn from each other, serve each other, and strengthen our mortal weaknesses by being disciples of Christ. Our families are a gift from God, and we can be together forever.

How can I find someone to talk with, in person, about the Mormon religion?

Taylor answered...

A. You could go to a mormon.org profile from someone in your area that has a facebook link, and locate them that way!
B. You could go to the link on mormon.org that says "request the missionaries"
C. You could go to the link that says " Find a Church" and come visit us. We all would be more than happy to meet you to and explain why this message is so important for all of us.