Hi, I'm Corey

I'm a grad student, designer, theatre director, educator and friend living in northern Colorado, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I was born and raised in west Michigan and that is where most of my family still lives. I am the oldest of three children and the only one that has gone to finish college and to serve a full-time mission for the Church. I moved to Colorado to pursue my MA in Theatre Education and my teaching certificate. I have a BA in Design and Technical Theatre and worked for a while as a freelance designer and painter, having the opportunity to intern at the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. Ultimately I decided that I preferred working with students and turned my focus towards education and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I now work at a local high school as an In-School Suspension supervisor and theatre director.

Traveling the world is one of my biggest goals. I love exploring new places and meeting new people. Other than that I enjoy fairly "geeky" things - science fiction, anime, reading, astronomy, storm chasing, the history channel, spontaneous road trips and cooking for my friends. I love music and going to concerts and singing in our choir.

Why I am a Mormon

I technically grew up in the Church, but stopped going when I was 12 because my mom stopped going. Throughout high school my plan was to become a scientist and I believed that I needed to shake off my religious upbringing in order to be a proper scientist. One day as I was about to conclude that there was no God, a voice shouted in my heart and mind, "You KNOW quite well that there is a God and you are His daughter." The voice shook me so completely that I just sat there in silence for several moments.

That little voice I know now was the Holy Ghost, preventing me from doing something really dumb and I'll forever be eternally grateful for the knowledge that God exists and that I am a child of a loving Heavenly Father.

I'm a Mormon because what the Church teaches makes sense logically and spiritually. In the Doctrine and Covenants it says that the Spirit will testify to your heart and your mind; Truth is truth logically, emotionally, and spiritually. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and that we are His children and that he has a plan for each and everyone of us. I know that we can receive guidance through prayer, scripture study, personal revelation and modern day prophets.

Personal Stories

Please share your feelings/testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel.

I love studying about the Restoration of the Gospel. It's a story that started hundreds of years before Joseph Smith was born. It started with inspired men who believed that the gospel should be available to everyone, not just the learned priests. Everyone should be able to have a personal relationship with God through the scriptures and prayer. These religious thinkers put into motion a series of events that culminated in a farm boy, who after searching through a family Bible knelt in prayer to know the truth for himself.

I know, beyond any doubt, that Joseph Smith did really see God the Father and Jesus Christ and was called to be a prophet. That through him, the Book of Mormon was translated, that the holy priesthood was restored and that the Church of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth. I wish I could tell you that face to face so that you could hear and feel how earnestly and sincerely I know that to be true. I know that Joseph Smith could not have done the things he did without being divinely inspired and guided.

How I live my faith

I grew up in an area where being Mormon made me unique; which provided a number of opportunities for others to either tease me or ask sincere questions. I liked this quite a lot. I've always loved sharing the gospel with those around me. In 2005 I was called to serve a full time mission. I served in the Arizona Tempe Spanish speaking mission and it was the best 18 months ever! After returning home from my mission I was called to teach a youth Sunday School class in one of our Spanish speaking congregations. Again, I love working with students so this was a great opportunity.

I'm now in Colorado, where the LDS population is significantly higher than what it was back in Michigan. I teach Sunday School and the occasional Institute of Religion class to other college students and sing in our ward choir. But no matter where I am, I will always do what I'm best at -- living the principles I know to be true and correct, helping people on my way, being a good example to all I can, and teaching basic principles through words and deeds.

What are Mormon women like? Do Mormons believe in equality of men and women?

Corey answered...

Many of the women I have worked with in theatre have had very strong feminist viewpoints, so I used to get asked this question a lot.

Mormon women vary from person to person from place to place. We are not forced to conform to some ideal housewife stereotype - we're not like the Stepford Wives. We are all unique individuals with unique interests, hobbies, wants and desires - just like any other woman of any other faith. Some are shy while others are more outspoken. Some like knitting or gardening, while others like muscle cars and horses.

Women in the church are treated as equals and if there is any imbalance it's in the favor of the women. Women are praised for being clever, kind and wise. President Hinckley once said jokingly, that the women of the church were hard to ignore because "half of them are our wives and the other half are our mothers."

As women in the church we have different responsibilities and different assignments, but that by no means makes us inferior or subordinate to the men. We do not look down on the role of motherhood and take pride in creating safe and loving homes. We work together in love and respect working towards common goals as equal partners with our husbands and Priesthood leaders.

I would direct you further to one of my favorite talks given by Gordon B. Hinckley in 2004 called "The Women in Our Lives". You can find it by typing in the title in the search box on lds.org
Michael answered...

My wife is a Mormon, and I love her with all of my heart. She is devoted to serving God, and raising a righteous family. We are equal partners in God's eyes, and her happiness is my enduring goal in life.

Why are only some Mormons allowed into temples? Is there something secret going on in Mormon Temples? What goes on in Mormon Temples?

Keith Proctor answered...

In the Temple we are taught some pretty powerful truths about who we are, where we came from, and why we are here. It's not the kind of experience you can just walk into and get. There is significant spiritual preparation and learning needed first. It's better to be prepared and enjoy the fullness of the experience than to rush into it too quickly and end up confused. The ordinances in the temple also require that you prepare yourself to have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father. The best way to prepare for the Temple ordinances is to begin living their teachings consistently before entering the Temple. This is your way of showing Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father that you love them, obey them, and are ready for additional light and knowledge. Without this preparation, any ordinance of the Gospel would be an empty set of rituals. The Temple, in its fullest sense, prepares men and women to return and live with God as His sons and daughters. Anyone in the world can experience the power and beauty of the Temple, but a wise Heavenly Father has set out certain guidelines for their personal preparation first. Those who love Jesus Christ and walk in His ways will find in the Temple a power beyond their comprehension and a closeness to God not possible anywhere else in the world.