Hi, I'm Brenda B

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother; daughter, sister, aunt and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I've been married for 30 years to the same great (in my eyes!) man. I have 2 terrific sons who are married to wonderful women and 5 brilliant grandchildren (and another on the way); all of whom I love with all my heart.

I am a convert to the Church. I love being a wife, mother and grandmother. I enjoy scrapbooking and sewing; when I'm not working my job or tending grandchildren. I am also heavily involved in family history research.

Why I am a Mormon

Life has not been easy for us. We have had our share of battles and even life threatening events; however with the Gospel as our foundation, we have made it through these trials. I truly believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints is the same church Christ organized when he walked upon the earth over 2000 years ago.

Before joining the Church, as I attended other churches I often wondered about apostles and prophets. Why would the Lord have them in the Old and New Testament times, but not now? Do we not need the same guidance as His ancient chosen Israel did? Does He not love us the same as He loves them? If He is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow, where are those wise men to give us guidance, counsel and reassurance that I read about in the scriptures?

Through meeting with the missionaries, I came to know that we do have apostles and prophets on the earth today, to give us the guidance and direction that we need. I love to hear their words and know that it is what my Father in Heaven would have me know and do; and that He does love and care about me just as He did Children of Israel.

Personal Stories

Please explain the part prayer plays in your life?

Prayer is such a vital and important part of my life. I know that my Father in Heaven hears my prayers and that He answers them. Sometimes the answers come when I am reading my scriptures. Sometimes they come as thoughts or impressions. Sometimes the answer is "yes" and sometimes it is "no".

I pray about ways to help my family. I seek guidance in my daily activities, for my work, for ways to assists my friends and neighbors. I pray to be a better person. I pray when I am happy and when I am sad; when I hurt and feel like no one else is there to hear or listen to me. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and that he stands ready to assist, I just need to do my part.

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

Having a knowledge of the Plan of Happiness helps me with my decisions. Because I know that I will stand accountable for the things that I do and say, I usually try to think through the consequences of my choices and actions. I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, but I can get past those and continue on the path.

I know Heavenly Father loves me, that I am His daughter and that he has given us this Plan of Happiness. It helps me to know that my Heavenly Father WANTS me to be happy and as long as my choices are in harmony with His Plan then I will be. That isn't to say that I don't have struggles and trails, as well as times of heartache and sorrow. But I can see past the immediate challenge or problem and know that in the eternal scheme of things, this time is but a small moment, and "this too shall pass."

Why do Mormons do family history or genealogy work?

We do family history because we love our family. We love those who have come before us as much as those who are living. We want to be with our families for all eternity. We need to identify each family member so that the saving ordinances of the Gospel can be performed for those who did not have the opportunity to do so while they were alive.

How I live my faith

I currently serve in our Stake as the secretary of the Relief Society; the Women's organization. In the past I have served in the ward (local congregation) as a teacher in Primary (the organization for the children) and as well as in the Relief Society. I have been the President of the Relief Society, of the Young Women's and of the Primary; as well as a counselor in each of those organizations. I taught in the early morning seminary program for over 10 years.

In the community, I have helped with the food bank as well as cleaning up in local parks, helping in the schools and volunteering at public events. I have attended and spoken at school board & city council meetings. As a family we have given service to others by taking in meals, doing yard work, cleaning houses and helping with transportation.

I believe that we must show what we believe by our example. We must live as the Savior taught and love our neighbors as our selves. We must reach out to those in need and not wait to be asked.

Why do Mormons perform baptisms for the dead?

Brenda B answered...

We perform baptisms for the dead because we love our family. The family is central to all that we believe; it is the primary unit of the Church and of Society. We love our families and believe that once we leave this earth life, we will have the opportunity to live with our families again; in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

We also believe that we are spirit children of our Heavenly Father and that He loves all His children equally. Some have lived on the earth when the fulnes of the Gospel was not. Those children will have the same opportunity to hear His Gospel however they must be willing to make and keep sacred covenants. Because they are no longer on the earth in physical bodies, they are not able to do this for themselves. They rely upon us, their progenitors, to do this work for them. We submit their names for the ordinances to be performed in the Holy Temples and then serve as proxies for them therein.

We don’t count them on the membership of the Church. We believe that they have agency to accept or reject the temple work that is done for them. This binds and ties families together both physically here on the earth and for the eternities. The Doctrine & Covenants tells us that we need each other to be made perfect in Christ.
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Stuart Clark answered...

We believe that baptism is essential for salvation. It is a covenant with God to obey his commandments. Christ taught that we all must be baptized. Some people die without being baptized or knowing about the Church of Jesus Christ. They must also have an opportunity for salvation. Those who have died are taught the gospel in the world of the spirits. But, baptism is an earthly ordinance. So we can perform that ordinance for them by being baptized for them, just as Christ died for us as a proxy for us, we can be baptized for others. This is authorized by Christ in his church to be performed in the temples. The person who died can either receive this gift or reject it. They still have their agency.

What do Mormons believe concerning the doctrine of grace?

Adam answered...

Grace is a gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ. The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

Everyone on earth experiences physical death. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, all will be resurrected and will live forever.

Because of personal choices, everyone also experiences the effects of sin. These effects are called spiritual death. No one can return to the presence of God without divine grace. Through the Atonement, we all can be forgiven of our sins; we can become clean before God. To receive this enabling power, we must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives.

The grace of God helps us every day. It strengthens us to do good works we could not do on our own. The Lord promised that if we humble ourselves before Him and have faith in Him, His grace will help us overcome all our personal weaknesses.