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Hi I'm Holly
About Me
I have lived most of my life in the Western United States. I was born in Utah, the oldest of five children. I come from both a strong Mormon and a strong Lutheran religious heritage. My ancestry traces to Canada, Denmark, Norway, England, France and Germany. After completing High School, I attended college in the USA and also studied abroad in Israel and Egypt. I met my husband Jeff at a Halloween costume party that neither of us was planning to attend. From the moment we met, we were best friends! There was a catch – I had accepted a call to serve a full-time LDS mission, and I was actually leaving in 10 days. Jeff encouraged me to go, and promised to ‘wait’ for me. He was a man of his word. For 18 months I served at my own expense in the Midwestern USA teaching what I believe, sharing the gospel message of Jesus Christ, and giving humanitarian service. Meanwhile, Jeff was working hard to support himself through University getting his Business Degree, and writing letters faithfully to me. Six months after I returned, we were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. We recently celebrated our 20 Year Anniversary. It is hard to believe how quickly the seasons of our life have flown by. We have two beautiful children. One is in college, and the other is finishing High School. When my children were little, I was a full-time stay-at-home mom. Once both of them were in elementary school, I returned to University to finish my Music degree, specializing in vocal performance. I love to sing! I have performed as a soloist and in many different choirs as well as theater productions. As a classically trained singer, I sang and performed on the Opera stage for over 14 years. I enjoy many different styles of music. I particularly love to sing sacred songs that allow me to express my faith as well as my talent. I can’t imagine a world without music. It is such a gift! I believe our Heavenly Father uses good music as one of His most powerful tools to be able to speak to our souls. As a typical American woman I wear many hats and have many responsibilities. I am a wife, mom, Administrative Assistant, professionally trained singer, volunteer, performer, actress, writer and blogger. Just to name a few. I love to be outdoors hiking, camping, running, gardening. I am fascinated by computers and the internet and the amazing - literally daily advances - to be able to connect with the world.
Why I am a Mormon
I am a Mormon because of my family heritage and because of my personal conviction. My family heritage:Both of my parents were baptized Mormon as children. I have many ancestors who were part of the original Mormon Pioneer movement. They rode in wagons, pulled hand-carts, and walked thousands of miles to find religious freedom. They became original settlers of Utah and California. They suffered tremendous hardships, made tremendous sacrifices for their religious beliefs, and lived valiant lives of faith. My maternal grandmother’s family was Lutheran. She was raised on a large working farm where there was not much time to attend religious services, but they were a close family that sang hymns, read the Bible together and did good deeds. Grandma was a rodeo queen. She met and married my grandpa at the age of 17. He was 26, and a Mormon from Utah. At the time he was very busy with military service and not actively participating in church. Several years went by, they started a family, and then came World War II. Grandpa was deployed during the war to Germany. Grandma had made some good friends who were Mormon. They invited her to attend church social events and Sunday services with them, and included her in all of their activities. She enjoyed the social support and friendship, but she also became more and more interested in what Mormons actually believed. She loved how they “lived their religion”. She eventually invited the missionaries over to her home to teach her about the beliefs of the church, and she read the Book of Mormon. When Grandpa returned home from Germany, she surprised him by telling him she wanted to join his church, and she wanted him to baptize her. He started actively participating in church again. Grandma was baptized at the age of 28, along with my mother who was 10 years old at the time. They became happy, devout, actively participating members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no matter where the military transferred them to live. I am so grateful for the legacy of goodness and faith that I have been given. My personal conviction: Many people naturally belong to a certain church because of their beloved family heritage. However, as we grow older and learn more about the world and more about ourselves, there always comes a time we have to determine what we personally believe and how we are going to live our lives. Being a Mormon is not an easy choice for anyone, whether they were born in the church or are introduced later in life. This is more than belonging to a church, it is a daily lifestyle which takes dedication, and requires the ability to sometimes handle negative comments and prejudice. However, being a Mormon is definitely the best choice! I remain a Mormon because I have diligently studied the doctrines, read the Book of Mormon, listened to the prophet and apostles, and experienced how following all of these teachings has enriched my life and my soul - as well as others who have been introduced and chosen to join. I embrace the joy and peace being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ brings to my daily life, my marriage, and my family. I'm a Mormon because it brings out the very best in me and helps me reach my highest potential.
Personal Stories
What has helped develop greater harmony in your home?
Monday nights are sacred to Mormon families. There are never any church meetings held on Mondays. This is when we hold "Family Home Evening". We turn off our TVs, electronics, and phones and we dedicate time to having fun together as a family and studying the scriptures and doctrines of the church together. We sing songs, pray and of course, there are always treats! The church is such a support for families! There are church programs that help reinforce the values the parents are teaching at home. Each child has a special group they belong to from the time they are 18 months old, through childhood, teen years, and on into adulthood, with teachers that care about them personally and watch out for them. The most important thing that has helped our home have greater harmony is singing hymns together, daily scripture study, and family prayers. Knowing that we are an eternal family that can be together forever after this life helps us realize the importance of being loving, kind and not fighting or arguing .We try to do everything in our home that would make it a nice place for Jesus to visit, and we try to welcome His spirit to dwell in our home.
How I live my faith
One of the wonderful things about our church is the lay ministry, and the opportunity everyone has to serve and participate in Callings. I've had many diverse callings. I've taught Sunday School lessons, taken care of the Nursery aged class, published the monthly congregation newsletter, and was a Youth Leader for several years. Because of my musical gifts, I have most often served as the Choir Director. I've conducted the hymns during sacred services, pitch-hit as a pianist, and was a music instructor to the Children. Today, my full-time calling is a musical missionary and member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
