Hi, I'm Bonnie.

I'm a midwestern girl living in the mountains... I'm out to save the world and grow nice flowers... and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

While it isn't even on the list of things I think about in my "who I am," the thing that people always comment on is that I'm a single mom - "wow, you've got your hands full!" Not at all! My kids are the best part of life, so to me, I'm just a happy mom, and an ecstatic grandma! Most of my kids are teens and I love that time of their lives. I'm finishing a Master's degree in Public Administration and working on development of a change organization. What would I do if I were retired? More!

Why I am a Mormon

Everything about the gospel of Jesus Christ helps me to be a better person and to be happier. Joining the church is about believing in things that you can't see ... that God still talks to ordinary people whose hearts are turned wholly to Him, that records of scripture are applicable to our day. Actively living the gospel afterward is about knowing that giving when you don't think you have anything of worth is going to be useful, and that others have something to give you when you're feeling self-sufficient. It's all an act of faith.

There are lots of good things out there, and lots of ways to make the world a better place. The church isn't just about great humanitarian efforts or interesting sunday school classes. It's about drawing closer to Jesus Christ, understanding him as our Savior, and doing all we can to show appreciation for his grace. It's about being filled with love to the point that our petty, human things slowly melt away and we begin to look like angels on earth. Doing good alone doesn't do that, but submitting to Jesus Christ does.

Personal Stories

Can you think of a specific challenge in your family that Gospel Principles helped overcome?

Everyone has hard times. Difficult, discouraging, gut-wrenching times challenge our belief that there is a God who loves us. I remember a time I call my Job experience, when for years things had continued to go increasingly wrong. I was doing everything I could to live well and make good choices, but things continued to pile up. My marriage went from intolerable to abusive to ended, and I lost my home, friends, and job. With 6 children, I was nothing but a burden, and one morning the thing I had been hanging on for - a home that I had been trying for 15 months to purchase and would serve as a new start - came up for auction and was immediately bought before I could even enter a bid. It seems like a small thing, but it was the last straw. I was angry and hurt that God could not even send me a crumb of hope after all that I felt I had given Him. I was an atheist, for about 6 hours. Then I opened the scriptures that had long been my refuge, and where my mentors resided, and I read. I was humbled as I realized that God's promises are sure, but they are part of His plan and not delivered on our demands. Like Job, I laid my hand on my mouth, because I realized that I couldn't command anything to occur - I had neither power nor authority. I *could* humbly ask, and I did. It was a turning point in my faith. I've not since felt that God owes me anything, and I trust that when the timing is right, He delivers. We later moved because nothing I tried was working where we were, and I found my mission and passion in life elsewhere. It would never have happened if I hadn't hit rock bottom. I can now say that I am who I am because of hard times as well as good times, and I wouldn't change any of it. God is loving us through the trial. Have faith and hope if that's where you are now.

How I live my faith

One of the great opportunities of the church is serving each other in the ways that a leader requests, not the ways we would pick for ourselves. I've worked for over 25 years doing everything from leading the music for the children on Sundays ... oh, the costumes, the drama! ... to leading the young women youth to teaching Sunday School to helping organize the training of women who lead their congregations' women's groups. We learn vital things when we work, trying to do what Jesus Christ would do if He were here among us doing the work, and after all those years, I'm still regularly stumped about what to do and need to get on my knees and ask for help.

But living faith is far beyond what we do in church. It's a life that is meaningful and discipleship that is consistent. That's the part of my faith that has made the biggest difference for me. From the moment I put my first foot on the floor in the morning, knowing that I am a follower of Christ alters my thinking, my behavior, where I put myself, and what I do for the benefit of my fellow man. The degree to which I can hold to that ideal informs my happiness, because in the most profound ways, discipleship is peace. I feel more peaceful power all the time.

And it's fun! Whether I'm running with the youth playing night games or watching other people's kids for a night out or being with my friends or working in my community, everything is happier with that peaceful power.

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

Bonnie. answered...

It's easier to focus on eternal things when we leave the sarcasm and disbelief of the world outside. How would you feel if you were holding a newborn in an environment where people threw slurs at babies, laughing and making fun of how ugly they were? How different would you feel in a room of happy parents who all appreciated the magnificence of a baby? You can focus on tender, sacred thoughts when you are not bombarded by doubt and disbelief. Imagine praying in a place where everyone prays. It's holy.
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Don answered...

Recently I taught a Sunday School lesson about the Apostle Paul who was cast into jail because of being falsely accused of taking non-jews into the holy parts of the ancient temple. The penalty for doing so was death. It caused me to think of the sacredness of the temple, and that people throughout history have gone through a preparation process in order to approach God through temple worship.

In our time, both members of the church and non-members who have not prepared are turned away from the sacred parts of the temple not because of secrets, but rather due to the sacred nature of the temple and the preparation required to go there. Anyone can go to the temple, given they prepare themselves and demonstrate that preparation in a visit with those responsible for qualifying persons for entrance to the temple.

I love the peace that comes from being in the temple, having prepared myself to approach the Lord in His house. I feel His Spirit there. I am grateful that others who are there have prepared themselves in the same way.

Anyone who wants to know more about the nature of the temples can ask any missionary what it takes to qualify to go there. My personal experience and witness is that it is worth qualifying oneself and experiencing the beauty and peace that is constantly there.

Why don’t women hold the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? How do Mormon women lead in the Church?

Madelyn answered...

I feel that men and women both have different but equally important roles in getting us back to God. In God's eternal plan we were spirits in His presence before this life. To progress we needed to get bodies on this earth, then perform specific ordinances (eg baptism, marriage) to return to God after this life. Women were given the godly power to bring spirits into this world and give them bodies, then nurture and raise these children with God's inspiration and guidance. The men were assigned the responsibility (through the God's Priesthood power) to serve others and administer the ordinances that will bring God's children back to His presence after this life. Both roles are necessary and equally important to God's plan for us.
I don't think women need the Priesthood to be powerful influences and to do God's work in their homes and in the church. I see men grow spiritually, and their characters become more godly when they act in God's name through using the Priesthood.
I have never felt the need to hold the Priesthood myself. I can still receive all the blessings offered by the Priesthood, my prayers can be just as powerful, and I still have access to the inspiration of God in my life.