Hi, I'm Melissa

I'm fun. I thrive on creativity. I'm a business owner. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

Who am I? I'm Melissa, and I'm a Mormon. While my church membership doesn't define me, it is a large part of who I am. That's one thing I love about my church - my entire life I've been taught correct principles and truths of the gospel, and then I've been able to take what I know and make my own decisions and choices in life according to what I believe. And you want to know what? I have a fun life! So, let's chat about some of the things I've chosen to do with my 25 year old single self:

I have a life filled with creative freedom, which is basically essential to my happiness. I dabble in interior design, graphic design, photography, etc., but my expertise lies in floral design. Professionally, I've chosen to be a business owner in the field of floral artistry, and I specifically design for weddings and corporate events. Creativity is my life!

Music is another great love of my life. I love to sing, play the piano, and listen to good music. And I do love a fun concert with my friends now and then!

Friends are a big part of my life. I live in an area where lots of other single people live, and I am always making new friends. I am never found wanting for things to do, that's for sure. Be it birthday parties, movie nights, volleyball at the park, game nights, or simply sitting out on the porch and talking, there's always something fun going on, and I find a lot of satisfaction in spending time with and getting to know such great people.

Other than that, I love camping, boating, spending time with my family, attending my church meetings and activities, traveling, blogging, and finding new hobbies.

See, I told you I have a fun life!

Why I am a Mormon

I was raised in the Mormon church, but that is not why I am a Mormon.

I am a Mormon because I've have several times in my adult life where I've found myself at important crossroads where I could either choose a path that would lead me closer to God or one that would take me further away from Him. I am happy to say that I've chosen paths that have led me closer. Following the teachings and living the standards of my church and my faith have never failed to lead me closer to God.

When I am personally close to God, I feel hopeful. My family and I have been through hard things that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and yet we still are still able to have an optimistic view of the world and the people in it. A realistic view, but an optimistic one. While I wouldn't by any means consider myself as someone who looks at the world through rose-colored glasses, through my faith I am someone who looks at the world with hope even through hard things.

I would encourage anyone who wants to know God on a deeper level, to feel closer to Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, and who is looking for greater hope, to be open to finding out more about this church, to ask questions, and to find answers. By so doing you will find hope and happiness. I know this because I've seen what doing so has done in my life, and what it has done is nothing but good.

Personal Stories

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

I can remember the first time I came to know that God hears and answers prayers. I was very young, age five or so.

Two of my uncles had this little plane that they used for travel and for recreation. I think it sat about four people, so as you can tell, it was very small. One night, my dad was up in the plane with my uncle, flying for fun. My mom, my aunt, and of each of us children were waiting in our van at the end of the runway to pick up my dad and uncle when they were done flying.

We were out in the country, and since it was late, it was completely dark outside, so dark that you couldn't see a thing! While waiting on the end of the runway, it came to our attention that the lights lining the landing strip were not working. The plane circled overhead and couldn't land because since the lights weren't working, they couldn't see the ground. I remember sitting in the back of the van, knowing that my mom was getting very stressed. The plane kept circling and circling, for an amount of time that seemed like forever.

Knowing that the plane could very soon run out of gas, my mom and aunt said to all of us kids that we needed to say a prayer that the lights would start working. Even though I was only five years old, I remember vividly what happened next.

We all knelt down in the back of the van, and my cousin, also age 5, was asked to say the prayer. It was simple, and went something like this, "Dear Heavenly Father, please bless the lights to work so our dads can come home. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Upon hearing "amen," I immediately looked up out the front window to see the lights on the runway in front of us come on, one by one, until the path was illuminated for our dads to land.

I know God hears and answers prayers, even the most simple ones. I know this because He has heard and answered mine throughout my entire life.

How I live my faith

I live my faith by applying what I believe to my everyday decisions. Whether it's my choices about which movies to watch, what activities to participate in, the atmosphere I choose to be a part of, etc., what I have found over time is that when I make decisions which coincide with my morals and beliefs, I find satisfaction. And when I do this, I can go to bed at night feeling good about myself, regardless of what life throws my way. Essentially, I try to live what I believe, or, "practice what I preach" so to say. There is joy to be had in that.

I am somewhat involved in my church activities. For example, I sing in a choir comprised of church members in the area where I live. It's really fun, and I feel that singing is one of the best ways to praise God and to feel His Spirit. We sing in about five programs a year, and may I say we sound fantastic!

In the church we have what we refer to as "callings," which are volunteer-based responsibilities that we fulfill because we love God. I love the concept of callings because it provides church members with a way to serve others and follow the example the Savior set for us. The responsibility that I have currently is to be the leader of a committee called "Compassionate Service." My committee is responsible for organizing service projects, providing help when people are sick, visiting people who need an extra boost, and basically making sure that everyone in our congregation is doing well. I love this responsibility. Some of the other callings that I've had previously include being the pianist for my congregation and teaching Sunday School for 16-17 year olds.

A big part of how I've chosen to live my faith lies in the fact that I chose to serve an 18-month, volunteer mission. For a year and a half, I lived on the other side of the country, teaching people full-time about the doctrines of Jesus Christ and sharing the ways in which His Gospel has blessed me and shaped me to be who I am. It was a pivotal time in my life, and I saw many people change their lives and become happier as they chose to live according to the teachings of Christ. God wants us, as His children, to be happy. I'm positive about that fact. And I'm grateful I took the chance to be a tool in bringing that happiness to others by sharing the gospel, because living by the teachings contained therein is a surefire path to joy.

What do Mormons believe about the nature of God?

Melissa answered...

We believe that God is our loving Father in Heaven, who wants the best for His children. When thinking about God, it helps me to think of Him as a father, because it puts into perspective how important my happiness is to Him. Sometimes we go through hard things and we may question if God really loves us. The answer is yes! Just like any good parent would, He allows us to learn for ourselves and to figure things out on our own sometimes. He allows us to grow through our own experiences, and this growth is ultimately a blessing to us and helps us to become better.

We believe that we are "created after the image of God." In believing that, we know that God has a body, but His is a glorified and immortal body. We believe that because of Jesus Christ, everyone born on the earth will be resurrected, meaning that we will all receive an immortal and perfected body after this life.

We believe that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings who are one in purpose. Their unified purpose is to help us return to their presence and to receive eternal life.
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Kathleen answered...

This question is easily answered in the words of one of the children's songs "I know my [Heavenly] Father lives, and loves me too". We believe in a loving God, who knows us each individually. Another way I know that God loves me because he has heard and answered my prayers many times. Some people think that God is angry, but I do not believe that is so. Matthew 7:11 reads, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask him?" I think that just explains it all- as parents we want the best for our children. God, our Heavenly parent, wants the best for us, too. As parents, we recognize that giving our children everything they ask for isn't necessarily what's best for them. God does this for us also.

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?

Leeny answered...

This is a question I had to really consider before joining the Church. My mother is a non-denominational chaplain, and both my sisters are pastors. Female leadership in church settings is very important to my family.

It is to me as well. I think many people become offended when they learn that only men hold the priesthood because they misunderstand it. The priesthood is a tool given to men in order that they might serve others more. It does not in any way give them power or dominion over women. Those people who suppose the priesthood is a way to control others are deeply mistaken.

My husband is a priesthood holder, this means I am too. I have claim on my husband's priesthood power. Even more than he does. If I am sick, discouraged, or in need of help I can call upon my husband to give me a blessing through the priesthood that he holds. I then recieve many blessings because of my husband's worthiness to work in behalf of Christ. My husband is never able to give himself a blessing though. If he is sick or discouraged he must call on other priesthood holders to administer to him. My husband holds the priesthood so that he can bless me and our child - never himself.

The priesthood is the power of Christ on the earth. It allows those who hold it to serve their families in the same way Christ served the Church. Did Christ do any deed for himself during his earthly ministry? No. Christ spent all his energy serving the people. This is what the priesthood does for my husband. It infuses him with Christ's compassion and ability to love, and then my husband is able to use that celestial love in our family.

Why don't women also recieve this special gift then? The simple answer is women don't need it. As women we are innately endowed with compassion, selflessness, and love. Think about the way a mother loves her child. I believe there is nothing more pure and similar to Christ's love for us, than a mother's love for her children. Women naturally have the ability to love as Christ does.

In an ideal situation, which is what God always intended for us, there are two partners in marriage. There is the husband and father, a priesthood leader who can be called upon to administer blessings and serve in Christ's name. And there is also the wife and mother, who is blessed with the ability to love as Christ loves and sacrifice for her family. These are two seperate and divinely appointed roles. Each complementing the other. Both make a complete home.

Women do not hold the priesthood because they do not need it. Women have other God-given powers that raise them up to the task they are called to. A man is appointed to serve his wife and children - it is the power of the priesthood that enables him to do this.

I am grateful to have a husband who is worhty to use the priesthood in my behalf. It has blessed me many times and I know that it is a special gift from God - not only to my husband, but to me as well.