Hi, I'm Amy

I raise chickens in the city. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am a stay-at-home mom in Salt Lake City, Utah. I grew up in Midcoast Maine and am a country girl at heart. I have an undergraduate degree in sociocultural anthropology and a graduate degree in teaching social studies. In between degrees I worked as a corporate ethnographer for product design and strategy firms. Where I'm at right now, however, at home with a baby and a toddler, a small flock of chickens and something tasty on the stove, is by far my favorite career yet. I love sharing my experiences with urban homesteading, natural family living, being an LDS mom, bee keeping, attachment parenting, raw food and whole food cooking, yoga practicing, urban chicken "farming," home schooling and whatever else is inspiring me!

Why I am a Mormon

Both of my parents converted to the church as adults. My mom was baptized when she was 18 and later introduced my dad to the church. He was baptized and later baptized me when I turned 8. I was raised in the church and am so grateful for the strong foundation it gave me and the understanding of who I am. I continued to practice my faith even after leaving my parents' home because I know it's the surest way to happiness. The peace I feel when I'm living the gospel is deep-rooted and surpasses whatever situation I may find myself in. I feel peace and stability through the ups and downs when I stay close to the Savior and live his teachings.

Personal Stories

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

Our son Sam, who is now two, was born with a birth defect that required surgery and a very long hospital stay. I basically lived at the hospital for several weeks. One afternoon while not in Sam's hospital room, I received a phone call from his surgeon. A mistake had been made and part of his intestine had been nicked in a routine procedure. I rushed back up to his room, praying as I went. I told Heavenly Father that I knew that everything was in His hands, and that even though I could see no good in this latest turn of events, that I knew that He could make this somehow be for our son's benefit. When I arrived at Sam's hospital room, the surgeon happily told me that the nick had the unanticipated benefit of releasing excess fluid and would allow them to perform a necessary surgery sooner, allowing Sam to heal and head home even sooner than anticipated.
I have learned over and over that even when we can't see past the dark cloud that seems to be covering us, that Heavenly Father always has a plan and that even the most difficult things can end up being for our benefit, especially when we have faith and trust in Him.

How I live my faith

The gospel is woven into our lives and permeates all aspects of it. Knowing who I am and that everyone is my brother and sister impacts the way I interact with people around me. Knowing that our family can be together forever impacts the way we treat each other and how we raise our children. Knowing that the Savior sacrificed his own own life so that I could come to Earth and receive a body makes me treat my body with respect and care. The secular and spiritual are intimately intertwined.

What blessings can you receive from reading the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and other scriptures?

Amy answered...

One of the greatest benefits we notice in our family is that when we are reading the Book of Mormon daily there is a noticeable feeling of peace in our home. We have a two year old and a new baby, so our family scripture reading sessions are often brief. Often my husband and I will read aloud while our toddler eats his breakfast. He has learned to listen quietly and already recognizes the important that we place on these sacred works. My husband and I find that we have more love and patience throughout the day when we start it off in this manner.

What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' attitude regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Joshua answered...

I am sexually attracted to other males. For awhile, I struggled with how a loving Heavenly Father could allow for me to be attracted to other males, and then ask me to abstain from same-sex relationships. However, as I have tried to deal with my attractions in a Christ-like manner, I have found that He really does love me. I have grown so much spiritually as I have learned to deal with my same-sex attractions. I now understand that everyone has challenges in this life. I am no different.

The Church has a high standard on morality. The only sexual relationships that are permitted are between a man and his wife. This may prove difficult for both people with same-sex and opposite-sex attractions. However, I believe that by obeying this law, we can gain greater peace and happiness. God does know what is best for us, and He gave us this law to bless us.

Same-sex marriage distorts what marriage is all about. It is based on the lie that because you are attracted to the same sex, you need to be in a same-sex relationship in order to be "true to yourself". Many members of the Church can testify that this is not true. Some have found peace and joy in celibacy, and others gone on to have faithful and fulfilling marriages. For a long time, I thought I couldn't get married, but the Lord has blessed me to develop a sexual attraction to a beautiful woman and we have a wonderful marriage.