Hi, I'm Lindsey

I am a loving wife and expecting mother pursuing a teaching degree. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I grew up on the west coast of Florida and I got married about two years ago in the Orlando, FL LDS Temple to my best friend. I am working on getting a degree to be a history teacher right now and I work part-time as a custodian, a history teaching assistant, and I teach online ESL classes to students in Taiwan. We are currently expecting our first child and are very excited for the new adventure! I love sports and working out, but I also enjoy going to local band concerts and discovering new places to eat. I had the opportunity to live in China for several months last year and am looking forward to going back someday (I love authentic Chinese food!). Although both my husband and I are currently attending college in Utah, we'll both be graduating in the near future and are ready to see where life might take us.

Why I am a Mormon

I choose to be a Mormon because of the joy it brings into my life. Although I was raised by Mormon parents, I had to choose this life for myself. Growing up in Florida I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of people and a lot of different ideas. I had a lot of pressure from my peers to do things contrary to what I was taught at home. High school was often painfully lonely because I chose not to participate. It was then that I decided to turn to my Savior and find out if what I had been taught was really true because quite frankly, it was too hard to be so different if it wasn't. Through much prayer and pleading with my Father, I learned for myself the truthfulness of this gospel. I gained a very personal relationship with my Savior and found comfort in Him. I learned that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon was sent to us because we would need to extra information in addition to the Bible.
Through living this gospel I have found more peace in my life than at any other time. Life has continued to be difficult and there are many trials that I experience every day. But I know that through this gospel, I get my family and my husband forever. The grave will not be the last word. I know I am a daughter of God and that He is involved in my life. I know He loves me. There is pure happiness to living this gospel and I would not choose any other lifestyle.

Personal Stories

Please explain the part prayer plays in your life?

For me, prayer is how I communicate with my Father. We believe that God is our Heavenly Father and that we are His children. Through prayer, I have come to understand who I am, which is truly a daughter of God. I cannot say that every prayer brings this great and wonderful answer, because that is not true. Sometimes I pray and I'm half asleep. Other times, I pour my whole heart out, which generally involves a box of tissues or else I soak my pillow. Sometimes it's really hard not to feel like I'm just talking to myself, but I keep at it every morning and every night. Prayer is a protection for me. It's a way to talk to my Father and tell Him all of the things that are on my mind and He listens! I know He does. It's also a way for me to listen to Him. It can be so hard sometimes, but I can feel His love and I know He is there for me. He answers my prayers, big and small, without fail. Some prayers take longer than others to be answered, but they're all answered eventually.

How I live my faith

I have served in my church in various ways. One of my favorite ones was as a youth group leader for girls ages 12-18. I was able to work one on one with them setting goals for everyday things and also for spiritual things. For example, we would read scriptures and talk about the importance of living a virtuous life before marriage, but we would also set goals for attending college, passing an exam, or making the bowling team. It was rewarding to help strengthen these young women as they were struggling to find out who they were.
One of the biggest ways that I live my faith is simply by living it. I read my scriptures regularly to learn more about Christ and His teachings, I have regular prayer throughout most of the day, and I make sure that I am actively inviting the Spirit into my home. I try to be friendly and helpful to others, and I try to show appreciation for those around me. I have many friends back home who always asked me how I could live the way I do (not drinking, watching certain popular movies, or not wearing a bikini during beach time) but it's just who I am. I have developed these habits so that it's just a part of my life and I don't really have to think about it anymore. I'm okay with not being exactly like my friends anymore because I know Christ is happy with me:)

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?

Lindsey answered...

Women don't hold the priesthood because they have other duties to perform. By holding the priesthood, men are given certain responsibilities that only they can perform. Women are given different responsibilities. Men and women are like puzzle pieces, they each have a different shape and have a different pattern on the top, but when you put them together they complete the puzzle. Men lead with the priesthood and women without it. Women serve as youth leaders, conduct service projects, and help organize activities both within and without the church. Women are not any less than men, but neither are men less than women. We're just different is all.
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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.

Why did your church previously practice plural marriage (polygamy)?

Maia Lynay Rodriguez answered...

Many of the prophets of the old testament practiced plural marriage under Gods direction; among them Abraham, Issac, Jacob, David and Solomon. It is an ancient practice. I know that God only allows it's use under his authorization. There have been instances, one in the Book of Mormon to be exact (Jacob 2:27-30) where God has condemned the practice. Given the fact that God has, throughout history, alternately prescribed and condemned the practice I believe that it is a situational doctrine where God, having all of the information, and us not having it all, reserves the right to make a judgment call, taking all things into consideration, and either prescribes it or ends its use, basing his decision on the needs of the moment and all other factors involved. So the answer to this question is that the church practiced polygamy because God prescribed it at that time, and we don't anymore because God revealed that the practice was to be discontinued. When plural marriage was practiced only a handful of men were selected by God to participate. It was, by far, not practiced by all men or women in the church. The ones who participated were obeying a commandment from God, not necessarily seeking out the practice.