Hi, I'm Betsy

I'm a Mormon. I grew up in a small Texas town. My family was the first Mormon family in the community.

About Me

I'm a retired high school teacher and small town newspaper publisher with a love of family and hobbies of entertaining grandchildren and riding my Tennessee Walking Horses. I like to collect and try new recipes, do counted cross stitch, and crochet afghans. I also enjoy very much doing a newsletter for our local congregation, complete with many photos I snap of our members at various church functions or other activities. I send the newsletter out in email as an attached pdf file to over 100 families and individuals on our church list.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon because I recognized the truth in what I read in "A Marvelous Work and a Wonder" after my sister joined the Church and introduced me to it. What I read was further supported by what two wonderful missionaries taught my family over the course of several months. We left the church in which I was reared, even though it meant being completely misunderstood in our small town, and even though it meant leaving my friends of a lifetime in my family's church. I have never regretted the decision. I have been introduced to the Plan of Salvation of my Father in Heaven. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Personal Stories

How does making right choices help us make more right choices?

Once a person asked a Church leader's wife how their family was so faithful in church attendance. The wife answered that her husband said that he made the decision just once to attend church. He, therefore, didn't have to make it every Sunday. It was already made. Then, he simply had to get up and get dressed and be on his way each Sunday. Once we learn that simple principle, to make a decision once, and not to revisit it over and over, we have learned a wonderful thing. It becomes easier and easier to choose to do the right thing. If something new comes along, we make up our minds about it, and then move it over to the "decisions already made" column. That frees us of many burdens and allows us to continue to reap the blessings from those good choices already made.

How can your talents and gifts bless others?

In the days soon after my husband and I joined the Church, I was the only one of our very small branch who could play a note on the piano - and not many notes at that. I was, however, the only available pianist, and we had to make do with my meager talents. Since then, our congregation has grown into a ward, a full-fledged congregation. We have seen our store of musicians grow from one with questionable talent, to nine good pianists, including several excellently-trained pianists. We have seen the arrival of many with wonderful voices. But - before all that talent moved into the area, I was the glue that held the music portion of our meetings together. In addition, the early members of our branch had to be steadfast in missionary work, attendance, teaching, visiting other members, serving and helping others, tending to the business of the branch, and so forth, in order to give it an opportunity to grow. There is no end to the ways that a person may bless others when they look for the chance to do so. And - while the service is not given with a reward in mind, the blessings just naturally flow to those who are blessing others with their talents and gifts.

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

I hesitated to join the Church because my dad was so opposed to it. Our missionaries set a date for our baptism, but still my husband and I resisted. As we fasted and prayed at our home on the appointed day, one missionary said, "What would it take to convince you to join the Church?" I said, "My dad would have to call and tell me to do it." At that very moment, the telephone rang, and my sister was on the line. She said, "Mother said to go ahead and join the Church. Daddy couldn't be more upset than he already is." I thought that was the answer to our prayers. My 75-year-old grandmother was baptized that day also, she an avid reader of the Bible. She had recognized the truthfulness of the gospel taught her by the missionaries.

How I live my faith

I try to live my faith every day of the week by keeping my thoughts pure, my deeds unselfish, and my words and actions kind. Of course, I fail frequently, but then I try again to do better. I try to be of service to my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my friends, and our church. At this time, I am a teacher of scriptures for the young people, a seminary teacher. I try to fill my time with useful activities and I try to keep my choices of entertainment such that if there be "anything of good report, I think on those things" - and keep away from the tawdry.

How are the activities of the Mormon missionaries funded?

Betsy answered...

When my husband and I joined the Church, we learned that we would be blessed if we paid for the mission of our son when he was older. Young people who are born into families in the Church learn from a young age that they will be blessed if they work and save to finance their missions. Some do that. When neither the missionary nor his family has the financial resources to fund a mission, members of the missionary's local church donate to the missionary fund of the congregation to help that missionary. If the congregation doesn't have the funds, the stake (a group of congregations) contributes to funding the mission for the young man or woman. Members of the Church receive blessings in many forms when they help in enabling a missionary to serve. My husband and I consider it a privilege to be able to help and are now contributing to the mission fund of a grandson. My mother, a non-member, contributed a good deal toward the mission expenses of our son when he served his mission in Mexico. Older missionaries, retirees, usually fund their own missions with their retirement income or savings. Everyone in the Church has an opportunity to be a part of the missionary effort, either through service or through monetary support, and each one considers it a privilege.
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How can we stop the spread and influence of pornography?

Matthew answered...

Be honost and realize how damaging pornography is to yourself. Because of its damaging influence on self-esteem pornography also damges your relationship with others. So I would say, just get away from it and get an army of people to help you do so if necessary! When you get away then you'll see the joy and happiness the influence of pornography takes you away from. With this awakening, youll want to warn others to get away from the deception of pornography.