Hi, I'm Ginger

I'm a country girl. I like to country dance. I like to camp with my family and cook with dutch ovens. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am a working wife and mother of 3 children ages 18, 16, & 13. We live in a rural ranching and logging community in the southwest United States. My husband and I are both 5th generation residents of our community and descendants of early pioneer settlers. We live on the family cattle ranch that was settled by my husband's great, great grandfather and live 20 miles out of a small town of 7,000 residents. This means we are on the road A LOT! Our daughter is involved in Student Council, plays the piano, and loves photography. Our 2 boys raise steers in 4-H and work around the ranch fixing fence, hauling limbs, irrigating, and help with branding the calves.

Why I am a Mormon

I was born a Mormon, but became "converted" as a Freshman in high school after finishing the Book of Mormon the first time all the way through and praying for a confirmation of the truth of it. I prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true and received the most powerful burning in my chest that swallowed me with such peace that I had never felt before. Since that time I have immersed myself into the doctrine of the church and have come to know this truly is the Church of Jesus Christ and was restored to be as it once was when Jesus Christ himself walked the earth 2,000 years ago. I cannot deny it. I believe that we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us and would not abandon us.
Over the years I've come to recognize the order of things. I am an observer. I like to watch people. I see the turmoil all around me and find peace in knowing where I came from, why I am here, and that there is a reason for the choices I make each day. I find comfort in knowing that there are great rewards for us in the next life if we work and strive for them here in this one. As a person who embraces order it is hard for me to believe that we just came to be in this life by chance. There has to be a God. Everything around us is a miracle and there is no way it could all "just happen". There is an order and a pattern to everything on this planet so why wouldn't there be an order and a plan for us? I find that order here - in the Mormon Church. It just makes sense. That's why I'm a Mormon.

How I live my faith

I work with the young women, ages 12 to 18 for my calling in the church. I love working with the youth. They are usually happy and love life. They remind me how important it is to have fun and to enjoy life. They help me to feel young! :) Working with them in a group capacity keeps me grounded as a mother of three teenagers by helping me to be more patient with my own kids. I learn so much from these youth and I appreciate their desire to serve the Lord and to be good examples. To see the strength of their testimonies helps to strengthen my own testimony!

I see how courageous the youth are and it gives me an increased desire to be more obedient to God's commandments so that I can be a good example for them to look up to. It isn't always easy to be a leader of the youth, but how rewarding it has been for me!

Why do some call Mormonism a cult?

Ginger answered...

Some people call the Mormon Church a cult because they believe that we are "blind followers". I can promise you that we are not. Some accuse us of forcing our children to live the doctrines as they are taught by the church. This is most definitely contrary to the teachings of the church. We believe that using "force" against another is wrong. We are taught the commandments as they are set forth by God through revelation to His prophet as well as outlined in the scriptures. We are given our free moral agency to choose for ourselves whether or not to obey those commandments or not. I have never been told that I HAVE to be a Mormon even though I was born into the church. I made that choice for myself and will allow my children the same privilege. If I wanted to leave the church I could at any time for any reason. If the Mormon Church were a cult this would not be possible.
Stephen Call answered...

In my opinion the real reason people say the Mormon Church is a cult because they don't understand. saying that it is a cult is an easy way to excuse themselves from learn more about it. Its like saying "sushi is slimy raw dead fish" or "computers are of the devil" its easy not to try / learn about stuff if you pair it with a negative word like "devil" or " slimy raw dead fish"

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

Braden Scothern answered...

At many times in the Bible prophets were commanded to practice polygamy. Some of these prophets were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon.

We know that plural marriage is a sin unless God commands us to practice it. In the Book of Mormon the prophet Jacob tells the Lords will on the subject, “for there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife: and concubines he shall have none... for if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things” (Jacob 2:27-30).

So only as the Lord commands His people is it acceptable. While they early saints accepted this it was not an easy commandment to keep. They had many struggles with it and only under the direction of the Lord was it carried out. The Church leaders closely supervised the practice and only those who had been authorized by the Lord were to practice. In addition to that all of the marriages had to be performed by the sealing power of the priesthood which had been restored. It was not a temporary thing when it was practiced.

In 1890, President Woodruff received revelation that plural marriage was no longer acceptable to the Lord. So the practice was stopped instantly. Anyone who practices polygamy now is NOT a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.