Hi, I'm Karen

I'm a mom, a volunteer, a recreational novelist. I love sci-fi and old movies. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I'm a stay-at-home-mom of two children, my husband works for the federal government, and I do some volunteer work to fill my need to have an identity outside the home. My interests tend toward ways to use technology, so right now I create and maintain websites for the nonprofit organization I volunteer with and work part-time as an online forums administrator. I love the internet!

Our kids are 12 and 9, and patiently put up with me making them watch Star Trek and musicals and silent movies. There's no better family activity than watching Buster Keaton trying to patch a leaky boat by nailing pancakes over the holes! Unless it's Fred Astaire dancing with drums in "Easter Parade".

I also enjoy writing. Every November I participate with thousands of other people around the world in attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. In six years I've successfully completed 5 really horrendous first drafts. And one of the stories I fell in love with. I've spent the last two years working on making it into something decent. It remains to be seen whether I succeed, but I'm hopeful.

Why I am a Mormon

People who know me wonder why I'm a Mormon. I'm a strong introvert and Mormonism is an extroverted culture. I often feel out of place. I'm also not very religious. But in a way, it's like asking a Jewish person "Why are you Jewish?" They're Jewish because they are. And I'm Mormon because I am.

An important goal of this website is to show that Mormons aren't identical cardboard cutouts. We're all different. We come from different backgrounds, we don't all think alike or look alike, and we have different levels of belief and activity in the church.

My ancestors joined the church in Europe and emigrated, and crossed the plains when the Mormons were driven out of Nauvoo. They helped settle the Salt Lake Valley. They were farmers and coal miners and polygamists and some of them were killed by Indians. The cemeteries in Bountiful and Ogden, Utah are filled with my relatives.

My family celebrates our Mormon heritage. This is who I am.

Personal Stories

Why/How do you share the gospel with your friends?

There are a whole lot of misconceptions about Mormons out there, and people are curious about us. Most of my friends have questions for me when they find out I'm Mormon. Things that Mormons take for granted need clarification for those outside the church. A friend of mine read an article in the Washington Post about baptisms for the dead and she was offended. She asked me about it, and when I explained to her that it doesn't automatically make the spirits of the dead into Mormons, even from our own viewpoint, she was relieved. When it was framed as something we value that we offer to those who have gone before, who have the choice to accept it or not, her opinion changed from viewing it as a presumptuous act to considering it a kind and generous gesture. Sometimes all it takes is a little shift in perspective.

How can your talents and gifts bless others?

One of the church leaders recently gave a talk comparing people to the instruments in an orchestra. If everyone was a piccolo, it would sound pretty bad. Not to mention shrill! If no one was a piccolo, an important part of the melody would be missing. I'm not so much a piccolo. I don't like to soar above everyone else, drawing the audience's ear, impossible to miss. Maybe I'm a low, unobtrusive baritone, maintaining the rhythm, providing a foundation for the other instruments to build on. We're all different. And that's not only okay, it's wonderful, beautiful, and divine. There is no one right way to live and no one right way to serve. Look at what you love and see how you can use it bring joy to others.

How I live my faith

My faith essentially comes down to Jesus' admonition to "Love your neighbor as yourself." There are many ways to express this ideal, but to me it means to make room in my heart for others, to err on the side of compassion and love, and to find joy in service as much as I can.

Which is not to say I'm great at it. Like I said, I'm an introvert, and being too tangled up with other people can get uncomfortable. But I'm trying to find ways to reach out in my volunteer work and in my community. I taught the children's religious education classes at church for years and worked with the youth, and they've been inspirational to me. The next generation is poised and ready to put compassion into action.

The thing that I feel is important to remember is that this isn't "my" life, it's "our" life. Not just mine and my family's, but our civic community's, our church community's, our national and world communities'. We're all connected and we need each other.

Do Mormons practice polygamy?

Karen answered...

Not anymore. The practice was banned by the church in 1890. No one who practices polygamy now is allowed to remain a member of the church.
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Sterling answered...

Today, Mormons are commonly associated with polygamy, even though the practice was discontinued in the Mormon Church in 1890 - over 120 years ago!
Today there are still some who claim to be Mormon and who practice polygamy, but it should be recognized that they are not part of our Church - anyone belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints today who practices polygamy is excommunicated and their names are removed from our rosters.
In modern revelation, we learn that we are never supposed to practice this unless specifically told to by the Lord (through the prophet) as was the case with Solomon and David in the Old Testament.

Know that we do not want to practice polygamy. I don't know any Mormons who do. We know that if we were asked to, the Lord would help us to understand why, as He will with any commandment. However, until that day (which we do not expect to ever come), we will neither practice it nor look forward to doing so.

Why are only some Mormons allowed into temples? Is there something secret going on in Mormon Temples? What goes on in Mormon Temples?

Katie answered...

I used to play in a Balinese Gamelan ensemble here in Washington, DC on weeknights and had some of my friends ask me this question. First, I pointed out that anyone can go into the temple during the open house to see what it is like. After it is dedicated, it becomes holy ground and you have to make yourself clean or holy to go in. I told them that EVERYONE can go to the temple, as long as they are wiling to go through that process of becoming clean. I reminded them that you can't just waltz in to the White House either (much to the chagrin of many tourists here). You have to go through a background check that takes 6 weeks and that is just to get into the East Wing, the West Wing requires a job and security clearance. Our protectiveness of the temple is not a sign of secrecy, it is more a manifestation of how special and important the the building and its rituals are.

And I hope people don't get intimidated by the word "ritual", everyone who has gone through a school graduation has experienced a ritual. It just means that we are participating in life-changing experiences that turn our hearts to God, our families and our fellow men. The real difference is that we believe that process of making devotional promises to God in a sacred place is necessary for our salvation. That is why we encourage everyone to join with us and make their way to the temple.