Hi, I'm Linda

I am a wife and mother. I am grateful to be a Mormon!

About Me

I am a mom to two young children, ages 6 and 3. I enjoy reading, running, playing with my family, and learning new things. I have a degree in mechanical engineering but have chosen to be a full-time wife and mother. My husband and I both agreed that I would stay home to care for our children and live on his income alone because my role as mother is the most important job I can do.

Why I am a Mormon

When I was a teenager, I started wondering about the meaning of life. I found books and other materials about different churches. I even attend church activities with a Presbyterian friend. One day, I was watching TV and saw an ad for a free video called, "Our Heavenly Father's Plan". Something prompted me to call the 800-number to request the video. The missionaries came to my door a few weeks later to deliver the video. I invited the missionaries back to share with me their message, which touched my heart. The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ answered all my questions and I was baptized a couple months later.

Thus began my journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I was welcomed with open loving arms. I've met some wonderful people and friends in the LDS Church. I have grown personally and become a better person because of the principles of the gospel taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My faith has been an anchor when I have faced challenges such as job loss, health problems, and discouragement.

Personal Stories

How can we develop greater harmony in our homes?

Remembering Jesus Christ and his teachings helps us treat our family members with love, respect and kindness. When challenges and conflicts arise, we can focus on importance of our relationship rather than our own selfish desires, which will in turn help us solve our problems in a positive and constructive manner. Of course, we are not perfect and may often make mistakes. When that happens, it's important to admit we are wrong and apologize. When we are sincere in our efforts to build and strengthen our relationships with loved ones, we have greater harmony in our homes.

How I live my faith

I love being a part of an organization that focuses on reaching out to others and helping each other. As a youth, I attended early morning scripture study class and participated in service activities. I attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and enjoyed the rigorous engineering program there. It was wonderful to associate with young people with the same values as me. As an adult, I have taught young children at church, organized activities for adult women, and led others in organizing activities for the congregation. Currently, I am working with the young women in our local congregation. I also regularly visit adult women to share burdens and give encouragement.

What are Mormon church services like? Are visitors allowed at church meetings? Can I attend church?

Linda answered...

Attending church is the highlight of each Sunday for me. Church meetings typically last 3 hours. Visitors are always welcome. The first hour is usually Sacrament Meeting, when the whole congregation meets together. The second hour is Sunday School. The third hour women and men attend separate meetings. During the second and third hours, children and youth also attend classes for their age groups. The focus of these meetings and classes are on worshiping and learning about God and Jesus Christ.

During Sacrament Meeting we partake of the sacred ordinance of the sacrament to remember Jesus Christ. Pieces of bread remind us of his body which was hung on the cross. The water represent his blood which was shed for us and help us remember that it is through his blood that we can be cleansed of our sins.

After the administration of the sacrament which usually takes 10 - 15 minutes, speakers invited from the congregation present messages on topics related to gospel doctrine and principles such as faith, service, reverence, etc.
Brad answered...

Our fundamental religious service is what we call our Sacrament meeting. Anyone is welcome to join us in Sacrament meeting as well as our other Sunday meetings at any of our buildings. Sacrament is a time when we ponder and reflect on Jesus Christ's atonement for our sins, for He is the path by which we can repent of our wrongdoings and begin anew on a correct path with additional guidance from our Heavenly Father. Furthermore, on Sunday we have general Sunday School meetings where we talk more in-depth about the various doctrine of the gospel as well as meetings where we meet in groups of similarly-aged individuals to learn and discuss gospel topics more focused to each particular age group. We welcome anybody and everybody and would love to see you in our congregation spiritually connecting with your loving Heavenly Father and drawing nearer to him and his son, Jesus Christ.

Are Mormons Christians?

David answered...

Depends on whom you ask. If you ask a faithful Latter-day Saint, the answer will be "yes". The arguments that I've heard against our being Christian are that we believe in the Book of Mormon (Another Testament of Jesus Christ); we believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are two separate beings with physical, glorified bodies of flesh and bone; we believe that Joseph Smith was called of God in our time as a prophet; etc. The short answer is "yes", we are Christians. I would even go so far as to say we are the only Christians; that is, we are the only church that Christ has given his priesthood authority. If a Christian is a disciple of Christ, then we are certainly striving to be Christians. Certainly, other churches help and serve in ways that are admirable. There are good people everywhere in the world. However, Heavenly Father is a God of order, not chaos. He has established one faith, one church, and one baptism. There are not several roads that lead to His Kingdom; there is one. We all can receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that we are on that one path that leads to eternal happiness.