Hi, I'm Shenley

I received a bachelors degree in International Cultural Studies. I am a wife and a mother of 2 and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I recently graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. I studied International Cultural Studies and have played tennis my whole life. I have two children and I love being a mom. I enjoy reading, going to the beach, playing with my kids and taking them to the park and I love doing family history research.

Why I am a Mormon

I grew up as a mormon but that does not mean that that I was forced to believe. When I was in my early teenage years I wanted to find out for myself. I prayed to God to know whether this was His church on the earth and whether the Book of Mormon was true. I had a peaceful feeling and I knew for myself that it was true. Throughout my life it has been confirmed over and over by the blessings that have come into my life because I have continued to pray and strengthen my relationship with God. I have found so much happiness in the life that I have chosen to live. When I was in high school I developed a back problem and was told that I had a herniated disc and that I would be in pain the rest of my life. This pain lasted through my senior year. I began realizing how much I depend on my Heavenly Father. I prayed everyday to be healed but nothing changed. I finally realized that God has a plan for me and that I needed to be willing to submit to His will for me. It is easier said than done. I thought, 'what if I want something different than what God wants for me?' I had to have faith and believe that His plan was the best plan and that I have a limited knowledge. I said for the first time in my life, 'Thy will be done.' A few months later my back miraculously stopped hurting. There was no explanation for it other than I was healed. I know that Heavenly Father gives us trials to test us and to turn to him. We must always remember that He has a plan for us and His plan, in the long run, is the best plan and will bring us the most joy. I know that Heavenly Father knows us personally. He knows me and He has a purpose for me on this earth. He has a purpose for all of us. It is up to us whether we fulfill that purpose or not.

Personal Stories

What are you doing to help strengthen your family and make it successful?

We read scriptures and pray together every day. We have dinner as a family every night that my husband is not working. Every Sunday we go to church together. Once a week we have Family Night where we share a message about the gospel of Jesus Christ and do an activity together. All of these things have helped strengthen our family. We create memories and share our deepest feelings about the life and God. Our children know that they are part of a family that loves each other and enjoys spending time together.

How I live my faith

Besides attending church meetings every Sunday, I am a primary teach for the children in our ward. I get to prepare lessons and teach them on Sundays. They are so excited to learn about God and His plan for them. It amazes me how quickly children learn and how much they want to learn. I also have 3 women that I visit with monthly. I share a message about the gospel of Jesus Christ and find out if there is anything that they need. I have had so many opportunties to share with them that Heavenly Father loves them and to help them in ways that they needed. I have a learned a lot from the children and the women that I serve as well.

What is the Relief Society?

Shenley answered...

Relief Society is an organization of the women of the church (18 years of age and older) throughout the world. We work to provide relief for those who are poor and in need and bring people to Christ. It is an incredible organization that has been around since 1842. We meet every Sunday for a lesson and at other times to do service projects or to have activities.
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Dave answered...

Established in 1842 for women 18 years old and older, the Relief Society is the oldest and largest women's organization in the world. The motto: “Charity never faileth.” President Julie B. Beck has taught us: “Relief Society should be organized, aligned, and mobilized to strengthen families and help our homes to be sacred sanctuaries from the world. I learned this years ago when I was newly married. My parents, who had been my neighbors, announced that they would be moving to another part of the world... This was before e-mail, fax machines, cell phones, and Web cameras, and mail delivery was notoriously slow. One day before she left, I sat weeping with her and asked, ‘Who will be my mother?’ Mother thought carefully, and with the Spirit and power of revelation which comes to women of this kind, she said to me, ‘If I never come back, if you never see me again, if I’m never able to teach you another thing, you tie yourself to Relief Society. Relief Society will be your Mother.’ Mother knew that if I were sick, the sisters would take care of me, and when I had my babies, they would help me. But my mother’s greatest hope was that the sisters in Relief Society would be powerful, spiritual leaders for me. I began from that time to learn abundantly from women of stature and faith.” (Daughters in My Kingdom, Pages 96-98.)

I have learned that the women of the Relief Society build faith and personal righteousness and help those in need. They have strengthened my family and my home.

Are all Mormons required to serve a mission?

Nick answered...

"Required" is an interesting word when it comes to faith and religion. In the Mormon Church no one is "required" to serve a mission. Church membership is not revoked for not serving a mission. In this sense, they are not required, yet serving a mission is encouraged at many stages in life and in many different capacities throughout the world.

Missionary service is a tremendous blessing, a challenge, and one of the main focuses of the faith. The life of Jesus Christ was the life of a missionary in many respects. Performing service for one another, preaching the glad message of the gospel, and increasing the faith and dedication of God's children are exemplified in Christ's life and mirrored by those in missionary service.

To dedicate a portion of one's life in service propels those who serve and those who are served into a better life. During my two year mission to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and during my two year service mission with LDS Family Services, I was greatly blessed and strengthened. (I hope those whom I served found some value in my service as well.) That strength has taught me to better navigate this life, has kept my family relations intact, and has been the method of helping others overcome their trials as well.

Spiritually speaking, I don't find value in reflecting on what my life would be like without serving a mission. Instead, I rejoice in knowing that without that time in missionary service my life would be significantly less happy and productive. In my life, serving a mission has taken on many of the characteristics of a "required" act since I can't picture myself progressing very far without having served as a missionary. While not required to be a member of the Mormon church, missionary service has been a critical and welcome part of my life and growth spirituality. I will be forever grateful that I had the opportunity to serve missions, and look forward to serving in many more.