Hi, I'm Rachel.

I am a half-Japanese, semi-vegetarian cellist. I teach music, love kids, and love to cook. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I was raised Mormon in Texas, and am now living with my husband of almost 2 years (also Mormon) in Pennsylvania. I'm a musician and a music teacher, I love to read, and I LOVE to cook and bake-- I'm always trying out new recipes! I hate running, but I love the way I feel afterward. Right now, I'm busy trying to create my dream life.

Why I am a Mormon

The gospel has brought me peace. It has helped me to learn and progress. It has afforded me opportunities to serve, and with that, to grow in love for my fellow man and for my Father in Heaven. Without my knowledge of God's love for me, and of His plan for all of us, life would be dark, dismal, and hopeless. With the hope of the gospel comes a life of light, joy, and peace.

Personal Stories

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

My prayers are often answered in ways that I don't expect, and very most often through other people. Even though my prayers aren't always answered in the way I may have wanted, they are always answered in the way that is best for me--though it may take me a while to realize what Heavenly Father was trying to teach me.

How I live my faith

I've been blessed to be able to use my talents in the church--in fact, the opportunities I've been given to serve have influenced my career goals. I have been teaching in the church since I was a teenager, almost continuously, and this training has helped me to pursue a career in education. As a musician in the church, I get many opportunities to play in our Sunday worship services and for other occasions like baptisms, regional meetings, and special programs.

What is the Mormon lifestyle like? How do Mormons live?

Rachel. answered...

There may exist, depending on your geographic location, a stereotype of the "Mormon lifestyle," but there's really no clear-cut answer to that question. We try to live clean lives, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we all make it there 100% of the time. We believe in abstaining from alcohol and other drugs, but that doesn't always happen, either. There is no one way to be a Mormon, and maybe the only thing we have in common is a love for and a desire to follow our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, through the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
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Serge answered...

Family is everything to us. Our family spends lots of our free time together because we like each other. Life gets crazy with teenagers, dance practice, after school academic decathlon, usually with a toddler in tow, but no matter what, every Monday night is Family Night.

The kids know that every Monday we spend time together and nothing gets in the way of it. It's our commitment to each other. We bake cookies, have lessons about the Savior, work on personal goals, go to the park, go geocaching, play board games or just go out for ice cream.

We do lots of things together. The point is that at least once a week we spend an hour or two together, just for the sake of being together, just because we love being together as a family. It's not as perfect as it may sound, with all the poking and "she's in my spot," and all the other crazy things family members do to each other when scrambling for a spot in the living room, but we try real hard. It takes effort to make sure we don't miss, but it's worth it.

I'm not sure the kids will remember all the games we played, the places we went or what we did, but I hope they always remember that we loved each other enough to dedicate one night a week to be with each other. And that we spent every Monday night together for as many Mondays as they can remember because family is everything to us, and every member of our family is important.

How can I find someone to talk with, in person, about the Mormon religion?

Elder Nolte answered...

The missionaries are one of the greatest resources to find out more information on the church. If you want to know more, ask someone who is a member of the church.