Hi, I'm Karen

I'm a travel-loving, culture-embracing girl trying to make the world a better place. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I love to learn, laugh, romp around the beach, go on hikes, roadtrip, be spontaneous, let my nerdiness shine, listen to what others call "sleepytime" music (joshua radin and the likes), watch good movies, cook, read cooking blogs, watch top chef (incessantly), read the classics, research, help others, travel, experience new things, learn about others, learn in general, shop online and never buy anything that's in my basket, have conversations with little kids, and just live life. :)

Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon because I know without a shadow of a doubt that Christ has made it possible for us to know Him and His Father better than I could any other way by following the precepts of the Gospel and staying true to the Church that He established and that is now on the Earth again today. Nothing has brought me more peace and stability in my life than following Christ and learning of Him from the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the words of the modern-day Prophets. While it is possible to feel the love of God through all religions, I can tell the difference in what this religion provides to me. We have all the truths in this Gospel, which allows me to have a better relationship with my Brother, Jesus Christ, and my loving Father in Heaven. I know Them because of the Gospel, and because of that I have a strong testimony that They know me. What could bring more peace than that?

Personal Stories

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

When I was deciding what college to go to, I was puzzled and frustrated. Puzzled, because I had a lot of good universities to choose from, and frustrated because the school I had moved to in my Senior year had accidentally messed up my GPA, making it so I had not gotten into my top choice. Based on where I had been accepted, logically I would have gone to one of the top schools in California - a big university famous for its research programs and its faculty.

However, when I prayed about it, I received the answer to go to a much smaller, less well-known, private school located in Orange, California. I decided to follow the prompting I had received, and, despite my hesitations, went to a school that did not seem as promising as some of the others I had been accepted to. It was at this school, and probably at none of the others, that my life took a much different and exciting path than I ever would have anticipated. I found out about two humanitarian organizations because of a member of the ward, and ultimately traveled to both Mozambique and India during my first two years of school. I also was able to get incredible monetary support while writing my thesis (something that would almost never happen at a larger school) and present my research to former Secretary of State George Shultz. I met a number of Holocaust survivors because of my school's Holocaust Education program and was taught by some of the most incredible people I have ever met. My life was blessed because I listened to the answer I received, and it continues to be blessed to this day because Heavenly Father truly answered my prayer in an unexpected way.

How I live my faith

I strongly believe that if we follow the greatest of all the commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" and "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" we will follow all the other commandments. What is most important to me in the Gospel in the principle of charity - of loving others unconditionally and with a perfect love, striving to love as the Savior did. This concept has driven my life choices completely, even molding what I want to do in my life and career. I truly believe that having charity is having an attitude rather than just doing things, of looking at those around you as your brothers and sisters, as children of God. After doing this, the actions will follow. It is because of my faith in the Gospel and in Christ that I have participated and will continue to actively participate in organizations that support the spread of the realization of human rights in the world.

What do Mormons believe concerning the doctrine of grace?

Karen answered...

This is one of my favorite questions to answer because we believe so firmly in the doctrine of grace - we do not believe that we get to live with our Heavenly Father again just through our acts! One of the best ways I've heard this described is that while it's important for us to live our lives the best way we can, and as much in accordance with what we know is right, we will undoubtedly fail at least once. Because of that, we will never be perfect. That is where the beauty of Christ's gift to us comes into play. He makes it so that we are made perfect through His grace. He makes us whole again.

I also like to think of grace as more than making it so we can be saved from our sins. Our Church teaches us that the grace of Jesus Christ is also very much a part of our everyday lives. Jesus' grace is shown as our burdens feel lifted, as the peace He gives helps us get through difficult times, and as we see the tender mercies of the Lord in our everyday lives.
Nadja answered...

How could we ever hope for anything if it weren't for the grace offered by our Saviour Jesus Christ?

God is just - which means His laws are just. They are eternal. This means that His dealings towards us will always be just, but it also means that He exacts justice from us, His children. Regardless of the commandment or law, justice demands a recompense for obedience, but also a punishment (or consequence) for disobedience.

Jesus Christ has paid for these trespasses, and He willingly extends that payment to each one who earns or deserves it. This grace is awarded based on our repentance, a change of heart so profound, we abandon the desire to repeat the offense.

That is grace: forgiveness (meaning: not having to suffer ourselves for our own mistakes and disobedience) which follows sincere repentance. What an incredible gift!

What do Mormons believe is the purpose of life?

Aileen. answered...

This question started my whole spiritual quest, so it is only most appropriate for me to now answer it.

Mormons believe that we were chosen by the Heavenly Father in the spirit world pre-existence to receive a physical body and to come to Earth to our specific mother and father. We agreed, and we essentially are fighting on Heavenly Father's "side" in the war with Lucifer. It is our spiritual "job" in this world to live a certain way, to use our agency to choose between good and evil, in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father's only son, whom He sacrificed to allow for our atonement to allow for our spiritual progression.

Mormons believe that while here on Earth, we should learn and live more like our Heavenly Father. This is our spiritual quest which is accomplished through our choices. We marry and build our own family, and by following the Scriptures and living accordingly, we receive access to the Temples where eternal ordinances are performed individually and together as a family.

We can be with our family forever, after death, joined together in Heaven, with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. We have greater peace in this life and eternal joy in the life to come. This is the purpose of our life here.

Before I understood this and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my life was reasonably happy but devoid of purpose. Something was missing. I felt incomplete.

Now, I have peace. My soul is soothed.