Hi, I'm Margaret

I grew up in Iowa. I'm a student and a polyglot. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I'm a midwest girl, through and through, but I love to travel. I've been an exchange student in Germany and I love to learn new languages and meet new people. I love being outdoors and I love writing. I'm in college now, studying linguistics.
I see the world logically and I like it when things make sense.

Why I am a Mormon

My grandparents, on both sides, joined the Church when my parents were young; I grew up learning the gospel in my home and at church. My testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel came slowly and quietly as I lived the gospel principles and tried to be a good person. I've never had a big ah ha! moment where everything I've ever wondered was suddenly revealed to me in a ball of light - that's not how life is. I gained my testimony by trusting my leaders and following the commandments, and now I have faith on my own that living this gospel will bless me because I've seen it in my own life.
I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Through the records of an ancient people I've come closer to my Savior than by any other way. I testify that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, came down to earth. He fulfilled the law of Moses, and established a new law that we live today. He suffered in Gethsemane so that we know we are never alone -- he felt not only the pain of our sins, but the pain of our sufferings. When I'm confused, or lonely, or hurt, I go to the Savior, because He understands. On the cross, the Savior died so that when I die, I may live again. He has paid for my sins: all I have to do is accept that payment through repentance. That same promise is offered to every person on the earth - every single one.
I have a testimony of the Restoration. The Spirit of the Lord has confirmed to me in his quiet way that Joseph Smith is a prophet. He saw our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, two separate beings with bodies. They spoke to him. He followed their direction his entire life, and this gospel and this church are the fruit of his labors.
The message of the gospel is a message of joy. Let go of whatever you're holding on to, and let that joy fill your heart.

Personal Stories

How does making right choices help us make more right choices?

When we make a good decision, more choices are opened to us. When we make a poor decision, our options are narrowed.
Growing up, I made the decision to get good grades in school. I'm so glad that I did, because this helped me get into a good college. Now that I'm here, every day I see that my options for the future are endless. If I hadn't gotten in to this school because of my grades, I would have very limited choices of what I could do with my life.

Please share your feelings/testimony of Joseph Smith.

I've visited the sacred grove, or the place in upper New York state where Joseph Smith prayed to know the truth. I've walked through those trees and sat quietly to ponder. I've never been anywhere so fully saturated with the Spirit of the Lord - my soul was lifted. I fancied that if I jumped, I would fly, because my soul felt so light. That is a place where the presence of the Lord has been felt. I know He and His Son Jesus Christ have been among those trees.
Going to the sacred grove isn't necessary to receive a testimony of Joseph Smith - in fact, I know the experience would have had a much lesser affect on me if I didn't already have a strong testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God, and then did as he was told. A testimony of Joseph Smith's vision and works comes from study and prayer, and from living my life accordingly.

How I live my faith

Where I'm from, there are very few church members and even fewer who are my age, so although I grew up in the church, I had to decide every day to live the gospel on my own. The Church's standards are viewed by many to be strict, especially to teenagers who enjoy their freedom; but I lived them faithfully and can testify that the lifestyle I live has made me the healthiest, happiest person I could ever be. I will always keep these standards.
Today I live the gospel every day in little ways. I try really hard to pray every morning and every night, and to say little prayers throughout the day. The Lord loves me and wants to help me, I just have to remember to ask. I study my scriptures - actually, I have to study them for class. But I know the importance of daily scripture study. If you're not moving forward, you're moving backward. Read the words of the Lord and move forward along the path.
My life is crazy busy - what college life isn't? But setting aside time for the Lord is vital to my testimony remaining strong. God gave me everything. It's all I can do to try every day to give back to Him.

Do Mormons worship Joseph Smith?

Margaret answered...

Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord, much like Moses or Abraham. We follow his teachings because what he taught came directly from the Lord, whom we worship.
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Christopher answered...

No. We admire Joseph Smith and consider him a prophet of God and follow his teachings as we do with Moses and other prophets of old. The thing that makes Joseph Smith unique amongst prophets is that he helped to bring the Church of Jesus Christ back to the earth after a period of darkness which is known as the Great Apostacy.

What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' attitude regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Mandy answered...

We believe that God loves all of His children and that none of us are mistakes. Earth life is a time for us to meet challenges and overcome our weaknesses as we rely on the Lord. We are all unique, and so it makes sense that different people have different challenges. Just because one challenge seems harder than another, that doesn't limit God's ability to help us understand and overcome it.

As disciples of Christ, we are to love everyone and look for the goodness in everything. The family is central to God's plan. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and this relationship allows us to grow closer to God. Marriage is more about what you can offer and sacrifice for your spouse than for what you can receive out of it.