Hi, I'm Terri

I'm the mother of 5 sons and 10 grandchildren. I am a triathlete. I am a business owner. I am a Mormon.

About Me

Five sons call me Mom. I own a Dairy Queen in a small town and have ten beautiful grandchildren. I am a convert to the church of 35 years. I have recently become a triathlete and have encouraged my family to participate as well. Last month we had three generations of triathletes! My husband, myself, our oldest son and our oldest granddaughter who is 7 all completed a sprint level triathlon in the same day!

Why I am a Mormon

I am a convert to the Church. When I was 18 years old I made a trip to Salt Lake City Utah to go skiing during college spring break. I signed the guestbook on temple square and subsequently the missionaries contacted me to see if I was interested in learning more about the church. I had moved to a small town where alot of Mormons lived when I was 12 years old, but no one had approached me about taking the missionary discussions before but I had made many good friends that were of the LDS faith. I loved the gospel right away and was baptized at the end of that school semester.

I am so grateful to those missionaries who taught me the gospel. I have raised five sons to maturity who have all served missions. The gospel is the absolute foundation for my life and I am grateful for it each and every day.

Personal Stories

Can you talk about the missions of the Church and your participation in them?

I have not personally served a mission, however I have benefited so much by missionary service. I was taught by missionaries when I was 18 years old and subsequently joined the LDS church. After I was married my husband and I had 5 sons. We have been fortunate that all 5 chose to serve a mission. We have had a missionary serve in Chile, Idaho, Spain, Honduras and North Carolina. It was been a wonderful blessing for our family to have our sons share their belief in Jesus Christ, the restored gospel and the blessings of eternal families with those they were able to teach.

How I live my faith

I am currently working with the youth in my ward. I am now a grandmother and have raised all my children and therefore I am officially an "empty nester." The opportunity to work with the youth allows me stay young! As the resident "DQ Lady" in our small town, I have the opportunity each day to be an example to my workers and to our community of my faith. We display extended family pictures in our business and this often gives me the opportunity to share a little about each of my sons and where they served their missions along with the chance to show off my darling grandbabies :)

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

Dennis answered...

I grew up in California and was in the middle of the same-sex marriage debate. The Church believes that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that children have the right to be brought into the world with a mother and father who love and honor each other and their marital vows. I agree with this doctrine, so I, along with others of my faith, supported Prop. 8 in 2009. Any time I spoke with someone, I explained that we all, regardless of our side on this issue, are motivated by love. Love of mankind, of God, of society, etc. So much of the debate turned to hatred, but it's important to remember that love is always our initial motivation. I know people, good friends, who live a homosexual lifestyle. They've shown love to me, and I love them, but I believe their lifestyles are contrary to the will of God. That doesn't mean that I can prevent them from doing what I think is wrong, but their liberty does not translate into license. Liberty in America has never been about license to do whatever we choose. When we, as a people, believe something is wrong, it is our democratic right to enact laws against such things. Likewise, if we believe something is divinely inspired, like the institution of marriage between a man and a woman, it is not only our right but our duty to stand up for it. If we don't, I'm afraid that America will lose the protective hand of God that has embraced us for so many years.
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.

Does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endorse political parties?

Dario answered...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has no political affiliation, and remains neutral on political activity. As declared by the Church, its purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ, not to elect politicians, and this applies to all the nations were the Church is established. In the same way, the Church does not endorse nor promote political parties, and its members are not directed to vote for specific candidates. Elected officials who are also members of the Church, does not represent the Church's position.

However, the Church does encourages us, members of the Church, to play a responsible role as citizens of the nations, to be informed, and to exercise our right to vote. Also, we are expected to respect others who think different and to participate in dialogue and exchange of ideas to reach consensus.

In the Church, we learn since we are young to be responsible and to seek to serve our communities and families. The Church's programs aims to strength our capacity and willingness to serve others. In this same context, we support leaders and programs which purposes are to make a better world. I personally support leaders who inspire those principles, and pray that whoever is elected would make wise decisions for the welfare of our nations and those of others. To obey, honor, and sustain the law of our country is an important responsibility of every member of our church.