Hi, I'm Eileen

I am the mother of 7 and a grandmother of 20, I sing, do family history and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

Hello
My name is Eileen. I love to crochet, do family history work and indexing. Being a grandmother of 21 is my favorite hobby. I am a historian and one of my favorite jobs was working in the archives of a fortune 500 company. I was able to take historic items that had been stored in paper boxes and organize them into a usable, touchable history of the the company. The greatest find there, as far as I am concerned, was finding the immigration and application for citizenship papers for the grandfather of the founder of the company.
I am a genealogists and have over 35,000 names in my data base most with at least brief notes and others with stories. I sing, love to be in the summer musicals in our little town and love to read.
I have and still do, enjoy being a Mom and love being a grandma!

Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon and have been for most of my life. My father was in the Marine Corp and was stationed in North Carolina when the missionaries knocked on their door, 9 months later they were baptized, I was three at the time.
Although I grew up in the church, I still had to find out for myself that it is true. As a young mother of three and a new baby, I felt I didn't have time to study the scriptures. But a sweet older friend challenged our woman's group to read the Book of Mormon that year.

I began to think about when I would have time to read and decided when I was nursing my baby, I had to sit still, so I kept the Book of Mormon next to the chair in the living room and when I sat down to nurse my baby I read and continued, sometimes, long after he had gone to sleep with my two year old asleep on what was left of my lap. This gave me an hour or more a day to read and learn to love the scriptures.

I found out for myself that year that the Book of Mormon is true. I have re-read it every year since always applying the promise in Moroni 10.

Living the gospel of Jesus Christ made raising our children so much easier, whenever they questioned us as to why we were giving them our "Advice", we would point to the prophet and say, just exactly what my father use to say, "Let's see what the prophet has to say about that!" When you believe that the prophet speaks the mind and will of the Lord then you know what he says is what the Lord would say if He spoke straight to you.

This church is true, the Book of Mormon is true , I know that I can be with my wonderful family, parents, grandparents, husband, and children forever because of the sealing power of the priesthood available only in this church. The gospel is true, I invite you to come and find out for yourself, the feeling of peace is wonderful.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

My husband and I have served two full time missions since retirement in 2005. We have so enjoyed being able to go out and be with the people of other countries, learn of their cultures and help lead them to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When our call came it was to a country that although not third world, was certainly close to it. I went thinking of all the things we could do to help the people there both physically and spiritually, what I didn't know was how much they were going to help and teach me.

What a wonderful experience a mission is, four of our seven children served missions, sharing something you believe in on a day to day basis is an experience you will not have a chance to do that often in your life.

There are so many reasons for going on a mission but what I found from both of the missions we have served so far, is that my capacity for loving people I do not even know, has grown. One of my sons said it best when he returned home: "I started my mission to be the best missionary to ever go out, another John Taylor, then I wanted my mission president to know what a good elder I was, so I worked hard for his praise, then I found myself not worried about the presidents praise, I wanted to work hard to please the Lord and show him how much I loved him, but by the end of my mission I realized that the reason I worked hard was because I wanted the people in Japan to know and to have what I was given at birth and privileged to be raise with all of my life, the gospel of Jesus Christ and its saving powers, I literally did as Nephi and cried for the souls of these wonderful people that I love."

When we love and serve His people we are loving and serving our God and this is why I go, have gone and will go again on a mission!

Why/How do you share the gospel with your friends?

As with all people in the world my life is full of stories. One I want to share took place at the time of the birth of our second child. We were both in school full time, with little money, little time, and lots of bills just to live. The baby was coming and my mother bought her a new outfit to return home in, but I wanted a new blanket. My husband told me that one of our other blankets from the first baby would do just fine, but I wanted a new blanket to bring our beautiful new little girl home in.
The night before we were to come home my husband showed up at the hospital with a brand new receiving blanket he had found in the very top of the closet in our oldest child's room. I had never seen that blanket before and it was brand new of that there was no doubt, but it wasn't in that closet two weeks before, when I had taken and cleaned out the closet looking for a new one that perhaps we had over looked. But there, in-spite of that fact, he stood with a brand new pink receiving blanket to take home our newest daughter .i From then on one of our motto's for our family became "When God sends a baby He provides the blanket."
When ever we thought it wasn't the right time to have a baby, or we couldn't afford another baby, or our house was too small or we needed a new car not a new baby, we always thought of our family motto "When God sends a baby He provides the blanket" and we always made room for one more. Seven babies and 20 grandbabies later we are very thankful we did as commanded and "multiplied and replenished the earth". Our children are our greatest joy and our grandchildren are the topping on the ice cream.

Which of the Savior’s teachings have influenced you in your life?

All of the Savior's teachings have influenced my life and always for good. When I am living by what He taught while on the earth and through His living prophets my life is so much easier. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to raise a family in this wicked world with out his guidance and teachings to depend upon.

While raising my family sometimes, as in all families, discipline had to happen. Before I discipline them I would try to think of how the Savior would have handled the situation and then do it His way. I was not always successful in remembering to ask what would be best for this child but when I did, I always had a better outcome. When we discipline in the Lord's way the child understands that we love them, not their actions, but we still love them and want them to be happy by learning to govern themselves and keep their actions in control.

Our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy here on the earth, in fact that is one of the main reason's we are here "man is that he might have joy" Joy in the gospel, Joy in the family, Joy in the love of our Savior!

What blessings have come through your faith in Jesus Christ?

As with all people in the world my life is full of stories. One I want to share took place at the time of the birth of our second child. We were both in school full time, with little money, little time, and lots of bills just to live. The baby was coming and my mother bought her a new outfit to return home in, but I wanted a new blanket. My husband told me that one of our other blankets from the first baby would do just fine, but I wanted a new blanket to bring our beautiful new little girl home in.

The night before we were to come home my husband showed up at the hospital with a brand new receiving blanket he had found in the very top of the closet in our oldest child's room. I had never seen that blanket before and it was brand new of that there was no doubt, but it wasn't in that closet two weeks before, when I had taken and cleaned out the closet looking for a new one that perhaps we had over looked. But there, in-spite of that fact, he stood with a brand new pink receiving blanket to take home our newest daughter . From then on one of our motto's for our family became "When God sends a baby He always sends a blanket."

When ever we thought it wasn't the right time to have a baby, or we couldn't afford another baby, or our house was too small or we needed a new car not a new baby, we always thought of our family motto "When God sends a baby He always sends a blanket" and we always made room for one more. Seven babies and 21 grandbabies later we are very thankful we did as commanded and "multiplied and replenished the earth".

Our children are our greatest joy and our grandchildren are the topping on the ice cream.

Why do Mormons do family history or genealogy work?

Part of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints is researching and recording your family history. We are taught that by doing this, finding our ancestors and recording their names and then taking their names to the temples to have them baptized by proxy and other ordinances done for them, that we then are giving them a choice of accepting or rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ with full knowledge of their choice.

We had a choice here in this life as the gospel was available and when we were given the choice we accepted it. Our ancestors did not have that choice as some of them lived in countries that didn't allow them the freedom to choose what religion they would follow or they were born before the gospel was restored to the earth. So it is our obligation and blessing to find them, record their stories and give them the same chance we were given.

How I live my faith

I live by the teachings of the Jesus Christ, I try to live as He would want me to. I show my faith in Him by trying to do what He did when He was here upon the earth. Serve others, teach what I believe to my family and friends. Work for the good of the world at large by helping in my own community, share His message with all of His children. Love others as I want to be loved by others!

What are some things that tell to you there is a God?

Eileen answered...

There is a children song with the title "I Feel My Savior's Love" the first verse is as follows I feel my Saviors love, in all the world around me, His spirit warms my soul through everything I see. I know I will follow him, give all my life to him! I feel my Savior's love the love He freely gives me.
I feel my Savior's love its gentleness enfolds me, and when I kneel to pray my heart is filled with peace
I feel my Savior's love and know that he will bless me I offer him my heart, My shepherd he will be
I know I will follow him, give all my love to him, I feel my Saviors love the love he freely gives me!

I know there is a God for when I am troubled, or afraid, or mourning I feel his comfort and know that all will be well. All I need is the faith to see that this too will pass and "His arm is stretched out still."

Each night and morning when I kneel in prayer I feel His comforting spirit and I can then go about my day with confidence knowing that whatever happens I am in His hands and because of that I am safe and so is my family.

Now that is not to say that nothing will happen to us, such as death or accident, but if and when it happens I will know that it is His loving will for me. "I feel my Savior's love, its gentleness enfolds me" everyday of my life. There is a God and He lives!!!
Music by K. Newell Dayley
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David H. answered...

I identify with Fyodor Dostoevsky, who once wrote: "It is not as a child that I believe and confess Jesus Christ. My hosanna is born of a furnace of doubt." I respect people who find it difficult or impossible to believe, because of the incongruity of so much unjustifiable hurt and pain in the world or because the affirmative evidence for God's existence does not seem compelling. But yet I believe. I believe in a God who is powerful, knowledgeable, loving and good. I see God in the heavens and earth. I see God in the principles of physics, evolution and natural selection, psychology, engineering, mathematics, the arts and the humanities, among others. I see God in the multitude of faith (or nonfaith) traditions throughout the world and among all peoples, giving meaning, purpose and direction to God's children and creations. Yes, there is much inexplicable hurt, pain and injury in the world, and yes, God's respect for our free will and freedom to believe requires that the evidence for God be noncompelling. I do not pretend to know easy answers; I look forward one day to receiving explanations or understanding of those tough questions. In the meantime, I am grateful for the whisperings from God's spirit and for occasional experiences that, to me, seem like "postcards from God", confirming to me God's love and care for me and for all creation. I have never seen God personally, but I have experienced God and I have met God's children and seen God's creations.

How can we increase our faith in Jesus Christ?

Brian answered...

Faith in Jesus Christ doesn't just happen. You have to work for it. I discovered my faith increasing when I decided to study the scriptures for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Doing so has allowed me to understand the doctrines of the gospel on a deeper level. Scripture study coupled with daily personal prayer where I really try to converse with my Father in heaven, and seek to know His will concerning me, rather than give him a list of my wants and needs and ask him to grant them as if he was my personal butler. The best way I have found is to seek to do as Jesus did. Be friendly with everyone I meet. Go the extra mile and help people beyond what is expected. Avoid judging people and try to find the good in people, rather than dwell on their weaknesses. I've found that seeking to do God's will and striving to live like Jesus Christ taught us to live, has not deprived me of anything, rather by doing things Heavenly Father's way has freed me and brought me more happiness than trying to do it my own way.