Hi, I'm Kathy

I think life is awesome because of what I believe about God's plan for me and all of mankind. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

At this stage in my life I like to call myself a "traveling grandma." My husband & I raised six wonderful children who have all now grown up & gone off on their own adventures. I have 15 grandchildren scattered throughout the country, & I love the modern conveniences that allow me to travel to spend time with my children & grandchildren. My family is my greatest joy. I also enjoy cooking, sewing, swimming & snorkeling, crocheting, gardening, & reading, especially historical fiction.

Why I am a Mormon

When I was quite young Mormon missionaries came to my home & presented a series of lessons about the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the LDS Church. Even though I was only 8 or 9 at the time, I knew there was a special feeling in our home when the missionaries were there. I looked forward to their visits & felt that the things they were teaching were true. The missionaries gave me a little book, which I still have in my possession, called "Branches Over The Wall" which told the story of the Book of Mormon in language a young child like myself could understand. As I read that book I remember being able to picture the things that I was reading about so clearly in my mind, in a way that testified to my heart that what I was reading about was true & really had taken place. When the missionaries had finished teaching the lessons in our home I knew I wanted to be baptized, & my parents said I could. That was many years ago, yet in all those years the gospel has been the mainstay of my life & the source of my greatest development & joy as an individual & in my family & other relationships.

Personal Stories

How has The Book of Mormon helped you understand the purpose of life?

I have been a member of this Church for 50 years now, & during that time I have read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover many times. Each time I read it again I receive new insights into God's plan for His children. The account of Lehi's family in the beginning of the book teaches me the importance of trusting God; that whenever He gives us a commandment He will also open the way for us to obey, and whenever we have a need for greater understanding, if we go to Him in sincere prayer He will open our minds and hearts to see more clearly. When Moroni writes at the end of the book promising me that by the power of the Holy Ghost I may know the truth of all things I am encouraged to realize that I have this gift available to me to shine a light on my path throughout my mortal journey. From beginning to end the Book of Mormon is filled with stories & teachings that show me what is important in life & what I can be doing to bring peace & happiness to myself & my family. When I read the story of Alma the younger I see the powerful ability of Christ's Atonement coupled with sincere repentance to change one man's life for the better. When I read of Christ's visit to the Americas following His resurrection I see how much we are all loved by our Heavenly Father & how much he wants each of us to feel of that love by following His perfect plan. The Book of Mormon teaches me that our Heavenly Father desires each of us to be happy & He has shown us the way to that happiness through revelation to faithful men throughout the ages. I see by the examples recorded in the Book of Mormon what I can expect in my life according the choices I make with the gifts & truths I am given. This book is a great blessing in my life.

How I live my faith

At this time I have been asked to serve as the Committee Chairperson for the Scout troop sponsored by our "Ward" which is our name for our individual church groups. I admit that I don't yet know a lot about Scouting, but I'm learning as I go. That is one of the great things about the opportunities to serve that our church provides. Our Bishops seek inspiration in calling & releasing individual ward members for the various positions in each ward. In this way we each are allowed to grow as we serve & watch others serve in a variety of ways from teachers to choir leaders to Scoutmasters or librarians. We get to know what it's like to "be in charge" as well as to be a good follower or supporter. And in the process we develop some great new skills, as well as learning how to spend more time stepping out of ourselves to give service to others & to a greater cause. Serving in the callings I have been asked to fill throughout my life has brought me many great blessings. I'm sure I'll be able to say the same thing about being a Scout Committee chairperson someday, even though right now it feels pretty overwhelming!

What is the First Vision?

Kathy answered...

In the early 1800's a young boy by the name of Joseph Smith lived in an area of New York where there was a time of great religious excitement with various churches seeking converts to their faiths. Joseph attended many of these religious meetings seeking to find the truth if he could, but felt confused by what seemed to be conflicting teachings or various ways of interpreting scripture. Joseph turned to the Bible and read a verse in James which said that if any man lacked wisdom, he could ask of God, and it would be given him. This scripture had a great impact on young Joseph, for he realized that he did lack wisdom. Joseph decided to do as this scripture admonished, & went out into a grove of trees where he could be alone to offer up a prayer to God. The First Vision is the name we give to the event prompted by Joseph's prayer. A light descended upon him and in the light he saw God the Father & His Son Jesus Christ. God the Father spoke to Joseph to introduce His Son saying; "This is my Beloved Son, hear Him." Jesus Christ then informed Joseph that the true church that He himself had set up during His mortal ministry had been lost from the earth, but that it would soon be restored. This was the first of many revelations & visions that Joseph received as he became the chosen prophet of the restoration of the true church & gospel to the earth. That is why we call it the First Vision.

Do Mormons worship Joseph Smith?

Jerad answered...

No. We worship only God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God chosen to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness back on the Earth. We deeply respect the man and all that he did for man kind as through him the Church of Jesus Christ and the authority which is called the Priesthood was restored to the Earth. The anciant people of Israel deeply revered and respected Moses and all that he did for them, but did not worship him. Joseph was a true Prophet of God and we see him as such, and we only worship the Father and the Son. Joseph was a servant of God and taught about how we should only worship God and Jesus Christ. The purpose of a Prophet is to point us to Christ and help us to know his will, and in these times as terrible as they are, we need the guidance of Prophets to help keep us on the path that God has put before us.