Hi, I'm Nicole

I grew up non-denominational Christian and at 26 became Mormon.

About Me

I tend to lead quite a busy life working full-time for an environmental consulting firm while in the process of getting my masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. I LOVE music and will make time to attend at least a few live shows a week. I am a runner and enjoy half-marathons. I also enjoy to travel so in my free time, I jump on a plane and go somewhere; my family tends to call me a jet-setter. I am young and single so I figure there is no better time than the current to do these things!

Why I am a Mormon

I wrote this the night before I was baptized on September 12, 2008.

My parents divorced when I was 2 years old. Dad moved to Indiana and mom stayed in California. We were never raised going to church on Sundays, yet rather going to church on holidays and that was completely sufficient for them. My dad was never around, he was never involved. He had a drinking problem and one summer he even held a gun to my head when things got a little out of hand with his drinking. I suppose since home life wasn’t the best example I wanted to find out what I could do to change things. I don’t think I opened up a bible and read it until I was in high school. When I was 15 I decided to start going to bible studies and find out who God was. I attended Saddleback Church, a large Non-Denominational Church in Orange County, California. I made the decision to get baptized at the age of 16. I guess I thought this would make a change and I would now embark upon something new, but nothing really changed in my life and I blame myself for that, because I did not change anything.

I went to college at 17, attending church here and there but continued to read my bible every day. At 19 I fell in love and got married. After marriage things somewhat went downhill and I found myself divorced and living in Georgia at the age of 21. I moved to FL and finished my degree. During the next 3 years God did work within me that I am so grateful for. I found a church that I loved and friends that were amazing. I was living the “lukewarm” Christian lifestyle however and I didn’t seem to find a problem with that. It didn’t hit me until I stopped going out to discipline myself as I studied for the Law School Admission Test. After the test was over I found it pointless to drink, after all I hadn’t done it in so long, why start up again, especially knowing that my whole family has addiction problems. I had also lost a lot of my so called friends during the time that I chose not to go out while I studied. Apparently I was only a friend when I wanted to hang out and party. I decided I would start hanging out with my church friends and if I had to sit inside every weekend playing scrabble, I was perfectly fine with that. Much to my dismay, the people within the church were no different than my friends outside the church. They were drinking and going out as well. The further and further I grew in my relationship with God I noticed the subtle changes and started to get annoyed with the lifestyle people lived.

After completing college I had the goal to attend law school. I knew from reading the bible that if I wanted an answer, I should fast and pray. I fasted and prayed and prayed to figure out where God wanted me to be and how He wanted to use me. If someone would have asked me at that point in my life if God had control of my life I honestly would have responded yes, however I know now that I was still holding on to self. I had a conditional mindset, I would say that I wanted to be used by God but then if He would have asked me to move to Africa and do a mission; I knew I would say no. At any rate, the fast led me to believe that God wanted me to go home to California, that I needed to go spread His word and I needed to start with my family. Although I wanted to, I thought to myself, how the heck will I get rid of EVERYTHING I own, that I have built up for 9 years. I mean I was really into my material stuff. Well, God sure got me over my material things. I was ok with this plan but in my mind I had a 6 month time frame to do this in, so I could save up money to move all my stuff home. God however had a different plan. He wanted me to get rid of everything I owned, all of my material possessions. I hesitated at first but I listed everything on Craigslist and within 6 hours I had a woman calling me. She was subletting a condo 5 units over from mine had just bought a house and needed to furnish it. She walked in to my condo and said, “What is for sale?” I replied, “Everything.” She said, “Name a price, I will take everything.” From my silverware to my wall art and all furniture, she took it all.

From the time I decided to move to the day I moved it was 2 weeks. When God wants to work, He works fast. Selling my possessions was just the start. Each day He worked on something else in me. I decided I never wanted to have a drink ever again, not even for a celebration, I never wanted to have sex or do anything outside of kissing with someone until I was married and most importantly that I wanted to be modest.

After returning home I hung out with a friend from high school that was Mormon. He invited me to church and I accepted the offer. I knew that there was a reason I was home in California but I did not think that it was to become Mormon. I made an appointment to meet with the missionaries on August 28, 2008. I went in to the meeting thinking one of us was right, either me or them. Sitting across from those young men, one looked at me with tears in his eyes and a firm testimony that he KNEW this book was true and that if I read it with a sincere heart and real intent, I would come to know the exact same thing. They gave me a Book of Mormon and I went home to read it. That night and for 3 consecutive nights, I had Mormon dreams. I had no clue what they meant, but I knew they were happy thoughts. I didn't find out what they were until I was reading Nephi and he talked about how he received visions in the night and all the sudden it clicked, I remembered my dream, it was me laughing and being at peace in the presence of Mormons. I still tried to read the Book of Mormon with reservation and somewhat trying to prove it wrong, but suddenly my view changed and I was reading it through the spirit. I found that the Book of Mormon was challenging me to know more about the Bible and it was not hindering but massively growing my relationship with God.

That next Sunday, my mom wanted me to go to church with her before I went to the Ward. I didn't want to but I did. For the first time ever when I was in church I had this gut feeling, I didn't feel right- things were off. I was bothered about the way people dressed in flip flops and cut off shorts. Things that had never impacted me before were making me question why I wasn’t LDS. He started talking about baptism and I suddenly flipped to Hebrew 7:11 on my own, which is about the Aaronic priesthood. I then found myself thinking, it isn't LDS that is something new, it is that modern Christianity has taken away the things they wanted and forgot so much of how we should be.

My mother came at me with many anti-Mormon documents but I knew in my heart that it was true. I knew the peace I felt and the joy this gospel had brought into my life in such a short period of time. It was nothing someone forced me to believe or made me do, I KNEW this was the true church.

I was baptized on September 13, 2008 and it was the best decision I have ever made. Life may be hard, trials do not cease but peace and joy encompass me. Since my baptism my family has come around. They see and understand the importance of this church and they recognize the happiness and joy in my life.

Personal Stories

How has your knowledge of the Plan of Happiness changed/benefited your life?

I suppose I never really thought about how we lived with Heavenly Father in pre-existence prior to joining the church. With that being said, I would look at people that were in less fortunate circumstances or were involved heavily in drugs and alcohol; just making poor choices and I would somewhat shine them on. After joining the church and recognizing that we all, everyone that is here on the earth today, made the conscious decision to be here. We all come from different backgrounds and are born into a variety of situations but knowing that as a member has give me more compassion to those around me because I know they know their Heavenly Father.

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

There are numerous ways to share the gospel but the ultimate way, in my opinion, is to lead by example. When I joined the church I told my mother, who was strongly against my decision, that I could tell her until I was blue in the face why I was joining the church but in order for her to fully understand she would have to see from my example and my life. People reject change, they reject things they do not know and until they see with their own eyes the fruits of the gospel, they will continue to have doubt. I had a man at work ask me just the other day, "How do you stay happy all the time, do you take pills?" Mind you, I had just found out I needed to repair my car and it would cost $1,300.00 so happy was far from my mind. I told him that it was the Book of Mormon that kept me happy, which led him to ask me more about the Church. When you lead by example, people will ask questions.

Please share your feelings/testimony of Joseph Smith.

Joseph Smith is very near and dear to me. It is the common misconception that he wrote the Book of Mormon, yet that is not true. I think about the sacrifices he made in order to bring forth the Book of Mormon. If the book weren't true, he would not have suffered and died, he would have simply given up. When I joined the church my testimony of Joseph Smith was not strong. Although I knew he was a prophet, I did not have my own testimony until I went to Temple Square in Utah and saw The Prophet of the Restoration movie. A great quote in that movie is, "You don't have to meet him to know that he is a prophet." I agree wholeheartedly with that statement.

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

The spirit cannot dwell in unholy places. That is a lot to take in with one simple statement. When you are living your life with the influence of the holy spirit, you are able to make the right choices. The beauty of this life is our ability to make choices, we have free agency. The danger in that same beauty is that we have to face the consequences of bad choices. When you make the right choices, Heavenly Father will bless your life. Choices do not get easier in life, it just gets easier to recognize the spirit when you live your life in accordance to the will of the Father.

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

I would say prior to being Mormon I never really thought about the purpose of life; just my purpose IN this life. The Book of Mormon brought all of God's creation in full circle. Being able to see the Plan of Salvation and all that the Lord has for his children is comforting. I think the Plan of Salvation is one of the main reasons that I chose to continue investigation in the church. Nothing more than our physical bodies cease at death and we will see our families again. My purpose is not just to live so that I can attain eternal salvation, but to live and be example to all around me of the blessings of this gospel.

What has helped develop greater harmony in your home?

One of the best books I ever read that helped me understand harmony was by Sheri Dew, If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't be Hard. As a young single adult living in a roommate situation, it is not always the easiest to get along with everyone. Our homes come second in holiness to the temple and if there is contention in the home, it is not healthy. If you have pent up anger and baggage that you are carrying around, you cannot fully love one another. Even though we are only roommate I think about how I want my family to maintain harmony in the home and I know that constant communication, family/roommate prayers and making sure your home is blessed are all significant factors in developing that harmony in the home.

Why do Mormons go on missions?

Image having this amazing cookie, a cookie so great that you want everyone to try it, that to me is an analogy of why Mormons go on missions. This gospel is so incredible that you want everyone to have the opportunity to learn about it for themselves. I often wonder why I didn't become Mormon sooner and my personal answer was that I was not ready. There are people that plant seeds and then there are those that bring the seeds to fruition. My ultimate favorite quote is by Melvin J. Ballard, "Why is it that sometimes only one of a city of household received the Gospel? It was made known to me that it is because the righteous dead who have received the Gospel in the spirit world are exercising themselves and in answers to their prayers elders of the Church are sent to the homes of their posterity... and that descendant in the flesh is then privileged to do the work for his dead kindred"

How I live my faith

My faith is extremely important to me. Sometimes you don't realize the significance of prayer and scripture study until you stop doing them. I know that living the gospel has blessed me immensely, the small and simple things that I do show my Heavenly Father that I am willing to obey and live according to his will. People often ask if it is difficult to go from living the ways of the world to living the ways of the gospel and the answer is no. Of course we will always have temptations, yet the more knowledge you know, the harder it is turn away from the truth. I am grateful for callings and the visiting teaching program. Being able to get together with women my age and share in their happiness and sorrows is such an amazing experience and gives a sense of extended family and love that I had never felt before.

Do Mormons worship Joseph Smith?

Nicole answered...

Contrary to popular belief, Mormons DO NOT worship Joseph Smith. We do however, hold him in high esteem for the marvelous work he has done. Joseph Smith endured more than any man, excluding Jesus, for the salvation of mankind. If such a church were false and the doctrine he brought forth untrue, when he faced martyrdom and imprisonment, any person would have walked away. He knew however the importance of this gospel and fought until his death to bring the truth to many.
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Michael answered...

We don't worship Joseph Smith. Although we recognize that our faith hinges on whether or not he was a prophet of God, we only worship God, the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. We honor and respect Joseph Smith in the same way we do Moses, Abraham, or any of the ancient prophets.

What will the Mormon missionaries talk about when they visit my home?

Jordan Christiansen answered...

I served a mission in South Korea for two years, so I can tell you. :) The missionaries will probably be as nervous as you are as they arrive at your home. The nervousness does not come from timidity or a lack of belief in the message they bring, but because they want so much to express their testimonies and the Spirit they feel to you.

The missionaries will likely introduce themselves and get to know you and your family. Though missionaries are called by God to preach His word, they come from largely every-day backgrounds and have lives likely much like yours.

After getting to know your family, they will likely ask what questions you may have about life or the Mormon church. Using the scriptures and their own personal experiences, they will seek to help you find answers. Don't be afraid of asking any question or thinking you may offend or sound silly to the missionaries. They are called to help and serve and are very understanding.

After answering your questions and sharing a spiritual message, the missionaries will ask you to act on the message. A soccer player does not listen to his coach during practice only to go home without kicking a ball, right? In the same way, the missionaries will invite you to read a chapter of scripture or seek for yourself that what they are saying is true. You don't have to just take the missionaries' word in what they say--a loving God is happy to answer thoughtful, earnest prayers seeking for the truth.