Hi, I'm Lindsay

I'm an graphic designer, I'm an opera singer, I'm a blogger, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

My motto is "Life is Beautiful." Believing that statement has given me the eyes to see my Heavenly Father's hand in each moment and to appreciate His beautiful blessings all around me. There is always a little bit of ugly around us, sure, but I prefer to focus on the beauty - therein lies lasting happiness.

I love my husband James. We were sealed for time and eternity in the Detroit Michigan LDS Temple on November 12, 2011 - that was truly the most beautiful day of my life thus far. I received my BFA in Graphic Design in 2011 and I love everything about it. I am very "right brained" - all of my greatest passions are artistic - singing opera, organization, drawing, creative writing, photography, etc. I love making things look beautiful.

Random facts about me? I love Italy, Pilates, cheesecake, bald eagles, freshly-painted toenails, the Harry Potter series and traveling.

Welcome to my story.

Why I am a Mormon

I grew up in a big Mormon family and have had the blessing of learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ from birth. My personal conversion, however, and the knowledge I have gained for myself of the truthfulness of the gospel, came gradually over the years.

Alma 37:6 says "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." It is the same with my testimony of this gospel. The small moments when the spirit touches my heart as I read the Book of Mormon, listen to the Prophet's counsel, pray for strength, serve someone in need or ponder in the holy temple – each of these continually strengthen my faith and affirm the truthfulness that I feel deep in my heart.

So, why do I choose to live it? I cannot deny the confirmation of the spirit that I have felt so much throughout my life. I know it is true. I have felt Heavenly Father’s strength in my daily life as I’ve willingly kept His commandments. The commandments not only keep me safe, but give me freedom from the miserable consequences of sin. The gospel strengthens my relationship with and knowledge of my Savior, Jesus Christ and my Father in Heaven. I know that I am a Child of God. I know that my Savior Atoned for my sins. I know that they love me. There is power and comfort in that knowledge that cannot be found anywhere else. Through the blessings of the temple, my family can be together forever. That is a principle of the gospel that I hold near and dear to my heart. Families are at the center of God’s Plan of Salvation. I love my family and want to be with them for all eternity and through the gospel I can. The list goes on and on.

What it comes down to is this: Without the gospel I feel confused, lost, unhappy, lonely, weak, and uncertain. With the gospel I am happy, secure, focused, productive, healthy, and 100% certain of at least one thing in life, which means a lot to me.

I am certain that I am a child of God and that He has a plan for me that is far more beautiful than I can comprehend. Because I am his child, I can be like He is and enjoy all that He has, if I do my part by keeping the commandments and the promises that I have made to him. I know that sometimes I fall short and that I am far from perfect, but I also know that through the Atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I can be forgiven of my sins and imperfections and be made clean and whole. There is nothing that brings more peace, strength and happiness into my life than living the gospel of Jesus Christ each day. I testify that these things are true and I share them with you in the name of my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

How I live my faith

I have the opportunity and blessing of serving with the women of the church every single day. There is an amazing strength and unity in the sisterhood of the church. We have the opportunity to visit and teach one another at least once a month, which has created some of the greatest friendships I have in my life. I am constantly amazed by the love and conviction of the sisters and the strength that they bring into my life by their examples and friendship. Serving them continually brings great blessings. Mosiah 2:17 says, "...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Heavenly Father certainly blesses my life when I take time to reach out and serve others. It is such a comfort to know that no matter where I go in the whole world, I have a friend.

What is a ward/stake/branch?

Adam answered...

There is a lot of vocabulary that is unique to Mormonism, including the terms we use for our congregations.

A ward is a local congregation, usually made up of between 200-600 members. Wards have specific geographic boundaries, so which ward you attend would depend on where you live. A ward is presided over by a lay priesthood holder called a bishop.

A branch is similar to a ward, except it is smaller. They range in size from a single family to the size of a small ward. Generally, branches are in areas without a significant Mormon population, specific to a language, or for individuals who are single. Branches do not have bishops, but are presided over by a branch president.

A stake is a larger organization in the church. Several wards and branches, frequently around 12, will comprise a stake. The stake is able to support the wards and branches through additional resources and leadership. Stakes are presided over by stake presidents.
Siegfried answered...

To make the administration of this world-wide church possible, the church is organized into geographical regions and sub-regions. The most basic administrative unit is called the "ward". The wards in the church vary in size but are comprised of a geographical area with anywhere from 300 to 700 members. The ward is presided by a bishop. A group of five to twelve wards are combined to form a "stake". A stake is presided by a stake president.
In regions of the world where there is a lesser concentration of members, "branches" are formed. These branches are equivalent to wards but usually have less members. A branch is presided by a branch president.
This organization makes it possible for 14 million members to each have local leaders that can provide guidance, teaching, and administering of the sacred ordinances of the gospel

What do Mormons believe concerning the doctrine of grace?

Matt Gibson answered...

We believe in grace 100 percent . No one can be saved, except by grace. There is nothing we ourselves can do to earn eternal life. But, we do believe that we will NOT receive grace unless we live our lives in accordance with what Christ has taught. When Christ ransomed us, became the author of our salvation, and also the perscriber of the conditions of repentance. He's told us that we need to have faith in him, repent, and be baptized for the remissions of sins, so that we may be sanctified by the Holy Ghost. He also told us that we need to endure to the end, meaning continue to strive to live by his teachings, otherwise we cannot be saved by grace. There are many today who teach that baptism is not necessary because it is a "work". We know that Christ set the example to make it perfectly clear. He also said in John chapter 3 verse 5, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
You might be thinking now, "what about those who never got a chance to be baptized?", well Heavenly Father is perfectly fair, and that opportunity will be provided for everyone to make that decision, whether in this life or in the next. The point of Baptism is making covenants. Without making these covenants Christ cannot give us grace.
Hence the doctrine of grace, and doctrine of works, coinside with each other. One cannot be without the other.