Hi, I'm Theresa

I grew up in Maine. I write novels and teach school. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I'm a mother of six and grandmother of four. I teach 4th grade, and write novels about angels and life in the premortal existence.

Why I am a Mormon

I have faith in Jesus Christ and believe that the Book of Mormon is a true record of an ancient people who inhabited the Americas long ago. I spent most of my youth searching for answers to doctrinal questions. During this quest for truth, I attended several different religions before I began to investigate the Mormon Church. I had two Books of Mormon given to me during this time, which I kept on a bookshelf in my bedroom until four years later when I finally opened up one of them and began reading.
Words have always held great importance to me, and I was astonded at the sacred words recorded in the Book of Mormon. There were answers to things I had pondered and prayed about for years.
I kept reading, and attended the ward in my hometwon for those two remaining weeks before leaving for my freshman year at USC. I flew across the nation, and I was a little worried that what I had discovered might not be the same, because I had experienced conflicting doctrine within the same denomination when we had moved only fifteen miles away as a youth.
I was estatic to discover the doctrine was identical and convinced that it was a sign of truth, because it says in the Bible that God is not the author of confusion, but is consistent and unchanging.
When I arrived at USC, I was given paperwork to complete. There was a small 3 X 5 postcard requesting my religious preference. Well, I preferred the LDS Church, so I filled out "Mormon" on the card. They thought that I was a Mormon and invited me to institute.
Everyone introduced themselves at the first meeting. I was sitting in the middle of the room, and when they got to me, I told them my name, and that I was not a member, but that I wanted to learn more. There were two very happy missionaries sitting right in front of me. They called me 'golden'. I didn't know what that meant then, but I do now.
I truly know that Christ stands at the head of this, His Church restored in the latter days as prophesied throughout the Bible.

Personal Stories

Can you think of a specific challenge in your family that Gospel Principles helped overcome?

For reasons known only to God, our family has experienced some pretty intense things, from a child with Neuroblastoma (cancer-chemotherapy, radiation, and a stem-cell transplant), a child who nearly severed his leg off (leaving only 1/3 of it intact--fortunately the part that housed the arteries), a child with type 1 diabetes (who was extremely ill, and nearly died in the ICU), a child with severe asthma (also hospitalized in ICU), and myself, who survived DVT and PE (also near death in the ICU. I was told by the doctor that not many people survive the intensity of the PE--the string of blood clots that broke away and traveled through my heart into my lungs.) On top of the health issues, our family has suffered severe fininacial issues as well, with my husband being unemployed for the past three years, and having to survive on a single income.
But, we have never been alone.
And, we've never been unhappy, or distressed--we just keep moving forward with a faith in God, and an eye single to his glory.
This life is meant to be the greatest testing field ever contrived, not a 'walk in the park', though I must admit, I have had quite a few beautiful 'walks in the park' along with the trials.
Our strength comes from our love and faith in Jesus Christ and in his gospel--a gospel of hope and peace--hope for a bright, eternal future together as the great family that we are, and hope for a bright and pleasant present as well. We do not 'live in the future', we do live and love and rejoice in the present, as we look forward to the future.

How I live my faith

I try to follow the counsel of the prophet and other church leaders, including my bishop and stake president, because I truly believe that they are called of God and inspired to lead and direct the day to day affairs of Christ's church.

Why is family so important to Mormons?

Theresa answered...

The family is important to Mormons for the same reason that family is important to anybody. It is important, because we love our families and because the family unit is central to the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Families are meant to be together forever, and I appreciate the divine revelation that comes directly from Jesus Christ that binds us together in the holy temple for time and all eternity. I love my family, and want to be with them forever.
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Ben answered...

Because family is so important to God. Why do you think God intoduces Christ as His "only begotten SON in whom I am well pleased" and not something more formal like my servant, the Christ? Why in the scriptures is God referred to as "The Father" more than any other title? why is it that naturally we come into this life into a family, whether functional or not? Families are ordained of God. Agency and human nature is what may cause us to believe other wise.
Family ought to be our foundation of education in this life. I've moved around a lot. I've attended many different schools and one thing I've learned is that it is hard to focus on my goals if I don't have a social network providing acceptance and unity. A support group I can lean on and be there to be leaned on at school. It's a miracle that God has provided that support group for the important lessons in life.
If our families aren't what they could be, we can choose individually to be an example and a friend to them as far as possible. practice the principles of repentence and forgiveness. Understanding that our families are meant to be eternal helps us to not allow the small things to obstruct our relationships.

What do Mormons believe concerning the doctrine of grace?

Tamara Forsyth answered...

We are all saved by grace no matter how we have lived our life, as long as we believe in Christ and believe that he is our Savior. Most Christian religions believe that this is all there is to being saved. Mormons believe this for the part of being saved in which the body of flesh is reunited with the spirit. For this part of being saved, yes, Mormons believe that all people, no matter how they have lived their lives, will be saved and have their body reunited with their spirit at the resurrection through the grace of God. However, Mormons also believe there is another part to Christ's atonement and being saved, and that refers to his taking on of our sins. To be saved from our sins, and take upon us the name of Christ such that his atonement will wash away our sins and we will have everlasting life in God's presence, we must repent of our sins. After we have done all that we can do, then the grace of God will wash away our sins because of Christ's atoning sacrifice on our behalf.