Hi, I'm Joleen

I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I like to read and sing. I am a mother of four wonderful children. I work full-time as a telephone secretary answering after hours phones for a wide variety of businesses. I can crochet, sew, scrapbook. I am still learning better ways to navigate following a spinal cord injury. I am alive, I have survived, now I will thrive! I enjoy learning and sharing with other people.

Why I am a Mormon

I was a convert to the Church. When the missionaries came to teach my family it was as if missing puzzle pieces were finally put into place. I related learning of the restoration to trying to follow a cooking recipe that just doesn't turn out quite right until the proper ingredients are added in the correct amounts and order... it's much the same to me as far as how I apply the gospel to my life. I know without the shadow of a doubt that I did in fact choose the right decision in becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This becomes very obvious to me the further I go along this journey of my life. I know we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, who means good for us and not harm. I know that we have all been granted our own free agency, or freedom to make our own choices. I know that sometimes others poor choices and decisions will affect our paths no matter how diligent we have been to avoid pitfalls in this life. I know we have a forgiving Heavenly Father, the more I learn the more I want to know and keep learning.

Personal Stories

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

When I make the right choice, admittedly not always the easy one yet the right one, this sets up the next decision I need to make to follow that proper decision. One step at a time we are living these journeys of our lives. This becomes not just a 'one at a time' decision but a total life style choice.

How I live my faith

I want to live my life not just knowing and believing in a few words or ideas but actually living and abiding by them. As simple as following the ten commandments and expanded to obey that 'inner prompting' led by the Holy Spirit. I choose to prayerfully live my life. I feel on a better course when I do my daily scripture study, always putting Heavenly Father first in all matters of my life.

How can I know Mormonism is true?

Joleen answered...

As with most other questions in our life.... seek and ye shall find. Quite basically I knew this was true through prayer. Missionaries had come and taught my family, we had read scriptures together and prayed.
Evelyn answered...

One of the best things in life is that we can freely communicate with God; our Heavenly Father. Because He loves us so much, He has blessed us with the precious gift of prayer. Through prayer we are able to counsel with Him and whatever we ask sincerely, He will make it known unto us. The scriptures can give you a surety of this. In Matthew 7:7 it says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Another example is in the book of James 1:5-6, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

If you would like to know that what you have heard is true after learning or taking the discussions from the missionaries or any member that has shared a message with you, go to Heavenly Father in prayer and ask Him. I know that He will send His spirit to testify the truth of it unto you. His spirit will give you feelings of peace, hope, comfort and happiness.

Sometimes we do not get answers to our prayers as soon as we may want them to come but never should we lose hope nor get discouraged; as you continue to earnestly study and search for the truth and exercise patience, the truth will gradually be unfolded unto you. I have a testimony of this, for my answer came as I earnestly and patiently continued to investigate the church.

Why do some call Mormonism a cult?

Garth answered...

I just saw news footage where a minister called the Mormon Church a ‘cult’ and the news commentator turned around and said it wasn’t. The news commentator was right. One definition listed for ‘cult’ in Webster’s Dictionary is “a religion regarded as unorthodox.” ‘Unorthodox’ according to whom? Catholicism and over 2000 churches who broke off of the Catholic Church or the original teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ? We believe some of the original doctrines contained in the original Church of Jesus Christ fell into apostasy and were changed by men. One example is the definition of the Godhead as laid out in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds that are widely accepted by most Catholic and Protestant churches today. We believe the Godhead is made up of three separate and distinct individuals that are one in purpose not in body. When I read about the atonement in Matthew 26:39 (KJV), “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” I believe God the Father, Jesus Christ, Peter and the other Apostles would find the teaching that ‘Jesus Christ was praying to himself’ as quite ‘unorthodox’. I choose to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, not the teachings of men…regardless of the names they choose to call us.