Hi, I'm Ashley

I grew up in Moses Lake, WA. I am a Photographer/Digital Designer and mother of three. I love to dance and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I graduated from College Sept. 2010 with a Business Management degree. My husband and I have been married almost 6 years and have 3 beautiful children; ages 5, 4, and 2. My husband is currently finishing his Pre-Req's and then applying to Physician Assistant schools.

Why I am a Mormon

I grew up in the church, but didn't truly comprehend the importance of it until I decided this was something I needed to either continue living or do something else with my life. I always knew there was a God, but needed to gain my own testimony of the gospel so at age 13 I prayed to Heavenly Father to please help me to know the church was true. For me this was a time in my life (middle school) where I knew I was going to be faced with a lot of choices and knew I needed to know where I stood on certain issues that would come about. After praying for the truth I knew what my choice would need to be in order to get back to my Father in Heaven someday. I know that choosing to continue living the gospel was the only way I would be able to receive eternal happiness. Now that I have my own family I continue to see the blessings of living the gospel and how it makes my family closer.

I know we have a Prophet sent from God to teach and guide our church just like there were prophets in the Bible. Our Prophet is a great man who teaches just what we need to strive to do in order to be happy and live a great life. There is nothing better than being ready for anything that may come our way and the church leads us and guides us so we know how we can be prepared for just about anything.

Joseph Smith was a true prophet who brought the Gospel back to Earth and I will be eternally grateful for making it possible for us to all know of the true church.

I love the gospel and the foundations and morals it teaches us all as we grow.

Personal Stories

How has attending Church services helped you?

Yes attending church services helps me immensely! I enjoy attending church each week and seeing others that are striving to make their lives better just as we all are. Even though we aren't perfect we strive to be and the church is the perfect part that we need to use to strengthen our homes and families.

What blessings have come through your faith in Jesus Christ?

One big blessing that I thank Heavenly Father for each day is my husband. He truly is an inspiration! He is a convert and an only member in his family, but yet still chose to serve a mission after only being a member a year and a half. I knew him before his mission and when he returned I sat in on his gospel principles class and listened to him teach the young adults in our ward and knew from that amazing lesson that I wanted him as my husband and he would be an amazing father who would teach and guide his children to do what is right. Roger has been the best husband to me by continuing to teach me things I may have misunderstood and even by teaching me things I didn't know. For being a convert it amazes me that he has so much knowledge of the church and the doctrine, but he told me that as a missionary he read everything he possibly could so that he would know the church and be able to teach it well. I have truly been blessed because of my faith in Jesus Christ with someone who desires the same things I do to achieve eternal life.

What has helped develop greater harmony in your home?

Talking about church and the teachings with the children helps to maintain harmony in our home. As well as listening to church music and praying to our Father in Heaven as a family. It is important to include our children in these activities so they understand that it is important in our lives and should continue to be important in their lives as well!

How I live my faith

I am currently serving as the activity days leader for my ward. I love the knowledge the young girls share about the gospel and their admiration to become righteous young women. Our children are the future and they will not be able to strive for their best unless we teach them of the Gospel and how they can work hard to choose the right and return to our Father in Heaven. Children are so important and they absorb so much so why not let them know of the wonderful church we have?

I also visit teach 3 sisters in the ward and enjoy their company and families.

Do Mormons only help Mormons?

Ashley answered...

No. I love to help others! In my job we help all kinds of people and we enjoy serving others.
Sam answered...

Absolutely not. I personally have been a part of countless efforts to serve those not of our faith. We don't just serve others because we want them to join our Church. We serve because it's the right thing to do. Because it's what the Savior taught and exemplified. I think God often places people in our path when we are in a position to help. Sometimes, this can be a litmus test for how committed we are to living a Christlike life, especially if this "opportunity" comes at a very inconvenient time.

Perhaps we sometimes overlook opportunities to help because we are too focused on the problems staring us right in the face. I do know, however, that the Church makes a very concerted investment of time, talent, and resources in humanitarian aid throughout the world. We are often some of the first to arrive and the last to leave in cases like Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, and areas affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. We often coordinate our efforts with other organizations like the Red Cross or the Catholic Church.

Why don’t Mormons have paid clergy?

Craig answered...

Latter-day Saints are all expected to generously give of their time to serve in the church. Service opportunities vary greatly and can include being a congregation's pastor, teaching classes, helping congregants gain employment, or helping watch toddlers in the nursery. These volunteer opportunities are temporary and Mormons often gain a wide variety of experiences throughout their lifetimes. Specific assignments are not sought after, but rather delegated out to a congregation's members after those presiding over the congregation have prayed over the matter.

No one participating in this service is compensated financially, as we all are personally committed to help one another and assist in the church's growth. I believe that this way of organizing a church is ideal because it allows congregants to become closely acquainted with one another through service, frees up funds given to the church to go to more important projects such as building chapels and advancing missionary efforts, and greatly reduces any potential for corruption in the church by removing financial incentives.