Hi, I'm Donette

And I'm a Mormon. I am a convert to the church and the first and only member of my family. And I love this church!

About Me

I am a wife and mother of three boys. I currently just graduated nursing school as an RN. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Biology. I like to read books and sing songs, especially in the car. I love this church and I know you will, too!

Why I am a Mormon

I became a Mormon through my husband and his family. I am the only Mormon in my family. It was hard, at first, to even talk about the Mormon faith because I grew up Baptist. My husband told me that I didn't have to join the church, but I had to at least know what his religion was about. I felt that was fair. After some years, I decided to read the Book of Mormon to see if it was true and I read it from cover to cover. After praying about it, the Holy Ghost testified to me that it was true and I was finally ready to receive the lessons and be baptized. About a year later, my husband and I were sealed for time and eternity, along with our first son, in the San Diego Temple. Since that day, my testimony of this church has grown tremendously, especially of the power of prayer. Just through prayer alone and speaking to my Heavenly Father, as if he were right there next to me, I know he has heard me and he has truly answered my prayers in more ways than one and about a great many things. I have a testimony of this church, of prayer, and of the Book of Mormon. I know that God has a plan for us and if we follow the prophet and the commandments, we will have joy in our life just by doing the simple things. I am so thankful to have the gospel in my life and to have my family and to have been sealed in the temple with them. Knowing that my Heavenly Father knows me personally and loves me strengthens me every day and allows me to take on life's trials. I love this church and everything this gospel represents and I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Personal Stories

How has the Book of Mormon brought you closer to God?

I have read the Book of Mormon about 2-3 times from cover to cover. And as I have read it, I have gained more information and knowledge than I did the times before. I pray before reading and ask Heavenly Father to give me wisdom and help me learn something new. Then I read with the intent of learning new information. And each time I learn something that confirms to me the love Heavenly Father gives us and his plan for us that brings me that much closer to him.

Could you talk about your baptism?

When I got baptized, I was the only one in my family joining the church. I hadn't even told my family because I didn't know how to tell them, especially when I felt I didn't know enough about the gospel to back myself up. All I had was the confirmation that the Book of Mormon was true. The day before my baptism, I went to someone else's baptism and I got to see how things were done. At the end, people came up to me and congratulated me on getting baptized the next day and I started to feel overwhelmed and began to cry. I was questioning whether I was making the right decision. Later, I spoke to my husband about it and he told me that it was Satan trying to make me feel that way. He asked me to pray with him and see how I felt after. The next day I was baptized by him and had a wonderful baptism. I know now that I made the right decision and am so much happier for it. I will never leave this church because I know that it is true.

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

I definitely have a testimony of prayer. Heavenly Father has answered my prayers regarding many things. At one time, my husband and I were having troubles. I prayed and prayed and continued to go to church and read the scriptures, even when he didn't. It was hard and took some time, but Heavenly Father answered my prayers and our relationship is so much better now and we appreciate each other so much more. I know He answers our prayers, we just have to have patience and faith in him.

How I live my faith

I have a calling in the church as a primary teacher. I teach the Sunbeam class, which are the 3-year-old kids. It is a lot of fun and I get to learn the primary songs, too. I also try to perform my visiting teaching to the ladies in my ward to the best of my ability, but sometimes I fall short. As for my own family, we try to have family prayer together every night and have family home evening on Monday nights. We are trying to teach them some of the basic principles of the gospel and currently we are trying to memorize the 13 Articles of Faith as a family. Even our little one is participating and memorizing them to the best of his ability. My husband and I try to have date nights as often as we can and we try to attend the temple often. Our goal is twice a month. I love reading the Ensign magazine and the articles within it. They truly help strengthen me and sometimes certain articles are exactly what I needed to read at that time. We watch General Conference when conference time comes around and I even try to reread the articles in the Ensign because they, too often have a message that I need to read at that time. Basically, we're just regular people, too and we are just doing the best we can as parents and trying to teach our children and each other to be kind and loving.

Why don’t women hold the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? How do Mormon women lead in the Church?

Donette answered...

Women do not hold the priesthood in the church because we emulate the same practices of Jesus' time, women did not hold the priesthood then either. However, that does not lessen our importance. Heavenly Father and the church holds women in the highest regard giving women authority in the church also. Women hold many callings and leadership roles in the church I, myself, have held a few. Women are to support the men and help them and likewise, the men to support the women. We are to work together in everything, just as God planned.
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Leeny answered...

This is a question I had to really consider before joining the Church. My mother is a non-denominational chaplain, and both my sisters are pastors. Female leadership in church settings is very important to my family.

It is to me as well. I think many people become offended when they learn that only men hold the priesthood because they misunderstand it. The priesthood is a tool given to men in order that they might serve others more. It does not in any way give them power or dominion over women. Those people who suppose the priesthood is a way to control others are deeply mistaken.

My husband is a priesthood holder, this means I am too. I have claim on my husband's priesthood power. Even more than he does. If I am sick, discouraged, or in need of help I can call upon my husband to give me a blessing through the priesthood that he holds. I then recieve many blessings because of my husband's worthiness to work in behalf of Christ. My husband is never able to give himself a blessing though. If he is sick or discouraged he must call on other priesthood holders to administer to him. My husband holds the priesthood so that he can bless me and our child - never himself.

The priesthood is the power of Christ on the earth. It allows those who hold it to serve their families in the same way Christ served the Church. Did Christ do any deed for himself during his earthly ministry? No. Christ spent all his energy serving the people. This is what the priesthood does for my husband. It infuses him with Christ's compassion and ability to love, and then my husband is able to use that celestial love in our family.

Why don't women also recieve this special gift then? The simple answer is women don't need it. As women we are innately endowed with compassion, selflessness, and love. Think about the way a mother loves her child. I believe there is nothing more pure and similar to Christ's love for us, than a mother's love for her children. Women naturally have the ability to love as Christ does.

In an ideal situation, which is what God always intended for us, there are two partners in marriage. There is the husband and father, a priesthood leader who can be called upon to administer blessings and serve in Christ's name. And there is also the wife and mother, who is blessed with the ability to love as Christ loves and sacrifice for her family. These are two seperate and divinely appointed roles. Each complementing the other. Both make a complete home.

Women do not hold the priesthood because they do not need it. Women have other God-given powers that raise them up to the task they are called to. A man is appointed to serve his wife and children - it is the power of the priesthood that enables him to do this.

I am grateful to have a husband who is worhty to use the priesthood in my behalf. It has blessed me many times and I know that it is a special gift from God - not only to my husband, but to me as well.

How can we increase our faith in Jesus Christ?

Mark answered...

How do you increase your muscle mase? You work out, eat healthy, keep your mind sharpe, and do things right and correctly. Same thing is with our faith in Jesus Christ. We need to use our faith in Him. We do that by doing what he has asked us to do, and follow His example in all things. We will not know what life holds for us until we go and do things to expand our knowledge. The same thing is with faith. Try accomplishing one of His commandments, and see the miricles and blessings and knowledge from doing it.