Hi, I'm Cheryl Anne

I grew up in California. I like to teach and write. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am a wife, mother of four, and a grandmother of three. I graduated in elementary education and have tutored and taught creative writing to children. I enjoy writing and doing family history.

Why I am a Mormon

When I was eighteen and living in California, I was looking for some teachings to guide my life. I wanted a happier life than I'd seen in my family. I looked into all sorts of religions, even Far Eastern. Nothing felt right and many of the things they said didn't seem just such as if you were a little bit better you went to heaven or a little bit worse and you went to hell. About this time I met a nice girl in a high school summer class, and we became friends. I was very impressed with the love I saw in her family. I had never seen anything like it before. I began to ask her questions, and she suggested I talk to some missionaries. As I read the Book of Mormon, so many questions I had were answered. Ideas just rang true. They felt like things I had always known, but had forgotten. Finally, two years and many, many questions later for I had to be sure this was the right decision, I finally joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My parents weren’t very happy with my decision, but I was. Through the years, these true principles have helped me to build a happy marriage and a strong family, and to see my health problems as opportunities to grow. I have never regretted my decision one moment.

Personal Stories

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

“God won’t let me be ill. He loves me and has the power to heal, so I’ll be well soon.” As the days turned into years, I began to realize that Heavenly Father, instead of merely catering to my wishes for ease, loves me enough to allow me to have the experiences that are best for me. As I came to have faith in His wisdom, I came to see my health problems as opportunities. Instead of feeling frustrated. I could see them as exciting challenges, like solving a tough puzzle.
One problem I had to solve was I needed an exceptionally clean home, but I was pretty much confined to bed. I began by evaluating my resources a busy husband with little time and even less inclination for housework, young children -- an asset?, no extended family support, and no money to buy maid service. We couldn't ask for help from our neighbors year after year, so we had to find a real solution to this problem.
It didn’t take me long to realize that my mind was going to have to compensate for what my body was unable to do, so I began to gather information and seek advice. Slowly, I learned to set priorities. I determined what had lasting value for our family, and I tried to spend my meager energy doing what only I could do, then delegate the rest.
In looking for creative solutions, I began to organize, label, eliminate unnecessary items and tasks, set up job charts with rewards, make a few rules such as shoes are left at the door and everyone cleans up after themselves, and provide appropriately sized cleaning tools for children.
I was amazed! Though I never regained my health, my house was clean. It wasn’t my energy that had increased, but my abilities. My problems really were opportunities. They had helped my faith to grow, and had encouraged me to develop unknown organizational talents. Now, not only did I have a clean home, but I had an increased capacity to deal with life, a husband who had learned to serve, and children who had learned to be responsible.

How I live my faith

I try to give support to my family, friends, and neighbors by sending emails of encouragement, cards, and just being there when someone needs to talk.
By taking advantage of the training offered through our school district, I keep my elementary teaching credential current. I then serve as a volunteer at out local school where I teach creative writing and occasionally tutor children who need extra help for free at my home. I also volunteered to be the editor of our small town newsletter for five years and assistant editor for a LDS church newspaper we printed in our community four times a year. With the support of church members in town, we even sponsored a family of Cambodian refugees who lived with us for two months.
Besides writing, I love teaching. I spent many years teaching children in church classes and gave lessons to church teachers on how to be better teachers. Right now I'm enjoying a new experience as I coordinate the efforts of the women in our neighborhood area to give support to each other. I've been so impressed as I've seen women take food to someone who is ill, help with a funeral, or just be there for each other.

Who is the Mormon prophet today?

Cheryl Anne answered...

The Lord sends revelation to anyone who is willing to receive it. I have experienced much revelation which has helped me solve problems in my own life. Revelation to guide the Lord's Church on the earth though, must come through the person who the Lord has appointed to lead His Church, His Prophet, or there would be confusion. This gives unity to the Church and enables us to have the Lords guidance in dealing with current issues and problems.

In the days of the early church, Peter was given revelation to guide the church. Even at that, many people claimed they had other revelation such as those who wanted to incorporate Mosiac law into Christianity. Peter and Paul were constantly trying to keep the Gospel teachings as Christ taught them.

Being the prophet of the early church, Peter was given the revelation that nothing was unclean with the Lord. From this he realized that the Gospel was now to be taken to the Gentiles. I think it is interesting to note that this revelation to Peter was a direct response to Cornelius' prayer (and probably many other Gentiles). Also, Moses was given revelation about leading the Israelites out of Egypt, but only after many years of pleadings from the people. I don't think we generally receive revelation unless we ask for it and are ready and willing to follow it.

God does not change and He works in the same way in these times--through Prophets.
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Mark answered...

God through out the ages has spoken to His children through living prophets. We have a prophet today, named Thomas S. Monson. He is a prophet just like Moses, Abraham or Peter. My wife and I, were blessed to be personally called by President Monson to serve a mission. For 2 hours we sat in his office as he taught us. We felt his spirit and his love. I know that he is a prophet. This is the Savior’s church and He leads this church just as he did anciently through a living prophet. As we follow President Monson’s teaching and example we will be blessed to draw nearer to the Savior.

What is faith?

Zen answered...

Of all the definitions of faith I have read or heard, I add the simplest and most complete to me, which is the Love of Christ. I cannot think of a better way to describe faith. Love of Christ is the substance of hope in something evident we can not see with earthly eyes. It is the faith in Christ or the love of Christ that enabled Able to make a more perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 11:4). That love is why we believe in Christ, it is why we have grace, it is why we have works, it is why we have belief, it is why we have hope, it is why we have charity, it is the very essence of faith, and faith is the very essence of the Love of Christ

Perfect knowledge is worthless without faith. For instance, most of us have perfect knowledge that applying a pointed pencil to paper will cause a mark. That knowledge will not make a mark if we do not exercise the elements of faith called works (picking up the pencil, applying it to the paper, and making a mark), belief (that doing so will make a mark), and hope (that it actually will make a mark). It is my desire that you would exercise works to find out about Christ and study Him, that you would believe on His words and His life and His sacrifice, and that you would hope that He would have an effect in your life. If you exercise this faith, you will truly come unto Him.