Hi, I'm Taylor

I'm a student. I'm the world's biggest baseball fan. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am the oldest kid in a big, crazy family who is usually busy with school, work, and church. I am currently an undergrad- studying Recreation Management & Leisure Services with a minor in business- while working a couple of different jobs to pay for school. I am a planner to the very core, so I hope to use this skill to my advantage as I pursue a career in Corporate Event Planning. In high school, I was involved in various clubs and sports and other organizations. Some of my favorites included being a Peer Counselor working with students at the high school and mentoring elementary school students and playing on the school softball team. I love working with people and learning more about different cultures and customs. Traveling is, and always has been, my dream and even though I'm a poor college student for now, I hope to be able to see the world someday. I love my family and friends and value those relationships above most everything else.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon because of the peace and happiness that the truths of our church bring to my life every single day. I was blessed to grow up in a family that is Mormon and went to church every Sunday for as long as I can remember. But when I got to high school and started learning more about other religions and cultures and people, there was a time when I knew that I needed to decide for myself- not only to rely on the faith of my parents- whether or not I believed in the things that I had always been taught.

I remember one night in my sophomore year, while I was on a church camping trip with other youth my age, I had finished reading from the Book of Mormon for the night and knelt down in prayer. I remember asking for only one thing: to know...really know...whether the things I had read and learned were true. In that moment of complete humility and sincerity, I felt a warmth and comfort and assurance that was more powerful than anything I had ever felt. I could not deny it; I knew that this church was true.

Since that time, I have continued to learn and grow and build upon that simple testimony that I gained that night. Life has a way of throwing us trials and hardships when we least expect them and feel the least capable of handling them. In those times, however, is when I have felt that same peace and comfort of knowing that I have a Heavenly Father who loves and watches over me.

I know that God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ, are real and that they know me personally. I have complete faith that when I kneel down to pray each night, that my prayers are being heard and will be answered in due time. I love this gospel because of the knowledge that I have that I can be with my family forever, not just in this life, because of the power of the priesthood. As I have grown, I have gained my own personal testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith, who saw God and Jesus Christ and restored their truths to the earth. This church is true, and I will never doubt it.

Personal Stories

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

My family moved to Colorado in the middle of my high school years, which was a huge struggle for me. Shortly after we moved, during the economic crisis in our country, my dad lost his job. We were in the middle of building a new home in a new place that we weren't comfortable with, and then- suddenly and unexpectedly- my dad was unemployed. It's a story that is common nowadays. During that time, there was a lot of stress in our family due to the uncertainties that lay ahead of us. Would we have to move again so quickly? Would we lose the house that we had just built? Would my parents' savings be completely spent and not be able to afford to pay college tuition in the coming year? There were so many questions unanswered.

During this time, our family prayed continually and often together. As we did this, there was a noticeable increase in peace and comfort in our home. The Holy Ghost was a constant presence in our home because of this, and he reassured us that everything would work out. I learned through that experience that our Heavenly Father knows us personally and understands our individual needs. When we face trials, it is not because He has abandoned us, but because He is refining us. Everything worked out in the end, of course. It did not work out exactly the way we had planned or hoped or anticipated, but it was the best situation for us and I know that our family was blessed for our faith and prayers.

How I live my faith

I serve in many different capacities in our church because I move between states because I attend school out-of-state. Wherever I am at the moment, however, I am given opportunities to help.

Right now, I do not have a specific assignment at church but help with whatever I am needed for at the time. Some days, I am asked to teach the young children in our church. Other times, I help to organize and plan events for people of the church to participate in. Etc.

Consistently, though, I am able visit a couple of the women that attend our church on a monthly basis to check in with them and assist them in whatever they may need in their own lives.

Do Mormons only help Mormons?

Taylor answered...

Absolutely not! While we definitely serve the members of our own church, we believe that ALL men and women on this earth are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. Therefore, we are all one in purpose. Mormons serve people throughout the world on a local/personal level as well as on a global level. Members of our church are able to donate money, which is distributed throughout the world to people and nations in need, especially in times of trouble and disaster. It is also common for members of the church to organize activities where materials for humanitarian aid are gathered and distributed.
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Jeff answered...

As a local Bishop in the Church, I can assure you that we do not limit our help to members. We perform numerous acts of service to our friends in the local community, and we do it gladly because we know service brings us and them great blessings of happiness and satisfaction. Our world wide disaster relief program brings food, clothing, water, sanitations kits and medications to our nonmember brothers and sisters around the world, quickly and effeciently. As Mormons, we know we are fellow citizens of the world and that all peoples are part of our Heavenly Father's family, and we try hard to act accordingy.

How can we stop the spread and influence of pornography?

Richard. answered...

I frequently hear people say that we need to protect children from pornography. That statement is true, but it forgets that adults are also damaged by the self-gratifying attitudes that pornography depicts. Pornography changes how we view each other. We should be politely vocal about our desire to avoid pornography. Pornography should not be forced upon us by our friends, government, employment, or entertainers. But it will be if we don't speak up about our values.

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Joseph Smith

As is the case throughout history God has communicated to His children through prophets. God used a humble man as a prophet to restore His Church on earth who ultimately died defending His faith.

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