Hi, I'm Johanna

I grew up as a Navy brat. I'm a married stay-at-home mom of three - two adopted from foster care. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I spent my childhood traveling the United States because my dad was serving in the Navy as an aviator and we packed up house every couple of years. It wasn't until I married that I settled down in one place long enough to "grow some roots". I'm a stay-at-home mom of three. I've become a reluctant expert in the emotional issues that attend older child adoptions as a result of building our family through foster adoption. I LOVE to read and am so happy that my "addiction" has rubbed off on my kids. I dabble in crochet and cross-stitch and scrap booking. I'm not much of a cook but I can fix a leaky faucet or refinish a chair!

Why I am a Mormon

I was raised in a Mormon home, daughter in a family that comes from Mormon pioneer families. Though I was often the only Mormon in my school classes, my family had a very strong tradition of church attendance and activity. Everywhere we lived, we quickly found the nearest congregation and made new friends. In many ways, those congregations became our extended family because we lived so far from grandparents and other relatives.

My parents encouraged all of us to study scripture and pray daily and seek for our own testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I remember a number of experiences as a teenager, where I knew that my prayers had been answered. One of the more significant experiences I had occurred while I was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first time I taught the story of Joseph Smith's Vision I remember being nervous - afraid I would forget the few Spanish phrases I had learned, that I wouldn't include something important. And then I had this strong feeling of peace - I knew what I was teaching was true and real and I would be able to share this because it was God's message. I felt particularly confident in God's love for me at that time.

As an adult I have faced a number of challenges: infertility, helping a spouse live with a significant illness, unemployment, post-adoption emotional issues, and mental illness. I have been so grateful for the understanding I have of God's plan for me. I know that He has been with me in difficult times and that my experiences have changed me for the better. I am blessed daily by Christ's atonement - because of Him I can repent and be clean each day. When I make a mistake, I can try again because I know He loved me enough to die for me. I can't imagine living without this knowledge.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

I think Mormons go on missions for a lot of different reasons, but one big reason I served a mission was related to the scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 18, verse 10, which reads, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." Being a member of Christ's church has blessed me in so many ways and I really wanted to share those blessings with others. As I served my mission, I found my love for God's children really increased. Whether they were interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ or not, I really loved talking with people and sharing our stories and our beliefs. I also found that I really drew close to God and could feel the Holy Ghost prompting me and inspiring me. Missions are about conversion to God, and He invites us all - the missionary and the seeker to come unto Him.

How I live my faith

I'm currently playing the piano for the children's Sunday meetings. I'm not an accomplished pianist by any means, but it has been wonderful to have this opportunity to develop a talent and work with kids at the same time!

Serving in various positions in my church congregations has given me the chance to develop such skills as public speaking, leadership and organization, and teaching skills. I've been able to use those abilities in the volunteer work I've done in my kids' schools and in my community.

One of the ways that I've been able to serve has been as a "visiting teacher" - an assignment to visit two or three women in my congregation each month. I have loved having the chance to make new friends - especially with women that don't, at first sight, seem to have much in common with me. It has taught me that we are actually much more alike than different. It's also given me the chance to serve in meaningful ways, as I've come to know these women and the challenges they face. I love that I'm learning and practicing the charge that Christ gave us to "feed the hungry, and lift up the poor".

What is the priesthood?

Ethan answered...

I like to approach questions by looking at the words of things

"priest" has reference to either the concept of one who leads, one who is elder, or one who is holy I like to remember that the words 'holy' and 'whole' are linked by a common ancestry. When something is 'holy' it's essentially saying that it's complete, that it's healthy..

And "-hood" makes reference to the state of being, and not just any state of being but a state of being that's worthy or correct for it's placement. That is, that it's done properly.

So one could say the priesthood is leadership or a point of reference that's completely suited to the position in which it's been placed.

Another way to look at it is to say it's God's perfect order. That is, it's God's perfect arrangement.

In our Church we often give a definition of priesthood as being "the authority to act in God's name" and that's exactly what it means to be a part of God's perfect order. If God commands something to be done by you, and you do it, then you are acting under, and with that portion of God's authority that he's permitted you to exercise within his perfect order.

Just as with any instance where someone tries to act in the name of someone else there are bound to be those who try and do so falsely. That's why God has things ordered in such a way that one can know for certain if someone has His God's authority, or not.

What is the attitude of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Aaron answered...

This issue is one that is rife with misunderstanding to outsiders. First, let me say here that we love and accept all of God's children, regardless of beliefs. That being said, we affirm that the central purpose of life is to make and keep covenants in a family relationship. By extension that means bringing children into the world, born in loving families with both a father and a mother.

We believe that our genders are an essential aspect of our eternal identities, that we were male and female even before we came to this earth. Neither sex is more important than the other; both serve the purpose of God to save His children. Both priesthood and motherhood are essential in the rearing of children.

I myself am unspeakably grateful for the blessing of having both a loving father and mother. They each supported me in different ways, unique to their identity as a man and a woman.