Hi, I'm Rebecca

I'm a wife and mother. I'm a singer. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I love being a wife of over a decade now. I enjoy trying new things with my husband like hiking and rock climbing, developing hobbies together like reading the same book and discussing it, and watching a show and laughing together after the kids are in bed.

I love being a mother to my two girls. Together, we enjoy baking bread and dessert, laughing at and snuggling our chickens, and opening the door to neighborhood friends to come in and play. I have found great fulfillment in talking one on one with my children about their challenges and their dreams, and then brainstorming with my husband how to meet their needs. I feel God's guidance strongly in how to talk to my kids.

I stay at home to support my husband and children full time.

I tend to get so consumed by my ever-changing hobbies that I need a break after a while! I have recently enjoyed reading, sewing, working out daily with a friend, and raising cute backyard chickens. I am currently on hiatus from beautifying and organizing my home. Perhaps I'll come back to it soon.

One hobby that has stuck with me is music. I sing in a local choir. I love the humor that infuses our rehearsals and the joy I feel when we perform.

I suffer from depression. I am learning to love myself as God loves me. I am glad for the struggles I have been through, because they have made me a better person.

I have hope for the future. I can't wait to discover and develop more skills and talents. I hope to return to college and finish a degree.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because I crave peace within myself. I am very aware of my weaknesses and challenges, and I often feel a distinct need for God's guidance and forgiveness.

I find peace of conscience and peace of mind in living the teachings of Jesus Christ. As I work to keep commitments I have made with God, He gives me power to keep them and helps me to become my best self. I make mistakes and misprioritize daily, but as I ask for forgiveness and help in prayer and change my actions, the atonement of Jesus Christ melts away the burden of guilt, renews me, and gives me strength to keep my chin up and try again.

I am a member of this Church because I have felt again and again that it is true.

I know priesthood authority seals my family together forever. I feel immense peace to know that God watches over my children and guides them individually and answers their prayers, just like He does for me.

Personal Stories

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

I have found my most treasured answers have come from my "smaller" prayers.

I remember dropping to my knees by the couch one morning as I took one look at my messy house and felt totally overwhelmed. I cried and asked God to strengthen me and help me know where to start getting my life in order. After five minutes or so of pouring out my heart, I finished praying. I don't even remember whether I even started cleaning after that, but I do remember that through the course of the next few hours, I became aware that a depression medication I was taking was making my depression worse. I was so grateful that the Lord saw the bigger picture and helped me to pick myself up out of a mess and get on my feet.

One day I was leaving a parking lot after doing some shopping. I was in a hurry to get my kindergartener off to school and neglected to check my rear car mirrors as I was backing out. My car mirror made contact with the open door of the vehicle next to me, and I slammed on the brakes in sick surprise. A woman was helping her son out of her carseat and I had not even seen her! Thankfully, the car had been moving slowly and she had only been bumped a little by the shutting door. I jumped out of the car, blurting apologies and asked if anyone was hurt. She began an outpouring of cutting words at me that broke my heart. She said, "Just get away from me!" and, bewildered, I watched her walk away briskly with her son. As I drove past and said sorry once again, she told her son she hoped he never turned out like me.

I cried the entire 20 minute drive home. I felt terrible about what I had done. I pleaded with God in prayer to forgive me for my poor judgment and for the hurt I caused this woman. It took a long time in prayer for me to feel forgiven, but after peeling off the outer layer of my emotions, I realized that I felt hurt and resentful of the woman's attitude and words. I felt drawn to pray for her. With some more time, I was able to forgive her and find peace.

How has attending Church services helped you?

When I attend Church services each week, I feel uplifted and encouraged to be my best. There are many Sundays when I walk in the door feeling overwhelmed with life, and I walk out with a light heart.

I particularly enjoy reviewing weekly my relationship with God. Coming to Church reminds me to be accountable for my actions and remember to repent and seek God's guidance. As I review teachings of Jesus Christ, I am reminded that I am not alone, and that my Savior can help me carry my burdens.

One of the greatest blessings of Church services to me is the associations and friendships I make. Some of my greatest heroes are people with whom I go to church. I learn a lot from the experiences others share, and I feel a kinship with others as I share my experiences with them.

What are you doing to help strengthen your family and make it successful?

Reading the Book of Mormon as a family helps strengthen us. When we moved to our current home, my husband and I decided it was time to make this activity a nightly occurrence.

There is a peace and connection to God that we feel the moment we open the book. Just reading a fraction of a page each night spurs conversation that helps me and my husband teach our children the values we embrace. I have also found that I am able to recognize and share the ways God has helped me each day. My children get excited about the stories we read, ask questions and share with us their opinions and thoughts.

I consider these nightly readings and conversations one of my greatest personal successes as a mother.

How I live my faith

I help organize monthly activities for women in my church. I find value in addressing difficulties we face in our many roles and walking away with a new tool each month to empower ourselves with strategies we find in scripture and in teachings of living prophets.

I recently participated in a pioneer trek. This event was a reenactment of the journey early pioneer members of my church took cross-country seeking a place to peacefully practice their religion. My husband and I led a group of nine teenagers. These youth pulled the group's belongings and supplies in a handcart for 10 miles over sand, hills, and sagebrush. I loved getting to know these teenagers individually. I was privileged to see them transform over four days. They learned how to work as a team and make deep friendships with total strangers. They learned how to take on responsibility, to do hard work and get results, and to develop gratitude for the simplest of God's blessings. I learned that I can do hard things with God's help.

How can faith in Jesus Christ influence us in our marriages and family relationships? in our friendships?

Rebecca answered...

Faith in Jesus Christ is a stabilizing, strengthening force in marriages and families. A shared faith in Jesus Christ provides common ground for a married couple. It gives them a unity of purpose by which they can make decisions and face the difficulties that come. Faith in Jesus Christ means trusting God and being willing to make our best decisions and continually move forward.
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Brennan answered...

Jesus of Nazareth was, and still is, the great healer. It is our faith in Him which enables Him to perform miracles in our lives. Often that miracle is a change of heart which allows us to forgive, see others in a new light, or feel an increased measure of love. Having faith in Jesus as our divine redeemer enables Him to bless our marriage and family relationships with an increased measure of unity and love.

Why is family so important to Mormons?

Greg answered...

After I joined the Mormon Church I learned about the importance of families. Not long after that I realized that if I was going to follow this teaching I needed to tell my father that I loved him. That was very difficult for me since my dad and I argued so much. I spent the better part of 2 weeks trying to determine how I could do this. When the time came I found that the words came more easily than I had thought. From that point to the time he died, about 22 years later, he and I had an entirely different relationship. We were now friends. And I found how much I regretted all our arguments while growing up. And now I find that I miss him and more fully understand how important our families are.