Hi, I'm Erin.

I am an adventure seeker, I am a guest speaker for high school students, and I am a Mormon.

About Me

I am a native to Arizona and come from a non member family. My parents split when I was only 3-years-old and spent my time going back and forth. I eventually grew up and graduated from high school and then college. Over the past couple of years, I have been able to mature and find who I really am. I love being outdoors, having adventures, and exploring my surroundings. I am a very open individual who is always excited about trying new hobbies. Some of my current hobbies include snowboarding, photography, and cooking/hosting parties or gatherings.

Why I am a Mormon

Growing up, I was raised Christian - Non Denominational. During my junior year in high school, I decided that religion wasn't for me. During college, I researched a couple different religions (Evangelistic and Agnostic). I began to travel down a very dark path. I lost sight of any good in life. In my lowest of low, I met an individual who was a Mormon. I believed I could drag him away from the gospel and bring him into my dark lifestyle. In the end, I became interested and wanted to understand why he was choosing to dedicate two years of his life to this religion (going on a mission). As I began to attend church with him, I felt the sweet spirit testify of the truthfulness of the gospel. Unfortunately, I became blinded and veered off the path and then returned a year later to be baptized. During that year between first visiting and being baptized, I never lost the knowledge that this is the true gospel on Earth today. I simply was blinded by the worldly happenings.

How I live my faith

I live my faith on a daily basis. My faith is not a Sunday type deal. It is the exact opposite. My faith is a lifestyle that I have chosen for myself. Over the past 4 years, I have served in different callings in wards. I know that each calling I have received has helped me grow my faith in knowing that God does truly place us where our talents can be best used or to help us progress in this life. One calling that has truly blessed my life and has helped me grow my testimony is visiting teaching. Being able to visit different sisters in the ward allows me to understand their needs, struggles, and blessings. Each individual in the world is different from another and being able to see that God cares about each and every one of his children has been such a huge stepping stone to my faith today.

What are Mormon church services like? Are visitors allowed at church meetings? Can I attend church?

Brad answered...

Our fundamental religious service is what we call our Sacrament meeting. Anyone is welcome to join us in Sacrament meeting as well as our other Sunday meetings at any of our buildings. Sacrament is a time when we ponder and reflect on Jesus Christ's atonement for our sins, for He is the path by which we can repent of our wrongdoings and begin anew on a correct path with additional guidance from our Heavenly Father. Furthermore, on Sunday we have general Sunday School meetings where we talk more in-depth about the various doctrine of the gospel as well as meetings where we meet in groups of similarly-aged individuals to learn and discuss gospel topics more focused to each particular age group. We welcome anybody and everybody and would love to see you in our congregation spiritually connecting with your loving Heavenly Father and drawing nearer to him and his son, Jesus Christ.
David answered...

Come to church with us! We would love to have you. I know attending an unfamiliar church meeting can be scary and intimidating. Feel free to go up to anyone you meet and tell them this is your first time coming. You should always feel welcome to come and attend with us. Mormon church meetings may be different than other church meetings you've attended. We typically have three meetings you can attend. Our main meeting, we call Sacrament Meeting, is intended for individuals and families to attend together. Sit up front, sit in the back. There are no assigned seats. In this meeting, we try to focus on the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. You will hear several prayers and gospel messages given in this meeting. Another meeting we have on Sunday is Sunday-School. This meeting is designed to focus on specific teachings of Christ. It is often somewhat interactive, with some class members asking questions of the teacher throughout the lesson. You are free to ask questions or simply sit back and listen. We hope you feel a genuine spirit of warmth and friendship as you attend. The final meeting we have on Sunday is a Priesthood or Relief-Society meeting. Men and attend the Priesthood meeting and women attend Relief-Society. Here we focus on the teachings of Christ that are appropriate to our roles as men and women. You should also feel free to participate, ask questions, or simply sit back and listen.

Who was Joseph Smith?

Mike answered...

Over my lifetime, I have heard countless theories concerning Joseph Smith - his intellect, his integrity, his sanity, everything about him. Some of the stories about him being a prophet sounded convincing... but then, some of the stories of him as a criminal sounded convincing, too. Then I read about Joseph Smith's visitation by the angel Moroni. Moroni told him that his name would be "had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken among all people." Well, that was certainly a true prophecy. So, it seemed, whether Joseph Smith was a prophet or not, tons of accusations and slander would be said against him anyway! That realization made me understand that only God could confirm whether or not Joseph was truly called of him. I got a strong confirmation of that truth. When others tell me that they "know the truth about the Joseph Smith," I always question their sources - it's usually a book or magazine article, possibly even by an esteemed, intellectual person. But I cannot and will not question my source of the real answer.