Hi, I'm Jenny

I grew up in Missouri. I love traveling and I enjoy outdoor activities. I love cooking for others. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am the oldest of 7 children and we were raised on a farm. I love being outside no matter what we are doing. I love gardening, hiking, fishing, boating, exploring, and yes - farm girls climb trees :) I enjoy traveling; the first place that I moved to when I left home at the age of 18 was Germany.
I LOVE cooking for others. While I am not a health nut I do prefer healthy foods. I choose whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies.
I love photography— looking through a lens changes the way I see the world. I struggle with school, but education is important to me and I will be pursuing mine for the rest of my life! I have many things I would like to accomplish and the list grows every day.
As for dreams, they come big too! One day I will play cello, be fluent in American Sign Language, have a local photography gallery, and have lots of grand babies to squeeze. One step at a time though!

Why I am a Mormon

I was born into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and will be forever grateful for that gift. I am not a person to question things, or to challenge things. I take life as it comes, and am rarely affected by changes. I suppose you could say I adapt well. I say this only to illustrate that had I not been born into a family who taught me of this Gospel and who lead me to Christ I likely wouldn't have thought to seek it out. Even if it were this fact alone that led me to believe that my Father in Heaven knows me personally it would be enough. I know that he does, I know that he knows my heart, and is in the details of my life. I have challenged the things I was taught, I have sought direction and comfort through prayer, I have struggled, I have doubted, and I have felt the feeling of being lifted as if 'on wings of eagles'. I experience his Love and Mercy daily. I have felt the healing and the strength that comes from reaching out to take hold of the glorious Powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that my Redeemer lives, and that my Father in Heaven lives. I know this through the power of the Holy Ghost and because of what we have done together!

Personal Stories

How has the Book of Mormon brought you closer to God?

There is a special Power that comes into your life when you make reading The Book of Mormon a regular part of what you do. The prophet Joseph Smith said that " The Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on the earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." I know that the Book of Mormon is true because I have felt this power lift me to higher ground, I have felt it change me— We all have those times in our life that we feel less than we should, when we feel unhappy and unsatisfied with who we are. We might even dislike ourselves. I know I have been there more than once. This feeling comes as a result of our actions. It is difficult to recognize that something is off, but once that connection is made, it becomes easier to pick up on in the future. The first time this happened to me I turned to Joseph's promise, and picked up the Book of Mormon with the intent to make a serious study of it. The change I experienced was almost instantaneous! I felt the power of the book so vividly I could not deny it. I no longer felt like a wilted flower, and I could look at myself in the mirror and like who I saw looking back at me. This change was brought on by an awareness of the love of God. The Book of Mormon truly did and does keep me closer to my Father as I read it regularly. That was the beginning of my testimony of this book. It has grown stronger and stronger ever since then, and I know that every time I need a reminder that I am loved and of worth all I need to do is pick up the Book of Mormon.

Can you talk about the missions of the Church and your participation in them?

I served a full time mission in London, England. The greatest lesson I took from my time and service there was a new knowledge and understanding of how the Spirit of God works. I was blessed to be able to serve in an area of diverse cultures. What I saw in working with so many different people is that Heavenly Father knows us each individually and He knows how to speak to us in a way that we will be able to recognize based on our culture. To give one example— the people of Africa believe in visions and dreams. As I came to know and love my brothers and sisters from Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, etc. through teaching them of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, I witnessed their testimonies growing as a result of the answers they received through dreams and visions. They sought truth and as they went to their Father for direction he spoke to their hearts and minds in the way that they needed.

How I live my faith

I live so that those who know me will yearn to know Him

How does the Church finance its operations?

Clint answered...

The Church finances its operations primarily through voluntary donations from its members, generally referred to as Tithing. The Lord commanded his people in the Old Testament to bring their tithes to his servants. Many Church members today voluntarily donate a portion of their income help the Church bless the lives of millions of individuals through providing meetinghouses for worship, schools for education, supplies for humanitarian aid, food and housing assistance to the poor, etc. In addition, the Church owns and operates taxable for-profit business enterprises that generate income to help fund Church initiatives. The Church invests a portion of its gross receipts to maintain a financial reserve, and income from these investments provide an additional source of funds.

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

Michele answered...

Sometimes if people know I am Mormon, they believe that I will not be friendly and accepting to those who practice a different lifestyle than mine. The truth is MOST of my dear friends do not share my lifestyle. I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke, I don't watch R rated movies.

And, I believe marriage is between a man and a woman.

Does that mean that I don't want to be friends or on a committee with someone who is gay or lesbian? Not any more than I would avoid a person who smokes or drinks or watches R rated movies. While I don't choose to participate in those activities, I have many friends that I cherish dearly, including friends who are gay and lesbian, who view political and religious issues differently than me. I don't "tolerate" them. I adore them. And, thankfully, for me, they don't tolerate me either. We respectfully disagree on various political and religious issues, but there are so many other important things that bring us together as friends and community members. One of my most cherished friends, who identifies as a lesbian, told me the other day, "Michele, before you, I had a stigma about Mormons. You have changed that. I cherish you." Her remark is dear to my heart. It says she knows I love her, but even more, it says something about her that she gave me a chance when others told her not to. I am grateful she was willing to give me a chance because I gained a very special friend - a sister of my heart.