Hi, I'm Amy

I'm a Mormon. Wife of 1, mom of 6. A little kooky, majorly happy and totally rockin' being a stay at home mom!!

About Me

When I was a kid I wanted to be a lawyer and maybe a judge someday. Others seemed to see similar things for me and I was voted most intellectual and most organized by my classmates. But when I got to college, I couldn't decide on a career path. While everyone around me knew what they wanted, the only thing I knew for sure was that my dreams of being a lawyer had changed, and that the only thing I wanted more than anything else was to be a mom.

Now, with six children, I get to live that dream. That difficult, messy, joyous dream. When people ask me how I do it, I tell them that it requires a little kookiness but that mostly I was born to do this. I can't imagine any other life more fulfilling for me.

I do a lot to try and let my kids know how important my job is to me. But I also try and carve out time for other things that I love. I love to decorate on a dime. Since usually a dime is about what I have to decorate with! And I look for fun opportunities for me and my family. Last fall we were on a Home Makeover show and my family and I got to see up close how the magic of TV comes about. I also hosted a concert in my home for a Mormon artist and we were blessed to experience amazing talent and music in our home!

I truly try and teach my children that anything is possibly.That any dream is worth striving for. Even when the world says you should want something different, even if it's "just" being a stay at home mom.

Why I am a Mormon

I was raised in the church by two parents who converted when they were young. There was a lot of trial and error as they discovered what it really meant to be Mormon. But I was shown a great example of not giving up, of pushing our way through trials, and no matter what, always going to church. When I was a young adult, I had to go through my own trial of faith and discover what it would mean for me to be Mormon. I stood on a precipice, and decided then and there that I was a devoted follower of Christ. That there would be no going back, no wavering. I discovered a happiness and joy through the atonement of Jesus Christ that I still experience every day. There is so much static, confusion, and noise that attempts to dissuade people from following the path that leads to God. The gospel of Jesus Christ keeps me grounded and lights my way.

When my first child was born, I realized two things. First, that everything my parents had done, REALLY WAS because they loved me! And secondly, that only a loving Heavenly Father could create something as beautiful and perfect as the bond between a mother and father and their child. As my children came along and grew, I didn't have to worry about what I would teach them. I already knew! I already knew the answers to the questions they would have, and I already knew my stance on the things they would be faced with and would see their friends doing. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a daily commitment. One that requires earnest study of the scriptures and prayer. It requires devotion to Jesus Christ and his commandments. But with that devotion and commitment comes blessings and rewards that cannot be replaced by anything the world would offer us.

Every day is a beautiful day to me. Am I perfect? Ha ha ha. Hardly. But I know who I am, what I want, and why I'm here. And I know that my Savior will make up for the rest.

Personal Stories

What have you done successfully to shield your family from unwanted influences?

I have completely rejected the notions of, "that's just how it is". Not in my house! I am responsible for the lives that Heavenly Father entrusted to me. The unwanted influences may be there, my children may still be faced with them when they go to school, but they don't have to be faced with them in our homes. We should shield our families so that when they DO encounter bad things in the world, they will not be used to them, but rather made uncomfortable by them, and hopefully turn from them.

There does not have to be any profanity, pornography, obscene music or questionable media in our homes unless we let it. And we just do our best to not let it in, in any forms. I once listened to a speaker who talked of an experiment he did. For one month he didn't watch tv, movies, or listen to the radio. At the end of the month, he realized that almost all of the unwanted things of the world that had been in his life, were things he invited in! We can't block out everything when we leave out homes, but we can decide what enters into our homes. And by doing so, we hopefully help our families and ourselves be stronger and more wary of any negative influences that may attempt to creep into our lives.

How I live my faith

Since my marriage 15 years ago, I have been asked to be a young women's leader many times. Each time I am asked to help in this capacity, I wonder what I have to offer these girls. But I soon come to realize that they teach me as much as I teach them. I see youth that are strong and immovable in Jesus Christ. I see youth that are leaders in their schools, among their peers. I see youth that are courageous and valiant in their efforts to be followers of Christ. They make me want to be better, do better, live better. They give me a renewed desire to be an example to others.

Every Sunday we gather up our six children and head to church. We try to be on time and there are mornings that half of them have breakfast on their face still, or hair sticking up. But we are still there. We make the effort every week not so that others can see we are there, but so that God knows we are there. So that he knows that we are committed, even when our lives are hectic and crazy. Could I use a few more hours of sleep? Of course. But where else would I feel the spirit of God as I listened to talks prepared for me, for my needs, fore my heart? Where else would I be reminded that Heavenly Father loves me and that he sent his Son to die for me? Where else would my joy over my family be renewed even as they giggle and spill crackers on the floor?

My faith is central to everything I do. My faith reminds me that my family is the most important thing. My faith reminds me that my choices affect what my eternity will be. My faith shows me a path that will lead me and my family back to live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

When I look at all the choices that I have been faced with in my life, and I can see where some wrong choices COULD have led me, I am forever grateful to be a member of this church. I am grateful to have guidance from the scriptures and from weekly church attendance where I am reminded that I'm loved, that I matter, and that I can choose the right!

Are there restrictions based on race or color concerning who can join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have the priesthood?

Derek answered...

Are we not all brothers and sisters, with God as our Father? The Lord looks upon the heart, not upon the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). The criteria to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is based on a willingness to do what he has asked us to do, not based on some outward feature.
Chelsea answered...

All worthy male members of the church can become priesthood leaders.

Why don’t women hold the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? How do Mormon women lead in the Church?

Cynthia answered...

Family is very important in the church for more reasons than can be explained here. Holding the priesthood is just one of these reasons. Husbands act and bless their family with their priesthood, but wives benefit and honor the priesthood through their husbands. It is a symbiotic relationship. As I have participated in the church in various activities I have come to understand my importance as a woman in the church. There cannot be one without the other.