Hi, I'm Pat.

I was born and raised on a farm in eastern Nebraska. I still farm. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am a father of 7 children. I now have 12 grandchildren. I love to fly and did commercially at one time.
I love fishing and being out in nature. I do a lot of mechanic work, usually not for pay, but to help others out.

Why I am a Mormon

My parents were converts to the church and taught me basic principles which I have learned to be true by studying on my own. Reading the scriptures helps me to improve myself and helps me to understand why I am here on this earth. I know we have living Prophets on the earth now and I know that God lives.

How I live my faith

I love to teach about the good that is here on earth and that we can have joy when things around us don't always go right. I have been in the leadership in my church almost all my life.

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.
Madelyn answered...

I feel that men and women both have different but equally important roles in getting us back to God. In God's eternal plan we were spirits in His presence before this life. To progress we needed to get bodies on this earth, then perform specific ordinances (eg baptism, marriage) to return to God after this life. Women were given the godly power to bring spirits into this world and give them bodies, then nurture and raise these children with God's inspiration and guidance. The men were assigned the responsibility (through the God's Priesthood power) to serve others and administer the ordinances that will bring God's children back to His presence after this life. Both roles are necessary and equally important to God's plan for us.
I don't think women need the Priesthood to be powerful influences and to do God's work in their homes and in the church. I see men grow spiritually, and their characters become more godly when they act in God's name through using the Priesthood.
I have never felt the need to hold the Priesthood myself. I can still receive all the blessings offered by the Priesthood, my prayers can be just as powerful, and I still have access to the inspiration of God in my life.

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?

Peter Blomfield answered...

No. We are fortunate enough in these days to have the blessings of the gospel and the Priesthood available to all. Unlike other times throughout the world's history, God has offered the Priesthood to every worthy male. Women are able to enjoy the blessings of the Priesthood through these men, and are invaluable in blessing the world through their attributes.