Hi, I'm Debbie

I'm a daughter of a Heavenly Father. I'm a wife, a mother, an advocate for children, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I love being a wife and mother. I LOVE traveling and learning about cultures and people and just exploring new places especially the outdoors. I love teaching my kids and seeing them develop. I also love learning new things myself. I love people, being around people and helping people. I have a pretty good imagination and I love to make up stories every night as my kids go to bed. They always ask for a story from "my head".

I grew up in Sacramento, California and got a Bachelor of Psychology from Brigham Young University. I served a mission for my church in Geneva Switzerland and parts of Eastern France. That was a life changing experience and one I hold dear to my heart. I loved testifying of the truthfulness of our Savior to anyone and everyone. I earned my Master in Social Work from the University of Washington. I believe strongly in advocating for children's rights which I did as an employee of Children's Services and now as a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). I am passionate about children being in loving, nurturing homes. I met my best friend and husband and we've been married almost 7 years. We were married in the Portland temple because we believe that marriages can be eternal, that there is life after death and that through the Priesthood of God, a couple can be married forever. It makes even the hard times of life worth working through. Our two boys make each day tiring but wonderful.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) because I believe Jesus Christ organized His church in our day just like he did when he was on the earth. I grew up with parents who took me to church every week. As a teenager, I doubted that the church was true. I made choices to follow the world more than to follow my Savior. It was music that helped me feel the Holy Ghost when it testified the truthfulness of the church. I also prayed to know for certain that the Book of Mormon was a witness of Christ along with the Bible. I felt so happy and certain after praying and I know that was the Holy Ghost witnessing the truth. I know with a certainty that Heavenly Father has a plan of happiness for us. I learn from both the Book of Mormon and the Bible as well as a living prophet. I believe that God speaks to us just as He always has, through a prophet. I am grateful for a loving Savior that always loves me and has carried me through the difficult times in life.

Personal Stories

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

My prayers have always been answered. They haven't always been answered how I want them to, because my plans are not always what Heavenly Father has planned. I have learned to trust in His plan for me. Sometimes the answer comes through my thoughts. I am inspired to do something. Sometimes when I pray for comfort, I feel warm, and know that my Savior is there to help me. I know that sometimes life is HARD, things happen, people hurt. I find that praying helps me to feel comfort in difficult times even when I don't know why that difficult time has to happen.

My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. I had never hurt so much in my entire life as I did at that time. I had been so excited to be a mother for the first time and it was devastating and painful to lose a baby. I prayed for comfort and tried to rely on faith, knowing that God has a plan for me. Even though I did trust in Heavenly Father, I felt hollow inside. I was trying to keep my chin up and show Heavenly Father that I had faith in Him, that I didn't need to hurt because I had faith in him. Finally after about a month of feeling hollow, I broke down. I was miserable. I grieved for that baby. I prayed again for comfort and I truly felt as if my Savior was with me, holding me . I came to understand after that prayer that I could hurt, I could grieve, I could feel sad and still have faith. My Savior's love helped me understand that I would eventually be okay, I just had to turn to Him. I have received many blessings, help, strength through prayer. I made it through almost losing my husband because of a plane crash. That was HARD, and I said a LOT of prayers and they were answered as my husband recovered. I want to add that I know sometimes we have to rely on faith that Heavenly Father loves us, even when we don't have the answers to prayers that we want. Sometimes people die even after we have prayed for them to live or be healed. Our Savior does love us and will help us through.

How I live my faith

I hope that my love of the Savior shows through my day to day actions. I know I have so much to learn but I try each day to show my happiness in following Jesus Christ. I know that through his love and grace, I can be helped and help others. I love to attend church each week (even though it's hectic with little kids) because I love worshipping God with others who are just trying their best everyday No one is perfect, we are all far from it, but we can strengthen each other. I have able to serve in the church in many ways. Recently, I was asked to help teach the young children. I love teaching children. I love seeing their faith grow and I love when they learn something from the scriptures. I love all of the activities that are planned so that we can serve and be social. I try to read the scriptures everyday and I pray many times a day. I live my faith by just trying to follow the commandments and realizing how much I need the Savior's mercy.

Why are Mormons asked to donate 10% of their income to their Church?

Debbie answered...

I pay tithing because the Lord asked me to. Tithing has been a part of the Lord's church and was mentioned in the Old Testament. Everything I have comes from the Lord, so giving back a small part to help build the kingdom of God, is not much. Sometimes, it is hard to part with money when there isn't much to part with, but that's when I'm lacking faith. I have been too blessed to not give back. My faith grows every time I give tithing.
Kristen answered...

This is nothing new, nor is it exclusive to the Judeo-Christian tradition. Many faiths practice alms or a tithe, including Islam and Sikhism.

A voluntary religious contribution of 10% is a tithe or tithing. This type of offering is mentioned many times in the both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. In the book of Genesis, chapter 28 verse 22, the ancient patriarch Jacob covenanted with the Lord, "and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee."

Everything we have, our lives, the earth and everything in it, have been given freely to us by a loving Father in Heaven. He asks only a small portion in return to help build his kingdom on the earth.

When my husband and I were first married, we decided to make paying a 10% tithe a top financial priority, and it has been a great blessing to us through the years. In Malachi, chapter 3 verse 10 it states, "Bring yea ll the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you thei windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." This has certainly been the case with us.

I realize that 10% of one's income can seem like a large sacrifice. However, when the law of the tithe is kept, it serves as a portal through which great blessings (both tangible and intangible) can flow. The Lord always finds a way to bless those who do what He asks them to do.

Why did your church previously practice plural marriage (polygamy)?

Clayton answered...

Why did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Solomon practice plural marriage? Because God told them to. So why did Mormons practice polygamy? Because God commanded us to. There is nothing new about the concept of polygamy. It is only a tool that the Lord sees fit to put in place on his own time.

Any other reasons for it are God's reasons and the fact of the matter is that an all knowing, perfected being, who also happens to be the father of our spirits commanded that it should be done. It really all comes down to your faith in God.