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Hi, I'm Dottie

My husband & I were in the Army. We have 5 fine sons, & 4 grandsons. I just love my nursing job Best of all, I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I love to read books about life in Early America, biographies and very CLEAN romance novels such as "love inspired" and "Heartsong". To relax in the evenings, I crochet baby blankets for premies, which along with other blankets, are donated by our church to local hospitals.
Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, as one of 15 children, I tend to be rather thrifty and frugal. I homeschooled three of my sons thru their Junior High years and really enjoyed getting to know them ever so much better during the process.
My favourite outdoor activites are mowing the grass, vegetable gardening, riding bicycles with my husband and shoveling snow. Being out in nature brings me closer to God and renews my emotional and spiritual energy.
I am also attention deficit "ADHD" and dyslexic. My boys used to love bringing friends over and listen to me read story books to them. They would break up laughing and tell me how fun it is when I read. I had not yet been diagnosed with my dyslexia and wasn't aware that I mixed my words all up. I have learned there are both strengths and weaknesses in having these disabilities. I have learned many coping stratigies which help me "pass for normal". Also, I have had to learn to "think outside the box". Many times I come up with a completely new and unusual way to fix a problem and my husband thinks I am one of the smartest women alive. I don't have tons of book learning, but I do have a very creative mind.

Why I am a Mormon

I grew up in a church where I had to pray to Idols (statues of Mary, various "saints", etc). In my late teens I had a wonderful foster father who showed me how loving a good father could be. I wanted that kind of relationship with my heavenly father and began to search for it. Finally I came across the LDS church. I frequently felt "I already knew that" & I had frequent feelings that came from the Holy Ghost, which bore witness of truthfulness. I received answers to questions I had had all my life. Questions such as Why do I have to pray to "the blessed virgin, Mary". If Jesus truly died for my sins because He LOVED me, then it did NOT make sense to me that I should plead with Mary to ask for her son's forgiveness.
Despite the tender feelings in my heart about the truthfulness of the Gospel, it still took me a long time to accept the church and get baptized. Growing up, I had always been taught that if I left the Catholic religion I would be doomed to hell for forever, even if I were to come back to it later. This terrified me, which caused me to take the discussions over and over for 6 months. Finally, I decided to TRUST in the feelings of the Holy Ghost and exercise MUCH faith in my Savior. I was baptized while in Germany and have never been happier with my relationship with God.
I have brothern & sisters in my ward that pray for me regularly, come visit me & call me to remind me how much I am loved. They help with any needful thing which my husband & I are not able to take care of ourselves.
In turn, I also have many opportunities to serve & return the favour to others in my area. As a member of the LDS church, I am taught correct principles, learn more about my Savior's love and sacrifice and I grow in faith and testimony.
I LOVE being able to "just talk" to God, telling HIM of needs, my desires, and express gratitude for my blessings. I listen to the wise counsel of our Prophet, & do my best to live the principles he teaches.

Personal Stories

Please share your feelings/testimony of Joseph Smith.

It was very easy for be to believe in the possibility of God the Father & Jesus Christ talking to Joseph Smith. My mother frequently made comments about God telling her to do something, or to not do something. I figured if God would talk to my mother, He would talk to me and He DID. Lots of times. So, I was able to accept Joseph Smith was talked to by the Lord. I had to pray for a personal witness that Joseph Smith did actually SEE the Father & His son. After deciding I would live my life as though Joseph Smith was a true prophet, I then asked for a witness of the truthfullness of Joseph Smith's story. I now know that Joseph Smith did indeed see God our Eternal Father, and His son, Jesus Christ.

Also, I read the testimony of the three witnesses in the front of the "Book of Mormon". The Holy Ghost bore a strong witness to me that the gold plates did exist and that Joseph Smith did indeed use them to translate the Book of Mormon, with the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Sometime we just have to ACT on the faith of others before we receive the testimony of truthfullness for ourselves. I know with all my being that Jesus Christ does indeed live. I know that Joseph Smith, after having struggled with understanding the bible and having sincerely prayed for the space of several years, did see our Savior and our Heavenly Father. You can also know this be being WILLING to believe, asking for a witness, and sincerely reading the Joseph Smith story, desiring to know God's will in your faith and life.

Why do Mormons do family history or genealogy work?

Not every person living on this earth has had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only fair that our Savior has set up a plan for every one of us to be baptized by proper priesthood authority and to be married for all eternity. The bible teaches the concept of that which is sealed on earth is sealed in heaven, and that which is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven. When we look up our ancestors and do the associated work for them, we are giving them a chance at these eternal blessings. The FINAL decision is entirely THIERS. We only turn the key or open the gate to the opportunity. They have to do the walking thru faith and accept our work in order to receive the blessings. Each person has the free agency to make the final decision.

How I live my faith

I am blessed to lead the music during our Sunday morning Sacrament meeting (sort of similar to Mass). I occassionally fill in for a nursery worker, enjoying our babies ages 18 months to 3 yrs.
At the hospital where I work, I have had many occasions to bear witness of my Savior and many opportunities to pray with a patient and his family. The Lord sends His Spirit to tell me just when and what to say to the people I am interacting with. I have had the opportunity to hold the hand of a dying patient and bear my witness of our Savior's love for this patient and the Lord's promised blessings. Family members of my patients have frequently sent me letters or note cards telling me of ways my testimony has strengthened them at the time of their passing. Or Lord is ALWAYS as close as our next prayer. I try hard to always remember that.
The Lord never promised life would be easy, He only promised it would be worth it. I can recall a time when I literally pleaded with the Lord to take my back home to HIM, as I was struggling with very severe depression. I felt like I was totally inadequate to deal with raising 5 sons. I felt my family would be better off without me and that my dying would offer them the opportunitey to find a better mother. However, the Lord strengthened me, put good people in my life to assist me in my personal growth, and I was also given Priesthood Blessings, which helped greatly in healing me of my severe depression. I still on rare occassion feel depressed, but now I know to get a Priesthood blessing much more quickly & to start serving others to take my mind off myself.
In times of great trial I have to take life one day at a time, hanging onto all the promises and counsel in the scriptures. Daily scripture STUDY, family prayer, personal prayer, and active faith that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father keep their promises has always seen me thru even the worst situations that life has thrown at me.

What do Mormons believe about “eternal life?”

Dottie answered...

Every person who ever lived or will live on this earth will be resurrected from the grave. That will equal a life after this earth. However, Eternal life is living in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. There are many degrees of heaven each with a glory equal to the sun, the moon or the stars. Each of us will go the the kingdom we deserve, based on our choices, behaviors, and the sincerity of our repentence. To learn more on this subject, please read some articles on the topic by typing eternal life in the search box on the website "LDS.org".

What are some of the ways that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helps those around the world?

Liz answered...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides humanitarian service in many different ways. For instance, members living in Salt Lake City give of their time to assemble hygiene kits and relief kits to help those who have been the recent victims of natural disasters. These kits, along with food, first aid, and other necessities are rushed to the scenes of disaster all over the world. The Church works with communities that do not have sources of clean water to help them establish disease-free water sources, as well as teaching them principles of hygiene and maintenance that will keep their water clean. The Church has organized a training program to teach neonatal resuscitation to medical professionals all over the world, thus helping to prevent many unnecessary newborn deaths. The Church provides training, equipment, and supplies to eye care professionals and clinics in many poorer countries to help them prevent unnecessary blindness. The Church has an immunization program that helps to get much needed vaccines to children worldwide who might otherwise die of preventable diseases. There is another program run by The Church that helps to teach those in third world countries how to grow and preserve the food they need to be able to feed their families. Because we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that all people are brothers and sisters, we seek to help those in need regardless of their location, ethnicity, and/or religious beliefs.

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Joseph Smith

As is the case throughout history God has communicated to His children through prophets. God used a humble man as a prophet to restore His Church on earth who ultimately died defending His faith.