Hi, I'm Kayleigh

I'm an aspiring nurse going to college. I want to be a photographer and travel the world. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I'm just a simple college student trying to get by! I love photography and I hope it can be a big part of my life in the future. I've grown up all over, moving around the country with my family and being away from them now at college is a challenge. I love volunteering and traveling, especially if I can do them together! 2 summers ago I helped remodel a primary school in Tonga with 20 other youth; it was the most amazing experience I have ever had. I love to be outdoors -- snowboarding, longboarding, camping, all that stuff. I believe my life is all about experiences, so I'm just trying to have some awesome ones :)

Why I am a Mormon

I was raised in this church. Both of my parents were LDS as kids and continued to raise their family in that way. To be honest, I relied heavily on my parent's testimonies to get by until after my freshman year of high school, when I made better friends (on account of us moving to another state). I was surrounded by other teens of my faith, whereas before I had just gotten by on seeing my one friend at church, that was 30 miles away, twice a week. Now, my church was literally a short walk from my house. I went to seminary at high school. I could go to the temple whenever I wanted. I had friends of my own faith all around me, and they brought me up. My testimony started growing faster than I had ever experienced. I finally read the Book of Mormon cover-to-cover early my senior year of high school. My testimony grew exponentially. I bear my testimony that it changes lives.
I LOVE this Gospel! It has gotten me through some hard times and I rely on it heavily. It brings me great peace daily to know that my Savior, Jesus Christ, died for my sins so I can live with my family forever. I know I'm not perfect; I make mistakes on a regular basis... But I know that I can always feel His love for me. That, in itself, is enough for me to get by. But Christ gives us so much more.

How I live my faith

Being at college, it's kind of hard to make church attendance a regular priority. I find myself going out on roadtrips almost every weekend. But I always try to attend church wherever I am so I can "recharge" my spiritual batteries. Right now my friend and I are the Compassionate Service Leaders in our ward. We reach out to other women in our singles ward when they need something. In the past I was a substitute teacher for the little primary kids, and let me tell ya, even though they are kind of crazy, those kids can bring the spirit into the room faster than I've ever felt before. I find that being involved in the ward really helps me keep my testimony strong.

What is the Word of Wisdom that Mormons talk about?

Kayleigh answered...

To me, the Word of Wisdom is just that -- a word of wisdom. It is literally a very wise code of conduct that we as Latter-Day Saints live by. We are taught that our bodies are not our own; they are a precious gift from God that is given to us to house our spirits while we are on earth. We need to respect them and treat them the best way we can. The most popular ones people know about are the abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea. I have chosen to live my life in accordance to these laws and I have seen my life blessed. I had friends throughout middle school and high school that chose to start drinking. I look at them today, years later, and they are tied down by the addictions they have created for themselves.
Furthermore, I don't want to toot my own horn or anything, but I've been blessed with a good body. My very best friend is a body builder and aspiring personal trainer, and her and I have been working out together for a long time. To me, the Word of Wisdom is taking care of the wonderful body I have been given, by exercising and eating healthily. I am not only physically blessed by this, but it is easier for me to be close to the Spirit when my body is healthy and well.
I have an extremely strong testimony of the Word of Wisdom. It blesses my life every day and the lives of those around me. I stay free from the heavy chains of addiction and have the freedom of a healthy body, which is the greatest blessing I can ask for.
Mark answered...

The word of wisdom is the Lord's law of health. We abstain from drugs, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and tea, and are encouraged to eat wholesome food and grains, and not eat excessive meat. I am asked all of the time by my fellow residents at the hospital why I don't drink coffee, and how I can stay awake all night on call without it. I don't consider it a sacrifice, though, and am as awake and perform as well as any. It is true that the body will be more healthy when following the word of wisdom, the but the main benefit is spiritual. The knowledge that you are in line with the the Lord's teaching is the most important thing.

What do Mormons believe about the nature of God?

Kathleen answered...

This question is easily answered in the words of one of the children's songs "I know my [Heavenly] Father lives, and loves me too". We believe in a loving God, who knows us each individually. Another way I know that God loves me because he has heard and answered my prayers many times. Some people think that God is angry, but I do not believe that is so. Matthew 7:11 reads, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask him?" I think that just explains it all- as parents we want the best for our children. God, our Heavenly parent, wants the best for us, too. As parents, we recognize that giving our children everything they ask for isn't necessarily what's best for them. God does this for us also.