Hi, I'm Marlies

I work from home & love being able to raise my children with my husband. I love spending time with friends & family. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

These days my interests seem to be my kids & husband, but when I do get a moment to myself I enjoy running or walking, creating things, gardening, playing the piano & once upon a time when I really had time I loved to paint. The greatest talent I have learned that I have is people collecting. I love meeting new people & connecting with them. As a Discovery Toys Educational Consultant (I get to sell toys) I get to meet new people all the time & I love it. My greatest enjoyment is creating opportunities for my family to spend time together. I sometimes wish life was just a little slower so I could enjoy doing that more often.

Why I am a Mormon

I have been a member of the church all my life, but that is not why I continue to live this way. I love the feeling of being close to my Father in Heaven & I love how living this gospel helps me to be a better person everyday. I feel a difference in my life when I am reading scriptures daily, praying to my Heavenly Father daily, & attending my church meetings weekly. I can't imagine a happier life without these constants. I guess you can simply say it is ingrained in my core!

Personal Stories

Can you think of a specific challenge in your family that Gospel Principles helped overcome?

I have always relied on the atonement to help me overcome the mistakes I have made, but recently I have learned of how the atonement can even bring peace in a time of conflict. Through some unfortunate turn of events I had encountered a conflict with another family member. I tried to resolve the conflict only to find that the person I had the conflict with refused to discuss it with me. I was beside myself with what to do since I did not understand what her concerns were. Through much prayer & meditation I was able to understand from the Lord how to fix the problem & what I had done wrong. It had never before occurred to me that the Lord could help me when everything I knew to do was no longer available to me. While it was a hard challenge in my life I am thankful for the opportunity for growth it provided me.

How has attending Church services helped you?

I had a friend tell me once that she did not need to attend church in order to be a good Christian woman. While I do agree with her that attending church does not make someone Christian I have thought often about why church attendance is important. The answer I have personally come up with is one of awareness. When we attend church we gather together & discuss the needs among the members of our congregation. We are able to find those who have been blessed with the abilities to help those who are in need. I may be able to find out my immediate neighbors needs, but there is not time enough in the day to know the needs of all the members in my community. When we come together as a community we are able to care for those who are in need in a way we cannot do on our own.

How I live my faith

I have the wonderful opportunity to teach the women of the church in my ward once a month. I love sharing my faith & experience with them & hearing how their lives have been blessed by the Lord. Their perseverance through trails strengthens me & helps me to overcome my own trials. It always amazes me how happy it makes me to help others in their time of need.

What is the Word of Wisdom that Mormons talk about?

Marlies answered...

Two centuries ago the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith commandments that will bring about healthy living. These practices help mind & body to be in sync one with another. As I try to live more closely the word of wisdom which also incorporates what foods are best to eat and not just what to avoid I find my body functions better & I have more health & energy. I believe that the world would be a much better place if this practice was the only one the world followed from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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.

How can we stop the spread and influence of pornography?

Chris answered...

Since I do not think legislation will ever be enacted against it, we will have to stop it one person at a time. I think the key to this is placing the proper barriers between your life and the damning influence of pornography. That means staying away from unwholesome places, and putting the proper protections on your electronic devices. It also means controlling your thoughts.