Hi, I'm Hannah

I'm a photographer. I'm a student. I'm a writer. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am number five of six kids; three boys and three girls. My family is most important to me. I'm currently a junior in high school. I plan to attend college after I complete my senior year. I enjoy taking lots and lots of pictures. I have a Canon Rebel camera, and I use it any moment I can. I like to be happy! :)

Why I am a Mormon

I've been a member my entire life. I've been raised in a faithful home. But my testimony of being a part of this great blessing does not rely upon my family alone, my testimony of God is my own. I know that God is the divine being that blesses our daily lives. He is the God of miracles who has given us everything we have. He is with us every day -all day- and will always love us. I know that without God, we are nothing. I am a Mormon because this gospel means everything to me.

This gospel means security. By following the counsel I've been provided with in this church, I know that the spirit from God (or the Holy Ghost) has been protecting me from harmful decisions I might have made without this constant shield. I have the opportunity to be molded and shaped by my mistakes; being a girl who is far from perfect, I find a calming reassurance that Jesus Christ died on the cross to give me a chance to turn my mistakes from stumbling blocks into stepping stones. We need to be cut down in order to grow.

This gospel means confidence. The world can often be a discouraging place to live in, but I find confidence in being virtuous. I find confidence in being classy. I find confidence in having respect for myself. I find confidence in knowing that God wants me to be all that I can. I find confidence knowing that I can live forever with that happily ever after everyone dreams to create. I find confidence knowing I can be a heavenly queen, a celestial princess, a divine goddess, and the creator of my own world. I have seen myself develop as a person, and I know it is by this gospel that I've become the lady that I am. This gospel will continue to bless and inspire me to become who God knows I have the potential to be.

This gospel means salvation. This gospel means sacrifice, but it is oh so worth it. I promise you.

How I live my faith

My family and I live our faith by attending church every Sunday for three hours and partaking of the sacrament. My family has Family Home Evening every Monday night when we have a spiritual lesson or thought pertaining to how we can grow in the gospel. We also have a family prayer before I go to sleep at night and before I leave for school in the morning. We bless our food before every meal. Aside from family-involvement, I’m a part of the Young Women’s program offered by this church. In the program called ‘Personal Progress’, girls between the ages of 12 to 18 complete little projects to help us develop our faith, understand our divine nature, recognize our individual worth, make good choices and be accountable for them, do good works, have integrity, and maintain virtue. In the Young Women’s program, I’m a member of the laurels (the oldest of the Young Women’s classes, consisting of girls who are 16 to 18 years old). Every Wednesday night I go to Youth Group which helps bring together and unite the teenagers of the church. Beyond these things, I live my faith through example. Many of my friends know that I’m Mormon and respect my values like not swearing or drinking, and they understand that modesty’s important to me. I try to volunteer when I can in the community and city. I know that service helps me develop love for others, and it makes me feel happy knowing that I made a small but useful difference for someone. I read my scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, every night before I go to sleep. Saying my morning and evening prayers helps me draw closer to the Lord. Prayer, as a personal communication tool with God, allows me to recognize the blessings that He has given me. Before I go to school, I attend seminary each morning. (Seminary is an hour-long scripture class that is offered to students in high school, and its purpose is to further create a familiarity and understanding of the scriptures). I live my faith by keeping an optimistic outlook on life.

What is faith?

Hannah answered...

Faith is commonly known as believing in things that are not seen but true like Alma, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, described (Alma 32:21). This statement is true. In addition to believing, faith is acting. Faith is a principle of action. People may not see what you have faith in, but people can see your example through acts of faith. Some examples are these: Faith is going to church in hope that you will receive strength. Faith is reading your scriptures every night in hope that you will receive comfort or guidance. Faith is praying and communicating with God in hope that you will receive an answer to a question. Faith is doing well in school in hope to get a job. As you can see, faith is much more than just believing. Faith is doing something in hope to benefit from your actions. We use faith every day; it is in the core of our actions. We are faithful because God blesses us when we are.
Kempe answered...

It's another word for commitment. When assessing one's own faithfulness, it may be easier to ask, "How committed are you?"

Commitment
Elder F. Burton Howard of the Seventy

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=a4237cf34f40c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

What is being a Mormon like?

Rebecca answered...

My membership in Church has been very rewarding. Here are some of the reasons why:
- It helps me focus on the things that will matter most in the long run, such as building my relationship with my husband, teaching and making memories with my girls, and serving others.
- It provides a rich social environment, but at the same time motivates me to reach out in my community and carve out time for personal reflection and meditation.
- It helped me prioritize my education when I was a teenager and young adult.
- It has helped me develop management and leadership skills. I've had numerous opportunities to lead meetings, plan and execute events, teach classes, mentor individuals, and speak to groups.
- It has consistently enabled me to build relationships with individuals from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds. I have a vested interest in the future of people in a variety of circumstances, facing a range of challenges.
- It encourages me in healthy living -- exercising, eating right, and avoiding addictive habits.
- It's given me a vision for what I want to do when I reach retirement age: my husband and I plan to serve a mission, which could entail doing humanitarian service in a developing country, or teaching people closer to home about Jesus Christ.
- It has helped me understand that the purpose of my life is to try to be like Jesus Christ and to serve him, and that after I die I can live in His presence.