Hi, I'm Ruth!

I'm a wife. I'm a mother of three beautiful children. I'm a normal person. And, I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I live in Arizona. I'm happily married to my wonderful, hard working husband of over 10 years. I'm a stay at home mom of three little ones; a very bright son, 9, and two beautiful daughters, 6 and 4. I love spending quality time with my family (our dog Lucy, included). I like to read, write, cross-stitch, crochet, and cook. I love learning new things. I aspire to go back to school and become an anesthesiologist so that I can help make people feel more comfortable during hard and traumatic times. I want to be able to give back, as I have been so lucky to be given.

Why I am a Mormon

I grew up as a non-denominational Christian, but never really felt comfortable or felt like I really fit in. As a teen, I met, became friends, and started going to church with a Mormon and that was just the beginning for me. Later I married into a Mormon family and never before had I felt so important, so loved and cared for in my entire life. I just HAD to find out how they did it and one day I finally realized that it was because of their beliefs. I felt inspired to get baptized and become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints so that I could become a better person and I could help others feel that same warmth and love that I felt.

How I live my faith

I believe being a Mormon is about Charity. Giving of yourself for the good of those around you. I strive every day to be the best person that I can be. To be a good friend, a good wife, a good mother. The simple things in life really do matter. A simple smile, a warm hug, or a quick wave of acknowledgement can make a big difference in how a person feels about life. It can make their day. It doesn't have to be anything big. All of these things are little examples of Charity.

What are Mormon church services like? Are visitors allowed at church meetings? Can I attend church?

Julianne! answered...

Mormon church services are dignified and simple. A sacrament meeting will be conducted by a regular guy wearing a regular business suit. The organ will be played by a regular member of the congregation who is not paid for his or her service. The singing will be led by a regular member of the congretaion. The prayers will be given by regular folks. The sacrament will be blessed and passed by regular folks, usually teenage boys. The talks will be given by members of the congregation, often teenagers. Special music might be presented by regular folks, or the ward choir. Members of the ward choir are just regular members of the congregation who like to sing, and are not paid for their service. Looking around the congregation, you will most likely see some singles but also families including little children and babies. Babies tend to be fussy so the room will not be totally silent. We try to maintain reverence, but it's a learning process. The kids are not perfectly reverent, and neither are the rest of us. People are dressed in regular clothes, usually conservative and modest. Men and boys usually wear dress shirts and ties. Women and girls usually wear dresses or skirts.

You are welcome to come and attend any of our worship services. You will not be asked to stand and sit, stand and sit, stand and sit. No one will pass a collection plate or ask you for money. You come in and sit and relax. And when you come, please sit by me!
Brian answered...

Mormon church services are unique. When I first started attending I felt three hours was too long to be in church, but I quickly grew to like it because I realised that each of the three meetings has a very practical, edifying focus. The Sacrament meeting is the principal meeting and it is where everyone (women and men, young and old) come together to have the sacrament (communion) and hear talks by their fellow church members. Since there is no paid clergy, Mormons take turns speaking to the congregation about how a particular principle or doctrine has strengthened their faith in Christ. Depending on the size of the congregation, a Mormon can speak as often as once a year to once every two or three years.

In Sunday School, the youth attend classes according to their age and the adults attend a class together. The curriculum varies from year to year, but the focus each year is on a book of scripture and how its lessons can help us develop stronger families, be better neighbours and parents, etc. For example, this year (2011) all the adults are studying the New Testament.

In the third hour we group together as men and women. The men's class looks at how the gospel of Christ can help us in our roles as men, husbands, fathers, etc., while the women study how Christ's teachings can help them be better women, wives, mothers, etc.

Visitors are welcome in all of these meetings.

How can I find someone to talk with, in person, about the Mormon religion?

Elder Nolte answered...

The missionaries are one of the greatest resources to find out more information on the church. If you want to know more, ask someone who is a member of the church.