I am a Mormon

      I love the Fall. The leaves change color, the air becomes crisp and clear, the smells seem more delicious. It is also time for General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just like the trees letting go of the old and readying themselves for a rejuvenation, Conference prepares us to do the same.
      Just as the October air is crisp and clear, wise counsel from our beloved Church leaders gives us a clear and crisp view of our lives and what we can do to bring us closer to our Savior. Thus far, we have been counseled to be happy, where ever we are, in whatever situation we are in. We have been counseled to be kind and serve one another. We were encouraged to stand up for what we believe in, to proudly share with the world that we are Mormons.
       We were taught to have Faith in Jesus Christ. We will go through trials and difficult times. Some of those trials will be brought on by our frailties as mortal beings. Some come through no fault of our own. No matter the circumstances surrounding the difficulty, we can find the strength to get through it if we rely on the saving grace of our Savior. He has carried the burden for us. He will take it from us, if we have the faith to give it to Him.
      Every day I thank my Father in Heaven for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the scriptures, for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and for my testimony of all those things. I feel grateful and privileged to be a member of this great church.
       As the leaves on the trees change, reminding us that we, too, can change, I pray that the words spoken this weekend will sink deep into our hearts, bringing us a clearer vision, a "delicious" happy life, and nearer to our Celestial home.

     (I am including in this post a photo of a painting by my husband, Russell E. Ricks, with a statement from Sister Ann M. Dibb.)

Brian Williams on the Mormons

Last week I watched “Rock Center with Brian Williams.” I was a little confused/disturbed by a couple things and thought I would put my blog to good use and vent for a bit. Since I would love to tell Mr. Williams to his face but probably can't, I will do the next best thing and write him a letter.

Dear Mr. Williams,

I really appreciate the effort you and your crew put into your Mormon project, “Rock Center with Brian Williams.” I would, however, like to clear up a couple things.

Typically, if one wants to know something about a person or group of people, they interview members of the group, not people who have opted to leave the group for whatever reason. I wonder, Mr. Williams, if you would want us interviewing someone who openly disagrees with you and chooses not to associate themselves with you as our primary source for finding out “who Mr. Williams is.” Certainly we would get a clear, honest view of who you are by using them as your spokesperson (she says sarcastically).  It was interesting to me that your colleague that visited the Bishop’s Storehouse came back with a different, more positive view than you did, since he spoke primarily with real Mormons.

Next, I would like to clarify the misconception that the Mormons don’t welcome people into their meeting houses like the Catholics do. A Mormon Temple is not a common meetinghouse. All people, Mormons or not, are welcome to come to the Mormon Chapels, just as all people, Catholic or not, are welcome to come to the Catholic houses of worship sometimes called Cathedrals.

Temples, on the other hand, are houses of higher learning. We would not send our Kindergartener to Stanford University to school. He would not understand anything that went on there. He would be lost and confused. He needs to complete a few years of schooling and education before he is ready for the more in-depth learning he will be expected to participate in at the University level. He also has to prove himself as ready to enter that University by working hard, getting decent grades in school, and passing a series of tests.

In answer to the Sister who thinks women should hold the Priesthood, maybe we should look at our positions in the Church and in our families like a well run business. Most larger corporations are not run by one person at the top. They are run by a Chief Executive Office, and Chief Financial Officer, and a Chief Operations Officer. Each has a different position with different responsibilities. If the CEO is worried more about being a COO, she probably won’t do her job very well. To work well, the positions should be well defined and clearly laid out. There may be some overlap among the positions, but there is a clear delineation between the positions. I’d like to suggest that the Husband is the Chief Financial Officer, the Wife is the Chief Operations Officer, and Heavenly Father is the Chief Executive Officer. There is no need for the women of the Church to hold the Priesthood, as their job or calling is different than that of the men of the Church.   

The next time, Mr. Williams, that you decide to “investigate” the Mormons, try putting aside your bias and incorporate more reliable sources. (Aren’t newsmen encouraged to “go to the source?”)

Sincerely,

Happy to be a Mormon Woman!

Introduction

I’m not sure how I got the name of “Crazy Lady Next Door.” I do, however, remember who gave it to me. It was that rascally teenaged neighbor boy, Darryl Christensen.  And the name has stuck by means of my youngest son. Of course, Matthew always says it in that endearing way that only a youngest child can get away with.

It couldn’t have been anything I did to get the name. I’m sure the fact that I blew bubbles off my back porch, took spins on our wagon-wheel merry-go-round in the middle of the night, and rode Brandi Van Ausdal’s horse down the street of our sub-division could not have contributed to his opinion of me. (I did, by the way, slug him for it.)

Maybe Darryl had more insight into my life at the time than I realized. I was a single mom of seven children, five of whom were teenagers, (counting the 12-year-old). My door was always open, not because I welcomed everyone, but because there were constantly kids running in and out of it.

My house was where the kids came to dye their hair crazy colors. My downstairs bathtub had the most beautiful dye ring you’ve ever seen! I’m pretty sure the other mothers told their teenagers they weren’t allowed at my house because they never knew what color the kids would come home with—blue, fluorescent pink, Ronald McDonald red…

We had a flower bed in the front yard that was walled in with rock. My son, Michael, and Darryl’s brother, Shawn, both drove their big 4-wheel-drive trucks up my rock garden and parked them. We called it Little Moab. I took a picture because it was so clever and hilarious. Then I told them to never do it again. I’m pretty sure they did it a couple more times.

 The purpose of this blog is so I can muse and ramble to my heart’s content. It will be my weekly chat with friends, without making them actually sit and listen to me go on and on. If you want to know my opinion on things, this will be the place to come. If you don’t care to know, but want to be supportive, just forego reading and post a “hello” anyway. (I know several of my children will be relieved to hear that!)  Just kidding, Kids! XD