Seth Adam Smith recently interviewed Al Fox. He said,

She calls herself “the Tattooed Mormon,” but I call her a modern Mormon pioneer.

Why? Because the story of her conversion so similar to that of the early pioneers…

An LDS Living article also recently wrote about her story.

Al Fox wasn’t looking for religion. In fact, when the missionaries tracted in to her while she was living in New York, she told them she would let them teach her only if they brought her a steak dinner, sure they wouldn’t follow through and she wouldn’t have to see them again.

They did.

But Fox didn’t mind too much, because there was “something about them that I wanted them to come back. I didn’t know why, but I just loved how I felt around them,” she says. That didn’t mean she wanted to hear about the gospel, though. “Every day I saw them, I did everything I could to do anything except talk about the Church, and I thought I was doing fairly well.”

But gradually, she began to open up little by little, and she started reading the scriptures and praying—hoping more to prove the Church was wrong than it was right—but the change in her heart became greater.

Read more about Al’s story at Seth’s blog or at LDS Living, and/or watch the following video interview that Seth did with Al.

Al shares more about her faith and the happiness the gospel of Jesus Christ has given her on her blog and her YouTube video channel.

As missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sister Amanda Abel and Sister Ryceejo Nordström were put together as companions, and discovered their shared love of singing and music. A recording artist lived in the area in which they were serving, and helped them make this video.

You can read more about these sisters and the making of this video at Mormon Soprano.

Our thoughts are with the Monson family after the loss of Frances J. Monson (wife of President Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). She died early Friday morning. Her funeral will be held this Thursday. The family has asked that in lieu of gifts, donations be made to the missionary fund of the Church.

Tributes to Sister Monson can be found in multiple places, for example, the Deseret News.

Watch a video tribute from Mormon Times.

I am an adviser in the Young Women program in my ward congregation. A key role of an adviser is to help with Sunday lessons. It was my turn this week to prepare a lesson (that’s not really what it is with the new curriculum, Come, Follow Me — we are urged not to teach/lecture/convey information but rather to engage the youth, to facilitate so that they can be the ones to teach, share, and testify).

I’ve found that usually there is a sense of a “forward flow” when anticipating teaching/facilitating a lesson. As I prayerfully open my heart to what to focus on in class, ideas will come and sort of settle on me. This week, only one thought really settled, and it was of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s most recent General Conference talk. But that was about all I got.

But then Saturday night while I was cleaning my room, I “happened” to open one of my books to a story of one woman’s experience having a day go bad fast. She decided to take a drive and ponder and pray. She felt guided by the Spirit to simply write her thoughts. First, she captured all the negativity, worry, and fear that was plaguing her, and then she felt prompted to write some testimony-based thoughts of what she knew and believed.

The idea came to have the girls do something similar, except to flip the order of what they wrote — to implement Elder Holland’s counsel to lead out with faith.

The young women were invited to silently read Elder Holland’s words for a few minutes, and to share what stood out to them. I then handed out a piece of paper to each person. They folded their papers in half and put “Lord, I Believe” at the top of the left-hand column.

And then I invited them to write what came to mind about their testimony. I gave them simple prompts like, What principles or truths help you in your life? What does your testimony include right now? What scriptures help you when you have a hard day?

They wrote and wrote and wrote.

I was hesitant to interrupt the writing, but I wanted to bring the process full circle back to sharing after watching this video. We divided the class into three circles of three and I invited them each to share with their little group something from their list, as they felt comfortable doing so. Some young women read their whole list, others shared one or two things and talked a little about it. We ended with a little more group discussion. It was wonderful to see how personal the process of pondering was for each person, and also how hearing others’ feelings spurred more thoughts and feelings. There was value in both the quiet self-reflection and also in sharing and testifying to one another. And I felt like the Lord had guided us to a simple tool that could be used on hard days or during hard times.

Elder Holland says,

In the growth we all have to experience in mortality, the spiritual equivalent of this boy’s affliction or this parent’s desperation is going to come to all of us. When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. (Emphasis in original)

I was so grateful for the ideas that came with regard to this lesson, because right after church, my daughter was sad about something that had happened today at church. We are working hard in our home right now to help make sure that the children feel safe sharing their feelings, whatever they may be, so I wanted to listen attentively to her pain. But the thought came to invite my daughter to try this exercise, making it clear that the second column could be used to then write down her concerns and struggles, too.

She wrote and wrote.

And wrote.

She wrote four columns worth (two half pages, front and back) declaring her beliefs.

I hesitated to ask later if she’d be willing to share some of her list, because I didn’t want to enter her sacred space uninvited. But I did want her to feel that I cared and was willing to listen.

We curled up on my bed as she read me her list. And I wept at the power of her testimony. When I asked her about one of the most tender things she’d written — one of those things she’s desiring to believe but doesn’t quite feel it yet — she said that it wasn’t until she spoke the truth out loud that the truth settled more into her heart.

I’m grateful to Elder Holland for his simple, powerful teaching to let our faith lead out. I’m grateful for the Spirit who led me to use this talk. I’m grateful for the young women who are willing to engage and share and testify. And I’m grateful for the blessings that are flowing into my home because of this new curriculum. I encourage parents to tap into this amazing resource, including the training videos. Our children have much to teach us. We just need to find opportunities to invite them to do so.

New Mission Prep Website
By Alex

Late last year (2012) my wife and I felt a peculiar desire/prompting to actualize an idea we had in the back of our minds for about four years. What we created is called PreparetoServe.com

While Prepare to Serve has several text resources, it offers a few new resources, including thousands of YouTube travel/mission prep videos and interactive interviews with returned missionaries and converts.

Over the next 2-3 years we hope to put up more than 30,000 travel/mission prep videos and 1,000 interactive video interviews. Our overall goal for the website is to serve the community, so if you have a suggestion on how to improve the website or a request feel free to email us at alexbalinski@gmail.com. We want to serve you in any way we can!

Future plans for PreparetoServe.com

This summer we plan on having 5-10 BYU students help us build the website doing things like indexing YouTube videos, writing mission prep articles, conducting video interviews and organizing local service projects.

Some resources we hope to eventually include on the website include:
-A list of LDS missionary blogs, indexed by mission.
-Cultural articles about each country and U.S. State.
-4-8 Interactive video interviews with RMs and converts from each state and country.
-A forum where Latter-day Saints can get answers to any questions they have relating to missionary work or foreign places.
-A collection of mission pictures, browseable by mission and area.
-At least 100-300 clean, educational YouTube videos about each country and state.
Some tips for using the website

While we strive to make the website user-friendly, there are a few things you might want to know to have the best user experience:
-Browsing videos is best on a desktop or laptop computer (some mobile browsers don’t support YouTube playlist navigation).
-Each thumbnail on the right, in the video player represents a group of videos, also called a YouTube playlist.
-In order to browse within each embedded YouTube playlist, you can click the grey bar at the bottom of the video, or the playlist icon (after a video begins).

I appreciate this opportunity to introduce the Prepare to Serve project to you! If there’s anything I can do for you, feel free to let me know. Thanks!

~by Michelle

Many will ask why, if we have the Bible, we need another witness of Jesus Christ. Some may think that a belief in the Book of Mormon undermines the Bible. We believe it is quite the opposite.

If you are a believer in the Bible, we join with you in that belief. We love the Bible. We simply declare that God has provided another witness of Jesus Christ, writings of prophets who knew and testified of Him both before and after His coming. It includes the eyewitness testimony of people who saw Him and were ministered to by Him after His death and resurrection. It testifies of His grace, mercy and power, witnessed in the real lives of real people who were sinners and then found Him. Look up names like Alma, Enos, the sons of Mosiah, king Lamoni, the people of Ammon, and more.

I love the Book of Mormon for how it deepens my love of the Bible and of the Savior, Jesus Christ. It also is the foundation of my testimony of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of priesthood authority, and of the knowledge we proclaim that God has a plan for us.

If you are interested in receiving a free copy of the Book of Mormon, please let me know by emailing mormonwoman a/ gmail d/ com.

This year’s Women’s Conference provided me with a wealth of material to ponder and integrate into my life. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the classes I attended.

“Lord, who needs me today? Tell me her name.” -Elaine S. Marshall quoting her then Relief Society President – Ann Madsen

I have used this sentence prayer in the days since Women’s Conference and by doing so I have invited the spirit of revelation into my life. Names and faces have been provided and opportunities for service made manifest. I was not surprised when the names provided were my own husband and children, but other names have been provided as well. I’m printing this quote out and taping it onto my bathroom mirror, it’s just that good.

“How many spiritual experiences have we missed because we ran to tell instead of lingering and waiting on the Lord?” - Paraphrasing Camille Fronk Olson.

Eric Huntsman and Camille Fronk Olson co-taught a class on women disciples where they felt that the reason Mary Magdalene was privileged enough to be the first person to see the Lord in His resurrected form is clearly recorded in the gospel of John: she lingered. Since hearing these words I have tried to linger longer when I feel the Holy Spirit’s presence. This Sunday I made a point to find the mothers of children who had born their testimonies in Primary and tell them word for word what their child said. We stood and hugged, with tears stinging as we marveled at the faith of children. If I had hurried home (as I normally do after church) I would have missed these sweet moments with my friends.

“The best ways to preserve traditional marriage and families is to participate in them.” 

This was a summary thought I had after listening to Stacey Edgington and Ann Takasaki’s class entitled Defending, Preserving and Protecting Traditional Marriage. Stacey Edgington taught, “There are absolute truths. It is important to create an environment where eternal truths can be taught. We need to 1. understand the doctrines of God  2. teach them to our children 3. be examples of discipleship by living and teaching truths to our posterity…. How we live will preserve the sanctity of marriage.” When the Women’s Conference transcripts come out, this will be the first talk I re-read. Another great quote they shared in the class was from Spencer W. Kimball, “Many of the social restraints which in the past have helped to reinforce and to shore up the family are disappearing. The time will come when only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us.” I was impressed by the strength and tenderness of these women and the compassion they showed while still standing firm in the defense of traditional marriage. This class stood out from the pack as a must read from Women’s Conference.

“Be brilliant in the basics.” – Julie B. Beck 

Stacey Edgington quoted Julie B. Beck in the Protecting Traditional Marriage class as a method for preserving family life. What are the basics? Personal and family prayer, consistent Family Home Evening and scripture study, tenderness, work, eating meals together. When I got back home from Conference I felt re energized in my commitment to live the basics. In lieu of the large family calendar that used to loom over me in my office daily, I have transferred all of our appointments to my phone and compiled a small checklist that lives in my kitchen.  My Monday through Sunday wipe board is where I tally check marks when I complete “the basics.” This way I can prioritize what is truly important and let work assignments, piano lessons, and book club meetings get the second tier level of importance they deserve.

“Elaine, You cannot live your life in Gethsemane, Jesus was already there. You must find yourself in another garden.” – Elaine S. Marshall quoting her mother

Due to the fall of Adam, all of us will find ourselves confronted by the ugliness of mortality. The longer I live the more I am convinced that this “rock bottom” moment is part of the plan.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” I believe that mortality forces us to choose Jesus Christ (or some form of God) or to arrogantly choose a path that ultimately leads to spiritual death. I recently found myself in the Garden of Gethsemane fighting a crippling battle with anxiety. The racing thoughts, panic attacks and my self defeating beliefs took me to a very dark place. A friend felt prompted to send me her testimony of the power of Christ’s atonement and what equated to the first two steps in the 12 step program for addicts and co-dependents as used by our church. Using her prescribed method and humbly recognizing that I was fallen and that Jesus Christ was and is the “way, the truth and the life”out of my hell I began to pray in such a way that light and healing began to pour into my heart and mind. I had found my way into another garden through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

“Charity is the pure love of Christ.” – Moroni 7:47

Kevin J. Worthen turned my life upside down when he shed a new perspective on this well known scripture. I have always thought this verse of scripture as a description of Christ’s love for us. His perfect love is what we aspire to have when interacting with our brothers and sisters here on earth. But in a simple story that Brother Worthen shared about a time when he was annoyed with an ill performing co-worker that turned into a teaching moment, Kevin Worthen found that choosing to love God (that first great commandment) quickly led his heart to loving his brother as himself (the second great commandment.) Brother Worthen taught me that when I struggle to love another, try loving God is a path to charity. With that in mind, let’s read Moroni 7:47 again “But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.” Doesn’t Kevin Worthen’s take on this scripture make charity so much more achievable? What a lovely thought!

Two other themes that I saw throughout the entire Conference were understanding the doctrines of the Priesthood and feeling joy despite hardship. I recommend the broadcasts and written transcripts to you as edifying and worthwhile material for study and learning. We will be linking to these talks in the near future to make it easy for you to find and enjoy.

Let me just leave you with the scripture theme for the 2013 Women’s Conference at BYU:

Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice: for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end. D&C 100:12

There have been some great posts on motherhood published in the past few days, including a couple of unofficial transcripts from talks on motherhood given at the most recent BYU Women’s Conference. (It’s fun when Women’s Conference speakers are also bloggers and are willing and able to share their talks!)

We weren’t able to get all of the great Mother’s Day talks gathered and posted before Mother’s Day, so you get to enjoy more posts about motherhood over the next few days.

Here are the two #byuwc talks, the first by Cheryl Savage and the second by Catherine Arveseth.

In Which I Spoke to Women about Womanhood and Motherhood

Come Sighing and Singing – BYU Women’s Conference

I had the opportunity to sing in BYU Women’s Chorus years ago, and BYU Men’s Chorus music was what I would listen to over and over again in the car to and from the temple during my young adult years. The temple was four hours away, so my cassette of their music got a lot of use.  Two of my favorite hymns that they have sung are Mack Wilberg arrangments of Redeemer of Israel and Lead, Kindly Light.

So you can imagine my joy and gratitude when I saw that Brigham Young University, the College of Fine Arts and Communications, and the School of Music are offering free MP3 downloads of ten missionary hymns. I am going to surprise my children by downloading these hymns onto the MP3 player. I also couldn’t help but think of the many missionary moms who have children serving, and the many moms who are actively helping their children prepare to serve.

Oh, wait, that’s me. It’s an amazing thing to be alive at this time when so many missionaries are being set apart to serve and represent and teach about the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our everything.

The “Set Apart” website says this:

At a time when more missionaries than ever are answering the call to serve, the BYU Men’s Chorus is releasing this unique album of powerful missionary hymns. This free album is offered as a gift to missionaries and to all who share in the growing spirit and energy of the work.

To make the message as accessible as possible, the choir has chosen to release the recordings as free mp3 downloads. In this way—through music—the BYU Men’s Chorus invites every listener to come unto Christ.