by Charlotte Wilson | Aug 1, 2013 | About Mormons
American Mothers, Inc. named Stephanie Williams McKnight the 2013 California Mother of the Year. At 25, Stephanie is the youngest mother to ever win the award. Stephanie’s age isn’t the only thing that makes her unique, however; she’s also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a faith often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon church). Stephanie wasn’t always a Mormon, though. She joined The Church of Jesus Christ when she was 21 and had to dive in head first. [1]
Stephanie McKnight Was Already Preparing for a Family
Even before her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ, Stephanie was preparing her life for a family. She pushed through college at California State University-San Bernardino, working and taking more than the recommended credit hours, to graduate with her master’s in education degree at age 22. While she was completing her formal education, she was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ when she was 21. “[School] was a very busy time,” she says. “Looking back, I see that it was a total prompting from the Spirit to get me in the right place at the right time.” (more…)
Charlotte graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in English, with an emphasis in editing. During her education she interned with the Neal A.Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, BYU Publications, and the New Era magazine. Charlotte currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and son. She’s a stay-at-home-mom and has been able to keep up her writing through maintaining a personal blog (smallandtrivial.blogspot.com).
by Charlotte Wilson | Jul 31, 2013 | About Mormons
I am a Mormon woman. That means that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a faith often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon church). I’ve been a Mormon my whole life, and now that I’m an adult, I find even more joy and fulfillment in my faith in Jesus Christ. The role of women in The Church of Jesus Christ is often misunderstood, so I’d like to give you an opportunity to get to know a Mormon woman better. Not only are Mormon women equal to men, but we have specific and important roles in our families, church congregations, and communities. I’ve compiled a list of my eight favorite places to be as a Mormon woman. I think you’ll find that I’m not so different from you.
1. The park
I love to visit the park. Especially when the weather cooperates, I love to take my son outside and let him play. I often meet up with friends and their children. This socializing is welcome, because while I certainly love being a stay-at-home mom, sometimes I crave some quality conversation with adults. Occasionally, though, I take a walk through the park by myself. This allows me to take in the beauty of God’s creations and express gratitude for the beautiful world I live in. (more…)
Charlotte graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in English, with an emphasis in editing. During her education she interned with the Neal A.Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, BYU Publications, and the New Era magazine. Charlotte currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and son. She’s a stay-at-home-mom and has been able to keep up her writing through maintaining a personal blog (smallandtrivial.blogspot.com).
by Terrie Lynn Bittner | Jul 10, 2013 | About Mormons
The three most powerful women in Mormon leadership came together recently to speak openly about their roles as leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons. They spoke about what it means to be a Mormon woman, particularly one with great leadership responsibility, and about how they felt the Church treats female leaders.
Mormon Women Serve at all Levels in The Church of Jesus Christ
The women head up the Relief Society, which is the official organization for Mormon women, the Young Women’s program for teen girls, and the Primary, which is for children. Their positions, like all positions in the Church, are served without pay, but unlike most, are full-time for a number of years. These are not meant to be lifelong callings. Each woman has two counselors and a secretary to assist her. The president of the Young Women’s organization, Sister Dalton, has been released since the interview occurred. (more…)
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
by Keith L. Brown | Aug 22, 2012 | Mormon Reflections
In a world that has been struggling with the debate over equality for women for thousands of years, but much more focused on fighting for equal rights over the past several decades, I feel a great sense of security and joy in my understanding of what it means to be a Mormon woman. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the Mormon Church) has clear doctrine about the worth of women. Though many women do not fully understand what this doctrine means to them, and thus feel deemed of lesser value than men, I have a strong relationship with God and Jesus Christ, and I know of their love for me. I read the scriptures and I serve in the capacities I am asked to in my local congregation, and I feel that I am worth just as much as anyone else in that congregation, regardless of gender.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints receives a great deal of criticism, as many other denominations have, about not giving equal rights to the women of their congregations. Women do not hold the priesthood in the “Mormon Church,” thus the assumption by many is that they are viewed as not being worth as much or not being as capable as men. I have never felt this way. (more…)
Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having been born and raised Baptist. He was studying to be a Baptist minister at the time of his conversion to the LDS faith. He was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reykjavik, Iceland while serving on active duty in the United States Navy in Keflavic, Iceland. He currently serves as the First Assistant to the High Priest Group for the Annapolis, Maryland Ward. He is a 30-year honorably retired United States Navy Veteran.
