Ask a Mormon Woman
Do you have a question about Mormon life and beliefs? Feel free to ask it here. Feel free to do so anonymously, if you prefer. We respond to every question via email and post many of the questions and answers here on the site. Please be sure your email address is valid. It will not be shared.
Simply leave your question in the comments section below, or send us an email at gmail, username ‘mormonwoman’ or ‘mormonwomen.’
Our responses will, of course, not be official LDS Church answers, but we figure that sometimes it can be helpful to hear from a run-of-the-mill Mormon.
Thank You so very much for all your comments!! Connecting with the leadership is such a good idea… I used to drive my father to the church at night as it was his calling to walk around and check the doors making sure they were locked. When Brandon, my son, went with me he would see the huge painting of Christ descending from the clouds. Even from the outside, and inside a van, that picture is so awe inspiring that it is frightening to him. A Walk through, maybe even more than once, is a fantastic suggestion. I so Appreciate them. Thank You!!
Question: Mitt Romney said something regarding the future death of Castro about “when he has gone to another ‘land’”. Do Mormons refer to the afterlife as being another “land”. Also, I heard that Mormns believe they get more “land” in heaven the more chIldren they have. Is that right? Thanks for your response.
my step mom is a Mormon.ok here it is.. first my mom never hits me. me and my bother got into a fight at mcdonalds we threw ketchup on each other.im older im 15 he is 13. i got some ketchup on some woman clothes and my mom had to reinburst her for the damage. my mom freak out on me told me i was a immature baby and my brother to in front of people in mcdonlads. Leaving mcdonalds she told us that she should get us some pacifers and some pampers and a playpen. people were looking at me. like she was right. she took away my x box my i pod and cell i cant go out on weekends now. on the car ride home she is yelling at us telling us when she goes to wallmart she should buy us a crib and stuff.telling me we made her look like a bad mother shes being a total ***** to me. is it a Mormon thing?
Can i turn her into CPS for abuse saying those things to me? isnt it slander or something saying lies about someone. saying i need pampers and making me look bad in public.For the record he started it my brother not me. its not fair shes doing this. she took away my games and i cant go out now cause of that *****
Paul,
Sorry for the delay in responding. It sounds like things are quite hard for you. Please know that the behavior you have described is not a “Mormon” thing. Our church encourages parenting with love.
But by the same token, I don’t feel like we’re in a position to be able to give you any specific advice about what to do. Do you have another adult you could talk to about this to get some advice?
Hi, I have met with many, many people on their missions. i’ve prayed with them, gone to chiurch together, have been guests in thier homes for nearly 12 years! I pray for signs, fast, and read a lot and I know the church is true. my problem is my family, we are very close, but the do not understand what I am doing. How do I make the sacrifice? I also have a newborn and I have no idea what his father would do if I finally went ahead and followed my heart and head. i’ve also been feeling this tremendous pull to leave my area that I have lived in my whole life, but it is so strong that I cannot stop it. There has always been a piece of me missing and I truly know what it is. Do you have any advice for me? Thank you.
I had a similar situation with my family growing up. There was a lot of family tension about religion, and I was afraid my father would disown me if I went on a mission. But I knew I was supposed to go, even though I was so scared. I don’t know if this makes it any easier, but for me, it came down to it being about what I wanted and what God wanted. I was the one who had to live with my decisions forever, not him. It might sound selfish, but it’s really not–I think often God has plans for us beyond what we can see ourselves.
Follow the Spirit–it takes faith to follow the Lord, but he will bless you for doing it!
Matthew 19: 25-29
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
27 ¶Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
jonni-lynn,
Thank you for your comment. My thought is simple, and is similar to what Kaylie and Candyce have said. Trust God to guide you, each step along the way. Follow what you feel is best and trust Him to help you as you go along.
There is a line in a favorite hymn that I think of a lot. It is often a prayer in my heart. “Keep Thou my feet, I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me.” I think it’s human nature to want to see ‘the distant scene’ but faith often means just doing that one step at a time.
The wonder of it is that as we learn to do this, we come to know how aware of us God is, at a very personal level. He knows you, your name, all the details of your life, the desires of your heart, the fears you feel, the challenges you face, the joys you experience. Everything. Only He can know enough to know what is best for you with all that you are facing. Trust Him. Pray with your whole heart and then follow the gentle guidance of His Spirit.
I’ll pray for you, too!
I just remembered an experience I had that was not unlike Kaylie’s. I was nervous about telling my mom that I had decided to go on a mission. It wasn’t perhaps for the same reasons as Kaylie’s dad may have had, but it was still something that I fretted over. But I *knew* I needed to go.
I know this won’t always be the case when you face sharing a decision of faith with a family member, but I had a prayer in my heart that her response could be something that could validate my decision. Interestingly, when I told her, she said that she had been thinking all week that I wouldn’t be happy unless I went. It was as though her heart was softened before I shared my decision with her.
Like I said, this won’t always happen. Sometimes following one’s faith can be hard and can cause some tensions. But the thought I had was that you can pray for your husband, that in the Lord’s time and way, his heart can be open to your journey of faith.
~Michelle, editor
Sarah Magee,
I am a LDS(Mormon) youth, but and I noticed no one had answered your question, and hope this helps a little. You wanted to know if we refer to the afterlife as being another land. Most of the time when referring to it at church, we call the place you go right after you die the spirit world. After you are judged, you go to one of the kingdoms. The top one is the Celestial Kingdom, and is the highest degree of celestial glory. It is also represented with a sun. Then there is the Terrestrial Kingdom, and is in the middle, represented with a moon. Then there is the Telestial Kingdom, The lowest one and is represented with stars. After that, there is outer darkness, where the people who have committed the worst crimes go. I don’t think I hear the spirit world or any of the kingdoms being referred to as another land, but I am also just a Beehive (Ages 12-13) in young womans so it is very possible that the reason I have never heard of it being referred to as another land is because I am younger, but I am also taking Preparing for Exaltation in Sunday School, so we have been learning about this lately.
About how if we have more children do we get more land, I have never heard that before in my entire life and have never even thought about that. One of the reasons LDS families generally have more children is because Heavenly Father told Adam and Eve to multiply and replenish the earth, and we believe that commandment is still in act today, so we have bigger families. I actually know families with 13 kids and even had some miscarriages and might have more, so we do take this commandment seriously, and also family is the key to eternal happiness. Yes, it is possible we get more land if we have more kids, but I highly doubt that is true, even if there is a possibility that it is. Even if it is, Mormon families don’t have kids just so they can get more “land.”
I hope this helped a bit,
Haleigh
How does LDS view women who remain single all their lives? Is it seen less than a married woman? Are there Mormon women who excel in the workplace instead of remaining a homemaker?
How can I meet a Mormon woman of my age? Is there an activity that non-members can go & meet Mormon women? Can non-members be involved with development activities of the Mormon faith?
Hello,
Thank you for your wonderful site and effort here. I am a 40 yr. old man away from religion for many years. I’ve been invited for some time to an LDS church service by a friend of many years. She has often asked me to come with her on Sunday mornings, and now I am thinking of finally doing it. Do you have any general advice? I want to be a good guest.