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Hi I'm Patricia Ann

About Me

I grew up an Army brat traveling the world with my family. Currently I am a retired Navy wife and student at the local University where I live. I enjoy gardening, writing and reading (when time permits), sewing, quilting, crocheting, decorating and being outdoors. We have five children who live in various parts of the country and we now have 11 beautiful grandchildren.

Why I am a Mormon

I came in contact with the Church as a teenager, when my family lived in Schweinfurt, Germany. I was raised Catholic. One particular friend, Glenda Smith provided the opportunity for me to be exposed to the gospel. I had been going with her family each Sunday to a Southern Baptist church and one day she bore her testimony to me as we were babysitting two families together. I listened to her because out of all of the teenagers I knew at that time, Glenda was the most stable person I knew. She did not go about with every wisp of the wind, she walked a straight path and that had a big impact on me, because it said something about who she was. At that point in my life, I had been looking, praying, and desiring to know what to do about church. I had many friends that I went to church with and so I was exposed to various doctrines but I always came away a little unsure. I also did not realize at that time that I was searching for the truth. And so, when I had my first discussion with the missionaries suddenly my whole life made sense-it was like puzzle pieces started coming together. I immediately identified with Joseph Smith’s spiritual struggle regarding his confrontation with so many choices. After prayer and fasting I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the messages the missionaries were offering to me were true. The Book of Mormon's added witness to the Bible as a testimony of Jesus Christ's divinity is a treasure to my soul.

How I live my faith

Family is the most important aspect of the gospel and it is the knowledge that I have regarding God's great plan of happiness that increases the love I have for my family. They mean the most to me here on earth. Who that loves their family here on the earth would not want to be with them throughout the eternities. I treasure the fact that my husband and I started our marriage in the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity that experience has brought many blessings to our marriage. I am by no means perfect thus my gratitude for the power of the atonement which allows me the ability to truly repent and be forgiven for the mistakes that I make is a tremendous blessing. In the gospel we do not have to be perfect, we just have to give it our best each day to strive to be better than we were the day before. Reading my scriptures each morning helps me gain a better perspective of the Savior and what He would have me do. It helps me to better comprehend Heavenly Father’s plan for me and draws me closer to the Savior.

Do you really believe there is a prophet like Moses alive today?

Patricia Ann
Without a doubt! That is probably one of the first things I marveled at, the knowledge that a wise and loving Heavenly Father could show His love by this simple act. What parent would not want to guide their children back and what better way to show His love than to still speak to His children today. The heavens are still open and in my mind it would be odd to think otherwise. Why would the Lord create such a vast universe then leave us on our own with no concept of who we are, why we are here or where we are going? That does not make sense to me anymore than the concept that God created a world full of people but limited His communication to one group in one area. That is not a concept of a wise and loving Father. Why would God not speak to us today and why would God not provide prophets to us as He did for people in Biblical days? How could that be justice when only one group is given the information but not the rest? The only way to know if it is true is to listen to the prophet yourself and pray about what he says as well as praying to know if he is a prophet. Show more Show less

What blessings can you receive from reading the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and other scriptures?

Patricia Ann
Our Heavenly Father wants us to succeed in life but He is also aware of life's pitfalls and how they might affect us. So we are given the opportunity to see others who have passed before us make choices and then suffer the consequences of those choices. The increased knowledge that I receive from daily scripture reading helps me to deal with challenges that come up in my own life. Many times when I have had questions come to my mind about situations that I am dealing with I will end up reading about it in the scriptures. There are also many prophecies in the scriptures pertaining to our day that have information that the Lord wants us to have to help us in our progression. If we will put in the time and effort to read each day we will be given the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ. We can read of the love and sacrifice that they make in our behalf. This simple act will in turn affect how we live each day as we begin to feel that love surround us. So by spending a little time reading the scriptures daily we can gain a greater understanding of God and that understanding will bless us in our daily endeavors. Show more Show less

What do Mormons believe about the Bible? Do they regard it as Holy Scripture and the word of God?

Patricia Ann
Yes of course, we accept the Kings James version as the most correctly translated version. I have been asked this question so many times and if in my home I usually whip out my copy of the Bible. We regard it so sacred that we rotate it yearly with other scriptures and we study the Old Testament for a whole year in Sunday School as well as the New Testament for a year. Each of these sections of the Bible are vital to our understanding of our Savior and our Heavenly Father as we progress here upon the earth. These ancient prophets words have meaning in our day and are not old ramblings they are testaments as to the divinity of Jesus Christ and God the Father as well as testaments of their love for us. The Bible offers up a testament and an opportunity if we will take it to learn more about ourselves as well. Our family is currently reading the Old Testament together each day. Show more Show less

What is the Book of Mormon?

Patricia Ann
The Book of Mormon is a wonderful history of a people who lived upon this continent before and after Christ's reign. It speaks of their lives here upon the earth and their struggles in trying to live the gospel. It helps to know that those who came before us had obstacles to overcome and how their faith helped them to survive. It brings to mind the importance of families here upon the earth and shines a greater light upon the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. The prophets in the Book of Mormon were special and their stories warm my heart and bear testimony of Jesus Christ. Show more Show less

Are Mormons Christians?

Patricia Ann
I love being asked questions about my faith, especially what some would consider the difficult ones. I am a great believer in laying my cards all out on the table with those who are not members of the church. In other words I am a very straightforward person and I believe that it is important when asked this question to define what is really being asked here. Is the question really about Christianity or is it a question about differences in faith. I have found that more often than not it is the latter.  When I am asked this question I often answer that it depends on what their definition of Christian is. If to them it means that I believe in Jesus Christ, am baptized in His name, and follow His teachings then by that loose definition I would be considered a Christian. If however by asking me the question you mean I do not believe exactly the same things that you do then by that definition I would not be considered so by your faith. I also point out that the name of our church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and that if you look at the front of the Book of Mormon it clearly states that it is a "Second Testament of Jesus Christ." I am not offended by this or any other question because as a convert I realize that most people ask questions because they do not know what we do and they rely too heavily on their lay leaders for answers never realizing that they can ask their Heavenly Father for answers directly. Show more Show less

Do Mormons regard the Bible as Holy Scripture and the word of God?

Patricia Ann
Definitely! We study the Bible (Old and New Testament) closely. We regard the King James version of the Bible to be the most correctly translated version and we use it at church all the time. The Bible is real, it is not a book of myths or fairy tales-the stories are true. The people and prophets in the Bible are also real as are their struggles. If you want to gain a testimony of its truthfulness then read it, ponder it out in your mind, and ask your Father in Heaven and you will receive your answer. There is no other way to know, simply placing it on a shelf is not enough, you must delve into it with your whole heart. The histories it contains give added knowledge and strength to your testimony. Show more Show less

What are Mormon women like? Do Mormons believe in equality of men and women?

Patricia Ann
Yes, by all means Mormons believe in equality of men and women. Women were given the right to vote in Utah pretty early on. Men and women are equal partners in the eyes of the Lord and are equally important in His work. They each serve different functions in life as mothers and fathers but their potential is equal in the eyes of the Lord. And they are to be helpmeets to each other in their cares and responsibilities to provide unification in their home. As an LDS woman I have been given great responsibilities in the various Wards that we have lived in as we have traveled around the country. Each calling has through the challenges and opportunities have helped me to grow and develop as a person. These opportunities to be a leader have helped me to develop better work ethics in the private sector as well. I understand who I am-there is no floundering around trying to figure it out. The gospel provides an anchor for me. That knowledge completes the picture of who I am and why I, as a woman, am important to the Lord. I have never felt threatened, nor have I felt demeaned as a Latter-day Saint woman, only supported and respected. Show more Show less