The First Mormon U.S. President...Almost.

Forgive me if my faith and trust in politicians and the law hasn't always been very strong. 

I was born in 1978.  Just two years before I was born, there was a law in force in the state of Missouri that made it legal to kill any Mormon on the spot. Just because.  It was an extermination order put in place by the State’s Governor in 1838. In 1976, the law was rescinded.  In 1976, the law was rescinded.

Governor Boggs had a personal disdain for Mormons. (This was nothing new...they had already been kicked out of Palmyra, New York and Kirtland, Ohio.)  But the Governor felt threatened by their growing communities and industry.  My people were killed simply because of what they believe. And it was legal.  The law allowed it.

So they left Missouri and found a home in Nauvoo, Illinois.  It didn’t take long for persecution to find them there either.  Again, the State’s Governor was not fond of them; particularly, Joseph Smith, the Mormon President.  Ultimately, Smith was arrested for treason (because he formed his own militia in order to defend the city of Nauvoo against others trying to harm his people--the law did not protect them.)  Joseph Smith was killed by a mob while in Carthage Jail in 1844.  An innocent prisoner, a loving father and devoted husband, an extraordinary man who lived his life according to good principles, and he was unprotected by the law of the land and was killed, because of his beliefs.  My great-great-grandfather was with him, John Taylor.  He received gun shot wounds yet survived and following Brigham Young, he later became the 3rd President of our Church after the Mormons landed in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Governor Ford confessed that it was good for Mormons to have been driven out of the state and that their beliefs and actions were too different to have survived in Illinois.  He said “that some people expect more protection from the laws than the laws are able to furnish in the face of popular excitement.”  Five men were tried for the murder of Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum.  They were all found not guilty.  The man who led the defense team later became a U.S. Senator.

On so many levels, there is a silent outcry of injustice in our Mormon history as a people.  Yet, it remains silent.  Lives have been lost in this great country because of religion.  And it is often overlooked, forgotten. 

So try to imagine, if you will, the idea of the possibility of a Mormon being elected President of this great country, to Mormons.  Not to the general public. But to one who belongs to this history which I have shared.  Imagine, the feelings we felt.  And it was so close. So close.

So for me, I have not lost all hope in America.  But I feel a great sense of loss for a victory that would have meant more to me than to one who does not share my beliefs, my history.

You see, I have read friends’ blogs.  I have seen their comments.  I have witnessed how there is still animosity, misinformation and tolerable persecution toward my people because of what they believe.  Yet, when it comes to sexuality, women’s choices, or legalizing harmful drugs, how dare I judge others because of what they believe. And I am a bigot.

As Mormons, we hold our heads high. We honor those whose lives were lost because of their faith.  We strive for that same kind of faith.  Stalwart faith.  Nothing wavering.  We will have faith in our religion and in our country and we will stand taller because of it. I couldn't be more proud of my Faith and my Heritage.  We have not sought revenge or retribution. My ancestors fought for a freedom of religion even when it was not honored, and then they turned around and served the very country in which their freedoms were taken. 


Because I am a Mormon, I will obey, honor and sustain the law.  I will support my country’s President.  I will fight for freedom.  I will teach my children civility.  And I will continue to teach them their history; that in spite of the injustices of this world, we move forward in faith with an eye single to the glory of our God.

Because that is what we, as a people, do.

Why Missionaries Knock on Doors.

Probably because of where I was raised, I felt my “church life” and my “school life” were very separate.  I wasn’t ashamed of my religion, but I wasn’t very open about it either. I was perfectly content keeping it to myself!  When questions were asked, I answered them; but that was it.  My parents took us to church, taught us right from wrong and had high moral expectations of us, but there wasn’t a lot of doctrinal religion being taught in my home.  I believed in our faith, but lacked a lot of understanding.

At age 18, I moved to Provo, Utah where I was one among thousands of LDS college kids.  Religion was everywhere.  I met people who talked about religion anytime, anywhere.  This was so foreign to me.  As a student at Brigham Young University, I was required to enroll in religion classes.  I had read The Book of Mormon and Bible in high school and had a general understanding of the doctrine of my religion, but it wasn’t until attending these classes that I gained a deeper understanding and knowledge about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  My professors were so knowledgeable about ancient times, historical and religious practices, and things of a spiritual nature. The stories came to life for me and I had no doubt I was reading about real people from thousands of years ago.  As my understanding increased, my belief in Mormonism grew.  I developed a closer relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ.  For the first time in my life, I read scriptures every day.  I prayed to my Heavenly Father morning and night.  I began to ask real questions and sought answers.  And I found them.  Things had always resonated with me since I was a child, but this was different.  I was putting pieces together.  A natural and immediate response to my deeper understanding was my desire to share what I understood with those who I loved.  I began to engage in conversations about religion and took every opportunity to clear up misunderstandings when they were presented.  Looking back, I recognize I was probably a bit overbearing!  But I was a changed person.  I could no longer separate my secular life with my spiritual life.

At age nineteen, Mormon young men are asked to serve a 2 year mission to anywhere in the world (not their choice), at their own expense. All three of my brothers served...in Italy, Guatemala and Spain.  For ladies, it is an 18 month mission at age  21.  I had every desire to go, but ultimately, I chose to get married before I had the opportunity.  There are many misconceptions about why Mormons serve missions.  A friend once told me she had heard that the more people LDS members “convert” to Mormonism, the greater reward they receive in heaven!  Another shared with me with certainty (I love when others are so certain what I believe!) that I would own more “kingdoms in heaven” if I led more people to baptism.  I don’t know where people learn these things...but it simply isn't true and has nothing to do with why I share my beliefs.

My religion has made every good difference in my life.  It has given me direction.  Jesus Christ is very real to me and I feel close to Him.  I believe He is the Savior of the World.  And I want others to know Him as I do and more importantly, feel His love.  I see people who once believed as I do and have turned away, and the light in their faces is dimmed.   I’ve known others who search for happiness in worldly ways and end up feeling empty and alone.  But I have also witnessed people’s lives being changed for good as they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. What was once dark and empty is now full of joy and peace.  There are many good religious and non-religious, happy and sad people in this world.  But like everyone, it is natural to want to share good things with others because we know it is a good thing!  There are no selfish motives involved.  It is a genuine effort to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I recognize there are others, a whole lot of others, who aren’t interested, and that’s okay!  I love them still!

So please don’t take offense when someone (like me) tries to share a message of hope with someone like you.  Please be kind when you see two young men in suits knocking on doors or riding bicycles to their next appointment.  Their motives are pure and they have sacrificed a crazy-out-of-the-ordinary amount for a college-aged person.  If you aren’t interested, there will be no hard feelings!  They are not salesmen!  They’ve been taught to find those interested, to respect others' choices; not to engage in debate or be pushy. They are simply trying to give you a gift, if you want it.  And for what its worth, these missionaries come home CHANGED.  I am a witness of this--I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes!  As a parent, I couldn’t wish anything greater for my children.  There isn’t a better way for people at this age to learn to think beyond themselves, to be diligent, hardworking, frugal, independent, devoted, better at problem-solving, humble, loving and enduring through hard times.  My husband has all of these qualities and no doubt, they were increased by his mission to Morristown, New Jersey, where he had doors slammed in his face left and right, a gun pulled on him and he was spit on!  But if you ask him today what was the hardest thing?...those things don’t come to his mind.  He told me the hardest part of his mission was always when someone was so close to making a big change in their life--a change that would make every good difference for their family and their own happiness--and ultimately, they didn’t have the faith to make the necessary changes and they gave up.

Because he was committed to something greater than himself, sincere heartache was more difficult than his pride or the fear of losing his own life.  How can something so sincere come from a selfish motive?

As Mormons, we take Matthew 28:19-20 from the Bible literally:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost . . .and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”


Because I am a Mormon, I want to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others simply because I want to spread the happiness and peace it has given to me.

Brandon on his mission to New Jersey--1991.  I've never met these women, but I know he loves them!

Brad and me at SLC Airport--he's leaving for Rome, Italy--1995

Family get together in Snohomish, WA in 2000 sending Jeremy off to Guatemala.

Bailey and Uncle Jeremy 2002

Bailey and Uncle Tyler in Provo, UT before going into the Missionary Training Center--2003

Spain is a far, far away place for a two year old!

'A Protective Shield from Economic Distress'

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”

This is a verse from the book of Malachi in the Holy Bible.

 To 'tithe' means to give a tenth part of something as a voluntary contribution. We learn in the bible, that tithing was fundamental to the Law of Moses in ancient times. Today in my church, it is fundamental as well. If you've ever seen an LDS temple or church building, it was constructed, operated and paid for by tithing funds. There are 166 temples either operating, under construction or that have been announced. There are other ways tithing funds are used as well. We are commanded to give ten percent of our increase to the Lord through His church.  That is ten percent across the board; no matter if you make millions or live in poverty, the commandment is the same. This is one commandment we can live perfectly.

It might be easy to look at our annual salaries and think of hundreds of other things to spend 10% of our income on.  I'm sure if I thought about it long enough, I could come up with a nice list.  Surely, in these challenging economic times, one might consider tithing as a frivolous expenditure. But lucky for us and our marriage, we agree that tithing is our first financial priority. We cannot pick and choose when it is convenient to pay tithing.  It is never convenient.  Like most newlyweds, when we were first married, we had some years when we could have used that extra 10% income, but we never questioned where that money belonged. We have been blessed because of it. The windows of heaven have definitely poured down upon us--not with wealth, but with whatever is needed.  Brandon's business depends entirely on contract work. There is no bi-monthly paycheck coming in. No annual salary. There is no way of knowing what next year's income will be.  There is never certainty when it comes to finances for anyone, but certainly not us.  On days like today, Brandon wrote out the tithing check with no foreseeable work beyond next week! But we pay in faith, believing that work will come.  And it does. I read a quote today that said "paying tithing is a protective shield from economic distress." (Heber J. Grant) This has been true for us.

A couple of years ago we hired a new accountant.  He looked over our finances and then gave us some advice on how to better invest and manage our money.  One of his suggestions was to pay less tithing. He said we were "overpaying." He told us that because my husband's business had expenses we deducted from our taxable income, we should also deduct that amount from the total we paid tithing on.  When we first heard this we were excited to learn about the extra money we would have each year.  However, my good husband came to me a day or two later and told me he felt we needed to continue to pay tithing the same way we had been paying it.  As soon as he said it, and probably before (but I'm not as good as him), I knew he was right.  To each his own, but for us, we had to do what felt right for us.

I recently heard someone say that it is a lot to ask from people who can't afford to pay tithing.  It is difficult for me not to ask, how can we afford not to?

It is a matter of faith. 

When I drive past a beautiful temple, initially, I do not always think of the grandeur and beauty that emanates from the building.  Instead, I tend to think of the sacrifice of the millions of people who contributed their offerings.  I think of those members who live in India, near my brother's family, who have so little, yet pay in faith with very little likelihood that they will ever set foot in a temple.  I think of those who deserve better living conditions and choose faith and obedience over wealth and prosperity. I think of the sacrifice of my Grandma Cardall who made a meager income after her husband abandoned her to raise five young children on her own. I think of my daughter who counted her coins this morning  so she could also contribute. Then she asked me, "can I pay more or will they only let me pay 10%?"

In short, tithing is a blessing. I believe all I have is from God.  All of it.  He can give at any time, and He can take away at any time.  So really, we must be wise with the other 90% of income we receive each year as well. Since I am a stay at home mom, I can tithe in other ways.  My time. My talents. I can teach my children to do the same.  Tithing has also taught me to not put so much emphasis on accumulating money. I am a direct descendant of the third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John Taylor.  A friend of his, also a leader in the church, B.H. Roberts, said that President Taylor's motto was—’Money is of little importance where truth is concerned.’

I hope to live my life the same way.

Because I am a Mormon, I believe in tithing.

Hong Kong LDS Temple

Draper, UT LDS Temple

Accra, Ghana LDS Temple

Laie, Hawaii LDS Temple

Nauvoo, Illinois LDS Temple