Wednesday, February 15, 2012

LinkUp: M Is For Mormon

I hope that our gracious and phenomenal teacher Ms. Matlock does not mind, but this blog post is going to touch upon a couple of things that I don't necessarily talk about a lot, politics and religion, so if you would like to turn away or read the post while peeking through barely separated fingers, by all means...do whatever necessary. I just feel the need to discuss this topic right now.

Let me just start by saying that this is not an endorsement of Mitt Romney. I have yet to endorse any one candidate, but rest assured that when I do, you will all hear about it at the press conference. In the spirit of full disclosure, I will likely vote for whomever the GOP candidate is in the general election, but I have not actually made my mind up yet as far as the primary election goes. This is also not intended to convince anyone that they should believe what I believe. It is however a bit about what I DO believe.

With all of this election business going on pretty much 24/7 I have been somewhat concerned and also a bit  disconcerted at the misinformation that I have seen and heard. Many people are discussing Mr. Romney's faith as he is a practicing Latter-Day Saint. So am I. I have not always been. I was not raised LDS, but I converted when I was 15 and have been a practicing member of the LDS church since then. And believe me, we have heard it all. Every misinterpretation and fallacy out there about Mormonism. But I would like to get just a bit of truth out there, you know...from the horses mouth. Wait...what did she call me?

Ok, so, I'm a Mormon. For the most part, I live my life like most folks. I don't drink alcohol, coffee or tea, and I abstain from tobacco products as well. I do eat chocolate and far too much Mexican food. I don't shop on the Sabbath or watch R-rated movies on any day of the week. I do attend church every Sunday for 3 hours, sometimes more. I don't buy lottery tickets. I do use stupid fake swear words like "fetch" even though I know it makes me sound silly. I do believe in abstinence before marriage and that families can be sealed together for eternity. I do have a huge crush on Colin Firth. My husband is aware of this.

I don't profess to be perfect, but I do believe that that is our ultimate goal. I do know that this perfection can only come through our Savior, Jesus Christ. I do believe in the Bible. I also believe The Book Of Mormon to be the word of God. I do believe in the Ten Commandments and quite a few others. I don't always act like it. I make mistakes. Big ones sometimes. I do pick myself up off the floor and try to do better each day.  I am a wife and a mother, a sister and daughter, a big mouth blogger, a gentle yoga teacher. My name is Leslie, and I am a Mormon. Thanks for listening....

Quote of the Day: “Try a little harder to be a little better.” Gordon B. Hinckley 

16 comments:

  1. I could almost take your post word for word, and just substitute in "Roman Catholic." Even the Colin Firth part, hee hee. But I will admit that I wouldn't be one to vote GOP until they start caring more for the poor among us. Moot point as I'm in Canada!

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  2. Haha...I know, funny huh. Perhaps my next post needs to be a few misconceptions about the GOP...either that or a salute to Colin Firth!!

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  3. Another little-known fact: Mormons sometimes have catfights over certain British actors. Bring it on--Colin's mine!

    ;-)

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  4. Hello Leslie
    One of my best friends is Mormon and I often ask her about her faith. She would never voluntarily speak about her religion but has been open and honest with me and I have to say, I am impressed. A young widow, she remarried a bishop in her temple and although we were not allowed to attend the ceremony, did enjoy a beautiful dinner service afterwards.
    Thanks for sharing 'M' is for Mormon.

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  5. I live in Utah, but I am not LDS. Most people assume I am or was at one point, but that's not the case. I have a lot of Mormon neighbors and friends and treasure them each and every one. I don't share their religion, but I share their commitment to family and community. They are very patient with me (I am pretty liberal) and I couldn't ask for a better atmosphere to live in....

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  6. Thank you for sharing your post with us this week for the letter "M".

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  7. Great post. Me too. Convert...but as an adult.

    I think Romney is very intelligent and does know his stuff. I have several friends who know him personally, not just in passing, but really well, and they speak extremely highly of him. I think he has some great skills and attributes, but putting his foot in his mouth is one he could do without. I think he's better than the stupid things he says. I have no idea how I'm going to vote in the final rounds...I wish that Huntsman had done better - not because he's Mormon, but because he's brilliant and good and ethical and NOT a politician... but oh well.

    I suspect that when it comes down to it, the bigots in our country will be forced to choose one way or another - what will they find to be worse? Voting for a black guy or voting for a Mormon guy? I wish people could just get over themselves and use their God-given brains.

    I voted for Obama last go-round, and I still think he's got enough smarts to get the job done, if his protagonists didn't fight him tooth and nail every step of the way. But in the end, if he's not a leader that the people want, and he can't rise above the fray and make things happen, then he's not the right guy for the job. I fear that if Romney is elected, he'll find the same kind of bigotry and opposition.

    OK, enough said. Thanks for your post. Glad I got to "rant" on your blog instead of mine. heehee

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  8. Really enjoyed your post. It has never even occurred to me to do M is for Mormon, and I've done several rounds of Alphabe-Thursday.

    I'm kinda sorry you beat me to it!

    ;)

    PS. Well done.

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  9. I'm glad you shared your perspectives and beliefs!

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  10. That was interesting and informative. I'm always learning new things from blogs!

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  11. I don't mind...

    Thanks for linking and sharing these insights about yourself...

    And although I am not Mormon, I still think this was a Marvelous post for the letter "M"!

    A+

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  12. Thanks for your comment on my blog today.
    Did you grow up in ID? You know I grew up in TF, right? Just curious.

    Sorry life was hard for you, too.

    I'll be watching to see if you follow up on this . . .

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  13. No I did not grow up here. I actually grew up in Northern California, my husband is from this area not too far from Idaho Falls, so this is where we landed after BYU. I do not know if I am sorry for the rough time as an adolescent or not...maybe it made me stronger or maybe just sad and a little angry. I will figure it out though! Keep writing your story I am loving it!

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