The LDS Women Project started with one sister telling her story to another. We have interviewed over 250 LDS women in more than 25 countries. Our stories are our heritage. We are part of a journal-keeping culture, a blogging culture, a memorializing culture that treasures the stories of those who have gone before us. As we each work to build a relationship with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Parents, we hope these stories from Latter-day Saint sisters will inspire every woman to make deliberate and meaningful choices in her life as she seeks to fulfill her individual mission on this earth. If you would like to nominate someone to be interviewed by one of our producers, please email us at interviews@ldswomenproject.com.

Featured Interview
THE SPIRITUAL GIFT OF GATHERING Melanie Hollis

Melanie Hollis has always enjoyed planning activities for her friends to do together, and after she joined the Church, she realized that gathering people is a spiritual gift. She put that gift of gathering into practice as a Young Adult counselor for the FSY (For the Strength of Youth) summer conferences around the United States […]

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321 posts displayed

THE SPIRITUAL GIFT OF GATHERING

Melanie Hollis
November 15, 2022
Melanie Hollis has always enjoyed planning activities for her friends to do together, and after she joined the Church, she realized that gathering people is... (Read More)

TENDER MERCIES

Jennifer Dinning
October 14, 2022
Jennifer Dinning does not consider herself a writer but felt prompted to create a blog to share the tender mercies of the Lord in her... (Read More)

DIVINE IDENTITY

Amber Corkin and Aubri Robinson
July 23, 2022
Amber Corkin and Aubri Robinson are twin sisters who received a prompting that their daughters need to learn of women in the scriptures while growing... (Read More)

CONSTITUTIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Lorianne Updike Toler
July 8, 2022
Lorianne Updike Toler began studying the US Constitution while in elementary school and her interest charted her educational course through multiple graduate degrees. As a... (Read More)

RADICAL ACCEPTANCE OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Fiona Phillips
May 26, 2022
May is Mental Health Awareness month. Fiona Phillips and her husband have supported multiple family members experiencing mental illness. Their experience is being put to... (Read More)

Power of Art on Culture

Mykal Urbina
May 13, 2022
A series of career steps in arts administration and management led Mykal Urbina to the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts, a nonprofit organization committed to... (Read More)

DEFINING SUCCESS

Elizabeth Atuaia
April 30, 2022
Elizabeth Atuaia and her siblings attained success in the performing arts as the pop music group The Jets from 1985 to 1990, performing around the... (Read More)

ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF THE LORD

Analia Hoole
March 18, 2022
Analia Hoole was raised in Argentina, went to college in the US, and married a man from the Netherlands. Moving between three continents has helped... (Read More)

Según la voluntad del Señor

Analia Hoola
March 18, 2022
Analia Hoola se crió en Argentina, asistió a la universidad en los Estados Unidos, y se casó con un hombre de los Países Bajos. Mudándose... (Read More)

I AM LOVED, I AM ENOUGH

Sandy Falter
February 4, 2022
Sandy Falter is a mother of six in Olympia, Washington, USA and in 2019, she faced a series of challenges: her marriage ended after almost... (Read More)

CONVERTED OVER AND OVER AGAIN

Fernanda Bollers
January 21, 2022
Fernanda Bollers was a high school student in Brazil when she began dating a member of the Church. After discussing the gospel and attending church... (Read More)

THE LORD LOVES HIS DAUGHTERS

Celeste Mergens
January 6, 2022
Celeste Mergens is the CEO and Founder of Days for Girls International, an award-winning champion for Women’s Health and Menstrual Health Equity. Days for Girls... (Read More)

THE LIBERATION OF BEING MYSELF

Jill Mulvay Derr
December 10, 2021
Jill Mulvay Derr began working at the Church‘s history department in 1973 as an intern, compiling the poetry of Eliza R. Snow. She spent her... (Read More)

I Hoped to Be a Writer

Mary Lythgoe Bradford
November 19, 2021
Mary Lythgoe Bradford was the editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought from 1976 to 1982. She had previously taught English and writing at... (Read More)

FOLLOWING EVE’S COURAGE

Melinda W. Brown
November 1, 2021
Melinda W. Brown has worked with multiple nonprofit organizations focused on women’s issues and for a time, was also seeking guidance on how to resolve... (Read More)

KEEPING THE CIRCLE OPEN

Jaynine Thompson
October 22, 2021
Jaynine Thompson was adopted as a child by her extended family, who joined the Church at about the same time. Even with knowing her adoptive... (Read More)

MANTENIENDO EL CÍRCULO ABIERTO

Jaynine Thompson
October 22, 2021
Jaynine Thompson fue adoptada cuando era niña por su familia extendida, que se unió a la Iglesia aproximadamente al mismo tiempo de la adopción. Incluso... (Read More)

CALLED TO SERVE ON FACEBOOK

Jade Hansen, Brynn Lee, Tressa Alexander
October 8, 2021
When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, full-time missionary work around the world changed immediately and dramatically. Sister missionaries, Jade Hansen, Brynn Lee,... (Read More)

THE PRETEND INVESTIGATOR

Eileen Velasquez
July 17, 2021
Eileen Velazquez lived in Utah as a teenager but was not a member of the Church. When her high school friends were preparing to leave... (Read More)

LA INVESTIGADORA FICTICIA

Eileen Velasquez
July 17, 2021
Eileen Velázquez vivía en Utah cuando era adolescente, pero no era miembro de la Iglesia. Cuando sus amigos de la escuela secundaria se preparaban para... (Read More)

COMMON GROUND

Jenna Hardy
July 2, 2021
Jenna Hardy joined the National Guard at age 17, and while her high school friends were serving missions, she was serving in the military in... (Read More)

CELEBRANDO LAS DIFERENCIAS CULTURALES

Maya Yerman Sanchez
June 21, 2021
Maya Yerman Sánchez se crio principalmente en México y en su adolescencia asistió a la escuela secundaria Benemerito, que es propiedad de la Iglesia. Sirvió... (Read More)

CELEBRATING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Maya Yerman Sanchez
June 21, 2021
Maya Yerman Sanchez was raised primarily in Mexico and attended the Church-owned Benemerito High School as a teenager. She served a Portuguese-speaking mission in Cape... (Read More)

TURN ON OUR LIGHT

Alejandra Salas
June 4, 2021
Alejandra Salas enjoys writing, especially when her words can strengthen and support other women and their families. She felt prompted to use her gifts in... (Read More)

PRENDER NUESTRA LUZ

Alejandra Salas
June 4, 2021
Alejandra Salas A Alejandra Salas le gusta escribir, especialmente cuando sus palabras pueden fortalecer y apoyar a otras mujeres y a sus familias. Siguió una... (Read More)

Los Detalles Pequeños Pero Importantes

Rhina Kathleen Toledo Benavides
May 22, 2021
Rhina Toledo nació en las Filipinas, vivió brevemente en España, y ahora está en México con su esposo y sus tres hijos. Decisiones sencillas le... (Read More)

SMALL BUT IMPORTANT THINGS

Rhina Kathleen Toledo Benavides
May 22, 2021
Rhina Toledo was born in the Philippines, lived temporarily in Spain, and is now in Mexico with her husband and their three children. Simple decisions... (Read More)

LEARN, PLAY, LOVE

Alexandria Scott
May 8, 2021
Alexandria Scott has a background in nonprofit work, so when she didn’t find the resources she wanted to teach her children about being anti-racist, she... (Read More)

GUIDANCE AND HELP FROM ANOTHER WORLD

Kathleen Parker McArthur
April 24, 2021
Kathleen Parker McArthur and her husband moved to West Virginia in 1977 after they graduated from BYU, and never left. They now have eight children,... (Read More)

BORN TO BE A NURSE

Jennie Leininger
March 13, 2021
One year ago, quarantine lockdowns were announced in the United States due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Jennie Leininger’s job as a medical-surgical nurse in... (Read More)

BLACK LIVES MATTER TO CHRIST

Melodie Jackson
February 13, 2021
Melodie Jackson grew up in a predominantly Black community in Mississippi and did not become fully aware of racial and social justice issues within the... (Read More)

THROUGH THE EYES OF A MOTHER

Rose Datoc Dall
January 29, 2021
Rose Datoc Dall is a painter whose art has been recently featured in multiple books produced by LDS-affiliated publishers. Throughout her career, she has focused... (Read More)

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER: AN ADOPTION STORY

Taylor Kim Christensen
January 16, 2021
Taylor Christensen was raised in an adoptive family. She has always known that she is loved and that she belongs. Taylor was also curious about... (Read More)

Comfort in Christ from Racial Injustice

Marina Graça Santos Bragança Neto
January 5, 2021
Marina Neto is a Portuguese woman of African ancestry. She was born in Portugal to immigrant parents from Sao Tome, and their family lived in... (Read More)

ASK THE UNIVERSE

Megan Spurlock
December 4, 2020
Megan Spurlock was raised in the Church in Utah, but considers herself a convert because she did not commit to the Gospel and the Church... (Read More)

Standing for Stockton

Alyson Paul Deussen
November 23, 2020
Alyson Deussen is the mother of a gay son, Stockton, who came out at age 13 and died by suicide in 2016 at age 17.... (Read More)

EMBRACE YOUR PURPOSE AND THE JOURNEY

Emily Farmer
November 7, 2020
Following a spiritual prompting that came from the clear blue sky, Emily Farmer walked into a senior care facility in her neighborhood to play the... (Read More)

EDIFICANDO HOGARES Y FAMILIAS EN EL EVANGELIO

Afrodita Reyes
September 4, 2020
Afrodita Reyes fue entre los primeros miembros de la Iglesia en la República Dominicana. Ella y su esposo han escogido enfocar su vida en servicio... (Read More)

Building Homes and Families in the Gospel

Afrodita Reyes
September 4, 2020
Afrodita Reyes was an early member of the Church in the Dominican Republic. She and her husband have chosen to focus their lives on service... (Read More)

Pitfalls, Promises & Patience

Jocelyn Pedersen
August 21, 2020
While in a stressful life situation, Jocelyn Pedersen was prescribed a category of antianxiety drugs called benzodiazepines. She was severely injured by trying to withdraw... (Read More)

Happy All The Time

Tanderra Bronston
July 20, 2020
Editorial Note: Tandi passed away a few months after this interview on November 28, 2020. We are honored that she entrusted us with part of... (Read More)

Finding Empowerment in Recovery

Sara Walker
July 6, 2020
Sara Walker is working toward becoming a therapist to help women going through their own recovery process from their husbands’ addiction to pornography. Please introduce... (Read More)

Healing Found in Family History

Miyamoto Loretta Jensen
June 16, 2020
Miyamoto Jensen came home from her mission depressed and anxious. She found healing and purpose in doing her family genealogy. Her work as a professional... (Read More)

Yearnings of the Soul

Dana Willard
June 2, 2020
Dana Willard is the blogger, designer, and sewist behind MadeEveryday. She is well-known in the sewing community for fun fabrics and quick and easy tutorials.... (Read More)

On My Road to Damascus

Robyn Burkinshaw
December 15, 2019
Robyn Burkinshaw is the secretary of her stake Relief Society, and a gay woman. She was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day... (Read More)

Clarity and Connection

Amber Richardson
October 22, 2019
Amber Richardson is a storyteller with many credits in many mediums. She has produced a YouTube series, “Splitting the Sky,” and a podcast, “On Sovereign... (Read More)

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Yvonne Baraketse
September 11, 2019
On April 6, 1994, the airplane carrying the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi was shot down over Kigali. That moment was like “oil on fire,”... (Read More)

Bravery and Love of Family

María Felipa García Pérez
August 28, 2019
The decisions that have shaped María Felipa García Pérez’s life haven’t been made because they were the easy ones, but because they were the right... (Read More)

Valentía y Amor de Familia

María Felipa García Pérez
August 28, 2019
Las decisiones que dieron forma a la vida de María Felipa García Pérez no se tomaron por su facilidad, sino porque fueron las correctas. Su... (Read More)

Taking His Name Upon Me

Mary Xavier
August 13, 2019
Mary Xavier was born and raised in Bangalore, India. She and her family were introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when... (Read More)

Saving Santa Cruz Sheep

Paula Garner
July 24, 2019
Paula Garner always wanted to be a farmer. As an adult, the opportunity arose to care for a small flock of Santa Cruz sheep, a... (Read More)

Kingdom in the Sky

Leetoane Ernestina Mats'aba
June 27, 2019
Leetoane Mats’aba describes herself as “a happy soul filled with promises and blessing of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.” She lives in Lesotho, the... (Read More)

Building a Future of Hope

Ruth Yeboah
June 4, 2019
Ruth Yeboah is a passionate advocate for women. Born in Ivory Coast, she immigrated to the Bronx, New York as a young teen. Ruth was... (Read More)

For Such a Time as This

Brigitte Madrian
May 13, 2019
Brigitte Madrian decided in eighth grade that she would get a PhD someday. She graduated from BYU with a degree in economics, then went on... (Read More)

Searching for Truth, in Science and Faith

Emily Bates
April 28, 2019
Listen to this interview at the Mormon Women Project podcast, available on all platforms. Emily Bates suffered severe migraines from a young age, leading her to pursue... (Read More)

A Culture of Faith

Anne Apuakehau
April 1, 2019
Anne Apuakehau grew up in a religious home in Bangalore, India. Following her third oldest sister’s baptism, Anne listened to the missionaries and gained her... (Read More)

Straight to the Source

Ashley Bryant Miller
March 15, 2019
Since she was a small child, Ashley Bryant Miller knew she wanted to be an actor. It wasn’t until young adulthood that she knew she... (Read More)

A Path of My Own

Abi (Gunn) Schnell
February 5, 2019
As a registered nurse who experienced her own life-changing neck injury, Abi Schnell has developed an empathetic heart that will serve her well in her... (Read More)

By Divine Design

Kristin Burnett Hodson
January 23, 2019
Listen to this interview at the Mormon Women Project podcast, available on all platforms. Kristin Hodson is the founder and executive director of The Healing Group. As... (Read More)

Creating Zion

Maryan Myres Shumway
January 4, 2019
Maryan Myres Shumway uses art, music, and teaching to build community and cultivate “Zion” wherever she is. She has traveled all over the world, living... (Read More)

The Bottom Line of the Gospel

Leslie Schwartz-Leeper
December 19, 2018
Listen to this interview at the Mormon Women Project podcast, available on all platforms. This interview is part of our Mixed-Faith Marriage series. Leslie Schwartz-Leeper’s parents divorced when... (Read More)

A Mixed-Faith Marriage

Jennifer Kambourian
November 15, 2018
Listen to this interview at the Mormon Women Project podcast, available on all platforms. This interview is part of our Mixed-Faith Marriage series. Jennifer Kambourian is... (Read More)

Beauty Redefined

Lexie and Lindsay Kite
October 18, 2018
Identical twins, Lexie and Lindsay Kite’s life missions became clear to them during their freshman year in college.  An introductory communications course coupled with the... (Read More)

Deep in the Sources

Kate Holbrook
October 4, 2018
As a professional historian, Kate Holbrook has focused her career on telling women’s stories through the lens of two of her favorite topics: religion and... (Read More)

To Work on the Word of God

Sveinbjörg Guðmundsdóttir
September 18, 2018
Sveinbjörg Guðmundsdóttir translated most of the Book of Mormon into Icelandic, beginning in 1977. She had joined the Church in 1976 after two missionaries knocked... (Read More)

Threads of Faith

Maria Teresa Toro Valenzuela
September 4, 2018
As a seamstress with a special spot in her heart for the traditional Chilean cueca dresses, Maria Teresa Toro Valenzuela knows how to modify and improve on... (Read More)

Los Hilos Del Amor

Maria Teresa Toro Valenzuela
September 3, 2018
Una costurera con un lugar especial en su corazón para ” la cueca,” los trajes típicos chilenos, Maria Teresa Toro Valenzuela sabe cómo modificar y mejorar un buen patrón.... (Read More)

A Radiant Life

Camille Moffat
July 12, 2018
Camille Moffat was driving home late one night when she was hit head-on by a drunk driver. She suffered multiple fractures, a traumatic brain injury,... (Read More)

To Shine a Light

Elizabeth Ostler
June 23, 2018
Listen to this interview at the Mormon Women Project podcast, available on all platforms. Elizabeth Ostler is a theater-maker, activist, and professor living in Brooklyn, New... (Read More)

Open To All Possibilities

Anoush Emrazian Anderson
May 15, 2018
Anoush Anderson discovered a love for science when she was young, and her curiosity about the workings of the world motivated her to pursue an... (Read More)

Multiples and Miracles

Julie Bradshaw Grygla
April 10, 2018
Listen to this interview at the Mormon Women Project podcast, available on all platforms. Julie Grygla is the mother of six children under five years... (Read More)

Running With God

Merrecia James
February 20, 2018
Merrecia James discovered her passion for running at an early age, as she navigated growing up in Jamaica. Running was an escape from poverty and... (Read More)

One Step Enough

Cynthia Owens
January 23, 2018
Dr. Cynthia Owens knew from a young age that she wanted to go to medical school, serve a mission, and be a mother. With guidance... (Read More)

A Divine Commission

Angela Johnson
December 20, 2017
Angela Johnson grew up with a burning desire to become an opera star. She wholeheartedly pursued that goal while she raised a family, until a... (Read More)

Hummingbird

Esther Yu Sumner
December 5, 2017
At five feet tall, Esther Yu Sumner has a big vision for life. The 39-year-old marketing professional, now a published children’s author, is always in... (Read More)

A Future Only God Could See for Her

Eva Witesman
October 28, 2017
This complete interview may be heard at the Mormon Women Project podcast. Eva Witesman is a professor of public management at BYU, and also serves... (Read More)

To Create is Our Birthright

Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick
October 10, 2017
Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick developed a strong testimony of faith and a love of singing at a very early age. These gifts helped comfort her through... (Read More)

The Creative Impulse

Erica Glenn
August 22, 2017
Erica Glenn believes in the power of music and the healing process of creativity, and has seen from experiences around the world how creativity fosters... (Read More)

A Quest for Self-Knowledge

Luisa Perkins
August 1, 2017
Luisa Perkins began reading and then writing stories as a young girl as a way to find peace and escape from a troubled home life.... (Read More)

The Lord Really is Kind

Cecilie Lundgreen
July 11, 2017
Cecilie Lundgreen, known as CC, is a Norwegian professional golfer. As she was climbing the ranks of European pro golfers, she lost several loved ones... (Read More)

Giving Her All

Kay Conder
June 26, 2017
Kay Conder was only 34 years old when she and her husband of 13 years divorced, in 1984. She was left to raise six kids... (Read More)

Their Story is Our Story

Trisha Leimer
June 12, 2017
Trisha Leimer was raising her family in Frankfurt, Germany when the global refugee crisis hit a tipping point in 2015. As she volunteered in and... (Read More)

Be Transformed by the Renewal of Your Mind

Mariana Castro Heath
May 29, 2017
Mariana Castro Heath has traveled around the world for her studies and her archeological work. Born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, Mariana graduated with a... (Read More)

A Well-Educated Heart

Marlene Blomquist Peterson
May 10, 2017
Marlene Peterson believes that the desire to learn any subject begins in the heart, and is sparked by stories, music, imagery, and poetry — the... (Read More)

All the Women Should Be There

Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye
April 25, 2017
Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye grew up in the Church. She earned her BA and her Ph.D. from Harvard University and now teaches history at University of... (Read More)

Blended Grief, Blended Healing

Deborah Soderholm
April 5, 2017
Deborah Soderholm married at 19 and was widowed at age 30 when her husband died from suicide. She continued her beloved teaching job as she... (Read More)

The Doors Are Open to You

Carly Sessions
March 22, 2017
Carly Sessions, an Arizona native, found herself unemployed and bored after college and a year-long teaching internship. On a whim she decided to apply for... (Read More)

Un Apprentissage Parmi les Enfants de Dieu

Élodie Picard
February 27, 2017
Read this interview in English. Élodie Picard a rencontré et épousé son mari Paul en France, mais la carrière de ce dernier pour l’armée Française,... (Read More)

Learning From All God’s Peoples

Élodie Picard
February 27, 2017
Lire cette interview en français Élodie Picard met and married her husband Paul in France, but his career in the French military and with international... (Read More)

Beyond the Barriers

Amelia Bell
February 7, 2017
When Amelia Bell and her husband were faced with financial and physical trials that required a change in perspective, she turned to her Heavenly Father... (Read More)

The Full Scope of the Atonement

Briana Cullimore
January 17, 2017
Briana Cullimore’s desire to be healthy led to a continuing struggle with multiple eating disorders and depression. She discusses using restriction/food as a coping mechanism,... (Read More)

A Journey That Began With Roller Skates

Leslie Huber
June 21, 2016
Leslie Huber’s passion for genealogy started with a simple story about roller skates, and after exploration of the career path, she decided to make family history... (Read More)

Dressed Like A Queen

Rosie Card
June 2, 2016
At age 16, Rosie Card seemed to be living the dream: she was a runway model traveling the world. The experience has given her unique... (Read More)

To Sit At The Feet of Christ

Christie Kay Hansen Frandsen
May 19, 2016
Christie Frandsen feasts on the scriptures. And she has taught eleven children and the two hundred missionaries that have gone through her seminary and institute... (Read More)

Collect, Preserve and Share

Laura Allred Hurtado
May 3, 2016
As the Global Acquisitions Curator for Art for the Church History Museum, Laura Allred Hurtado has a unique understanding of how art impacts our worship. She... (Read More)

A Life in Full Color

Aïda Stevenson
March 17, 2016
As a refugee of the Spanish Civil War, Aïda was raised in France with two families: her Spanish family of birth and her adopted French... (Read More)

Une Vie Pleine de Couleurs

Aïda Stevenson
March 17, 2016
Read this interview in English. En tant que réfugiée de la guerre d’Espagne, Aïda fut élevée en France par deux familles : sa famille espagnole... (Read More)

On Listening, Music, and What it Means to Be Human

Catherine Ramirez
January 21, 2016
Catherine Ramirez is a professional flutist and teacher whose music has been described as spiritual, elegant, acrobatic, and earthy. When she speaks about her musical... (Read More)

Ready to Blend

Heather Staker
January 8, 2016
Heather Staker is the founder and president of Ready to Blend. She speaks and trains about blended learning, which is any formal education program that... (Read More)

Taught By Her Mothers

Annalaura Solomon
November 10, 2015
Annalaura Solomon was raised by lesbian mothers and joined the Church 12 years ago, at the age of 18. In this interview, Annalaura describes her... (Read More)

Life, By Design

Alyson Von Feldt
May 14, 2015
Always a “mother at heart,” Alyson Von Feldt is an organization design consultant, author, speaker, published religious scholar, seminary teacher, and mom of four. She... (Read More)

A Family Production

Erin Morley
April 9, 2015
Erin Morley has risen to become one of the most celebrated opera singers in the world today. With her four-year-old daughter in tow and often... (Read More)

Where Her Truth Is

Morgan Lyon Cotti
March 4, 2015
Morgan Lyon Cotti grew up with a mom who worked in politics. These early experience shaped in own future as she stepped into advanced education... (Read More)

School, Sacrifice, and Service

Rachel Esplin Odell
February 4, 2015
Although raised on an Idaho potato farm, Rachel Esplin Odell is now a PhD student in International Relations at MIT with a focus on Asian... (Read More)

Following the Spirit During Life’s Twists

Sally Miner Murray
January 28, 2015
At the age of 50, Sally Murray didn’t have a passport and never dreamed she’d find herself living across the world. But a prompting by... (Read More)

Standing Firm When It All Falls Apart

Ashlee Birk
January 21, 2015
Ashlee Birk was living a simple life as the mother of five children and wife to a successful lawyer. One cold night in March 2011,... (Read More)

Moving Past Forever

Kenna Christensen
January 14, 2015
At the age of 20, Kenna Christensen was newly married in the temple and beginning what she thought was an eternal marriage. Nine months later,... (Read More)

The 3 Browns

Deondra, Desirae and Melody Brown
January 7, 2015
Deondra, Desirae and Melody are three of the 5 Browns, a piano performing quintet composed of siblings. The sisters all attended The Juilliard School together... (Read More)

Trail Blazing in Belgium

Linda Vergauwen
December 4, 2014
When Linda Vergauwen joined the Church in Belgium in 1978, neither she nor her friends and family knew anything about Mormons. Today, Linda is a... (Read More)

Searching for Kayelyn

Suzie Louder, Madi Rodriguez, and Amy Fugal
November 25, 2014
On a cold and rainy November morning, more than 170 volunteers with ponchos, hand warmers, and GPS trackers canvased a one-mile radius in Murray, Utah,... (Read More)

"Prayer Changes Things"

Willie Mae Wright Douglas
October 29, 2014
Willie Douglas has weathered some storms. She has been part of many of the tumults in America’s history over the last fifty years. She battled... (Read More)

Street Smart and Math Wise

Janet Nelson
October 17, 2014
Young Women General Board member Janet Nelson raised four children in New York City. And while she was doing that, she was chipping away at... (Read More)

Choosing Good and Making Change

Bethany Brady Spalding
October 9, 2014
Bethany Brady Spalding takes her knack for dissatisfaction and turns it into life-giving action. Whether she's planting gardens for at-risk children, directing community health programs,... (Read More)

Choosing God and Abundance

McArthur Krishna
October 1, 2014
McArthur Krishna did not expect to be where she is. And the path she took to get there was an unusual one. McArthur lives in... (Read More)

All Here Together

Bianca Morrison Dillard
September 24, 2014
In her work as a filmmaker, Bianca Morrison Dillard sees storytelling as a way to build community, and a way to help people feel heard... (Read More)

Aspiring Mormon Women

Naomi Watkins
August 18, 2014
Just when Naomi Watkins thought she was done with school forever, she felt the Lord redirect her path. Now she wants to encourage other women... (Read More)

To Be A Vessel

Jamillah Ali-Rashada
July 16, 2014
As a young woman, Jamillah Ali-Rashada prayed that Allah would let her live to raise children. In return, she promised that she would serve others... (Read More)

We Are Made for Love and Light

Rachel von Niederhausern
June 12, 2014
Rachel von Niederhausern has always had a passion for humanitarian work, but she wasn't sure what she would do with an MBA until she realized... (Read More)

In Darkness, In Grace

SNAPSHOT PORTRAIT: Hillary Stirling
May 22, 2014
"A psychiatrist prescribed medication that did more to lift the darkness of depression than all my prayers had. Though I was grateful for that partial... (Read More)

A Calling and a Purpose

Snapshot Portrait: Katie Jennings
April 24, 2014
"It was a few years, a million tears, countless Mother's Days hiding in the bathroom at church, doctor's visits, medications, more tears, and lots of... (Read More)

An Advocate of Faith

Laura Asioli
April 18, 2014
Laura Asioli made two important life decisions before she was ten years old. She decided she wanted to be baptized in the LDS Church, and... (Read More)

Snapshot Portrait: Laura Breksa

Laura Breksa
April 9, 2014
"God was like a neighbor who lived a few houses down the street. I’d go to him when something was broken, come back to collect... (Read More)

Miraculous Ways

Olivia Foo Fung Leung Luk
March 19, 2014
A job loss. A family member's illness. A cancer diagnosis. All difficult trials, made even more difficult when they all happen at the same time.... (Read More)

Loving Allegra

Alison Sprouse Pulley
March 13, 2014
In 2010, Ali Pulley and her husband, Mitchell, learned the baby they were expecting had severe chromosomal defects. They were suddenly faced with urgent and... (Read More)

Toujours à Servir et à Aider Les Autres

Bérengère Doby
March 11, 2014
Bérengère Doby s'est toujours considérée comme altruiste, et elle cherche des moyens de mettre son amour en pratique. Son enfance dans le sud de la... (Read More)

To Always Serve and Love

Bérengère Doby
March 5, 2014
Bérengère Doby says she has always had an altruistic personality, and looks for ways to put love and into practice. Her childhood in southern France... (Read More)

PEOPLE LIKE US DO THINGS LIKE THAT

Raquel Cook
February 27, 2014
Raquel Cook’s biography so far might read like an adventure novel—living and working in Korea, meeting the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa, studying at Oxford... (Read More)

Une Pionnière à Paris

Josiane Lazeras
February 21, 2014
Lorsque Josiane Lazeras avait treize ans, elle s'est fait baptisée et a rejoint un petit groupe très uni de Saints des derniers jours près de... (Read More)

A Pioneer in Paris

Josiane Lazeras
February 12, 2014
When Josiane Lazeras was thirteen, she was baptized and joined a small, close-knit group of pioneering Latter-day Saints near Paris, France. Even as the gospel... (Read More)

PATIENCE AND JOY

Patience Omorodion
February 6, 2014
A Nigerian mother raising her family in France, Patience Omorodion is inspired by a line that her own mother used to sing, “I will build... (Read More)

Finding A Lifeline

Rhyll Anne Croshaw
January 31, 2014
For twenty-seven years, Rhyll Crowshaw and her husband have been working through the effects of his sexual addiction. With the help of therapists, bishops, introspection... (Read More)

The Art of Homemaking

Daryl Van Dam Hoole
January 24, 2014
Daryl Hoole's first book, The Art of Homemaking, was published in 1967 and lasted on the shelves of Deseret Book for 25 years. The unofficial... (Read More)

Sharing the Burden

Dawn
January 15, 2014
Dawn’s husband, Eric, suffers from bipolar disorder. Over the course of their twelve-year marriage, the two of them have learned to deal with the challenges... (Read More)

The Romney Family Table

Ann Romney
January 6, 2014
Ann Romney spent many years in the global spotlight as the wife of Massachusetts governor and United States presidential candidate Mitt Romney. However, with campaign... (Read More)

Understanding What Is Real

Sarah Street
December 12, 2013
As a molecular physiology professor at UNC Chapel Hill, Sarah Street is interested in the big questions of how the brain works: What is perception?... (Read More)

Women and the Priesthood

Sheri Dew
December 9, 2013
Sheri Dew wrote biographies of Ezra Taft Benson and Gordon B. Hinckley during their lifetimes. She served as a counselor in the general Relief Society... (Read More)

Rescued From Exploitation

Stephanie M. Larsen
November 20, 2013
Stephanie comes from four generations of women who were trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Her own mother was sent into the trade at... (Read More)

Just Say Amen Already

Kat S.
November 14, 2013
Kat S. is a family therapist in New York City and a Jewish convert to the LDS Church. She is also the semi-anonymous blogger behind... (Read More)

Authentic Life

Laurel "Lolly" Weed
November 6, 2013
Laurel “Lolly” Weed is a wife and a stay-at-home mother to three daughters, but says she has no natural housekeeping skills and doesn’t feel like... (Read More)

Snapshot Portrait: Amy Mitchell

Amy Mitchell
October 31, 2013
The moment I realized there is power in what I do was when… …I decided to proactively facilitate the natural birth of my fourth child.... (Read More)

Tis A Gift To Be Simple

Rachel Whipple
October 23, 2013
From Our "Sisters Speak Out" Series: Rachel Whipple doesn't own a dryer or an air conditioner. Why? Because she believes that being a steward of... (Read More)

Knowing Her Worth

Elizabeth Smart
October 15, 2013
On June 5, 2002, at the age of 14, Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City and spent nine months in... (Read More)

Coded in the DNA

Suzi Fei
October 4, 2013
Suzi Fei is a devout Mormon, wife, and mother. She’s also a computational biologist and an enthusiastic career woman who says her natural inclinations to... (Read More)

La priorité, c’est la famille – En Francais

Annie Bush
September 26, 2013
Annie Bush est devenue membre de l’Eglise à l’âge de 16 ans, alors qu'elle vivait à Bordeaux en France. En tant que traductrice pour l’Église,... (Read More)

The Priority Is Family – In English

Annie Bush
September 26, 2013
Annie Bush joined the Church in her native Bordeaux, France at the age of 16. Working as a translator for the Church, Annie spent years... (Read More)

Global Mom

Melissa Dalton Bradford
September 17, 2013
Melissa Dalton Bradford raised four children in the midst of an international life: Norway, France, Singapore, Germany. But what appears glamorous to many has its... (Read More)

The House She Lives In

Kate Kelly
September 12, 2013
From our "Sisters Speak Out" series: On March 17, 2013, Kate Kelly launched OrdainWomen.org. Her efforts to draw attention to the possibility of female ordination... (Read More)

Recorded In Heaven

Angela Fallentine
September 6, 2013
From Our New "Sisters Speak Out" Series: Angela Fallentine is a U.S. expat living in New Zealand. Angela has had a long career with the... (Read More)

Loving Through Language

Maria Babin
August 23, 2013
Although the product of a Mexican mother, a Peruvian father and an Ecuadorian mission, Maria Babin always had a special love for France. Now living... (Read More)

When You’re Ready

Pam Shorr
August 14, 2013
When Pam Shorr decided to stop attending church, she doubted she would ever go back. She recalls thinking, “I really want to find who I... (Read More)

In the Lord’s Time

Peka Holmes
August 7, 2013
As a wife and mother in a part-member family, Peka draws on the inspiration of her mother -- who was also a "single parent in... (Read More)

Cherish One Another

Cathy Stokes
July 31, 2013
Cathy Stokes is a firebrand, common-sense Mormon. A pioneering member who was baptized in 1979, Cathy’s willingness to speak her mind has shaped her faith... (Read More)

"My Life Changed Completely" – en Español

Maria Lucia Batioja
July 17, 2013
María Lucia Batioja balanceaba ser a la vez un converso a la Iglesia y un inmigrante a los Estados Unidos desde Argentina. Ella cuenta su... (Read More)

"My Life Changed Completely" – in English

Maria Lucia Batioja
July 17, 2013
Maria Lucia Batioja balances being both a convert to the church and an immigrant to the United States from Argentina. She tells her story of... (Read More)

Threads Woven Together

Callie Appelstein
July 10, 2013
Raised with little religion in her home, it was during college when Callie went to Hebrew University in Jerusalem that she first embraced her Jewish... (Read More)

A Grief Observed

Julie Hall
June 27, 2013
Nearly two years ago, tragedy struck when Julie Hall’s 14-month-old son died before her eyes. She now understands what C.S. Lewis meant when he said... (Read More)

Heart to Heart with Hart

Lindsay Hart
June 17, 2013
Lindsay Hart is a woman of many talents, and she's put them all to good use. As a Spanish speaker, she has helped build up... (Read More)

“I Swore I’d Never Marry a Farmer”

Elizabeth Bectell
May 16, 2013
While growing up in Alberta, Canada, Elizabeth Bectell swore she would never live on a farm. But after graduating from college and serving a full-time... (Read More)

Playing From Her Heart

Tina Richerson
May 9, 2013
Tina knew from a young age that music was her life's calling and she is a professional saxophonist in New York. It took longer for... (Read More)

Her Version of Having It All

Marie-Laure Oscarson
May 1, 2013
Marie-Laure Oscarson suggests that “having it all” means something different for everyone. For her—a mother, a university professor, and a convert to the LDS Church—it... (Read More)

Reflections on the Divine

Fiona Givens
April 24, 2013
As the co-author with her husband of the highly popular book, "The God Who Weeps," Fiona Givens has thought deeply about the character of God... (Read More)

"You Pass"

Maria de Jesus Cristina
April 10, 2013
As a young wife and mother, Maria miraculously obtained a visa to leave Mexico and join her husband in the United States. However, the visa... (Read More)

Yoga for Body and Soul

Joanne Dehlin
April 3, 2013
When Joanne Dehlin first tried Bikram Yoga, she didn’t love it—but she knew she needed it in her life. Now she is a certified instructor... (Read More)

"How Far Can I Soar?"

Seraphine Kapsandoy Jones
March 27, 2013
Having suffered religious persecution and losing a parent at a young age, Seraphine Kapsandoy Jones has had her fair share of trials. But the 35-year-old... (Read More)

Snapshot Portrait: Kristin Goodwin

Kristin Goodwin
March 20, 2013
I realized I have power when… …I discovered the power of tenderness, and what it means to have unconditional love and attachment as a mother.... (Read More)

A Vision of Eternal Perspective

Kristen Cox
March 14, 2013
Kristen Cox balances her family life with a career in government, negotiating a busy world with the added challenge of blindness. Having worked under three... (Read More)

The Shining Light of Oakland

Betty Stevenson
March 6, 2013
Betty Stevenson grew up in an African-American community near San Francisco. After spiraling through abusive relationships, drug dealing and jail, she joined the Church. Betty... (Read More)

Seeking Peace That Passeth Understanding

Patty Gutshall
February 21, 2013
Although a devoted mother to four children, Patty has seen each of her children walk away from the Church. The death of one of her... (Read More)

From the Bathtub to Beyond

Annie Poon
February 14, 2013
Inspired by her childhood love of shrinky dinks, Garfield, Disney movies and bathtime, animator and artist Annie Poon has established herself as a premier paper... (Read More)

A Champion for Diversity

Sui Lang Panoke
February 6, 2013
As the founder of a consultancy that prepares and promotes women and minorities in politics, Sui Lang Panoke is trained to find opportunities for organizations... (Read More)

Lisa’s Courage

Lisa Hansen
January 30, 2013
As the composer and lyricist of "Nephi's Courage," Lisa Hansen's influence is felt in Primaries across the Church. But it is her work as the... (Read More)

Banding Together As A Family

Tana Flowers
January 16, 2013
Married to Brandon Flowers, the frontman of an internationally-known rock band, Tana and her husband spend much of their time apart. To combat the common... (Read More)

An Unfinished Story

Kimberly White
January 8, 2013
First married at age 18, Kimberly White emerged from an abusive marriage to earn a degree from BYU in philosophy and marry in the temple.... (Read More)

Snapshot Portrait: Meghan Decker

Meghan Decker
December 12, 2012
The hardest choice I've made in my life was to reveal my major depressive episode and my suicidal thoughts to an unknown audience of thousands.

The Heart of His Servant

Siu Man
December 5, 2012
Siu Man has been a member of the Church in Hong Kong for about 40 years. Despite a congenital heart defect that has kept her... (Read More)

Defending Freedom in the Air Force

Janice McDowell
November 28, 2012
As a public health officer in the United States Air Force, Janice recently completed a year-long "hardship" tour at Kunsan Air Base in Korea. She... (Read More)

What Marfan Means to Maya

Maya Brown-Zimmerman
November 14, 2012
Maya Brown-Zimmerman is an outspoken Latina mother of two special-needs children. She has Marfan syndrome. Maya earned a Masters in Public Health from The Ohio... (Read More)

The Intimate Side of Marriage

Jennifer Finlayson-Fife
October 30, 2012
As a psychotherapist practicing in Chicago, Jennifer understands how important sexual intimacy can be to healthy, honest marriages. Jennifer professionally helps LDS women find ways... (Read More)

An American Education

Raquel Perez Johnston
October 21, 2012
Raquel Johnston is a former Cuban refugee who came to America at age 10. Among the blessings she discovered in the United States, Raquel learned... (Read More)

The Power of A Snowflake

Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill
October 10, 2012
Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill has dedicated her professional life to the study of peace and how to bring peace to the lives of women around the world.... (Read More)

Serving the Worldwide Village

Christine Troger, Alisa Cozzens, and Christie Romney
October 4, 2012
Chris, Alisa and Christi are bound together not only by blood but by their affinity to a continent where they learned to love the people,... (Read More)

Humbled Through Affliction

Elizabeth Perry
September 14, 2012
Elizabeth Perry’s evangelical upbringing caused her to loathe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. An eating disorder she developed in college helped soften... (Read More)

Fostering A Love of Science

Crystal Croshaw
September 5, 2012
Crystal came from a tumultuous upbringing, passed from foster home to foster home before settling with her grandparents as a teenager. It wasn’t until she... (Read More)

A Formula for Overcoming Abuse

HDH
August 27, 2012
In her profound story of personal healing and renewal through her relationship with the Lord, HDH describes a 30-year process of recovering from sexual assault... (Read More)

Honoring Her Heritage

Janice Freij
August 8, 2012
Janice was born into a Christian Palestinian family, but didn't gain a deep appreciation for her heritage until she was a young adult. Now, as... (Read More)

Her Castle On A Cloud

Sandra Turley
July 25, 2012
Sandra Turley lived the dream of many aspiring performers when she was cast in the role of Cosette in Les Miserables on Broadway at the... (Read More)

Saving Lives, One Mother At A Time

Dana Allison
June 27, 2012
Since her childhood days in Alberta, Canada, Dana Allison has been an advocate for women, and now she has dedicated her life to saving other... (Read More)

Understanding Who She Is

Bridey Jensen
June 20, 2012
Currently the president of Brigham Young University's Understanding Same Gender Attraction club, Bridey Jensen has spent her college years coming to terms with the fact... (Read More)

Away From Polygamy, Towards A Deeper Understanding

Vilate Nielsen
June 14, 2012
As one of her polygamous father's 47 children, Vilate Nielsen was never lonely. But as a young adult, Vilate chose instead to join The Church... (Read More)

Personal Revolutions

Rostya Gordon-Smith
June 4, 2012
As the 19-year-old daughter of a Communist leader, Rostya defected from Czechoslovakia in 1969 after the country was invaded. Although raised atheist, a powerful conversion... (Read More)

A Humanitarian at Heart

Suzanne Harwood
May 9, 2012
Suzanne Harwood didn’t always want to be a nurse. In this article, she explains how she felt guided to nursing and how that decision has... (Read More)

A Model of Many Talents

Summer Bellessa
May 2, 2012
Summer Bellessa spent her youth living in Paris, Japan and New York as an international model. So it was an easy transition for her then... (Read More)

Goodness Has A Lunge to It

Catharine Platt McGraw
April 25, 2012
Raised in Bahrain and Dubai as the daughter of a falconer, Catharine had early exposure to the life cycles and rituals of animals, which deeply... (Read More)

Celebrating the Unseen Woman

Heather Farrell
April 18, 2012
At a very young age, Heather Farrell began thinking about her role as a woman and the place of women in God’s plan. That led... (Read More)

Believing In All Good

Erin Fairlight Olsen
April 4, 2012
From Doha, Qatar, Erin Fairlight Olsen shares her adventures raising four children in co-parenting homeschool abroad. A doctrinal candidate with Jewish and Islamic influences in... (Read More)

Holly on the Hill

Holly Richardson
March 27, 2012
As the first professional midwife elected to a state legislature in modern times, Holly Richardson already has an impressive influence. But her reach doesn't end... (Read More)

The Art of Education

Ann Lambson
March 18, 2012
As the Director of Education at Brigham Young University's Museum of Art, Ann Lambson has made it her life's work to connect people with art.... (Read More)

Always In Style

Jenny Sato
March 5, 2012
Trained as a doctor, Jenny Sato abandoned her medical practice when she left her native China to marry her Japanese husband. Now in Yokohama, Jenny... (Read More)

A Woman of Character

Susan Easton Black
March 1, 2012
A popular professor at Brigham Young University, Susan Easton Black was the first female full-time professor in the school's religion department. When Susan become a... (Read More)

"Just Go For A Year and See"

Janet Hirano
February 22, 2012
Janet Hirano moved to Japan in her 20s to teach English for one year and ended up staying for 50. She married and raised a... (Read More)

A Worldwide Sisterhood

Judy Dushku
February 14, 2012
Judy Dushku has built a life and career that suits her unique identity, although some may perceive contradictions in the multiple facets of her life:... (Read More)

Taught In All the Learning

Dayan Bernal
February 8, 2012
Born in Bolivia and raised in California, Dayan traveled the challenging road of becoming the first college graduate in her family. She knew she wanted... (Read More)

A Conscious Focus

Anonymous
February 1, 2012
Families with trans-racial adopted children are becoming more common, both within the LDS community and without. But what is it like to grow up as... (Read More)

Flunking Sainthood

Jana Riess
January 13, 2012
Jana Riess was baptized in her final year of study at Princeton Theological Seminary. Her career plan to be a Protestant pastor derailed by her... (Read More)

Living Proof

Amy Jones
December 21, 2011
Faced with her husband's liver failure, Amy Jones turned to the resource she knew best: homeopathic medicine. As a doula and childbirth educator, she had... (Read More)

A Measure of the Spirit

Joumana Borderie
December 12, 2011
Although born and raised in Lebanon, Joumana left Beirut for Paris to complete her studies as an artist. But it was when she joined the... (Read More)

Une Empreinte de l’Esprit

Joumana Borderie
December 12, 2011
Née et élevée au Liban, Joumana a quitté Beirut pour poursuivre ses études d’art à Paris. Mais c’est en découvrant l’Église par une amie au Liban qu’elle... (Read More)

An Instrument of Homecoming

Joanna Brooks
November 29, 2011
Joanna Brooks has emerged as an important commentator on Mormonism for mainstream media. In fact, this year Politico named her as one of 50 commentators... (Read More)

MWP Salon 2011

Part 1 - Emma Lou Thayne
November 23, 2011
On November 5, 2011, the MWP hosted its second annual Salon at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. The first part... (Read More)

I Too Must Give

Kirsten Monson
November 10, 2011
During a trip to India in May 2010, mother-of-five Kirsten Monson discovered the beautiful artisan work of the local women and determined that she would... (Read More)

The Wedding Ladies

Betty Ann Curtis, BJ Medler, Sandy Clark, and Terry Mastny
October 26, 2011
Sandy Clark, Betty Ann Curtis, Terry Mastny, and BJ Medler met when they all lived in the same ward in Naperville, IL. As their children... (Read More)

The Song of the Heart

Bonnie Winterton
October 19, 2011
Bonnie Winterton had distinguished careers as a conductor and as a professor at the University of Utah, all while raising six children. She feels God... (Read More)

Snapshot Portrait: Patty Pitterle

Overgaard, AZ, October 12, 2011
October 12, 2011
The first time I realized Heavenly Father loved me was when… I was a very young girl, and, one dark night, I was struggling to... (Read More)

So Many Miracles

Florence Slease
October 5, 2011
As a Protestant growing up in Northern Ireland, Florence Slease experienced first hand the extreme conflict between people of her faith and the neighboring Catholics.... (Read More)

An Eternal Perspective

"Meredith"
September 28, 2011
After 15 years of marriage, Meredith's husband came out as gay and requested a divorce. In her interview, Meredith talks about how her husband's announcement... (Read More)

Unconventional Miracles

Lindsey Redfern
September 21, 2011
When Lindsey Redfern and her husband were told they would never be able to bear their own children, Lindsey wondered why she was denied the... (Read More)

Never Alone With the Gospel

Adeline and Véronique Defranchi
September 14, 2011
French sisters Véronique and Adeline both credit their mother with their love of music and the fact that they both make their living in music.... (Read More)

Une Vie Pleinement Productive

Adeline et Véronique Defranchi
September 14, 2011
Read this interview in English. Racontez-moi d’abord un peu comment c’était de grandir dans l’église en France Adeline : Nos parents se sont convertis plusieurs années... (Read More)

A Champion Inside and Out

Claire Harries
August 24, 2011
Involved in fitness training since high school, mother of three Claire Harries recently became a body-building champion in Holland. A native of South Africa who... (Read More)

Finding the Balance

Liz Wiseman
August 17, 2011
As a vice president at the Silicon Valley giant, Oracle, for 17 years, Liz Wiseman learned to say no to any commitment that wasn’t work,... (Read More)

Accounting For The Debt: A Sexual Abuse Collection

August 10, 2011
Over the past 18 months, as the MWP volunteers and I have asked over a hundred women to tell us the stories of their lives,... (Read More)

Keeping His Promise

Bonnie Butler
August 5, 2011
While many moms juggle kids and a career, Bonnie has juggled kids as a career. She has been a mother to her own four biological... (Read More)

Snapshot Portrait: Amanda Lythgoe

Manchester, CT, August 2, 2011
August 2, 2011
The hardest choice I’ve made in my life was when… …at the age of 19 I chose to follow the promptings of the spirit and... (Read More)

…Somewhere He Opens A Window

Dagmar Patricia Kollmeier
July 28, 2011
As an ambitious young lawyer pursuing her doctorate at The Hague, The Netherlands, Dagmar was introduced to the Church through her roommate. After serving a... (Read More)

As Sistas In Zion

Sista Beehive and Sista Laurel
July 20, 2011
Sista Beehive and Sista Laurel started their blog, As Sistas in Zion, as a way to keep in touch with each other and express their... (Read More)

Snapshot Portrait: Merinda Cutler

Austin, TX, July 18, 2011
July 18, 2011
The first time I realized Heavenly Father loved me was when… I was in college, attending classes during the summer term when campus was quiet,... (Read More)

The Weight of A Soul

Beth Allen
July 13, 2011
At 15, Beth lost a few pounds at camp and came home to increased attention and concern. Liking that attention, her mind was overtaken by... (Read More)

From Sea to Shining Sea

Missy Martz
June 30, 2011
Missy Martz, a former atheist, is married to a marine who has been deployed five years out of their eleven-year marriage and is presently stationed... (Read More)

A Different Kind of Pioneer

Bindu Sudhir Sabbavarapu
June 22, 2011
Bindu Sabbavarapu joined the church in her hometown of Visakhapatnam, India, in the face of cultural and familial barriers. She married another Indian Mormon and... (Read More)

Snapshot Portrait: Mary Decker

Columbia, MO, June 13, 2011
June 15, 2011
The hardest choice I've made in my life was when... I chose to be happy. My life was crumbling around me. I was sad, angry,... (Read More)

Dressed for Success

Athelia Woolley LeSueur (CK)
June 9, 2011
When health challenges derailed CK's dreams of being a dancer, she resourcefully pursued another interest, fashion design, which led her to start her own business:... (Read More)

No Time To Stop

Tatyana Marchenko
June 2, 2011
As an early member of the Church in Moscow, Tatiana was an essential contributor to the establishment of the gospel in Russia. For seven years,... (Read More)

The Satisfaction of Looking Back

Sherry Young
May 25, 2011
Sherry Young raised five highly educated and successful children (including Hall of Fame football quarterback Steve Young). Now she's reveling her own opportunities to have... (Read More)

To Smile and Talk Again

Agnes Twagiramariya
May 18, 2011
Agnes is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Although a witness to devastating horrors, Agnes has embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ taught by the... (Read More)

Six In The City

Lorinda Goff Belnap
May 11, 2011
Lorinda Belnap has lived in Manhattan for the past 20 years with her husband, Brent, and their six children in a three-bedroom apartment on the... (Read More)

A Savior To Her Family

Susan Anneveldt
May 4, 2011
Susan Anneveldt knows that, even though she is the only member of her family to join the Church in this life, her passion for family... (Read More)

Embracing A Culture of Faith

Julia Klebingat
April 20, 2011
Julia Klebingat grew up in Riga, Latvia, which was then part of the Soviet Union. Introduced to the Church when Brigham Young University’s Legacy Dixieland... (Read More)

Daughter of a King

Marnie Spencer
April 13, 2011
Marnie Spencer's body has been ravaged by cancer. But in a world where women are told that beauty is an indication of their worth, this... (Read More)

A Pillar of Faith in New Delhi

Swarupa Katuka
April 6, 2011
Swarupa Katuka was born and raised in India, joined the Church in 1988, and currently lives in New Delhi. In 1995, as the mother of... (Read More)

Your Trial Is Your Greatest Treasure

Barbara Barrington Jones
March 31, 2011
A popular speaker to LDS youth and women around the world, Barbara Barrington Jones shares the events and lessons of her life that have allowed... (Read More)

In Perfect Harmony

Liz Shropshire
March 23, 2011
Liz Shropshire is the founder and director of the Shropshire Music Foundation, which provides free musical instruments and instruction to former child soldiers and refugees... (Read More)

The Many Lessons of Multiple Sclerosis

Catherine Crittenden
March 17, 2011
Catherine Crittenden was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1987, as the mother of three young children. With a husband engaged in international business leadership, Catherine... (Read More)

The Mind of A Mother

Lia Collings
March 9, 2011
A student of Latin and Greek and a budding education reformer, Lia Collings is already engaged in teaching her three young daughters about these things... (Read More)

Reality TV vs Reality Mothering

Melissa Puente
February 23, 2011
Melissa Puente is an Emmy-winning television editor and a mother of two sets of twin boys, ages 4 and 2. With four boys under three,... (Read More)

The Way Already Prepared

Shu-Chih Ho
February 16, 2011
Shu-Chih grew up in Taiwan, came to the United States by herself as a teenager and joined the Mormon Church. She had to overcome many... (Read More)

Marching to Her Own Drum

Elaine Bradley
February 9, 2011
Elaine Bradley is the drummer for the rock band Neon Trees, which released their first full length album, Habits, in 2010. Their first single "Animal"... (Read More)

Stewards of Our Children

Sydney Young
February 2, 2011
Sydney Young has five children, but she has never been pregnant. In this interview, Sydney describes her journey through four open adoptions and the assumption... (Read More)

A Spotlight on Faith

Erin Chambers McKay
January 26, 2011
Erin has loved being theatrical since she was a little girl. She had her first agent at age thirteen, and, after graduating from BYU, she... (Read More)

A Special Mother for Special Needs

Nancy McNabb
January 19, 2011
Although Nancy McNabb lost a 22-month-old daughter to SIDS, her greatest challenge has been raising her autistic son Stewart. Nancy describes her tireless work with... (Read More)

When Pornography Hits Home

Bethany
January 12, 2011
Four years ago, Bethany's husband shared some startling news: He was addicted to pornography. As mother to four young children, Bethany had to continue to... (Read More)

Experimenting On The Word

Elizabeth Krider
January 6, 2011
As a graduate of Caltech with a PhD in Chemistry, Elizabeth Krider understands science. She also understands that spiritual experiences are real. Elizabeth uses her... (Read More)

Hooked on Creativity

Rebecca Knudsen
December 23, 2010
Always drawn to art and the artistic process, Rebecca discovered hooked rugs when the youngest of her six children was in kindergarten. In the years... (Read More)

From Jehovah’s Witness to Latter-day Saint

Arleene Regalado Taylor
December 15, 2010
Arleene was raised as a Jehovah's Witness in Southern California. Her parents converted to the religion after they moved from their home in Moroleon, Guanajuato,... (Read More)

Being Her Own Role Model

Lyn Beckstead Greenwood
December 8, 2010
Trained as a chemical engineer, professional female role models have been hard to come by for Lyn Greenwood. That hasn’t stopped her from having a... (Read More)

MWP Video Salon

MWP Video Production
December 7, 2010
On September 30th, about 60 women (and a few men!) gathered to hear a roundtable discussion between four exceptional women: Bonni Ballif-Spanvill, Debra Goodson, Ariel... (Read More)

Enthusiasm and Endurance

Kovács Ildikó
December 1, 2010
Introduced to the gospel as a teenager in her native Hungary, Ildikó had to wait four years to be baptized due to her family's disapproval.... (Read More)

Video: What is your greatest fear?

An MWP Video Production
November 30, 2010
"When Did You First Know You Had A Testimony?" "What Is Womanhood To You?" "What Is Your Favorite Place?" "What is your greatest fear?" Learn... (Read More)

Bearing Her Testimony in a Different Way

Trang Thach
November 24, 2010
After graduating with her master’s of public health degree from Yale, Trang Thach moved to Romania to research drinking water with the aid of a... (Read More)

Peace Through Conflict

Sahar Qumsiyeh
November 17, 2010
Raised near Bethlehem, only a few blocks away from the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Sahar Qumsiyeh intimately knows places that are considered holy by many... (Read More)

"Listen and Obey"

Teruko Tsuneda Nakayama
November 10, 2010
Teruko Nakayama was raised in a Japanese family in Hawaii and although her parents practiced Buddhism, she never had any formal religious training. Giving birth... (Read More)

Video: Coping in a Non-Mormon World?

An MWP Video Production
November 8, 2010
"When Did You First Know You Had A Testimony?" "What Is Womanhood To You?" "What Is Your Favorite Place?" Learn others' answers and add your... (Read More)

The Beautiful Design of Motherhood

Gabrielle Stanley Blair
November 3, 2010
Gabrielle Blair is best known as Design Mom, the founder of one of the most popular design and motherhood blogs on the web, named as... (Read More)

I Am Home

Heather Willoughby
October 27, 2010
Heather Willoughby discovered she had a destiny: To study ethnomusicology and return to teach it in the beloved country of her mission, Korea. Now a... (Read More)

Running Towards Her Future

Sabina Suggs
October 20, 2010
At the age of twenty-three, Sabina Suggs was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). Her cancer was in remission for over a decade when it... (Read More)

Critical Thinking for a Critical Time

Catherine Humphrey
October 13, 2010
Catherine Humphrey was married to her first husband for 28 years. Parents of six children, Catherine and her husband served together as mission presidents in... (Read More)

As It Was Meant To Be

Fiona Phillips
October 6, 2010
Fiona Phillips of Hampshire, England, gives us a glimpse into her life as the mother of six children, ranging in ages from 21 to 6.... (Read More)

Video: Your Favorite Place?

An MWP Video Production
September 29, 2010
"When Did You First Know You Had A Testimony?" "What Is Womanhood To You?" "What Is Your Favorite Place?" Learn others' answers and add your... (Read More)

Video: What Is Womanhood?

An MWP Video Production
September 23, 2010
“When Did You First Know You Had A Testimony?” “What Is Womanhood To You?” “What Is Your Favorite Place?” Learn others’ answers and add your... (Read More)

Video: When Did You Know You Had A Testimony?

An MWP Video Production
September 23, 2010
"When Did You First Know You Had A Testimony?" "What Is Womanhood To You?" "What Is Your Favorite Place?" Learn others' answers and add your... (Read More)

Coming to Know Him Who Suffered

Galina Goncharova
September 22, 2010
On June 10, 1990, Galina Goncharova became the first member of the Church to be baptized in Moscow, in what was then the Soviet Union.... (Read More)

A Citizen of the World

Camilla Smith
September 15, 2010
This dynamic mother of five grown children shares her love of travel, of reading, of science and her admiration of her own mother. Camilla serves... (Read More)

Seriously, So Wise

Author of Seriously, So Blessed
September 8, 2010
The anonymous creator, brains and author behind Tiffany/Amber/Megan/Nicole shares why she started Seriously, So Blessed, the highly popular Mormon mommy blog spoof. She speaks candidly... (Read More)

More Than Skin Deep (with Photo Essay)

Kimmie Matthews
September 1, 2010
Kimmie is featured in our first photo essay. After a difficult childhood, Kimmie joined the Church in Korea. Now a successful business owner, Kimmie talks... (Read More)

Cutting With Confidence

Christie Somers
August 25, 2010
Christie moved to New York City by herself at age 20 to work in a salon. Now ten years later, her clients include celebrities and... (Read More)

Ties That Bind

Pauline Sanchez
August 18, 2010
Pauline Sanchez was born in her grandmother’s hogan on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. From the age of eight until graduation from high school, Pauline... (Read More)

Keeping Pace With Noelle

Noelle Pikus Pace
August 11, 2010
Noelle Pikus Pace is a world-champion skeleton athlete. In 2005, she was ranked number one in the world when she was injured during an accident... (Read More)

The Person Inside the Mom

Saren Eyre Loosli
August 4, 2010
Saren Eyre Loosli, co-founder of the Power of Moms website, talks about how her educational background and her personal challenges as a mother of five... (Read More)

Nothing Short of A Miracle

Gina Traynor
July 27, 2010
From Dublin, Ireland, Gina talks candidly about her struggle with infertility. A lawyer by training and a convert to the Church, Gina overcame a fear... (Read More)

Healing Body and Soul

Heather Oman
July 21, 2010
After her fourth consecutive miscarriage, Heather Oman turned to blogging to express her feelings about her experience and Mormon Mommy Wars was born. Heather also... (Read More)

A Tough Thing To Do

Eugenia Hancock
July 13, 2010
Although promised in her patriarchal blessing that she would be married in this lifetime and be the mother of children, Genie turned 39 still single.... (Read More)

Help This Child

Vicki Dalia
July 8, 2010
Vicki Dalia is the mother of eighteen children, eight of whom are adopted. She also runs a family business and a non-profit orphanage in Guatemala.... (Read More)

The Spirit of the Islands

Safalaia Arvay Si’ufanua
June 30, 2010
Born into the Church in Samoa in 1944, Safalaia attended Brigham Young University, Hawaii, and was among the first group of dancers to open the... (Read More)

I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go

Ruth Wise
June 23, 2010
As her name suggests, Ruth epitomizes wise, eternal choices: After being the only one in her family to join the church in her native Bolivia,... (Read More)

Living Essentials

Rebecca Cressman
June 16, 2010
As a high school student, Rebecca decided that broadcasting was definitely not an industry in which she wanted to work. However, her dynamic radio personality... (Read More)

A Better Doctor, A Better Christian

Ines Pinate
June 9, 2010
After serving a mission in her native Venezuela, Ines Pinate married another returned missionary only to have the marriage end three years later in a... (Read More)

So Much To Do, So Much To Learn

Maralyn Lavenstein
June 1, 2010
As a young clothing designer selling to Neiman Marcus and Henri Bendel, Maralyn's clients included Jackie Kennedy Onassis. But because of influential parents and a... (Read More)

Finding Refuge in the Saints

Saroeun Phin Eav
May 26, 2010
From 1975 to 1981, Saroeun Eav fought for her life and the lives of her children as she suffered under the rule of the Khmer... (Read More)

Five Under Five

Catherine Arveseth
May 19, 2010
In four years, Catherine became the mother of five children, including two sets of twins. Catherine recounts her long struggle with infertility and how time... (Read More)

“Just Call Me Ruth”

Ruth Lybbert Renlund
May 12, 2010
After being able to have only one child, Ruth Renlund became a personal injury trial lawyer. At the peak of a long and fulfilling professional... (Read More)

The Journey Is The Reward

Blue
May 4, 2010
Blue married Doc thirty-five days after he returned home from his mission. Nine years later, he revealed to Blue that he didn't actually believe in... (Read More)

Teaching Inner Strength

Marilynn Clark
April 27, 2010
In February 2001, Marilynn Clark visited Africa on a humanitarian expedition and the trip gave her a vision for her future work. She has since... (Read More)

As Joseph in Egypt

Thérèse Kanyanga
April 20, 2010
In 2000, Thérèse Kanyanga was living in the Republic of the Congo as a wife and the mother of seven children when her husband, Gilbert,... (Read More)

Healing A Racial Divide

Margaret Blair Young
April 13, 2010
Margaret Blair Young teaches Creative Writing at Brigham Young University. In addition to authoring novels, articles and essays, Margaret co-produced Nobody Knows: The Untold Story... (Read More)

When Mom Wears The Suit

Marcia Nelson
April 7, 2010
After working as the executive assistant for the editor-in-chief of Mademoiselle magazine, Marcia Nelson studied for her business school entrance exam while nursing a baby.... (Read More)

A Boundless Conversation

Stephanie Soper
March 30, 2010
Raised as a Catholic in Rhode Island, Stephanie Soper experienced a powerful communication with God that led her to join the Church twenty years ago.... (Read More)

Singing His Praises

Emily Spencer
March 24, 2010
With three small children and a husband in his medical residency, Emily is a busy mother. But she has also committed herself to graduate studies... (Read More)

Unexpected Motherhood

Tiffany Peterson
March 17, 2010
As a single 34-year-old, Tiffany followed her Patriarchal Blessing's advice to seize the opportunities offered to her, resulting in a life full of career opportunities,... (Read More)

Keeping A Seat At The Table

Chrysula Winegar
March 9, 2010
Over a period of about ten years, Chrysula Winegar transitioned from being single and in a busy career in Sydney, London and New York, to... (Read More)

When Waking Up Is A Burden

Kathryn Lynard Soper
March 3, 2010
As the mother of seven children, the last with Down syndrome, Kathy Soper is known for the emotional honesty of her writing (which includes personal... (Read More)

Rooted In Learning

Shannon Cox
February 16, 2010
In 2005, Shannon Cox founded Haitian Roots, an organization that sends 133 needy Haitian children to school each year. Shannon recounts the unexpected adoption of... (Read More)

"To Whom My Heart Responds"

Sally Gardner Read
February 9, 2010
The mother four teenage children, Sally Read currently serves on the board of Rising Star Outreach, an organization whose mission is to help leprosy colonies... (Read More)

From Concerts to Correlation

Ruth Hardy Funk
February 3, 2010
A gifted young pianist, Ruth was encouraged by musical professionals to consider a concert career. But a father’s blessing at age 16 told Ruth that... (Read More)

The Cycle is Broken

Myrna Castellar
January 26, 2010
After two sets of twins and a divorce, Myrna sought solace with her family. But she found little comfort at home: she fell prey to... (Read More)

Service With A Smile

Leslie Graff
January 20, 2010
“Be useful” is Leslie Graff’s motto. Because of her training as a child life specialist, her youth in Turkey and her experiences on medical missions... (Read More)

A World of Opportunities

Karen Bybee
December 11, 2009
Karen Bybee healed from the death of her first child by throwing herself into the planning of the 1994 Soccer World Cup event. Since then,... (Read More)

"They Came!"

Dominique Lam-Yam
December 11, 2009
A 1983 issue of Reader's Digest introduced Dominique Lam-Yam to the Church while she was living with an abusive father on the French island of... (Read More)

A Road to Redemption

Brittney Poulsen Carman
December 3, 2009
For almost four years Brittney has been writing about the 18 months she spent in Venezuela as a missionary. While she was there, her father,... (Read More)

A Blog of One’s Own

Michelle Glauser
November 20, 2009
An American student at the University of Leipzig, in Germany, Michelle has spent the last two years studying “mommy blogs” and writing her Masters thesis... (Read More)

Protected: Turning to the Atonement

M.P.
November 16, 2009
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Raising Children in Paradise

Rebecca Hendrickson
November 15, 2009
Over four years ago, Becky Hendrickson moved with her family from bustling San Francisco to a 23,000 acre ranch on the Big Island of Hawai'i.... (Read More)

The Small World of the Gospel

Faustina Otoo
November 13, 2009
The first time Faustina Otoo went to church, in Nigeria in 1985, the members' love made her feel like she was in a "wonderland". Since... (Read More)

Lost in Learning

Eva Koleva Timothy
November 3, 2009
As a teenager in Sophia, Bulgaria, Eva sought for truth and found the restored Gospel. Now a mother of three living in the United States,... (Read More)

Spirit in the Law

Robin Lunt
November 3, 2009
Robin joined the Church after September 11, 2001, when she reasoned that “if there could be such a force of organized darkness in the world... (Read More)

From Dancing to Diapers

Lisa Hess Jones
October 28, 2009
Lisa Jones is the mother of two sons, one on a mission and one in high school. But before she was “mom”, she was a... (Read More)

Love That Multiplies

Char Weiler
October 21, 2009
Char Weiler and her husband have chosen to "let the children come," and at age 27 she recently gave birth to her fifth child. Char... (Read More)

Beyond This Mortal Coil

Lynn Anderson
October 19, 2009
Two of Lynn Anderson’s natural born children carried a rare genetic disease -- epidermolysis bullosa (EB) -- which prevents a child’s skin from growing with... (Read More)

Choosing Between Two Rights

Chelsea Shields Strayer
October 17, 2009
In 2001 at age 20, Chelsea Strayer escaped cultural pressure to marry young by following a childhood dream: She bought an airplane ticket and enrolled... (Read More)

Dare to Dream

Whitney Johnson
October 6, 2009
Whitney Johnson is a co-founder of Rose Park Advisors, an investment firm. She was previously Merrill Lynch's Senior Telecom and Media analyst for Latin America,... (Read More)

Faith Unto Salvation

Patricia Joseph
September 22, 2009
In December 2004, Patricia’s oldest son was charged with murdering his girlfriend. Tormented with grief and unable to sleep, Patricia saw a late-night infomercial for... (Read More)

Faith of Our Foremothers

Jenny Reeder
September 20, 2009
A doctoral student focusing on nineteenth-century Mormon women, Jenny Reeder feels passionate about bringing our foremothers to light and letting their stories inspire women today.... (Read More)

Nothing Is Impossible

Dee Dee Shipley
September 17, 2009
As the mother of eleven children -- ten adopted with special needs-- Dee Dee Shipley already has her hands full. But add to that 42... (Read More)
The LDS Women Project

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