Michelle's Story - becoming who I am. Mormonism

I happened upon Michelle's blog, Becoming a Queen, a few months ago and was struck by her thoughts on becoming: "In recent months, I have been fascinated with the idea of becoming. By that, I mean the idea of changing and evolving into my full potential. Into something greater than I currently am. I have felt a need to find out what I am really doing here...I realize that just knowing something doesn’t mean I am really living up to my potential and purpose. What is it then, that must be done for me to become who and what I am meant to be? Is it more about changing myself, or is it more about remembering myself? Most likely some of both. Becoming is simply about choices. Every choice we make sends us down the path of becoming. The question is what am I becoming?...I am excited to learn and...become. ((C) Michelle Iverson, Becoming a Queen).

I hope you enjoy hearing her story and I hope you make time to check out her blog. Thank you, Michelle, for your insights and honesty!

This is Michelle's Story.

My name is Michelle Iverson, and I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  We are probably more well known as the Mormons, but that name is not the actual name of our church.

My religious story begins at birth, when I was brought into a warm and loving home.  Both of my parents were already members of the church at that time, my father being a convert at age 17, and my mother having been born into the faith as well.  From the time I was born I was taught the truth about who I am....a child of God.  I was taught of Jesus Christ and his love for me.  I was read to from the Bible, as well as The Book of Mormon, which is another volume of ancient scripture written by the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.  It is another testament of Jesus Christ and his divine role as our Savior and Redeemer.


I was baptized into the church at age eight.  At that time I knew quite a bit about the gospel, but to say I was fully converted to it wouldn't be the truth.  I had a desire as a young girl to obey God and I loved him very much, but it was in my teenage years that my devotion grew and my conversion became solidified.  I prayed regularly for guidance, help, healing, and knowledge, and always my prayers were answered.  I attended church each Sunday, and attended religion classes during the week.  The reality of my Father in Heaven grew and grew until I knew for sure that he was there, that he was listening to me, and that he was very much involved in my life.

There are many reasons why I love being a member of this church.  One of them is the knowledge that families are eternal.  When marriages are performed in our holy Temples, we are sealed together for time and all eternity, rather than ‘til death do us part.  We know through revelation, that God intends all of us to be linked to him and to each other as families forever.  I also love the fact that we have living prophets on earth today.  They receive revelation for our day, just as Abraham and Moses in the Bible.

The most difficult thing about being a Latter-Day Saint, is the fact that we TRY to live a clean and disciplined life.  If and when we fall short (which we all do), we can sometimes be misjudged by those outside of our faith and even sometimes those within it.  Our religion is not about being perfect: it is about commitment to God and striving to become something better than we currently are.  It means trying and failing, trying and failing.  That is where Jesus Christ comes in.  We know that is only through his Atonement that we can repent, and continue on, and it is only through his redeeming power that our hearts can be changed and we can literally become a new and better person.  He wants us to follow him, not JUST to follow him, but to become as He is.

Being a woman in the LDS faith has been a wonderful thing for me!  It is our belief that men and women are equal partners, each having divine roles and opportunities.  Our primary role, as women is to nurture, love and teach our children, however; we are given many opportunities to lead, teach, and utilize our gifts, knowledge and talents in other ways that are very fulfilling.  We value family, and work hard to keep families together.  Many LDS women work outside of the home, pursuing careers and other interests, and many stay home and tend only to family.  As women we are always encouraged to put family first, and then to tend to many other important things.  Figuring out what all of those things are, is a personal discovery between each woman and God.  I'm sure there are women in the church who find aspects of the religion challenging, but my perspective is that women are honored, valued and seen as an essential part of the workings of the church.

I absolutely believe that God has a purpose for me.  Many purposes, in fact.  I have come to know that motherhood is at the top of my greatest missions on earth.  Providing a safe and loving home for my children is something I take very seriously.  I know that I am supposed to take my "mess", and make it my message, meaning that all of the struggles in my life have purpose.  They give me the opportunity to turn them into triumphs, and I believe that those triumphs are meant to be shared.  I know I am supposed to be a light.  We are all supposed to let the light we have shine.  I also believe that one of my purposes is to remind other women that we are all divine in nature.  We should never sell ourselves short in the way we dress, talk, and behave.  We are worth so much more than we realize.

If I could sum up the feeling my relationship with God gives me in one word it would be CONFIDENCE!  Knowing God, means knowing who I am.  Without a doubt, I know that with God, all things are possible.  My relationship with him is making a huge difference in my life!

I realize that many people misunderstand my religion.  There is a lot to it that I haven't mentioned here, and a good source for information is http://www.mormon.org/.  It seems that many think we are a cult.  Some think we are all polygamists.  Others think women are treated inferior and they think that we are not Christians.  The truth is we are a church founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We believe in marriage, but only to one person at at time.  No doubt there are cases where women are mistreated in their homes, workplaces, or church groups, but the sanctity of women is always taught in the church.  Women are not second class citizens in the kingdom of God, and he expects men to treat them with love, honor and respect.  Lastly, we DO believe in Christ.  He is the head of our Church and our only way back to the presence of God.  Everything we do in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, revolves around Jesus Christ.  Each member has covenanted to follow him and obey his commandments.

If my voice could reach out to every single person, my message would be this:  There is a God.  I know that He lives!  We are his children and we are NOT alone.  He is watching over us with great love and concern.  He has given us the agency to choose our own path, but he has also provided truth and he expects us to seek it out and find it.  His greatest goal is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.  He wants us to choose him and do what we need to do to return to him again.  I love him.  My relationship with him and my Savior have changed me for the better, and I know they can do the same for you too!