Jamie Rose here, editor of BellaOnline’s LDS Families site. LDS, of course, stands for "Latter-day Saint," referring to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, more commonly known as "Mormons." I am what’s called a lifelong Mormon, “Born in the covenant.” That is, while I was not baptized until the age of eight, my parents were married and sealed in the temple prior to my birth. I grew up in the church as a “typical” Mormon girl, who went through primary, served in the presidencies of my young women’s classes, attended EFY in the summertime and Saturday Night Dances (SND’s) as often as I could bear, and a couple of years after graduating high school (and seminary, of course), I married a RM (Returned Missionary)-- who my parents thoroughly approved of-- in the temple and settled into grown up life as a modern day latter-day saint. Pretty niftily cut and dried. Except that none of us is really cookie-cutter pretty or perfect. We are not a homogenized assembly-line group of interchangeable white, Republican, BYU-educated, choir-singing soccer Moms. Like all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and, indeed, any being who can claim membership in the human race, I have experienced hardship and heartache, felt uncertain, awkward, and alone, and did not come by my faith without a “dark night of the soul” or two.

My husband and I tried for seven years to become parents before I gave birth to our oldest child. When he was two-and-a-half we were blessed with our triplet boys, who we adopted a few months later, first holding them in our arms mere moments after their births, and taking them straight home from the hospital. They were not yet two when our youngest (fifth boy) was born (I also gave birth to him). So right now my children’s ages are: 5, 3, 3, 3, 1. Do I need to tell you there’ve been a couple of challenges there? Additionally, I have struggled with physical disability since teenagehood. (It’s a long story, but I was barely 18 when I had both hips totally replaced; it’s pretty much gone downhill from there.) I have chronic pain, daily, and sometimes require mobility aids such as a cane or walker. I also just graduated from a standard wheelchair to a motorized one. (Yay!?!) Thankfully, I do not always require these aids to get around, but parenting always requires a bit extra adaptation and ingenuity. Another element of my life that requires managing is that my husband joined the Air force shortly after we were married, and we have dealt with a few challenges that have accompanied the benefits of military service.

Through everything, my faith in my Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ has deepened. My conviction that The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints is the Lord’s church, containing the fullness of the gospel and the organization by which we may live that gospel most fully, has increased with the tender care the Lord has shown me after every blow that has taken my breath and knocked me to the ground. I have not always felt that I fit in with my ward (congregation) or with the Mormon culture in America, but I have always fit in with my Heavenly father, and I have a deep respect and love for my fellow members of this church. I have a true desire to increase understanding and respect both among members of the church and between members of the church and our friends in other faiths and traditions. In college I majored in Philosophy, minoring in religion and Anthropology. (I say I majored in because I have not yet graduated. I always attended part time, and it was somewhere in what would be myJunior year that my triplets came along. I haven’t gone back…yet. ) I have always been fascinated by other religions and saddened by the animosity and acrimony that so often attends religious discussion between those of differing faiths.

My main passion and purpose in life right now is to raise my sons to be righteous, responsible, kind, brave men. I am neck-deep in the daily quandaries that face all parents, and LDS parents in particular. I look forward to sharing what I know and what I will find out that might make the muddle easier. I also look forward to providing insight to nonmembers into just who we Mormons are and how our families and yours are not so different.

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