I got asked a great question the other day about being a mormon in Utah and I wanted to share a few of my thoughts about the topic.  I am originally from Arizona and have lived in Utah for the last 4 years, and I am about to move back to Arizona here in the next couple of months.

Its not because I hate Utah, its mostly because I hate Utah weather.  I also am very far away from all of my family.  Those are the main two reasons I am leaving Utah.

The question really got me thinking about what kind of a mormon I have been in Utah and what kind of mormon I was in Arizona before I moved here.  I feel that the last 6 1/2 years I have not been a good member simply because most of the time during church I spend in the hallway or driving around trying to calm down screaming kids.  My youngest is 7 months, so I still have a ways until nursery.  This one is the last, and once I can start attending and paying attention to all my meetings I will feel like a better member.

I also attended the temple more when living in Arizona.   It is funny I got 4 temples probably at the most 20 minutes away (from where I live) and I can’t attend more then 4 times in 4 years.  I also contribute it to the fact that we had baby sitters (family) in Arizona and nobody here.  No excuse I know.

Over all I think living in Utah its easier to be a member, and you don’t work as hard to be righteous.  Everyone on your block is a member etc.  Because I was not around it as much in Arizona and growing up I think I worked harder to be a better person.  I know it does not make sense, but thats how I feel about being a mormon in Utah.

SO, maybe moving back to Arizona will kick my butt in gear again and help me be a better member again.

The other day I heard a funny website on the radio in passing. It wasn’t an add or anything, but a radio host just simply dropped the address as a comical reference. The website he was joking about is called Famous Mormons and can be found online at www.famousmormons.net. While on the site you can search through different categories such as Mormon executives, producers, politicians, actors, etc. I spent a few minutes poking around the site and discovered that there are some really famous Mormons out there such as: David Neeleman (founder and CEO of Jet Blue), Jon Heder (aka Napoleon Dynamite), Rick Schroder, Gladys Knight, and many more.

I had fun poking around on the site and I couldn’t help but think of the movie “Singles Ward” where the one actor keeps throwing out lines like…I heard that this person or that person is Mormon or just got baptized. The other thought I had was how many of the “famous” Mormons listed on this site do a really good job at representing the church. You can just simply tell that some of them are proud to be LDS and are not afraid to let it be known. Props to them!!!

This last weekend I had a chance to attend church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. There were many thing that impressed me about the town itself that I will go into in a minute, but the most impressing thing to me was the fact that sacrament, Sunday school, and Priesthood classed were just as I expected and had come to expect in my own home ward. The people loved the gospel and were excited about their testimonies. Andy, without fail there was at least on know-it-all in each class. You know the person who always raises their hand and comments on every little aspect of the lesson. This drives me crazy. Overall, my experience in the ward was excellent and there are many amazing souls and testimonies in Tuscaloosa. The missionaries also expressed that things are going really well in this area of the church.

One of the things that really impressed me was the BBQ. I had a chance to enjoy some Dream Land ribs and let me tell you that they were really excellent, sticky, messy, and worth another trip. You just can’t find BBQ like that in the SLC area…slow smoked using hickory wood for hours and hours. My mouth is watering now just thinking about it.

I just wanted to thank My LDS Direct for the CTR Necklace I received this week. Everyone in my first grade class asked me where I got it and I told them about your website! Thanks for how fast it came to me also. I will come back to your site and buy more LDS stuff! Thanks again,

Ivy
Lehi, Ut

One of our recent customers sent us the testimonial below. As a Young Men’s leader, he and his other leaders have given each young man in the ward a tie of a certain color. In reply to our questions about the ties he said:

Yes, everyone likes the green. Now we need the red ones for the Priests – Deacons have the green, Teachers have the blue, Priests have the red. Everyone thinks it looks real sharp and I’ll admit it does.

So, send the reds as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Russ

This week’s product review is about the Sego Lily Ring. This beautiful ring is available in sterling silver, 14k yellow gold, and 14k white gold (sizes 4-12). This ring will make a great addition to any women’s jewelry collection. Just as the sego lily sustains life, Sisters in Zion sustain life in their homes. They reflect purity, beauty, patience, and strength. While this ring and the sego lily are symbolic of these elements, the ring itself is made with care and of the highest quality. Prices range from $24.95–$249.95 depending on which ring is right for you.

Right now I’m sitting at my desk typing this post watching the sun rise in Zion.  The best part is…it’s almost 50 degrees outside right now and highs are going to be close to 70 today, and it’s only March 13.  It is nice to enjoy the outside with weather as good as this in March.  I have no complaints, especially after all the snow we have received over the last few weeks.  Because the weather is so nice I have found my friends and I wanting to eat our lunch outside, drive with the windows down, and take strolls with our families.  I have to say that there must be some advantages to living in California, Nevada, or Arizona, and I think I have seen some of those advantages this week.  Like, doing summer activities in the late winter, or in Arizona’s case…doing summer all year round.

One of the best parts of this whole deal is that tulips are already starting to bud out of the ground and spring is on the verge of moving into full swing.  Season’s are great and I like the change, but I also like being able to wear shorts and no jacket or coat.  Let’s give it up for warmth.  Here comes spring!!!

We got this testimonial the other day from one of our recent customers. I thought it was significant so I wanted to post it. Thank you for sharing Jennifer! Any of you can share your testimonials by submitting them on our contact us page or by calling us directly. We always appreciate hearing back from our customers.

Dave,
My dad has wanted that ring for years….so I gave it to him. And he loves it. I think he almost started to cry. I just wanted to thank you for your help and for the beautiful ring that has brought a lot of joy to our family. Thanks again,

Jennifer
Ionia, Michigan

In my opinion, titanium rings have been one of the coolest new items to come to market as of late. They are so light weight and unbreakable…what more could you ask for. Because of this I wanted to highlight our titanium CTR rings for this weeks product highlight.

We currently offer four different titanium CTR rings on our site. They are named as follows: Crest, Goove, Sleek, and Steps. Each of them has their own unique design, feel, and look. The each also proudly display the CTR logo on the face of them. Each of the four rings named above are 8mm wide and come with a ring box included for display or storage. These titanium CTR rings are 4x stronger than steel and are lighter than aluminum. They are also hypoallergenic, won’t tarnish a bit, and have a comfort-fit band. If you have one, please share your comments and if you would like to get one, they are all reasonably priced right around $110.00.

I have been sick for the last month it seems. The week before last I had a cold and just about three days after getting over that one, I start to feel the tingle in my throat again and another cold has made its way straight through me. This one has been especially tough and has left me feeling terrible. Because I was feeling so bad and it hit me on a Saturday I decided on Sunday when I woke up for church that it just wasn’t going to happen. I guess you could say I called in sick on the sabbath. This has left me thinking about when it’s reasonable to call in sick to church.

One of the young men in my ward has “called in sick” many times over the last few months. I believe he is just really good at faking out his parents and this has led me to showing up at his house multiple times during lesson time. Boy, I’m glad no one showed up at my house on Sunday to teach me a lesson. Maybe I should be more considerate when someone doesn’t make it to church. Anyway, what are your thoughts???