May 14, 2025 • 34 mins
Tami Gordon has been serving as the Stake Young Women’s president in the Wichita Stake since May of 2022. She is a proud member of the Pratt Branch and has been enjoying small-town Kansas culture for almost twelve years. She and her husband Scott are originally from Arizona but feel so blessed to have been able to raise their eight children in the wide-open Midwest. As a young adult, Tami served in the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a certificate in Creative Writing. She admits to being entirely right-brained, and her career focus has largely been in graphic design. The full-time job she would recommend the highest though, is a stay-at-home mom, which has taught her the hardest lessons and molded her into a cook, a baker, a photographer, a hairdresser, and a scholar among many other things.
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(00:00):
Hi friends, welcome to the Wichita, KS State Podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Kitchen, a state history specialist.
This podcast is intended to helpbring followers of Christ closer
to him and to promote unity within the body of Christ by
listening to our state leaders share their personal stories of
faith. By reflecting on faith promoting
experiences, we can strengthen our individual faith in Jesus
(00:20):
Christ together. Welcome to our next episode.
I'm here with President Tammy Gordon.
She's been serving as the stake Young Women's President in the
Wichita, KS Stake since May of 2022.
She is a proud member of the Prep branch and has been
enjoying small town Kansas culture for almost 12 years.
(00:41):
She and her husband Scott are originally from Arizona but feel
so blessed to have been able to raise their eight children in
the wide open Midwest. As a young adult, Tammy served
in the Madagascar and TananarivoMission and obtained a
Bachelor's degree in English Literature with a certificate in
Creative Writing. She admits to being entirely
(01:03):
right brained and her career focus has largely been in
graphic design. The full time job she would
recommend the highest though is a stay at home mom which has
taught her the hardest lessons and molded her into a cook, a
Baker, a photographer, A hairdresser, and a scholar,
among many other things. Welcome, President Gordon.
(01:24):
Thanks for the kitchen, such an honor.
I'm excited to visit with you today.
Let's start with your childhood.So what are some of the
formative influences, memories or or family traditions that
stand out to you? Oh well, I I come from a really
(01:46):
big family. When I think about formative
influences, of course my parents, but my siblings were
kind of my world growing up, very faithful parents who were
active members of the church. But because of their
(02:08):
faithfulness, they had a lot of kids and, and that kind of kept
them busy. And I think, you know, my dad
was a hard worker and a busy provider.
There were 10 kids in the family.
So you can imagine how preoccupied my my mom was with
her home chores and house tasks.So we 10 kids kind of raised
(02:32):
each other. And oftentimes they're the ones
I think of when I have sentimental memories about, you
know, somebody helping me do my hair for prom or reading me a
story or being there for me in the night when I was scared,
that kind of thing. And I, I also spent a large part
(02:55):
of my childhood nurturing othersof my siblings, walking the
floor with a crying baby, a lot of babysitting, a lot of that
kind of thing. And I still feel a really strong
closeness to my siblings to thisday.
My relationships with them are really important to me.
(03:16):
That's great. So is there a a lesson that
comes to your mind when you think about your parents?
Something that that they taught you?
It doesn't have to be a verbal lesson, but something that that
an experience maybe that that you carry into your adulthood.
Oh yeah, my my parents taught methe most important lessons you
(03:41):
can teach a child. The first thing that comes to
mind is to pray. I can remember some of my or one
of my earliest memories is receiving an answer to a prayer
when my my mom had lost her keysor something and, and asked us
to help find it and, and we stopped to pray 1st.
(04:06):
And then when I felt prompted and to look in a certain place
and found it, I felt as stronglythat that was an answer to my
prayer. So I learned really early on
that I could communicate with God and that was kind of
(04:29):
everything. Also, at a young age, I think I
was around 10, my, I remember them trying really hard to do
family home evenings. I don't think we did them
successfully very often, but I know they tried.
I can remember them being prettychaotic.
But I remember one year in particular, and I, I'm sure that
this suggestion or that this commandment of sorts came down
(04:54):
from the First Presidency or theprophet at the time was probably
President Benson, asking the members of the church to up
their game on reading the Book of Mormon.
And at a family home evening, myparents challenged us.
My mom had made this whole chartof encouraging us to read a
certain amount and how she wouldmake us treats when we'd hit
(05:19):
certain checkpoints. And then my dad said that if we
would read the whole Book of Mormon by the end of the year,
he would take us skiing. So all of my siblings and I were
really excited. And we got onto the chart and,
and I was old enough to read, but young enough to be a little
(05:41):
more diligent than maybe my older teenage siblings were.
So I'm pretty sure I was the only child in the family who saw
it all the way through to the end.
And I don't think I was old enough to understand what I was
reading, but I was old enough tobe motivated for those prizes.
And I did finish the entire Bookof Mormon when I was 10.
(06:04):
And again, it went completely over my head, but I developed a
really good daily habit of opening the book every night
before bed and reading my 2 pages.
And I don't think I ever stoppedreading the Book of Mormon out
that so after that. So two really good things came
(06:25):
out of it. One, I got to go on the ski
trip. And so instead of taking the
entire family because not everybody finished, my dad took
his scouts, but he let me come on the trip and he let me bring
a friend of mine. So I got to go skiing.
But the best thing I got out of that was good daily spiritual
(06:48):
habits that never left me. So I learned from my parents to
communicate with God. I mean, there's no way that you
can read the scriptures and prayevery day and not start to
recognize answers to your prayers.
So I had some very formative moments growing up asking and
(07:09):
then receiving answers. And some of them are laughable
because of how young I was and the thing that the things I was
asking for were pretty immature.But if, for example, I remember
my freshman year of high school,we were studying doctoring a
(07:31):
covenants in seminary that year and I was, I felt close enough
to God, obviously, to just say whatever I thought and to ask
for whatever I wanted. And I truly believe that he
cared. And so I asked him for things
like help me to not get any fatter, help my skin to clear up
(07:53):
those kinds of things, really worldly stuff.
But one of the first, like strong answers to prayer that I
received was that year in seminary.
And it came out of a scripture that I read in the Doctrine and
Covenants. And I think it's DNC 9310.
I hope I'm not quoting that wrong.
(08:15):
I'd have to look it up. But it says, therefore, I care
not for the body, neither the life of the body, but care for
the soul and for the life of thesoul.
And because we happen to be studying Doctrine Covenants in
seminary, and because I had beenpraying about my looks and my
appearance, and also because of how the Spirit delivered that
(08:37):
verse into my heart at that time, I knew God was telling me
something. I knew he was saying, hey, you
know, how you look doesn't matter.
Let's focus on more important things.
It was a I, I took a tart. I took it as a direct message
from him to work a little harderon how beautiful I am on the
(09:00):
inside and not think so much about those things.
And I really did. I I really tried to stop and
tried to change my mindset. What a wonderful experience to
remember and to to find an answer to prayer in the
scriptures. God was speaking to someone
else, recorded in the scriptures.
(09:21):
He's speaking directly to you asyou read the scriptures too,
right? That's wonderful.
Thank you for sharing that. You're back.
So what are some things that your family enjoys doing
together to now Your your, your husband and your children, and
you. Oh, that's a fun question.
(09:41):
We love being together. We we do like to get outside and
be active, although none of us are impressive athletes.
So in spite of our many attempts, like none of us have
gone very far in in sports, for example, or really thrived on
(10:03):
any, you know, high school teamsor anything like that.
Even though I was pretty active in sports growing up and so was
my husband Scott. He was captain of the high
school football team and I thinkwe kind of imagined it going
that way for all of our kids. And a couple of them love
(10:24):
sports, but none of them have been so serious about athletics
that we've spent a lot of time travelling or watching them play
or anything. So we, we play sports playfully
as a family. We, we play knockout in our
basketball hoop in the front driveway.
We go to the play tennis courts and play tennis just we like to
(10:51):
go walk the loop at Lemon Park, just be outside together.
But we I'm not going to lie, we also really love movies and so
we like laying around and being lazy too.
And we're big snugglers, like wewhen we sit down to watch a
(11:12):
movie as a family, even though there's like 8 seats in the
room, we take up only four seatsbecause everybody sits on top of
each other. And rather than the kitchen kind
of being the center gathering place for our home, it's our
bedroom minus Scott's bedroom. And everybody just comes and
sits on top of us. So we're pretty affectionate and
(11:35):
we like spending time together and in that way.
In fact, every morning before school, we make sure to schedule
cuddle time. And this was a kind of a way for
me to change or soften my heart from from how I was when I was
(11:57):
younger. Mom, I'd get really frustrated
trying to get all my kids ready on time for school and get them
out the door. And every day it seemed like a a
screaming fight, like, you know,tie your shoes faster, why
haven't you brushed your teeth yet?
And this kind of mad, frustrating rush.
(12:19):
And then I send them off to school and then feel completely
defeated because I sent them in this negative, frustrating way
away from me to spend 8 hours away from home.
And I, I really hated that feeling and wanted that to
(12:39):
change. And I that's what I prayed about
every night and was trying to change every morning.
And the inspiration that came was to just do the bare minimum
for my kids in the morning. I don't for the littlest ones.
I will maybe pack their lunch orset something out for them to
(13:03):
eat. But otherwise I just take myself
and I leave the room and I put on a a kids movie and I tell
them as soon as you're done cometo cuddle time.
And I wait for them to come and I don't follow them around
saying go faster. I just hope that they're
(13:24):
motivated to get in there and watch the movie with me.
And it has worked for the most part, but it has definitely
calmed her mornings down and instead of leaving my home or my
presence frazzled and frustrated, we leave having
snuggled and cuddled. And I know I have older kids,
(13:45):
but we still do this. Even with my teenagers, we still
snuggle before school every morning.
That's great. It's the best.
Yeah, just sounds like it's it'sfrom the short time that we're
visiting here, it's kind of a carryover.
Your growing up, your family enjoyed doing things together
(14:06):
and but that's what you guys aredoing as parents also.
Yeah, quality time. Yeah.
And being intentional with that,scheduling it in and and not
letting anything else take its place.
So tell us a little bit about your professional life.
(14:30):
OK, I am I, I consider myself a writer but I am also a very
mediocre amateur artist and those are the classes I took in
college. I had to take English classes in
(14:52):
order to pass and get my degree,but whatever electives I was
that were optional to me. For me it was an art class so
practically had an art minor. And I I love being creative.
It's definitely what charges my batteries.
And I never intended to go into graphic design, but thank
(15:15):
heavens, I think Heavenly Fatherknew that I would one day need
to put my husband through medical school and he just put
some opportunities in my path that would let me learn some
programs and get some experience.
So at 16, actually somebody frommy ward approached me and they
(15:35):
were, they owned a like coupon Mailer company and they were
looking for some cheap labor to design coupons that you sent out
in the mail. So that was my first graphic
design job in high school and I did that for the rest of high
school. It allowed me to learn Photoshop
(15:56):
and a couple easy programs. And when I went away to college,
they even asked me to continue to work.
So it kept me employed for maybemy freshman sophomore year of
college. But because I got some
experience doing that, you know,I was kind of able to go apply
(16:18):
for bigger jobs and just say I've got a little experience
using these programs and and then land a slightly better job.
And then I served a mission. And when I came home from my
mission, I was extremely out of the loop as far as technology
goes. Honestly, I think the Internet
(16:39):
was invented while I got while Iwas gone.
I served from 98 to 2000. But when I left, I had no e-mail
account and had never gotten onto a web browser.
And when I came home and I was applying for jobs, I was taking
My Portfolio to places to try toget it.
A graphic design job, the one that was most appealing was for
(17:06):
a marketing in a marketing division of a pretty large
company and they asked me, you know, I could use the programs,
but I really didn't know how to operate in a large company like
that. I was able to get the job with
My Portfolio of work, but on thefirst day I arrived, they said
(17:29):
just send a company e-mail out to company wide and introduce
yourself. And I went and sat in my cubicle
and when I I had to lean over tomy neighbor and have them show
me how to send an e-mail. That's how uneducated and
inexperienced I was. But I did get the job and it was
(17:51):
terrifying but wonderful. It forced me for some massive
growth on me. And every day I was so scared to
go to work. I'd pull up in the parking lot
and put my car in park and pray for power, be on my own to kind
(18:13):
of meet the challenges that would come.
And then I would, you know, do as much research and practice as
I could at home. And I, I was able to kind of
advance to head artist in that company.
And, and when I left there, because my life was kind of
(18:36):
progressing, I was married, pregnant with my first baby.
I put in my notice and they asked me to stay on and work
from home and kept me employed for the next 8 years.
So I was able to work from home as a graphic artist and still
have kids while my husband was going to school for a long time.
(19:01):
It was a huge blessing. Wonderful faith promoting
experience to, to share with us that you, you could have been
praying in the parking lot that nobody would know that you
didn't know how to do things or that to just hide.
But you were praying for the power, for for help to to do the
(19:24):
things that you knew you could do with his help.
I believe really strongly in in that power.
Wonderful, thank you appreciate that testimony.
What are some other things you you talked about some things
that you like to do for fun. What are some other things, some
of your favorite things to do for fun besides the said cuddle
(19:44):
time and you've got the the shooting basketball out in the
in the front yard. Well, me personally, if I ever
have free time to myself, I liketo write.
And don't be mistaken in thinking that I have a secret
award-winning novel tucked away somewhere.
(20:07):
But I just can't help it it, youknow, everybody has something
like artists can't stop doodling.
Musicians can't stop plunking away whatever instrument it is
or whatever. For me, writing is that thing.
And you know, I've always journaled.
(20:30):
I just have always felt the needto get it out.
And it's not only my stress release, but it's my creative
outlet. So I if I ever have free time
and, and in the back of my mind,when I imagine being an empty
(20:50):
nester or my life slowing down somewhat, that's what I imagine
doing is finally getting a chance to finish the 25 half
novels I've written and maybe write down a more detailed
(21:13):
family story. My favorite thing to write would
be the story of my my parents and siblings, which I think is
beautiful and I would love to write it in detail someday.
But and I do write down a lot ofmemories and snapshots, but
hopefully someday I'll have the time to sit down and tie it all
(21:34):
together and my my own children have a beautiful story.
My husband and I and and our little well, pretty big unique
family is an amazing mirror miracle story as well and
(21:55):
deserves to be recorded so someday.
And yeah, that's what I enjoy doing when every time.
It's wonderful. I know it was a couple years
ago, maybe a year and a half ago, something like that that we
heard a little bit of story in state conference from you and
one of your daughters or two of your.
(22:15):
Daughters. Yes.
Yeah. Yep.
Very special, special way that they were brought into your
family. So is there a recent experience
you'd like to share with us thatthat helped to bring you closer
to Christ? Well, how recent?
(22:36):
I guess I would if you'd let me go back a little further than
last week, that would be the biggest one.
I mean, that story of our daughters coming into our family
is it's the most comprehensive like miracle story I've
(23:00):
witnessed or observed, like a start to finish miracle.
And it definitely changed all ofour lives and converted me even
even further than I think I already was.
And I think that happened just because of belonging to this
(23:23):
church, just being members of this church.
And I have to give the the organization itself credit for
what it did for us. If if Scott hadn't been the
branch president and I happen tobe the young women's president,
we never would have come across them.
And I shudder to think where they'd be AT and how they'd be
(23:49):
lost to us and lost to lost fromany help or aid.
And it's just happened because arecord came into the branch and
a new record and my husband received it and it was a
referral from Idaho missionariesand they gave us a name and a
(24:12):
phone number for who they thought was a 17 year old girl.
And because I was the young women's president, my husband
passed it on to me. And it was in Kingman, which is
half an hour away. The details we received about
Destiny were that she was livingwith an uncle and that she was
(24:38):
home schooled and it all soundedlike to me, and also that she
was 17. So to me it sounded like
somebody who wouldn't be interested or that we wouldn't
have a lot of success bringing out to Pratt to go to young
women's activities or come to church.
And I can remember not really debating going to find her, but
(25:02):
having struggles, which you often do when you're about to do
something really important, having obstacles and getting out
there. The day that we had arranged as
a young women's group to go out and meet her, everything, all of
our plans were kind of falling apart and everyone was late.
And we're running behind. And there's a moment when I
(25:23):
considered calling and saying we're not going to make it when
we said we were, maybe we shouldreschedule all those kinds of
things. But we powered through and went
and showed up at her door and had no idea when we walked in
that door that I was about to meet my future daughter.
(25:43):
And the story that would play out in the in the years to come.
So, so grateful I was had the calling.
I'm so grateful that I was serving and kind of acting on my
assignment. And because of Young Women's and
(26:03):
the gospel and the the organization that the church is,
we were able to gather destiny into our young Women's group.
Her little sister Jenny came along eventually and we were
able to gather them into our branch family.
And our branch was amazing at wrapping their arms around them
(26:24):
and giving them people to belongto besides just their uncle.
And when we finally learned of the abuse they were
experiencing, it was an easy transition.
When we were able to get them away from their abuser, it was
(26:46):
an easy transition into our family and a safe place in the
branch. And it's still, there's a lot of
details to the story and it still was a long Rd. but I can't
express enough the drastic contrast from where they started
and how they finished. And so grateful that they are
(27:09):
not only baptized and active members of the church, but
learning and thriving and growing their testimonies.
And it's so wonderful to see thelight back on, so bright in
their eyes and to see kind of the freedom and the the peace
(27:32):
and the joy that they had to have and destiny especially.
I'm so pleased and joyful to seeher married in in the temple and
enjoying her her temple covenants, like really valuing
(27:53):
them and just wrapping her arms around everything the gospel
offers. As soon as she became converted,
she just wanted all of it. She was like, I want my
patriarchal blessing. I want my endowments.
What else can I get? And she truly is just receiving
all the blessings that she's always deserved.
(28:14):
And it brings me so much joy. But in answer to your question,
what is a a recent spiritual experience in my life?
It would be that moment around the altar in the temple when we
were sealed as a family and adding Destiny and Jenny into
(28:36):
our eternal family. It felt like the most
concentrated joy I've ever experienced.
And I know that it was a little window.
It was a little glimpse into eternity, a little dose of
heaven or a little dose of what it's like to be together in the
(29:03):
social Kingdom. And it was overwhelming.
We were all very much overcome and filled with love and
gratitude. It was the sweetest experience
I've ever had. So in addition to the gospel
truths and principles I was already converted to, I became
(29:24):
deeply converted to the sealing power that's available in the
temple. And how important that is, how
important it is to be bound to each other and sealed into the
family of God. And yeah, very, very grateful
for that. Thank you.
(29:47):
Thank you for sharing tender andsacred experience with us.
Will you close out our episode with your testimony of Jesus
Christ and of His restored church?
Yes, my testimony of Jesus Christ is that there's a lot of
(30:14):
good to be had in this world. And you know, there is love and
light and there's knowledge and truth and power like I talked
about, that I've relied heavily on in my life.
And all of it comes from Him. I believe that He's the source
(30:38):
of those things, and I believe that all of those things are,
they're kind of floating around us like finite matter.
I feel like just like spirit, light and truth, knowledge and
power are things that can be poured in, like poured into a
(31:02):
room or poured into a a soul, poured into our minds and into
our hearts. And that's how I feel when I
feel the Atonement working in mylife or when I feel that I'm
(31:23):
living in accordance to the Lord's commandments.
I feel filled with Him. And I know that that scripture
is true that says the Father is in Him and He can be in US.
(31:45):
And those things that fill me up, light and peace and love
come from Him. And I know that He's He's there
when we keep our covenants with Him and when we repent.
(32:05):
It's the best feeling in the world to feel those dark
feelings of remorse leave and tofeel the Lord pour back in.
And I felt that. I know that it's real, true, and
grateful for the gospel, the restored gospel that teaches us
(32:28):
these things in a greater measure than we could get
anywhere else. So grateful for the many volumes
of Scripture, the extensive amount of the Word of God that
we have. That's the way to access all of
it is to open those books and visually intake those words.
(32:51):
And again, what pours in is the Lord.
What pours in are His answers, His love, His forgiveness, His
mercy. That's how I get to Him is
through His words. And I'm a huge lover of words.
So when I learned that another name for Jesus Christ was the
(33:15):
Word, it really clicked for me and helped me immediately
connect to him and I I see the two as one and the same.
The scripture says it me. It means to accessing Him and
that he accesses us by providingthat for us, providing us the
(33:36):
that way to tune in and to hear him.
So very, very grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my
life. I know it's true.
I wouldn't give it up for the world.
Say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Amen. I hope that this episode of the
(33:56):
Wichita KS Stick Podcast helped bring you closer to Christ.
I invite you to take some time today to write about or record
one of your own faith promoting experiences.
Hi friends, welcome to the Wichita, KS State Podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Kitchen, a state history specialist.
This podcast is intended to helpbring followers of Christ closer
to him and to promote unity within the body of Christ by
listening to our state leaders share their personal stories of
faith. By reflecting on faith promoting
experiences, we can strengthen our individual faith in Jesus
(00:20):
Christ together. Welcome to our next episode.
I'm here with President Tammy Gordon.
She's been serving as the stake Young Women's President in the
Wichita, KS Stake since May of 2022.
She is a proud member of the Prep branch and has been
enjoying small town Kansas culture for almost 12 years.
(00:41):
She and her husband Scott are originally from Arizona but feel
so blessed to have been able to raise their eight children in
the wide open Midwest. As a young adult, Tammy served
in the Madagascar and TananarivoMission and obtained a
Bachelor's degree in English Literature with a certificate in
Creative Writing. She admits to being entirely
(01:03):
right brained and her career focus has largely been in
graphic design. The full time job she would
recommend the highest though is a stay at home mom which has
taught her the hardest lessons and molded her into a cook, a
Baker, a photographer, A hairdresser, and a scholar,
among many other things. Welcome, President Gordon.
(01:24):
Thanks for the kitchen, such an honor.
I'm excited to visit with you today.
Let's start with your childhood.So what are some of the
formative influences, memories or or family traditions that
stand out to you? Oh well, I I come from a really
(01:46):
big family. When I think about formative
influences, of course my parents, but my siblings were
kind of my world growing up, very faithful parents who were
active members of the church. But because of their
(02:08):
faithfulness, they had a lot of kids and, and that kind of kept
them busy. And I think, you know, my dad
was a hard worker and a busy provider.
There were 10 kids in the family.
So you can imagine how preoccupied my my mom was with
her home chores and house tasks.So we 10 kids kind of raised
(02:32):
each other. And oftentimes they're the ones
I think of when I have sentimental memories about, you
know, somebody helping me do my hair for prom or reading me a
story or being there for me in the night when I was scared,
that kind of thing. And I, I also spent a large part
(02:55):
of my childhood nurturing othersof my siblings, walking the
floor with a crying baby, a lot of babysitting, a lot of that
kind of thing. And I still feel a really strong
closeness to my siblings to thisday.
My relationships with them are really important to me.
(03:16):
That's great. So is there a a lesson that
comes to your mind when you think about your parents?
Something that that they taught you?
It doesn't have to be a verbal lesson, but something that that
an experience maybe that that you carry into your adulthood.
Oh yeah, my my parents taught methe most important lessons you
(03:41):
can teach a child. The first thing that comes to
mind is to pray. I can remember some of my or one
of my earliest memories is receiving an answer to a prayer
when my my mom had lost her keysor something and, and asked us
to help find it and, and we stopped to pray 1st.
(04:06):
And then when I felt prompted and to look in a certain place
and found it, I felt as stronglythat that was an answer to my
prayer. So I learned really early on
that I could communicate with God and that was kind of
(04:29):
everything. Also, at a young age, I think I
was around 10, my, I remember them trying really hard to do
family home evenings. I don't think we did them
successfully very often, but I know they tried.
I can remember them being prettychaotic.
But I remember one year in particular, and I, I'm sure that
this suggestion or that this commandment of sorts came down
(04:54):
from the First Presidency or theprophet at the time was probably
President Benson, asking the members of the church to up
their game on reading the Book of Mormon.
And at a family home evening, myparents challenged us.
My mom had made this whole chartof encouraging us to read a
certain amount and how she wouldmake us treats when we'd hit
(05:19):
certain checkpoints. And then my dad said that if we
would read the whole Book of Mormon by the end of the year,
he would take us skiing. So all of my siblings and I were
really excited. And we got onto the chart and,
and I was old enough to read, but young enough to be a little
(05:41):
more diligent than maybe my older teenage siblings were.
So I'm pretty sure I was the only child in the family who saw
it all the way through to the end.
And I don't think I was old enough to understand what I was
reading, but I was old enough tobe motivated for those prizes.
And I did finish the entire Bookof Mormon when I was 10.
(06:04):
And again, it went completely over my head, but I developed a
really good daily habit of opening the book every night
before bed and reading my 2 pages.
And I don't think I ever stoppedreading the Book of Mormon out
that so after that. So two really good things came
(06:25):
out of it. One, I got to go on the ski
trip. And so instead of taking the
entire family because not everybody finished, my dad took
his scouts, but he let me come on the trip and he let me bring
a friend of mine. So I got to go skiing.
But the best thing I got out of that was good daily spiritual
(06:48):
habits that never left me. So I learned from my parents to
communicate with God. I mean, there's no way that you
can read the scriptures and prayevery day and not start to
recognize answers to your prayers.
So I had some very formative moments growing up asking and
(07:09):
then receiving answers. And some of them are laughable
because of how young I was and the thing that the things I was
asking for were pretty immature.But if, for example, I remember
my freshman year of high school,we were studying doctoring a
(07:31):
covenants in seminary that year and I was, I felt close enough
to God, obviously, to just say whatever I thought and to ask
for whatever I wanted. And I truly believe that he
cared. And so I asked him for things
like help me to not get any fatter, help my skin to clear up
(07:53):
those kinds of things, really worldly stuff.
But one of the first, like strong answers to prayer that I
received was that year in seminary.
And it came out of a scripture that I read in the Doctrine and
Covenants. And I think it's DNC 9310.
I hope I'm not quoting that wrong.
(08:15):
I'd have to look it up. But it says, therefore, I care
not for the body, neither the life of the body, but care for
the soul and for the life of thesoul.
And because we happen to be studying Doctrine Covenants in
seminary, and because I had beenpraying about my looks and my
appearance, and also because of how the Spirit delivered that
(08:37):
verse into my heart at that time, I knew God was telling me
something. I knew he was saying, hey, you
know, how you look doesn't matter.
Let's focus on more important things.
It was a I, I took a tart. I took it as a direct message
from him to work a little harderon how beautiful I am on the
(09:00):
inside and not think so much about those things.
And I really did. I I really tried to stop and
tried to change my mindset. What a wonderful experience to
remember and to to find an answer to prayer in the
scriptures. God was speaking to someone
else, recorded in the scriptures.
(09:21):
He's speaking directly to you asyou read the scriptures too,
right? That's wonderful.
Thank you for sharing that. You're back.
So what are some things that your family enjoys doing
together to now Your your, your husband and your children, and
you. Oh, that's a fun question.
(09:41):
We love being together. We we do like to get outside and
be active, although none of us are impressive athletes.
So in spite of our many attempts, like none of us have
gone very far in in sports, for example, or really thrived on
(10:03):
any, you know, high school teamsor anything like that.
Even though I was pretty active in sports growing up and so was
my husband Scott. He was captain of the high
school football team and I thinkwe kind of imagined it going
that way for all of our kids. And a couple of them love
(10:24):
sports, but none of them have been so serious about athletics
that we've spent a lot of time travelling or watching them play
or anything. So we, we play sports playfully
as a family. We, we play knockout in our
basketball hoop in the front driveway.
We go to the play tennis courts and play tennis just we like to
(10:51):
go walk the loop at Lemon Park, just be outside together.
But we I'm not going to lie, we also really love movies and so
we like laying around and being lazy too.
And we're big snugglers, like wewhen we sit down to watch a
(11:12):
movie as a family, even though there's like 8 seats in the
room, we take up only four seatsbecause everybody sits on top of
each other. And rather than the kitchen kind
of being the center gathering place for our home, it's our
bedroom minus Scott's bedroom. And everybody just comes and
sits on top of us. So we're pretty affectionate and
(11:35):
we like spending time together and in that way.
In fact, every morning before school, we make sure to schedule
cuddle time. And this was a kind of a way for
me to change or soften my heart from from how I was when I was
(11:57):
younger. Mom, I'd get really frustrated
trying to get all my kids ready on time for school and get them
out the door. And every day it seemed like a a
screaming fight, like, you know,tie your shoes faster, why
haven't you brushed your teeth yet?
And this kind of mad, frustrating rush.
(12:19):
And then I send them off to school and then feel completely
defeated because I sent them in this negative, frustrating way
away from me to spend 8 hours away from home.
And I, I really hated that feeling and wanted that to
(12:39):
change. And I that's what I prayed about
every night and was trying to change every morning.
And the inspiration that came was to just do the bare minimum
for my kids in the morning. I don't for the littlest ones.
I will maybe pack their lunch orset something out for them to
(13:03):
eat. But otherwise I just take myself
and I leave the room and I put on a a kids movie and I tell
them as soon as you're done cometo cuddle time.
And I wait for them to come and I don't follow them around
saying go faster. I just hope that they're
(13:24):
motivated to get in there and watch the movie with me.
And it has worked for the most part, but it has definitely
calmed her mornings down and instead of leaving my home or my
presence frazzled and frustrated, we leave having
snuggled and cuddled. And I know I have older kids,
(13:45):
but we still do this. Even with my teenagers, we still
snuggle before school every morning.
That's great. It's the best.
Yeah, just sounds like it's it'sfrom the short time that we're
visiting here, it's kind of a carryover.
Your growing up, your family enjoyed doing things together
(14:06):
and but that's what you guys aredoing as parents also.
Yeah, quality time. Yeah.
And being intentional with that,scheduling it in and and not
letting anything else take its place.
So tell us a little bit about your professional life.
(14:30):
OK, I am I, I consider myself a writer but I am also a very
mediocre amateur artist and those are the classes I took in
college. I had to take English classes in
(14:52):
order to pass and get my degree,but whatever electives I was
that were optional to me. For me it was an art class so
practically had an art minor. And I I love being creative.
It's definitely what charges my batteries.
And I never intended to go into graphic design, but thank
(15:15):
heavens, I think Heavenly Fatherknew that I would one day need
to put my husband through medical school and he just put
some opportunities in my path that would let me learn some
programs and get some experience.
So at 16, actually somebody frommy ward approached me and they
(15:35):
were, they owned a like coupon Mailer company and they were
looking for some cheap labor to design coupons that you sent out
in the mail. So that was my first graphic
design job in high school and I did that for the rest of high
school. It allowed me to learn Photoshop
(15:56):
and a couple easy programs. And when I went away to college,
they even asked me to continue to work.
So it kept me employed for maybemy freshman sophomore year of
college. But because I got some
experience doing that, you know,I was kind of able to go apply
(16:18):
for bigger jobs and just say I've got a little experience
using these programs and and then land a slightly better job.
And then I served a mission. And when I came home from my
mission, I was extremely out of the loop as far as technology
goes. Honestly, I think the Internet
(16:39):
was invented while I got while Iwas gone.
I served from 98 to 2000. But when I left, I had no e-mail
account and had never gotten onto a web browser.
And when I came home and I was applying for jobs, I was taking
My Portfolio to places to try toget it.
A graphic design job, the one that was most appealing was for
(17:06):
a marketing in a marketing division of a pretty large
company and they asked me, you know, I could use the programs,
but I really didn't know how to operate in a large company like
that. I was able to get the job with
My Portfolio of work, but on thefirst day I arrived, they said
(17:29):
just send a company e-mail out to company wide and introduce
yourself. And I went and sat in my cubicle
and when I I had to lean over tomy neighbor and have them show
me how to send an e-mail. That's how uneducated and
inexperienced I was. But I did get the job and it was
(17:51):
terrifying but wonderful. It forced me for some massive
growth on me. And every day I was so scared to
go to work. I'd pull up in the parking lot
and put my car in park and pray for power, be on my own to kind
(18:13):
of meet the challenges that would come.
And then I would, you know, do as much research and practice as
I could at home. And I, I was able to kind of
advance to head artist in that company.
And, and when I left there, because my life was kind of
(18:36):
progressing, I was married, pregnant with my first baby.
I put in my notice and they asked me to stay on and work
from home and kept me employed for the next 8 years.
So I was able to work from home as a graphic artist and still
have kids while my husband was going to school for a long time.
(19:01):
It was a huge blessing. Wonderful faith promoting
experience to, to share with us that you, you could have been
praying in the parking lot that nobody would know that you
didn't know how to do things or that to just hide.
But you were praying for the power, for for help to to do the
(19:24):
things that you knew you could do with his help.
I believe really strongly in in that power.
Wonderful, thank you appreciate that testimony.
What are some other things you you talked about some things
that you like to do for fun. What are some other things, some
of your favorite things to do for fun besides the said cuddle
(19:44):
time and you've got the the shooting basketball out in the
in the front yard. Well, me personally, if I ever
have free time to myself, I liketo write.
And don't be mistaken in thinking that I have a secret
award-winning novel tucked away somewhere.
(20:07):
But I just can't help it it, youknow, everybody has something
like artists can't stop doodling.
Musicians can't stop plunking away whatever instrument it is
or whatever. For me, writing is that thing.
And you know, I've always journaled.
(20:30):
I just have always felt the needto get it out.
And it's not only my stress release, but it's my creative
outlet. So I if I ever have free time
and, and in the back of my mind,when I imagine being an empty
(20:50):
nester or my life slowing down somewhat, that's what I imagine
doing is finally getting a chance to finish the 25 half
novels I've written and maybe write down a more detailed
(21:13):
family story. My favorite thing to write would
be the story of my my parents and siblings, which I think is
beautiful and I would love to write it in detail someday.
But and I do write down a lot ofmemories and snapshots, but
hopefully someday I'll have the time to sit down and tie it all
(21:34):
together and my my own children have a beautiful story.
My husband and I and and our little well, pretty big unique
family is an amazing mirror miracle story as well and
(21:55):
deserves to be recorded so someday.
And yeah, that's what I enjoy doing when every time.
It's wonderful. I know it was a couple years
ago, maybe a year and a half ago, something like that that we
heard a little bit of story in state conference from you and
one of your daughters or two of your.
(22:15):
Daughters. Yes.
Yeah. Yep.
Very special, special way that they were brought into your
family. So is there a recent experience
you'd like to share with us thatthat helped to bring you closer
to Christ? Well, how recent?
(22:36):
I guess I would if you'd let me go back a little further than
last week, that would be the biggest one.
I mean, that story of our daughters coming into our family
is it's the most comprehensive like miracle story I've
(23:00):
witnessed or observed, like a start to finish miracle.
And it definitely changed all ofour lives and converted me even
even further than I think I already was.
And I think that happened just because of belonging to this
(23:23):
church, just being members of this church.
And I have to give the the organization itself credit for
what it did for us. If if Scott hadn't been the
branch president and I happen tobe the young women's president,
we never would have come across them.
And I shudder to think where they'd be AT and how they'd be
(23:49):
lost to us and lost to lost fromany help or aid.
And it's just happened because arecord came into the branch and
a new record and my husband received it and it was a
referral from Idaho missionariesand they gave us a name and a
(24:12):
phone number for who they thought was a 17 year old girl.
And because I was the young women's president, my husband
passed it on to me. And it was in Kingman, which is
half an hour away. The details we received about
Destiny were that she was livingwith an uncle and that she was
(24:38):
home schooled and it all soundedlike to me, and also that she
was 17. So to me it sounded like
somebody who wouldn't be interested or that we wouldn't
have a lot of success bringing out to Pratt to go to young
women's activities or come to church.
And I can remember not really debating going to find her, but
(25:02):
having struggles, which you often do when you're about to do
something really important, having obstacles and getting out
there. The day that we had arranged as
a young women's group to go out and meet her, everything, all of
our plans were kind of falling apart and everyone was late.
And we're running behind. And there's a moment when I
(25:23):
considered calling and saying we're not going to make it when
we said we were, maybe we shouldreschedule all those kinds of
things. But we powered through and went
and showed up at her door and had no idea when we walked in
that door that I was about to meet my future daughter.
(25:43):
And the story that would play out in the in the years to come.
So, so grateful I was had the calling.
I'm so grateful that I was serving and kind of acting on my
assignment. And because of Young Women's and
(26:03):
the gospel and the the organization that the church is,
we were able to gather destiny into our young Women's group.
Her little sister Jenny came along eventually and we were
able to gather them into our branch family.
And our branch was amazing at wrapping their arms around them
(26:24):
and giving them people to belongto besides just their uncle.
And when we finally learned of the abuse they were
experiencing, it was an easy transition.
When we were able to get them away from their abuser, it was
(26:46):
an easy transition into our family and a safe place in the
branch. And it's still, there's a lot of
details to the story and it still was a long Rd. but I can't
express enough the drastic contrast from where they started
and how they finished. And so grateful that they are
(27:09):
not only baptized and active members of the church, but
learning and thriving and growing their testimonies.
And it's so wonderful to see thelight back on, so bright in
their eyes and to see kind of the freedom and the the peace
(27:32):
and the joy that they had to have and destiny especially.
I'm so pleased and joyful to seeher married in in the temple and
enjoying her her temple covenants, like really valuing
(27:53):
them and just wrapping her arms around everything the gospel
offers. As soon as she became converted,
she just wanted all of it. She was like, I want my
patriarchal blessing. I want my endowments.
What else can I get? And she truly is just receiving
all the blessings that she's always deserved.
(28:14):
And it brings me so much joy. But in answer to your question,
what is a a recent spiritual experience in my life?
It would be that moment around the altar in the temple when we
were sealed as a family and adding Destiny and Jenny into
(28:36):
our eternal family. It felt like the most
concentrated joy I've ever experienced.
And I know that it was a little window.
It was a little glimpse into eternity, a little dose of
heaven or a little dose of what it's like to be together in the
(29:03):
social Kingdom. And it was overwhelming.
We were all very much overcome and filled with love and
gratitude. It was the sweetest experience
I've ever had. So in addition to the gospel
truths and principles I was already converted to, I became
(29:24):
deeply converted to the sealing power that's available in the
temple. And how important that is, how
important it is to be bound to each other and sealed into the
family of God. And yeah, very, very grateful
for that. Thank you.
(29:47):
Thank you for sharing tender andsacred experience with us.
Will you close out our episode with your testimony of Jesus
Christ and of His restored church?
Yes, my testimony of Jesus Christ is that there's a lot of
(30:14):
good to be had in this world. And you know, there is love and
light and there's knowledge and truth and power like I talked
about, that I've relied heavily on in my life.
And all of it comes from Him. I believe that He's the source
(30:38):
of those things, and I believe that all of those things are,
they're kind of floating around us like finite matter.
I feel like just like spirit, light and truth, knowledge and
power are things that can be poured in, like poured into a
(31:02):
room or poured into a a soul, poured into our minds and into
our hearts. And that's how I feel when I
feel the Atonement working in mylife or when I feel that I'm
(31:23):
living in accordance to the Lord's commandments.
I feel filled with Him. And I know that that scripture
is true that says the Father is in Him and He can be in US.
(31:45):
And those things that fill me up, light and peace and love
come from Him. And I know that He's He's there
when we keep our covenants with Him and when we repent.
(32:05):
It's the best feeling in the world to feel those dark
feelings of remorse leave and tofeel the Lord pour back in.
And I felt that. I know that it's real, true, and
grateful for the gospel, the restored gospel that teaches us
(32:28):
these things in a greater measure than we could get
anywhere else. So grateful for the many volumes
of Scripture, the extensive amount of the Word of God that
we have. That's the way to access all of
it is to open those books and visually intake those words.
(32:51):
And again, what pours in is the Lord.
What pours in are His answers, His love, His forgiveness, His
mercy. That's how I get to Him is
through His words. And I'm a huge lover of words.
So when I learned that another name for Jesus Christ was the
(33:15):
Word, it really clicked for me and helped me immediately
connect to him and I I see the two as one and the same.
The scripture says it me. It means to accessing Him and
that he accesses us by providingthat for us, providing us the
(33:36):
that way to tune in and to hear him.
So very, very grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my
life. I know it's true.
I wouldn't give it up for the world.
Say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Amen. I hope that this episode of the
(33:56):
Wichita KS Stick Podcast helped bring you closer to Christ.
I invite you to take some time today to write about or record
one of your own faith promoting experiences.
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