"What do you believe?" she asked...

I was blessed to attend Time Out for Women yesterday. (read more HERE)
Much like Women's Conference, it is a mini-conference that helps me re-focus on what matters most to me...my faith & my family. The theme this year was Infinite HOPE...& it was truly inspiring...again!

One of the most interesting things that happened; however, was during the lunch break...I ran down the street to grab a salad & hurried back to gulp it down & head back inside. Yes, I was alone...I'm 50-something years old, I don't need a friend to go with me to the bathroom anymore! I went for myself, not to socialize. So glad I was alone, I don't think I would have had such a sweet experience if others were around me.

As I tossed my trash & headed back inside, a sweet young black woman who happened to work at the Sacramento Convention Center approached me & said, "Excuse me."

"Yes?" I smiled.

"Are you with the group of Mormons here today?" She spoke in a thick accent that I didn't recognize.

"Yes, I am." I couldn't help but smile now as I was carrying the "Time Out for Women" bag that all the participants were carrying, but I sensed that it took great courage for her to approach me in the first place & she continued...

"What do you believe?" she asked...then realizing how broad her question was, she clarified..."Are you the ones who marry their girls off when they are 12?"

My eyes widened, "Oh heavens, NO!" I realized that she had us confused with Fundamentalists & reassured her that we do not live in communes, nor do we arrange marriages for our young adolescent daughters.

She smiled big & said, "Good, I'm glad!" She had a new energy in her step as we walked & I told her that the official name of our church was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints & we strive to follow what Christ taught. It was obvious that she was no longer interested in what I had to say, she just wanted to make sure that WE didn't marry our babies off, which was obviously abhorrent to her. (Come to think of it, it's a pretty disgusting thought to me, too!)

As we said goodbye & parted, my mind was full of her question, "What do you believe?" Thoughts flooded into my head of all the pieces of the gospel puzzle that I treasure...but in a nutshell, what do I believe? The question kept coming back to me. How do I answer this question, simply - in one inclusive sentence? Well, Christ, is the foundation of my faith so I would have to simply say,

"I believe in the hope of my Savior, Jesus Christ - that through His atonement & resurrection, I, too, can have eternal life."

For a more detailed & "official" description of "What do Mormons believe?" you can click on the "I Belong" button in my sidebar or just go HERE.

I cherish my faith. It gives me strength & purpose, & yes, infinite HOPE!