The Time I Went On a Date With a Mormon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny story, I went on a date this weekend and I was incredibly awkward because like, I always am around boys. I kept getting out of the car while he was half-way around the car to open the door for me (aww), or walking too fast in front of him, or ya know, having nothing to talk about.

But it was still fun! We went on a double date to the fair, and he bought me a gyro (!!!) and some fried Oreo’s, so I’m thinking he’s a catch? Did I mention he’s a Mormon? You KNOW I was loving it.

 

 

Shameless plug:
Oh, if you want to know more about how awkward I am around boys, and how single I am, check out my twitter @autumnleviticus

 

Ok, ok, enough about me!
What did you do this weekend?

“The Mormon Candidate”

 
credit

I’ve fallen ill, so I’ve taken to eating cold cereal
in bed—-strawberry frosted shredded wheat—-and watching
cable documentaries.

On right now is “The Mormon Candidate.”

AND since all of America is talking about this, WHY NOT MY BLOG?
Does Mitt Romney’s Mormon religion discourage you from voting for him,
encourage you, or are you apathetic to the issue?

Please discuss in the comments,
lest I get bored to death in my bed.

Engagement Pictures

Last summer, my life-long best friend was not-so-patiently waiting for her boyfriend, an LDS missionary, to return home from his calling in England. I took photographs of her so she could spice up her weekly letters. Today, in the same field, I had the privilege of taking their engagement photos. Their story is a brilliant romance—one that involves junior high dates, high school proms, the freshmen fifteen, and letters shipped weekly across the Atlantic Ocean.

They are so in love and I had no trouble capturing it:

 

The big day is set for:

 

…at the Memphis temple!

Kaylee, I am thrilled for you and Joey! What a perfect couple.

 

 

More pictures to come.

And It Came To Pass

A Mormon missionary called me tonight.

I got a rush of excitement and nervousness all at once.

Excitement because I love Mormons and I love talking to them about their faith. Their beliefs are a far cry from my very conservative upbringing as a member of the Church of Christ.

My nervousness stems from my fear of letting them down, because I know I’m not going to convert, and they are just sweet missionaries trying their best.

Putting those jumbled up feelings aside, I answered the phone with an open heart and eager ears.

We talked about our majors in college (she’s also in the Family & Consumer Sciences department) and our mutual love for Salt Lake City.

We giggled over Morm Monday’s (thanks for telling her that Kaylee) and I shared with her my interest in being a missionary in Africa.

She then said, “Kaylee told me that you know a lot about the Church.”

Well, isn’t that an understatement?

I once beat Kaylee in a Mormon trivia game.

Seriously, she asked me “What is our women’s class called at church and who founded it?”

I got that right.

Of course, I didn’t tell the Missionary that.

I just said, “Yes, quite a lot.”

“What is keeping you from becoming a member?”

I chewed on my lip for a minute. I wasn’t entirely sure how to answer.

But finally I did.

“I’m content with my faith and what I know and continue to learn about Jesus Christ.”

And isn’t that what we’re all trying to do? To know, love, and be servants of Christ, and to know that He loves us just as much?

So no, I don’t need any converting.

My heart is spoken for.

Utah Should Pay Me to Promote Their State.

As if you need to be told again, I went to Utah last summer and the Rocky Mountains changed my life.

Seriously, what a great state: mountains, lush greenery, sun beams between the mountains, the Mormons.

Anyway,

today I was sitting in chapel (paying attention, NOT #chapeltweeting) when I heard this announcement:

“The Harding Nursing Student Association will be selling Premier Jewelry in the Student Center tomorrow and on Wednesday, March 2^nd.  They are fundraising to be able to travel to the National Nurses’ Convention in Utah.”

I’m sorry, what? Since when was the Nursing Student Association going to Utah and WHY DIDN’T I KNOW?

I audibly gasped. And when I say audibly, I mean it was so loud that I practically sucked all of the air out of the Benson auditorium.

The guy sitting in front of me turned around with a look of confusion. His face was a mixture of “she’s cute” and “what’s wrong with her?”

I shook my head and dazily said,

“I just love Utah.”

True story.

Which Came First, The Chicken or The Egg?

Favorite birthday card:

The front reads,

"And lo, the Lord gazed upon the chicken and upon the egg..."

The inside reads,

"And not knowing which should come first, shoveth'd He the egg up into the chicken, and it was good."

-3rd Nephi 3:11

Have a wonderful birthday!

-Ali

*Ali didn't mean the Nephi verse offensively. But come on, old English sounds like that.*

Complaining on Monday Night

a. I am in a

rut. A deep, depressing funk. Half of it is probably sleep deprivation, but the other half is legitimate. I am tired of school and studying and all of the stress that comes with it. Today I thought about what my life consists of- the 3 Step Survival Guide For College, if you will.

Study, Shower, Sleep.

I have been in a running rut too.

I am so worn out.

b. If you're new around here,

you probably don't know my love for Utah & Mormons. My friend Jill sent me a link to this Etsy shop. This is the shirt:

This is the desciption of the shirt:
"Love Utah? I do and you can show your love for the beehives, honey and mormons of Utah when you wear this..."

I'm thinking it was made for me.

c. The weather here has been

amazing! It has been in the 70's during the day and 60's at night. I am loving every minute of it. Autumn is my favorite season. Nice work on naming me, Mom. Very fitting.

d. I have been taking

prenatal vitamins because I am really anemic. They are doing amazing things for my hair and nails! I have had several good hair days and my fingernails are growing pretty fast. That's very exciting for a girl who has always had short, stubby nails.

e. Thank goodness

Monday is over. It was unpleasant.

To My Best Friend in Idaho

Dear Kaylee,

Not much has changed since you have been gone.

It's still 1,000 degrees in Arkansas and so humid that your jeans moisten from sweat and cling to your sticky skin.

Gross, I know.

How's Rexburg? Are you in Mormon heaven?

I have been meaning to ask, are potatoes a hot commodity there? I imagine you sitting around with the Book of Mormon in your lap eating scalloped, mashed, fried, baked potato concoctions- so many potatoes that they are practically coming out of your ears.

After all, that is what Idaho is famous for, didn't you know?

I'm sure my depiction of you is accurate. Don't tell me if it's not. I quite enjoy seeing you stuff your face with potatoes.

I am excited to know that I have a letter in the mail- #2 since we became pen pals. Real mail is so much more exciting than emails and texts.

By the way, I posted some pictures on your Facebook wall. Have you seen them yet? Well, here they are for your convenience.

This is my "I miss you" face.

This is my "I can't wait to see you again!" face.

Love you.
Miss you.
Your Best Friend,

Autumn Bottom

Autumn Loves Mormons.

You know that friend of yours that has a creepy foot fetish?

I have one worse.

I take that back. I don't have an obsession creepier than someone liking feet. Crusty feet with long toenails.

I do have an obsession that is weirder.
I am obsessed with

I feel like now would be the appropriate time to tell you that I am not Mormon, nor do I have a desire to be. I would blame this obsession on my trip to Utah but I'm afraid my twisted love of the Morms started long before that.

As much as I thought I was closeting it, others have noticed.

A friend of mine sent me this picture today with a text that read,

"What I'm sitting by in the library. Thought of you..lol!"

I wonder what gave it away.

Perhaps Morm Mondays?

Traditions

My roommate and I are really into traditions.
That, or we just like doing certain things on certain days of the week, week after week. Like I said, into traditions.

Monday

Or what we like to call, "Morm Monday." See, we are really interested in other religions, so when I whipped out the Book of Mormon (the BOM) that I received in Utah, we dove right in. Now, we reserve Monday for our friends Nephi and Moroni.

Tuesday

is the worst day of the week. We both agree on that. Last Tuesday was awful, this Tuesday was awful, and next Tuesday will be awful. And the one after that. Don't expect happy blog posts on Tuesday's. (Please pray for my roommates family. Her grandma died yesterday.)(I told you Tuesday's are awful.)

Wednesday

has been proclaimed "Dish-Wash Wednesday." If a day wasn't prescribed, they would never get done. And they need to get done- I may have skipped last Wednesday. I am out of cereal bowls and instead of washing them, I have resorted to Pop Tarts every morning. Shame on me.
In my defense, it is hard to wash dishes in a bathroom sink.

Thursday

is good all around.
1) Ali and I get to sleep in until 8.

2) It's Tay Swift Thursday. We listen to Taylor Swift while getting ready for chapel.

Friday

is a good day for obvious reasons. It means the weekend is beginning. But here at Harding, it also means Jersey Day which is fun.

Saturday/Sunday

is reserved for sleeping. And eating.

Well, it's Wednesday so I am off to wash that pile of bowls. Cereal for breakfast tomorrow!

Miscellany Monday at school

1. Bunk Beds

I have come to the conclusion that I am a really good roommate. The best, some say. This belief is founded on the fact that I compromised with my height-fearing roommate Ali and took the top bunk. We didn't have to bunk, but it gave us a ton of floor space. See, I really am the best roommate. You would want to live with me, right?

2. Gym

I decided I am healthy enough to go back to the gym. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and did 2 miles on the bike and some work on the elliptical. I am trying to get into a gym schedule, so this week I am going to see how MWF at 2:00 works for me.

3. Mormon Tabernacle Choir

I am loving Come Thou Fount by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It is so pretty and peaceful.

4. Naps

I am tired. School, gym and my social life are wearing me out. I am trying to stop taking naps so I can sleep earlier at night. It is definitel going to be an adjustment!

Hiking, and a personal revelation.

Saturday brought allergies, sweat, aching muscles and holes in clothes. Further explanation? Happy to.

Bright and early found us in Provo, hiking Y mountain. Holy guacamole, hiking to the Y is no piece of cake. (Did you like the two food references?) None the less, I persevered, downing my water by the 4th switchback and thinking how much altitude vs. sea level sucks.

Mid-hike view of Provo

My wheezing stopped (well, lets be fair, it slowed down) when we reached the large concrete Y. The view was absolutely breathtaking. I felt like I was standing on top of the world. (Did you know the Y is 380 feet high, making it larger than the Hollywood Sign in California?)

Trivia brought to you free.

Sitting in the middle of the Y

After trekking back down the mountain we drove to the Provo Temple for picture taking purposes. See all the pink roses? I can't even begin to describe how sweet the air smelled.

And ok, I know the Salt Lake Temple is every one's crème brûlée, but I happen to think the Provo Temple is the prettiest one I have seen. Salt Lake? Surrounded by buildings. Manti? Middle of nowhere. Provo? Mountains, my friends.

Our next adventure (are you tired yet?) led us to Bridal Veil Falls nestled in the Provo Canyon. There was a nice paved trail to the very bottom of the falls. To get to the falls themselves was a different story.

My acrylic nails helped me scratch myself up all of those rocks to the very top. My pants were wet, Nike's drenched. I didn't care though. I just plopped down on a rock, let the waterfall mist me with fresh water, and snapped a ton of pictures.

Pants after all the hiking. Tore hole in butt. Not picture worthy.

Manti Temple at night

For added fatigue, we drove a near two hours for the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti. If you're Mormon, this is like, a right of passage. It's a big deal.

I'm talking about thousands of people gathered to watch the finding of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith's death, Brigham Young leading the Mormons to Utah, and so on.

Back to the story. We arrived really early to gurantee one of the 14,000 seats available and then walked the streets of downtown Manti. We ate dinner at a local diner and then splurged on chocolate covered strawberries.

There were Christian picketers there with a cross, passing out information of our/my Jesus vs. Mormon Jesus. I had never been around controversy like it. They weren't rude, demanding, ignorant or mean in any way. But you could certainly feel the tension.

And then I thought, would I be with the picketers? Is that the right approach? Do I belong at a Mormon pageant, being not of that particular faith?

Alas, I sat in my chair and watched the play. It was interesting. It was good. The picketers left and I had a personal revelation. I am not Mormon. I am not Church of Christ. I won't label my faith.

I am a follower of Jesus Christ. A lover of God. Someone who feels the Holy Spirit deep in my soul.

And that, my friends, was Saturday.

Temple Square in Salt Lake City

This is the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. It seats 21,000 Mormons for their bi-annual conference. The organ in the picture is one of the largest in the world. Very pretty, I think. And huge- ginormous!

We also went on a tour of Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Temple Square has many buildings but the prettiest is the temple itself. I saw several brides taking pictures outside of the temple- a Mormon must. (Temple weddings, that is)

It was very pretty. Of course we couldn't go inside (especially me) but I'm sure it's equally as nice inside!

This is a statue of Jesus in the Visitors Center at Temple Square, where I was offered a Book of Mormon and a visit from "the" missionaries. I agreed politely.

Atop the Conference Center is a garden where there are trees and a variety of flowers. It was so neat to see such a lovely garden in the middle of Salt Lake City, with buildings and moutains in the distance.

Salt Lake City from the top of the Conference Center. I was aiming to get a shot of the mountains. It's impossible to truly capture their essence, but it is certainly my goal for the trip.

Even though I am not of the LDS faith, I was still able to appreciate their beliefs and their beautiful temples.

In other news, it is still 50 degrees here. See the snow on the moutains?

What the heck Utah? When is summer here?!

9 more days!

World Religion - Mormonism

Lately I've been very interested in learning about other religions.
In fact, I may sign up for a World Religions class at Harding.
My religion pick of yesterday/today to read up on was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For short, Mormons.

Ya know, those dudes that come knocking on your door with a Book of Mormon? My interest in it was sparked by Kaylee, Nie Nie, and C Jane.
I was surprised at the controversy surrounding the Church.

I stumbled upon a blog last night of a woman who is going through the process of leaving the Church, Kelly. She made several statements about Mormon beliefs so I decided to investigate for myself.

Through Google and LDS headquarters, I found some basic beliefs/principles/practices of the Church. It definitely shed some light- I feel like most people still think of Mormons as polygamists.
Here's my fancy bulleted list of Mormon findings:

• They believe in the teachings of the Bible and the Book of Mormon
• Baptism for the dead (1 Corinth. 15:29)
• Sealing families (An ordinance performed in the temple eternally uniting a husband and wife, or children and their parents.)
• Levels of Heaven
• Pre-earth life
  & many other things which you can find here.

I am not Mormon but I find the religion interesting. If you are Mormon please comment with more information. As one of the most hotly debated religions, people are always interested in learning more!

I am also interested in learning about other Christian denominations and religion. What denomination do you consider yourself? Why do you believe what you do?

Utah

Basically, ever since I read the blog NieNie Dialogues, I've wanted to go to Utah. So for about 2 weeks now!

Anyways, Kaylee has family in Utah and when she mentioned she was going:

"I'm going to Utah this summer to stay with my aunt." -Kaylee

"I wanna go!!" -me

"You should come!!" -Kaylee

"How long are you going?" -me

"..like a week." -Kaylee

"Oh my gosh I wanna go. That would be so fun!" -me

Imagine that conversation in high, squeaky voices.

After talking it over with the parental units over Sunday lunch, they agreed and Kaylee booked our flight- June 11-21.

I'm ready to fly (I love flying), be in an airport (I love airports more than flying!), see some Utah mountains and hike, and spend time with my bestie. Plus, I'm getting the full on Mormon experience. I'm not Mormon, so this will be interesting! In a good way.


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."
-Mark Twain

Humbled

This is Stephanie Nielson.

She is beautiful and was living the all-American dream. Her home was happy with four small children and a perfect husband. She was 27 and living the life she had always dreamed of. Several people followed her blog, the NieNie Dialogues,where she talked about her children, husband, and Mormon faith in God.

For her husbands birthday, she bought him flying lessons. Soon he got his pilots license and would take the family on flights. One weekend, leaving the kids with their grandparents, the couple went on a flight.

The plane crashed.

Stephanie got out and ran through the flames, burning over 83% of her body. This is that beautiful woman now. Still beautiful, brave, strong, and SUCH an inspiration.

Click here to read about the 10-week coma she was in, how her blog readers raised over $100,000 for her, and how her youngest child couldn't recognize her, and called her sister 'mom'.

"I had you," she whispered then. "Please, please remember me."

Her story will change your life. Be grateful for the wonderful blessings God has given you. You never know how lucky you are...