I know who I am, I know God's plan

I just had to share something wonderful I've discovered lately: Mormon.org. I've always known about and liked the site, but their recent unveiling of a re-design came as a pleasant surprise. During my first visit I spent over two hours watching the videos under the "Our People" section, reading the beautifully laid-out pages on doctrine and trying out all the interactive stuff they have available. So cool. I felt energized through reading other's testimonies and gained a deeper appreciation for the people that make up Christ's church here on the earth. So many beautiful and diverse people - I love it. Then I realized I could create my own profile! I would encourage you to do the same - what a wonderful way to spread your personal beliefs and testimony to the world. Just make sure to get your membership number from your ward clerk before you begin. You can even check out my profile by clicking on the "my faith" button on the RH sidebar.

Another sweet faith-builder was this recent Mormon Message for Youth: Two Brothers Apart. It chronicles the growing-up years of two brothers with a very rocky relationship and shows how they finally come together. I know I'm probably just extra emotional as a pregnant woman, but this video struck personal chords in my own life - I've experienced difficult sibling relationships that have ended up sweet as we matured and mastered the personal demons in our own lives.

I also have to express my disappointment in one of my favorite Mormon celebrities (well, actually Kirby Heybourne is my favorite): Will Swenson. You know the dark-haired main guy in Singles Ward, Sons of Provo, etc (he also wrote and appeared in pretty much every other Mormon movie in the last ten years as well as Capitan Moroni and Namaan in the Seminary Videos, not to mention the voice of Christ). Well, he recently enjoyed a successful Broadway run as a 2009 Tony-award nominee for the West-end production of Hair. Exciting success, yet according to a 2009 interview he's openly abandoned active membership in the church and is doing things you wouldn't want to associate with his past roles as scripture characters. If you saw silly Singles' Ward - he's becoming his character Jonathan Jordan literally. I don't doubt he's still a great father and friend, but from a Latter-Day Saint perspective, seeing someone who once represented your beliefs to the world leave it behind is a little sad to me.

Among those who allow fame and worldly recognition to diminish their LDS faith, we have those who are putting their life's work into using the mass media for spreading Christ's gospel. I love it so much and I encourage all to spread what they believe in dearly - whatever it is - with the world. Hold firmly to your beliefs and don't be ashamed!