WHEN YOUR NICKNAME IS MORMON
Growing up in an area where there are very few members of your religion gives rise to many interesting opportunities. Some of the cons include: having absolutely no one to date, occasionally being mocked for your standards, and having to get up at 5:30 in the morning for seminary (early morning Bible Study). However, at least in my case, the cons were very few, and the pros far outweighed them.
First off, I grew up in an amazing community, where I was very rarely mocked for what I believed. Although I am sure many felt my standards were outdated and just down right weird, snide comments were few and far between. Most people asked honest and heartfelt questions, which brings me to the first pro of being one of the only Mormons in your town. Missionary Opportunities. When your nickname is âMormonâ, you get many opportunities to share the Gospel, and debunk some of the many myths that surround our faith. As I was able to share the Gospel with my peers at school, not only was I able to further their faith in Christ (I hope), but I was also able to increase my own faith in Christ and his teachings. Explaining why we as members of the church do certain things helped me to gain a better testimony of the trueness of the commandments I had been following. I was able to practice my missionary skills by giving Books of Mormon (or is it Book of Mormons? đ) to some of my closest friends, in hopes that one day they would read it and know it is true. I am so grateful for all of my missionary moments, and I know they helped me prepare for my short-lived mission. Even if I still stunk at door approaches.
Pro number two. Finding your testimony early. As I said earlier, being one of only a few members of the Church in your school gives you many opportunities to answer peoplesâ questions. The flip side to this is that sometimes you have your own questions about the Gospel. Do I really believe in the standards that I am taught? Do I know them to be true? With questions coming from others often, you better know the answer. Growing up in the town I did helped me to gain my own testimony at for me was a fairly young age. I can remember a few of my friends asking me questions about my religion, and realizing that I had never actually read the Book of Mormon through by myself. I knew if I was going to be able to answer their questions honestly, I needed to do as the prophet Moroni suggests: read the book, and ask of God. After completing the Book of Mormon, I was able to tell my friends with full assurance that I knew this book was true, and a blessing from God. When your nickname in school is âMormonâ, you for sure need to have actually read the Book of Mormon.
Final pro, at least the last one I could think of. The tightest group of youth you ever did see. When you are few and far in number in your high school, you learn to stick together and support each other. The youth in my little ward in Southeastern New Mexico were the best. Ever. No questions asked. The youth in our church were the only people who understood how it felt to chose to walk out of an R rated movie during class, or request a water at the Senior Banquet. The youth never judged you for doing the Sprinkler at the Stake Dance, but instead encouraged you to try out the Shopping Cart. They were a ray of sunshine in the halls, and were truly some of my best friends, both in high school and now. I am so grateful for the amazing group of youth I had the chance to grow up with, and wonder if we would have been as close if we all hadnât received the nickname of âMormonâ. (P.S. I had incredible Non-Mormon friends, too, who gifted me this nickname)
Now, I am not saying that growing up in an area more populated with members of the Church is a bad thing. There are pros and cons to each situation, and there are personal preferences that also come with each. I am sure there are some members of my youth who hated growing up in our small little town for this specific reason. However, to me, being given the nickname âMormonâ is one of the greatest blessings of my life.