I'm a Tennessee Mormon

So, we're moving back to Utah.

I am experiencing a full spectrum of emotions.

I am sad yet happy.

I am depressed yet hopeful.

I am relieved yet stressed.

I am excited yet contemplative.

I have been planning and organizing yet reflecting and pondering.

No wonder why I just want to stay in bed all day.

My mind and body are exhausted, and I haven't even started cleaning or packing.

We love our home in Knoxville, Tennessee.

We especially love being members of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

in Tennessee.

Our fellow church members are close-knit.

It becomes cliche,

but we really are

family.

One great big family.

We have to stick together.

As we are attacked on all sides.

The other inhabitants of

The Bible belt

actually believe all kinds of falsehoods

about us.

So,

we are very much a refuge

for one another.

We know we are not polygamists.

We know we are not a cult.

But most of all

we know

We

are

Christian.

In fact,

if you ever visit

a meetinghouse

on the first Sunday of the month,

you will hear

some of the sweetest

testimonies

of

Jesus Christ.

And

you may be surprised

that these

awe inspiring

words and feelings

come from

the Mormons

in the Bible belt.

They will bear testimony

of their love of the Bible.

They will testify of

the Savior of the world,

Jesus Christ.

They will talk about

their love for fellow man

Christian and non-Christian alike.

They will also talk about their love

for one another.

And the support

they receive from one another

in their goals

of living

Christ centered lives.

So,

thinking about leaving

our home of

eight years

is very

heart wrenching.

It is here

where people

have planned

"it's great to be 8"

firesides

just for our daughter

and her best friend.

As they were the only

kids in the congregation

looking forward to

that momentous

birthday

in the same year.

The year they are old

enough to accept baptism.

And take upon them the

name of Christ.

It is here

that we are

always kind of surprised

but absolutely joyful

when we run into

another member

of our church

while shopping.

It is here

where our kids

were sometimes

the ONLY

Mormons

in their whole school.

And sometimes

the only Mormon

that people had

ever met in their life.

It is here

in

Tennessee

that we

as a church family

and as a family family

stood strong

together

against

adversity

of all sorts.

And I now know that I

am going back to another place that I love.

But in that place it is pretty sheltered.

I worry about my kids

understanding the actual world.

I have to admit that when I think

about the fact that

I will only have two

people from church to check in on

instead of 6 on a monthly basis,

I am a little relieved.

I am downright ecstatic that I will

never have to wake up my teenage

aughters at 5 am

for their 6 am Bible study

before school.

In Utah's highschools

they have this thing called release time

where the kids get to cross the street

during a period of the day and

study scripture

at the LDS church across the street.

I may never feel like the people at church

are really family,

as most of them actually

are surrounded by real biological family,

but I will also know

that I have a very vast support system,

even if they aren't as close to me.

The news coverage

may all be

from a Mormon's

perspective,

but I will also get news that

I want to hear about,

that I can't get here.

I will get to walk into

Mormon bookstores

instead of Baptist ones.

And buying my kids

a modest baptism dress

or a CTR ring won't be an ordeal.

In Utah there aren't any

dogwoods,

or

wreckers,

or

magnolias,

or

Vol fans,

or

riding mowers,

or

humidity,

or

fireflies,

or

smoky hills,

or

snowdays,

or

awesome

Southern Storms.

I will

miss them all.

(well maybe not the humidity)

But I will appreciate the things

that Utah does have

that Tennessee doesn't.

Like

snowplows,

and

sidewalks,

and

temples,

and

caselot sales,

and

rocky mountains,

and

smooth gardening soil,

and

great camping weather.

I am sappy lately.

I am gonna miss being different.

It's gonna be hard to go back to

a place where I am just

like everybody else.

O.k not just like everybody else.

Cause let's face it.

I'm an original.

I don't totally fit in anywhere I go.

And I prefer it that way.

I am also gonna miss my

mother-in-law and my sister.

A lot.

My mother in law, Faye, is the world's best babysitter.

and one of my best friends.

And Shannon, my sister, is my best cheerleader.

My entire life she has watched out for me.

Thank goodness for

webcams,

jetplanes,

cell phones,

with

unlimited long distance,

and

wait for it

.....

facebook.

God knew I couldn't leave

without having those.