Why I want to blog

Here it is, just another Mormon mommy blog. Is this worth my time? Should a blog really be a priority in my life? What could I possibly add to the discussion about motherhood that hasn't already been said? Will anyone read this?

To answer those questions: Yes, yes, plenty, and I hope so.

I've been turning the decision of starting a mommy blog over in my mind for the past few weeks. I am a writer and an editor in between my duties as a full-time mom to an 18-month-old son. I am busy, I have so little free time, and my family's happiness is the most important thing to me — and it also takes almost all of my time. And yet, the idea wouldn't go away. When that happens, I've decided, I think the idea is more of a spiritual prompting than some impulsive, wild idea. So I kept thinking about those very same questions I just posed.

Is this worth my time? Yes, it is, if I budget my time well. Writing has long been a hobby of mine and a personal talent. But since I do it professionally, I seldom have the time to write about the things that inspire or perplex or enrich me. This includes journaling, and in our technological age, what is blogging if not journaling? By taking an hour or two a week, spread out here and there, it is time well spent to document my feelings and events for posterity.

Should a blog really be a priority in my life? Yes, for the reasons above, and for this other very important one: We mommies need to stick together. Because we live in a techie society where it's easier to text or Facebook a friend than to call or meet face to face, this is my way of connecting with other mothers who may be in need of a like-minded sister. By talking through challenges I may help another mother solve her own. By relaying a funny or crazy motherhood moment I may give someone a chuckle or make her problems seem a little smaller in comparison. By affirming my belief that what I'm doing as a mother is the most important thing I will ever do, I may inspire other mothers to believe in themselves and the path that they have chosen. In this vein, just as the way compassionate service should be a priority in my life, so will blogging be.

What could I possibly add to the discussion about motherhood that hasn't already been said? I may not have completely original insights all the time, but my voice is completely different than any other mother's voice. My experiences are unique and my beliefs are sincere. Therefore, I will always have something to say that is at least new, if not valuable. And at the very least, it's all new to me.

Will anyone read this? I hope so. But even if only two or three people do, if it can help just one of them even in the slightest, then it will be worth it.

Even after all this consideration, what really solidified my decision were the words of Sister Julie Beck, the outgoing General Relief Society President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In a discussion in which she took questions from women, she quoted President Spencer W. Kimball:

"Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world (in whom there is often such an inner sense of spirituality) will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world."

She then had this to say about women bloggers:

"Think about the influence Latter-day Saint women could have if they are articulate. Not just about anything, but they are articulate about the things they stand for, which are encapsulated here (holding up the Relief Society book "Daughters in My Kingdom") and in the scriptures. If they can express their faith. If they can express what families mean to them. If they can serve in a way to seek out and help those who are in need of those covenants and ordinances and the blessings of the gospel in a distinct and different and happy ways, from the women of the world -- those are some principles."

And so, I will blog. I hope you will join me and encourage me in my journey.