Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast
The Highlands Ranch Ward is a sharing of spiritual experiences, family history and inspiring Christian principles. The goal of the podcast is to help our members get to know each other better as well as inspire people to draw closer to Jesus Christ through prayer, scripture study, family history and living the principles Jesus taught.
Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast
Mary Hoffman
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Claire Stucki interviews Mary Hoffman about her spiritual journey and advice for younger generations.
Hi everyone, welcome to the Highlands Ranch War podcast. Thanks for taking the time to tune in and listen. This is Claire Stukey. I am your host today. Today we'll be interviewing Mary Hoffman. She's an awesome member of our ward. Mary, thank you so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER_01You bet. Happy to be here.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Okay. All right. Our first question is: how did you convert to the gospel? What is your personal conversion story?
SPEAKER_01So I was raised in the church. Both my mom's side and my dad's side go back to like Joseph Smith. So there's a lot of heritage of, you know, you could say just simply born in the church, not converted. But I definitely feel like I'm a convert. I've had my own personal conversion. I mean, I was blessed to be raised in a home where both my parents were really, really valued the gospel and they just taught the gospel at every turn. It was just a part of who they were. And I um I didn't realize what a gift they'd given me until I got a little bit older and realized, oh, not everyone just knows all this stuff. Not to my credit, but to their credit, right? But um I'm still absolutely a convert, and my journey has definitely been one of those line upon line, um, little by little. But um it's very real. I think the best way to describe it is kind of like a sunrise. At what point is it clear enough to see, you know? At what point is it bright enough to say it's bright? Um, and it's just this this continual adding and adding and adding. Um and always ebbs and flows. That's just part of life. So there's a few clouds here and there that go across that sunrise. But that's really the best way to describe it for me.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I love that. I love what you said about like I like you kind of still feel like a convert. Like, I feel like like we have like different terms for like I grew up in the church and I'm a convert, but like if you think about it, we're all converting to the gospel. Like, we're all having our personal conversion story. And I also love what you said about like the sunset, and sometimes it's gradual. And I can't remember what talk it is, but it might have been this last general conference. There's a talk about how like it kind of like he kind of like um talked about the different like forms of light and how the rays of light. Yeah, sometimes it's like flipping on a switch, and sometimes it's rays of light, and sometimes it's a sunrise, like it it's like different for everyone, and like sometimes you won't, you're like, Am I ready? I like like I feel like Do I know this?
SPEAKER_01Am I converted?
SPEAKER_00Totally, totally.
SPEAKER_01And yet I for sure am. And there are times in that sunrise where the sun gets really bright, or there's a big difference, and there's times where it's really, really gradual, you know. But all of it ultimately makes it bright.
SPEAKER_00Totally. I love that. Wow, that's amazing. Um, okay. Next question is what is your favorite family history story that inspires you, or just a family story in general?
SPEAKER_01So obviously, with a heritage, pioneer heritage on both sides of my family, I have a bajillion of them. But um, and so it's really hard to pick, but I think one that I tend to go back to and remember on a regular basis is my great-grandmother. She had a tremendous amount of faith, faith in miracles, faith in healing, and um she uh Hannah, let's see, Hannah Adeline Hatch Savage. She was the second wife to Levi Mathers Savage. So if the if you've watched the 17 or the is it 17 miracles, one of those. No, it's not the 17 miracles, it's the other one where Levi Savage is like one of the people on the anyway, it's his son. So, okay, Levi Mather Savage, and she she was the second wife, and they were living in the colonies in Mexico because of the persecution for polygamy. They were they left the country and were in Mexico, and there were some colonies that the members of the church, often called the Mormon colonies, they lived there for a long time and kind of settled. Anyway, she lived in a dugout there, and uh she was pregnant, and you know, all the men were out farming and doing their work, and they came home for dinner and found her in a pool of blood. And um, what we think happened, we're pretty sure she had a uterine rupture. And um, she asked for a priesthood blessing, and she straight up said, If any of you don't have faith that I can be healed, I want you to leave. And she was like, I will be healed. You know what I mean? Yeah, and they gave her a blessing and they promised that she would have more children, which considering she had a uterine rupture, is kind of you know a stretch. Um, anyway, but um the doctors many times were like, Nope, you need a hysterectomy, this is not gonna happen. And she's like, Nope, I'm gonna have more kids. And she kept, and she did have two more, one of which was my grandma. Anyway, she just had a tremendous amount of faith, and she was kind of I'd you we would say she was on disability now. She was like a semi-invalid most of her life, but she just always had that hope and that belief that she could be healed, and she certainly was healed enough to have two more children, you know, many miraculous healings, even though she was still sick. And I think part of that is actually when she was a little little girl, she had had a miraculous healing through a priesthood blessing as well. And so I think that, you know, God does that with us, He He gives us an experience that tries my faith and helps me grow. And then the next time He stretches me a little bit further. But because I have that foundation, I can my faith can be stretched, you know. Anyway, so that's one of the many cool stories. I just loved her faith. When I was a teenager, I read her journal, and so she's always kind of had a tender spot in my heart.
SPEAKER_00Wow. Wow, that's amazing. I love in that story. She was like, if you don't have faith, I want you to leave. Like, I don't want any bad vibes, I don't want any like I don't want any of that here. Like, I know I'm going to be healed, and if you don't think so, like you shouldn't be here. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's amazing. Especially considering the more patriarchal time, you know. I I thought that that was great. That she was like, if you're not interested, if you don't believe, out. Yeah, I just want people that believe.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Wow, that's amazing. That's something cool to take away for like your own life and our own lives, I'm sure. Like, if you don't believe, like, why would I waste my time with you? Like, like, I obviously we want to bring everyone, but like if you're bringing down like uh your faith, like like we don't need those bad vibes, you know.
SPEAKER_01Especially when it, you know, she was asking, she needed a blessing for her. So it was important that she was able to stand by what she needed. And that I think is a really important thing, establishing those boundaries. I mean, I'm sure she did it in love. I'm probably saying it more theatrical than it really happened. But you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Wow, that's amazing. I love that. Okay, our next question is what is your favorite scripture story and why?
SPEAKER_01Okay, so this one was hard for me too. Like all of these were hard for me to decide about because I'm like, well, they're all cool, like I like them all, you know. Um but then I did think of one that I think is one of my favorite um illustrations of a principle, and that is in Third Nephi. The people gathered together, Third Nephi 11. They the people have gathered together, and they it says, Um, uh, let's see, I I wrote it down here. A great multitude gathered together of the people of Nephi round about the temple, and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place because this was after the massive destruction, right? And then it says in verse 2, and they were also conversing about this Jesus of whom the sign had been given concerning his death. And I love this principle that when we gather together and we um wonder and talk about great and marvelous things that have happened, and we converse about Jesus Christ, He comes. When we gather together and talk of Christ, He comes. And I just love that because of course, right after this, we hear Heavenly Father's voice, and Jesus Christ comes down and says, Come feel the prince of the nails in my hands and and in my side, my you know, not the nail prints in my side. You know what I'm talking about. Um anyway, I just love that principle. I think it's such a good illustration that when we gather together, and that's why it's so important that we gather together in church, we gather together in families, that and that we talk of Christ when we gather together because he comes, whether physically or spiritually, he comes.
SPEAKER_00Wow, that's amazing. I love that so much, and I love that you pointed out like just like the aspect of gathering, and that that's what Christ loves is he loves seeing us all come together and sharing Christ with one another. That is like something he like just like loves so much above anything else. Like it's amazing to grow your own personal study, but I think he knows that when we're all together and when we're all um gathering and sharing Christ's love together, that that's what is true Christ's love. That is it's something that is so powerful and something that we can't do on our own. So that's amazing. I love that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, okay. Our next question is what is the time you struggled with something in your life and you felt Christ walking with you in that trial?
SPEAKER_01So there was a time in my life that was um, I had a huge trial and it was really, really overwhelming. Um it had the potential to significantly affect my my life and my family's life. I had um basically no control over it. And it was really daunting. And I, of course, I reached out to Heavenly Father and asked for peace and miracles and you know, fasting and prayer and all the things that I'm supposed to do, but it was so overwhelming and clear. It was like it wasn't I I prayed and I got that assurance, hey, it's gonna be okay. And then like five minutes later, I had to do it again. And then like two minutes later, I had to do it again. And then like maybe an hour later, I had to do it again. And then like this happened over like several weeks, and it was like minute by minute, hour by hour, I had to pray and say, I know you just barely told me that it's gonna be okay, but I need to know again. Yeah, and you know what? He let me know again. And that doesn't mean it wasn't really hard, and that doesn't mean it didn't push me to my limit, and that doesn't mean it wasn't really challenging. But his grace was sufficient, and he gave me that piece, and it was okay that I had to ask two minutes later because that's where I was at, and he knew that, and he gave me that piece again. And you know, it did work out, and it but it was a really, really hard time. But I've always remembered that, and I've remembered how he was there with me, even though he was there with me in it, and helping me have the strength and courage to just not be overwhelmed and to keep going.
SPEAKER_00Wow. I think that is a great example of Christ just being there and like holding our hand, and even when we're freaking out and things are spiraling out of control, he's just there to hold our hand. Like that's like he is there for us in many different ways. Sometimes he's like actively solving the problem, and you can kind of see the pieces falling in place, and other times you can just like feel that he's there with you, and sometimes it's what he knows we really need. And I love that. That is so amazing. I know that recently I felt that a lot. I know I understand maybe like a little bit of how you're feeling being overwhelmed, and it's a scary feeling when things like you feel like you don't have control over things, and you like like there's your mind is going so many places, and it's hard to feel peace. Like that is a scary feeling, and just to have those moments where you feel like just like even for a second, like I'm here with you, like it's gonna be okay. Like, like Christ knows that that means the world, and that's amazing. I love that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and of course, I'm sure he also orchestrated miracles and you know all of the big things too, but that's when he really walked with me in that trail.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, wow, thank you. That's amazing. Okay, um, what do you love most about our ward?
SPEAKER_01I love that so many members are just willing to serve, they're willing to, if something's asked of them, they're like, okay, let's do it. It might be hard, and they they have to figure out their schedule. They, you know, but they just step up and are willing to do it. Um and and give. And and it's not for a fanfare or anything else. They just there's a lot of just good people that are willing to share of I d I'm hesitant to say prosperity because I that implies material things, but I mean just their prosperity in of everything, their energy, their their talents, their everything. Wow.
SPEAKER_00I agree. I feel like there's ever been like I can't think of any times where I've noticed people like saying no to something. Like we have very like yes people in our world, like, yes, I will do that, and like just like volunteers, like you don't even have to like ask some of the time, and there people just show up at your doorstep with food when you need it, and things like that. Like, everyone is just like there for each other, and we're always just going to say yes when someone needs something because we're just I I just know like that's something we're so good at, like, it's just amazing. I love seeing it too. Yeah, yeah. Um, okay. Uh what is a recent time you have felt the spirit?
SPEAKER_01So when when I read this question, I was like, so do you mean like I mean, I feel the spirit every day, like you know, the Holy Ghost is my companion at all times, right? Yeah, but I think what you mean is like feel the spirit, yeah. Right? You know? Um, because there's like the I always have the spirit with me, but I don't really feel it unless it's like more than what I'm used to, right?
SPEAKER_00Totally, totally.
SPEAKER_01And so I think what that's what you're asking. So I think one of the times more recently was at state conference. I just felt like it, it was uh one I feel like I felt that in in sacrament meetings, um, especially lately and in state conference recently. Just wonderful talks, time things for this the spirit to impress and help me to um want to do better. I think that's one of the fruits of the spirit that we don't talk about very much is that motivation. When I feel the spirit, I go to state conference or general conference or or that cool fireside or whatever it is, I'm like pumped and ready to go, you know? And I think that though that's one of the best fruits of the spirit. I love it.
SPEAKER_00Dang, I love that. I love that you said that like that's uh part of the spirit is feeling motivation because I think personally, like I've always thought like motivation and like uh discipline is something you have to find within yourself, but like I know what you're talking about, that feeling of like when you're getting inspired and you're like, oh my gosh, like I need to start like doing something about this, like I want to put this into action, like that is the spirit, and like the spirit is an amazing motivator because it's something that once you feel it, and like sometimes when you feel the absence of it, you're like, I want to keep that feeling with me, like and it just motivates you to keep it in your life. I love that. Um yeah, okay. Um, let's see. Our last question here is if you could go 100 years in the future and talk to your posterity, what advice would you give them?
SPEAKER_01This one was hard too. These were really hard questions. Um, I think, you know, I don't know exactly the verbiage I would use, but it would be this type of a gist, and that is that it's true. You know, Jesus is the answer. Um stay, you know, stay true to his gospel, stay good. Make cultivating your relationship with him, your personal relationship with him, your highest priority. And notice I said your relationship, not my relationship or someone else's relationship, but your, or you know, or in my in the case of me, if I was taking the advice, my relationship, because it really is a personal relationship. Um it's that personal connection that I think brings um a lot more of the power into my life. And then I'd also say, but don't overstress about being perfect, just do your best to be good and then trust in his grace because his grace is sufficient.
SPEAKER_00That's amazing. I love that. I love talking about um like your personal growth and really wanting things for yourself because I've known many people, I've known many situations where people have like fallen away from the church or they don't really know if it's for them because they're like, I've I've really never felt like like I wanted to read the scriptures, like I I've never really wanted to go to church, I've always been forced to by my parents or something like that. Like that is it's hard to feel the spirit when it's not your choice, and it's amazing that um once you do like choose it for yourself, that you feel that like the spirit so deeply, and it's just amazing, an amazing feeling to know that you built something personally because you chose it for yourself, and like it kind of just goes back to why agency is so important because God wants us to choose Him. You can't make someone wants to do something that's and I know that Christ knows that, and I love that advice. I I hope everyone takes that to heart because it shouldn't be your choice.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's isn't that part of what President Chippen said at state conference? He said, before you get the gift, you have you have to make the choice. Yeah. So before I'm given the gift of faith, I have to choose faith. Before I'm given the gift of wanting to read the scriptures, I have to choose to want to read the scriptures. You know, I think that any of those attributes and those gifts are are definitely that choice is definitely a big factor. Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Wow. That's amazing. Okay, well, that's all the questions I have for you today. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, thanks for having me.