One afternoon at work, I finally convinced myself to make the phone call. I spoke with two sweet-sounding people who could not emphasize enough how happy they were that I had called. They briefly told me about their family and the circumstances surrounding my birth. Their daughter, Karen, had become pregnant as a high school senior, with no option of being happily married. They asked about me and my life. They requested my home phone number and told me they would have Karen call me that evening. So I went home after work quite anxious about... more

By the end of the year, when life was starting to feel a little more settled, I got an unusual telephone call from my mother. She had received a letter from a couple in Utah who said they were the maternal grandparents of a baby girl placed for adoption in Sandpoint, Idaho, 28 years previously. They requested that if my parents were willing, the information containing their names, address, and telephone number be forwarded to me.

My mother explained that the letter had taken a miraculous journey to reach her. It was originally mailed... more

Adults who were placed in adoptive families in infancy through LDS Family Services (and similar placement agencies) can be difficult for birthparents to track down. Thirty years ago, adoptions were nearly always closed and sealed, often making it very difficult for parties to locate each other. Thankfully, LDSFS placements have moved to a much higher degree of openess in recent years, allowing birthchildren and birthparents easier reconnection, should they choose.

Today I came across a wonderful article in the June 2006 edition of The Ensign which... more

Got an hour to spare? If so, I suggest you sit back and enjoy a wonderful BYU devotional. Mark Peterson, a professor of Korean studies at BYU, spoke on the subject of adoption on March 8, 2005. He relates his own family’s adoption experiences, and likens them to the way we are all adopted into the house of Israel:

“But adoption is not limited to the special cases we call ‘adopted.’ It pertains to all of us. The Apostle Paul made several references to adoption. He spoke of adoption as the process by which we become members of the covenant, part of the family of Abraham. In five instances Paul used the term adoption to indicate the process by which Gentiles and Jews become... more

The last question, about how we do (fill-in-the-blank) obviously depends on what’s being asked, but I have learned through experience that I can do a lot of things with a large family I never imagined I could. I won’t go into specifics here since the field is wide open, but trust me, if you can take 9 kids on a plane to Disneyland, there isn’t much you can’t do. ;)

Satan wants us to believe that big families are too much work, that they require too much sacrifice, and that it will be emotionally damaging to the children we already have to add... more

As a friend of mine said (and I’m paraphrasing a bit), “When I look at pictures of waiting children, I can see myself parenting any of them. But when I’ve found ‘our’ children, they have stood out to me somehow.” So does that mean a particular child was destined to be hers from the beginning, or does it mean that given the circumstances as they were (family wanting to adopt older child from Russia, these particular waiting children being available when family is ready), the Lord helped them to make a “good” or “right” choice? I believe it’s the latter in most circumstances, but again, I leave room for exceptions and know parents who will go to their graves knowing that the child or children... more

How I reconcile all of this is with the knowledge that God is omniscient and that He has the power to help us optimize outcomes. He doesn’t force a thirteen year old girl to get pregnant or a woman in China to unwittingly have an “over quota” pregnancy because there are people in the world who hope to adopt. But because He knows all and that knowledge transcends time, He certainly has the power to help put pieces of a confusing puzzle together. As I envision it, when an expectant parent is praying for help knowing whether adoption might be the right choice for... more

Deciding to adopt our daughter with albinism was a little more difficult. We prayed about it for a good month or so before we both felt on the same page about it, and in hindsight, I think it was part of the “trial of our faith” process that we would face once we met her on a visit to Haiti. As incomprehensible as it seems to me now, I was so afraid of the delays and problems that I saw with her that I began to wonder whether her adoption was really the right thing for us after all. But even my lack of faith didn’t stop our Heavenly Father from letting us know... more

On Monday’s episode of “Oprah,” an amazing adoption story was showcased. I didn’t happen to see the show myself, but I read a synopsis of the story on Oprah’s website and was amazed at the tale that was told:

What began as an ordinary Brownies excursion became a life-changing event for one North Carolina mom.

In 2003, Lysa and two of her daughters attended a performance by a boys' choir from an orphanage in Liberia, a West African country ravaged by 14 years of civil war. At the concert, Lysa learned the 12 boys in the choir, and 400... more

He acknowledged his brother, who was in the audience, and said, "This is the first time he has heard my testimony. Hopefully I can bring my family to a truth. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It was restored by a young boy, Joseph Smith, who in a field saw God the Father and Jesus Christ."

McDowell continued, "Take the time to research and find out for yourself. Take the time to pick up The Book of Mormon. Ask whether it is true. If you want to see a miracle, just think that Gladys Knight is running a choir in the... more