Narrative Summary
Interview with Elisabeth Lawson by Bailey Bell
Rebecca Lawson was born to J. Pinegar and R. Pinegar in the mid-1970s in Arkansas.
Her parents, who were both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS),
had a very strong influence in her religious upbringing. Every aspect of her childhood was based
on the Mormon faith, offering her great opportunities for learning and growing. This upbringing
has since then influenced everything she has done in life, and she is very grateful for it.
I asked Mrs. Lawson what the differences for an LDS member during their childhood and
during their teenage years are. She told me that, as a teenager, the difference is personally
coming to understand what your parents are telling you is true. Mrs. Lawson wondered exactly
how she fit in this religion and was able to find confidence in what they taught and the patterns
they had set for her. She also found confidence in the Heavenly Father and the plan that he had
for her.
During an LDS member’s teenage years, he or she can take part in summer camp
programs. It was during one of these camps, at the age of 12, that Mrs. Lawson experienced one
of the most significant events in her faith. At the camp they had testimony meetings, during
which the campers sat in a grassy field and had the opportunity to stand up and share their
feelings about God. Mrs. Lawson remembers sitting in the grass, looking around, and feeling
very grateful for everything around her. She knew there was a God and instantly knew that he
loved her.
When I asked what attracted her to the Mormon faith, she told me that is was the
continued pattern of daily growth and effort, not just in her, but also in her family. Mrs. Lawson
would tell you that her primary job is to be a mother. The other significant events to her faith
come from her children through their cares, struggles, tears, and happiness. Her daily religious
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walk and growth stem from her family, which she finds extremely important. There are many
religious rituals that she and her family take part in together. First, they wake up every morning
at 6:30 A.M. and read scriptures together. Currently, they are reading through the Book of
Mormon. Another ritual is that they have family home meetings on Monday nights. During these
meetings, the family participates in a lesson, activities, treats, and songs. Her youngest child is
really into the Disney movie Cars; so, the family has been singing a song from the movie called
“Life is a Highway,” for the past few weeks, which she absolutely loves. Mrs. Lawson told me
that even though getting up early with her young children and working family meetings around
everyone’s schedules may seem difficult at times, these things have brought her family closer
and they help make great memories.
The most influential woman in her religious life has been her mother. She told me that
when she was a teenager, her mother would go in to talk to her teachers. Mrs. Lawson was
always nervous about what her mother would say. She now realizes that her mother was just
being an advocate for her. Her mother wanted the best for her and was always very courageous
in the way she handled things. Mrs. Lawson told me that a lot of the patterns she learned from
her upbringing are now patterns that she uses with her own children. Mrs. Lawson is also
influenced by the women in her church. She sees multiple women who are strong in the way they
handle situations in their lives and their family’s lives.
When I asked Mrs. Lawson how the journey as a woman differs from that of a man in the
LDS church, she automatically answered with, “Well I’m not a man!” She understands how the
outside world would see an inequality in the LDS church because of men holding the priesthood
and women not, but she believes that every blessing that comes to a man by holding the
priesthood comes to a woman by supporting her husband. Mrs. Lawson believes that the most
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important thing in the church is to bring families together, so everyone in the family has a part in
the church. Some of the most intriguing things about Mrs. Lawson are the multiple roles she has
had in the church. She has been everything from a camp director to the Primary President to the
Children (her current position). In this job, she organizes classes and their teachers, so that
everything will function properly on Sundays. Mrs. Lawson has never felt like she doesn’t have a
place in this church.
Mrs. Lawson has also participated in missions work for the Massachusetts-Boston
Mission. When she was 21, she and another missionary served in the Boston area. During the 18
months she was there, she spread the Gospel everywhere she went, talked with multiple people
about joining the church, and did service where it was needed. Mrs. Lawson emphasized that
while she has never felt oppression from being a woman in the church, she is only speaking for
herself, not for every woman in the LDS faith.
I really enjoyed my time spent with Mrs. Elisabeth Lawson. It was really inspiring to see
a woman who has such a strong faith in her religion and who absolutely loves her family. Most
of our discussions were centered around her family, from her childhood to her current position as
the Primary President, in which she gets to work with her own children. To quote Mrs. Lawson:
I love who I am, I love the opportunities that I have. I love knowing that I have a purpose,
a plan for me to be here on earth, and to strive to do what is right, and to lean on Jesus
Christ and His atonement. And to trust in that and knowing that not just me but my
family can be together with God someday.
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