HOLDEN, Maine — Hans and Annie Peterson’s modest ranch-style home is decorated with objects emblematic of both their faith and family. A large, framed fan-shaped genealogy chart filled with names is surrounded by photos and a wooden sign that says their last name and the phrase “Families are Forever.”
With their faith and family bond so intertwined, the seven members of the family — Hans, Annie and their children Natalie, 17, Caroline, 15, Sam, 13, Levi, 10 and Soren, 8 — hold strong to their belief in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and each other. Their faith defines almost everything they do from before and after school activities to how they spend Sundays, worshiping alongside the small but close-knit Mormon community in Maine.
Sharing their faith
All five children have friends who known that they are Mormon. It’s not something talked about everyday, but it does come up occasionally and they seem proud to share their beliefs with others or dispel misconceptions.
The oldest siblings, Natalie, 17, and Caroline, 15, are up with their parents around 5:30 every morning. They pray together, eat breakfast, then the girls head off to Bangor for a program called Seminary before school. According to the church’s website, Seminary is a program for high school students designed to help them understand the teachings of the church through the study of the religion’s various texts including the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.
Hans said it also helps the girls set aside worldly issues such as peer drama and the pressure of school work each day and focus on their faith.
“The high school years are kind of traumatic years … We want them to have a strong spiritual foundation and we want them to start their day by remembering God,” he said.
But it’s not just the older children who find faith seeping into life outside of church and home.
When Levi was in first grade, his teacher asked the class to write about what they would do with $100. He wrote that he would save it for a religious mission. Thousands of young men and women in the church go on 18-month to two-year missions when they turn 18 and 19 years old.
Earlier this year, Soren invited a non-church friend to his baptism — which is typically done at 8 years old in the LDS church — and talked with him about his faith.
“I wanted him to know about my religion because our Heavenly Father wants us to talk to people about him and what we believe,” Soren said. His friend agreed to come for the event and Soren was able to act as a sort of mini missionary for the day, explaining to him why he wanted to get baptized and its significance.
When athletic events and practices fall on Sundays, the Peterson kids are never there — that’s a day for focusing on church and spending time together as a family for them.
Hans and Annie said when they hear of their children talking to friends about what they believe, their hearts swell with a bit of pride knowing they are absorbing both lessons at home and from the pew.
“It’s nice to see that what we’re teaching is sinking in,” Annie said.
Happy together
Like all siblings, the Peterson children have their quarrels. But for the most part, they are friends. Earlier this month, they cozied up together on couches in the family’s den to watch the church’s semiannual General Conference. The two-day event consisted of eight hours of talks by the church’s leaders about everything from teaching children about the power of prayer to focusing on the fundamental principles of the gospel.
“It’s a long time, but it’s nice to be able to spend the time together,” Natalie said. “Anytime spent with your family is time spent growing closer to them. I’m pretty sure the Gospel plays a big part in why we are happy together.”
But it isn’t just while listening to their leaders speak that the family models the church’s teachings, especially when it comes to service. The church urges members to recognize the needs of others as Christ would and find ways to serve, especially within a family unit to help foster a sense of belonging.
When Hans shattered his ankle, he was happy to see the six other family members pitch in more around the house. Natalie picked up more driving shifts taking the boys to activities; the other kids helped Annie around the house.
“It’s the little things that bring the everyday happiness,” Hans said. “Our faith and our family are definitely interrelated,” Hans said. “Our purpose here is to come together as a family and teach each other. Our most important job is within our home.”
Mormon in Maine
While Mormon families like the Petersons aren’t the norm in Maine, there are still about 11,000 current members in 27 congregations, according to Chris Kilgour, the director of public affairs for the Bangor Stake. Comparatively, there are upwards of 150,000 Catholics, the largest religious group in the state, according to a census compiled in 2010 by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.
According to the LDS church’s website, the first missionaries arrived in Maine by canoe after crossing the Piscataqua River and started a congregation in Saco. However, in the late 1800s church activity slowed after most members joined a mass exodus west to escape persecution.
The low numbers can be challenging, Hans said, particularly because the church has a lay ministry. However, according to the 2010 religion census, participation in the LDS church is on the rise in Maine.
“It’s really exciting when a new family moves in because you have another person to help out, socialize, and learn from,” he said.
Both Hans and Annie, who is a stay-at-home mom but spends several hours a week volunteering at the kids’ schools, have fielded questions about their faith, especially since they abstain from alcohol, tobacco products and coffee.
“There aren’t as many people here that are familiar with our faith,” said Hans, who is an attorney at Rudman Winchell in Bangor. “I like to see it as a chance to do some education with our friends about what we believe.”
The nearest LDS temple is four hours away in Boston — a challenge, but not an everyday one. LDS members do not meet for Sunday services in the temple; instead it is considered a sacred place where they perform marriages, bapt isms by proxy during which a living person is baptized on behalf of a deceased relative, and make covenants.
But overall, Hans and Annie have found Maine a great place to live since accepting a job in Bangor and moving from Massachusetts where he attended law school nearly 20 years ago.
“Maine has been a great experience for our family,” Hans said. “Maine people are more family-focused, and this is home.”
Plan your own Family Home Evening
Each Monday night, the Petersons have “Family Home Evening,” which typically includes an activity, talent demonstration, scripture reading, song and snack. A key component of their activities is the intersection of faith and fun. Here’s a few activities to try with your family.
Write it down: Create a newsletter to send out to family and friends about what you’ve been up to. If the kids have been participating in sports, include stats, or if the family recently vacationed together, add photos. Websites like templates.cakemail.com offer free newsletter writing templates that include customizable features.
Play a game: The Petersons recently played The Sentence Game during a Family Home Evening night. The game combines the basics of the games Pictionary and Telephone. But there are others — Charades, 20 questions or Categories.
Movie night: Choose a theme, a movie that goes along with it and a corresponding snack. Grab the blankets, the kids and snuggle in for the night.
Help out: Find a way to serve a neighbor, friend or organization in need — bake cookies, rake leaves, collect blankets for the animal shelter, deliver food to a pantry or pick up trash at a nearby park. Talk about the importance of community and supporting both strangers and those you know and love.
