Rising from the ashes like the Phoenix

Hannah was born and raised in Denmark as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Her upbringing was centered around religion, and she became very dedicated to the faith, feeling deeply in her soul that the beliefs of the Mormon Church were the ultimate truth.

That was until her world was turned upside-down.

Her husband Ed was born in the US and came from an LDS background as well. How exactly they met is a rather complicated story which involves an ad in the paper, pictures and letters sent across the Atlantic, meetings between grandparents, and a telegram--all before Ed and Hannah even met.

They first met in Missouri in the summer of 1980, and after only six days Ed proposed. For some reason beyond her understanding, Hannah accepted. They were married five months later and Hannah moved to Ed's goat farm in Missouri. It was only after the wedding when Hannah found out Ed was not as dedicated to the LDS faith as she had been led to believe.

In 1987, after six years, multiple moves across several states, two sons, and increasingly heated arguments centering around their spiritual differences, Ed confronted Hannah with the full truth about his beliefs.

This book details how Hannah and Ed's survival of those first tumultuous years, and the discoveries they made together relating to culture, language, and religion.

As a part of her healing process, Hannah went back to school to become a registered nurse, and also eventually became an Interfaith Minister. She gives Sunday services at the Faith and Fellowship Center on the local USU campus.

Ed has been a Compliance Officer working for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food for the past 17 years.

As of 2010 Ed and Hannah are celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary.