Twenty-five-year-old Naomi Davis started her blog, the Rockstar Diaries, as a way to share her daily life with friends and family. It now draws more than 1 million page views every month, thanks to her geek-chic style and easygoing tone. Davis and her husband, Josh, met in New York City while she was studying dance at the Juilliard School. They married in 2007 and later moved to Capitol Hill, where they welcomed a bulldog, Kingsley, and a baby, Eleanor, to the family. Davis spoke to The Washington Examiner about the Mormon faith that informs her life and her blog, which you can read at taza-and-husband.blogspot.com. What do you most appreciate about your faith?
Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taught me that I’m a daughter of heavenly parents. And when times are tough, I know that I matter to God. From a young age I’ve felt that I’m of worth and value, and that’s given me a lot of direction and strength in life.
You’re very open about your faith on your blog. Was that a tough decision to make?
It wasn’t a hard decision for me to make mostly because my faith is a huge part of my life, and I blog about my life. I try to be open about everything.
Your daughter Eleanor is now nine and a half months old. How has the Mormon faith helped you learn to be a parent?
Well, I’m still learning. I feel like the emphasis placed on motherhood in my faith is huge, which I really love. We believe that families are eternal, and that helps me get up in the morning, helps me work on my marriage with my husband, helps me want to spend my day with Eleanor. I feel like being a mom is the most important thing I’ve done so far in my life. I think a lot of people tend to put motherhood in the background, second to careers or travel or whatever, but I think motherhood is one of the most important things in life. Our modern-day prophets teach us that there is an opportunity to do much good in the world by being a mom, a chance to affect society and impact future generations of people for the better.
Some of your readers, noting that you and Josh seem happy and in love, have asked you for marriage advice. Would your marriage be the same if you weren’t in the Mormon church?
I don’t think so. By no means do we have the perfect marriage, but we work hard on it every day. I keep going back to this eternal family thing, but we were sealed in a temple of God for eternity, not married ‘Til death do us part.’ I think having that knowledge and that faith that we will be together forever makes us really focus on one another. I’m thankful to the Church for focusing on that, especially in the world today, where marriage is made out to be this spectacle that won’t last, or something that’s silly or that you don’t need.
Two Mormons are in the presidential race, and polls keep showing that many Americans are uncomfortable with a Mormon president. Have you encountered any sort of stigma associated with Mormonism, and how have you overcome it?
I think there is a little bit of a stigma there, but I think that has to do with the fact that a lot of people still haven’t met a Mormon face to face, so their preconceptions might be a little bit misplaced.
A number of my closest friends aren’t Latter-day Saints. At Juilliard I was one of only a handful. And people would say, “You’re a Mormon?! That’s crazy!” And then they’d get to know you and would realize “Oh, you’re not so bad.” I think the Internet and social media are helping us stand up for ourselves more, show people who we really are. Sometimes people who read my blog are surprised when they find out we’re Mormon. Sometimes people don’t touch on the faith exactly, but they comment or email on how it’s nice to see family portrayed in a positive way or a young couple happy in their marriage. Even people who have no desire to have anything to do with the church can appreciate that, which is nice to see.
At your core, what is one of your defining beliefs?
One of my core, definite beliefs is that families can be together forever through Jesus Christ. This belief gives me such peace and comfort to know that I can be with my husband and baby girl forever.
– Liz Essley
