Al Fox Carraway’s blog began with a promise she made to God.
“I promised him … when I got baptized, and long after, that I would help,” Carraway said. “And I told him that I would do it however he wanted me to do it. So that’s when you just embrace all the opportunities that come your way, knowing that they’re from him and there will be a lot of good that comes from it.”
In an effort to keep her promise, Carraway, a woman who once wanted nothing to do with God or religion, now unabashedly shares her testimony on her blog, Twitter, YouTube and a number of other social media platforms. She also speaks to audiences throughout the country, something even she considers surprising given that she failed a public speaking course in college.
Carraway was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Aug. 22, 2009. Shortly after, she moved from New York to Utah. On her first day in Utah, she stood in a Cafe Rio holding a biography about one of the prophets when she noticed people throughout the restaurant staring at her. One man took note of the tattoos on Carraway's arms and said, "You know...it's pretty ironic you look the way you do holding that book."
In that moment, Carraway had to decide how she would respond. She chose to shake the man's hand and say, "I just got baptized. This is my first day here!"
Today, Carraway is well-known blogger, with nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram and over 16,000 followers on Twitter. But that was never her goal.
“I don’t blog so people will know me,” Carraway writes in her new book, “More than the Tattooed Mormon” (Cedar Fort, $18.99), which will be released on Nov. 17. “I blog so people will want to know God and know with confidence that God knows them.”
Carraway’s book is an extension of the story she has a told on her blog over the past five years, a vulnerable account of her life since she came in contact with the LDS Church.
In the book, Carraway candidly recounts her family’s reaction to her joining the LDS Church, her experience moving across the country to an unfamiliar state, and the many opportunities she has found in sharing her testimony through her blog and public speaking. Readers may be surprised by Carraway’s transparency throughout the book, but honesty is what Carraway does best. It is also her motivation.
“The whole reason I wrote a book and the whole reason I started blogging and speaking and why I like to think I’m open with my trials is because I think the most important thing in life is for people to know they’re not alone,” Carraway said.
Carraway acknowledges that her appearance is not the only thing that makes her an unusal ambassador for the gospel.
“I know how awkward I am,” Carraway said. “And I know how silly and flawed I am, so it makes me more comfortable if I don’t take credit for anything because truly it’s not me.”
Her honest approach makes others feel comfortable as they share their own stories after they have heard her speak or read her blog posts.
“My favorite part of everything … is meeting people afterward or reading my email because that is when I hear of people’s struggles and what they had to overcome,” Carraway said. “And it’s there that I am strengthened because then I can see so frequently how personal Heavenly Father truly is to every single one of us, and that is such a treasure.”
She has learned that dedication to the gospel does not grant her immunity from trials and difficulties.
“That’s the thing I love most about the gospel,” Carraway said. “It’s not that it prevents us from those times but the fact that you really, truly can feel peace and comfort in even the darkest moments. ... I think that’s what I love most because there is always something hard to go through, and it’s when you read and when you pray that you can actually feel that (peace) when you probably logically shouldn’t.”
Along with the trials, she has also recognized a great deal of blessings that have come from her willingness to share her testimony. She even met her husband through her blog.
“I feel like my whole life and what I’m doing now and the blessings and opportunities that came somehow or another ... stemmed from this blog,” Carraway said.
With the release of her book, Carraway says her goal was to “give everyone a little bit of something.” This is why she dedicated the book “to the reader.” She believes her life experiences allow her to relate to a diverse group of people.
“Whether you’re active (in the church) or not, whether you’re young or not, whether you’re on the path or off the path, I feel like I’ve tried really hard to relate in all aspects, and I feel like I was able to live a little bit in each aspect to try and be able to do so, so I wanted to dedicate it to whoever picks the book up, no matter where they are in life, and hope that it helps them because that’s what the Spirit can do,” Fox said.
Carraway believes that even seemingly happy, active LDS members need support.
“I struggle, and I have these thoughts of loneliness and confusion and being mad at God for whatever reason,” Carraway said. “So I want to reach out to those active people who have those feelings and let them know it’s OK. I want to let them know, ‘This is how you get over it, and this is how you use the gospel, and this is how prayers and the Spirit have helped me.’”
If you go ...
What: Al Fox Carraway book signing
When: Thursday, Nov. 19, noon-2 p.m.
Where: Deseret Book, 735 S. Bluff, St. George
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When: Thursday, Nov. 19, 4-8 p.m.
Where: Barnes & Noble, Red Cliffs Mall, 1720 Red Cliffs Dr., St. George
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When: Friday, Nov. 20, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Where: Deseret Book, 45 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City
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When: Friday, Nov. 20, 6-7 p.m.
Where: Deseret Book, 754 N. Main, Layton
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When: Saturday, Nov. 21, noon-1:30 p.m.
Where: Deseret Book, 1110 Fort Union Blvd., Midvale
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When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 3-4 p.m.
Where: Deseret Book, University Village, 1076 S 750 E, Orem
Email: mjones@deseretdigital.com