Al’s new-found fame has taken her completely by surprise. Even our waitress asked, “Are you the girl on that blog? I just read your post, and I loved it!” Her blog reached one million hits that morning! And that post, about getting past judgments and overcoming being offended, hit a sweet spot with Mormons and non-Mormons everywhere. Her frank, honest-to-a-fault openness, mixed with genuine, heart-felt compassion, makes her the perfect role model for anyone who is not perfect—AKA—EVERYONE.
Through her blog, Al shares her story of converting to the LDS Church, in New York, in spite of reservations from friends and family, then packing up and moving to, of all places, the most conservative city on the planet, Provo, Utah, not knowing a single soul, and not worrying that her red, orange and green, body art might draw some undue attention. Being afraid is not what Al Fox is about.
She was fearless, in fact, when she talked to the Mormon missionaries in 2009, in her home town of Rochester. After all, she said, “I was happy and not looking for God.” She then decided to get the Elders “off her back” by making them a deal. If the clean-cut, white-shirted Elders would bring her a steak dinner, she would promise to read their book. The Elders brought steak. And Al read the book and what she learned was totally unexpected.
She said she could feel that God valued her soul and her eternal salvation enough to provide her with a Savior, and, after reading it, she knew it was time to change. Bad habits had to be left behind. After her baptism, she wrote to the mission president and told him, “I feel anxious more than anything else. Anxious to tell my story, anxious to talk about everything I have learned, anxious to teach what I know from my experiences. Anxious to motivate and inspire others.” And she has done just that! Al created a blog and began filming YouTube videos to talk about experiences she had being Mormon. Including ones about being judged for what she looks like. Does she feel judged? Consider this. I mean, how would you respond if a complete stranger saw you holding the scriptures said to you, “It’s ironic to see a girl that looks like you holding that book.” That happened to her on her first day in Utah, standing in line for tacos at Café Rio. And how did she respond?
She said, “I turned to this man and introduced myself. Shook his hand. And I smiled so big and simply said, ‘I just got baptized, this is my first day here!’ I said it with happiness. I said it with pride. With confidence.”
Al explained that she had a choice to make. To choose to be offended or to share her story. She chose to share her story. That she had found God and she wasn’t going to let anything stop her from enjoying it was her intent. She explained to me what she explains to anyone who will listen, that that man did not know her story. That she had left New York. Her home. Her friends. Her family. Everything she knew to find out what God had in store for her. And she discovered, like Nephi of old, that God would not build her a boat but that he would teach how to build one. God definitely is helping Al build something.
Her identity as the “tattooed Mormon” allows her to tell the story of how a girl with a past can be transformed into someone who recognizes the worth of a soul as being precious to God and living every day like you believe it! And she does believe it! Her love of God is contagious! It simply cannot be contained. She has to write about. Talk about it. And make videos about it. She wants you to get past the red, green, and orange swirls, decorating her arms and legs, and get inside her head and inside her heart, which makes it possible to build bridges of understanding and pave the way for others to follow her example and walk back into the arms of Jesus Christ.
Forgiveness and repentance are gospel principles Al portrays effortlessly, and I believe, that because she does she will be the reason many find their way back. Al has chosen to come out of the world, has chosen to leave it behind, but still has allowed her past to teach others how they, too, can embrace fully the gospel of Jesus Christ.
To judge? Or not to judge? And more importantly . . . how do we judge like Christ? I think of the woman taken in adultery. Do you stand with the crowd, holding a rock in your fist, aimed and ready to throw? Or, do you choose grace and kneel down in the sand next to Jesus and beg for the woman’s release? I would hope I would choose the sand.
Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly?
I know how sad I feel when someone judges me. I can still feel the sting of judgment when someone ridiculed my children and I came back swinging. There was no understanding that day. Not for me and not for the person judging me. We stood on opposite sides of the fence. And there were no bridges to cross. And we both lost.
Al Fox is all about building bridges. So, how can we follow her example? And not let what is on the outside stop us from getting to know what is on the inside? How can we talk about not judging a book by its cover and actually give someone a chance?
One week ago, my family was in Moab doing some hiking at Arches National Park. We stopped at a gas station to get drinks. One of the employees was outside smoking. She happened to be pregnant. I glanced over and my first reaction was, “What is she thinking being pregnant and smoking!” Out of the blue, a quote I had seen on Pinterest popped into my head that said, “Don’t judge her. You don’t know the storms I have asked her to walk through.”
I went inside to get my drink. By the time I was ready to pay, she was off her break and standing behind the register ready to help me. She smiled and asked how my day was going. And guess what? The only thing I felt for her was acceptance and L-O-V-E.
I did not know her story. And I refused to give into my first inclination to judge her.
After all, I did not know her story. I got back in my car and said a prayer for her. Tears hit my cheeks, as I pleaded with God to watch over her and help her in the upcoming months leading up to her giving birth. That is exactly what Al would have wanted me to do! And that is what God wants all of us to do. So, how do we stop allowing judgment to keep us from loving like God loves?
The boy with the gauges in his ears.
The girl with piercings in her eyebrows and lip.
The quiet classmate who stands against the wall, staring at the floor, with no one to talk to.
The girl who dresses immodestly. The neighbor or co-worker who talks, dresses, and acts different?
What would Al say?
Get to know them. You might just like them. And actually. Love them.
Al Fox’s beauty lies, not in her beach-blonde waves, and dazzling blue eyes, but in the part of her you can’t see but you can feel. Her heart. It’s as big as the planet!
She has discovered she is God’s handiwork at work! Just look at her calendar! She is traveling all over giving youth firesides, speaking at Especially for Youth, sharing her conversion story on her blog, preparing to write a book, and changing lives. Sure her tattoos tell the story of a past life. But she isn’t focused on that because she is too busy being focused on the future.
For Al, what did not make sense three-and-half years ago at her baptism makes perfect sense now. That being “different” would be the tool God would use to help shape her mission and help her help others who want to find their way back to God.
“I never talk about who I was. I only talk about who I am becoming,” Al says, piling a second helping of endless salad on her plate. Her smile guarantees she means it, and there is no shame in that. Only beauty.
To anyone afraid of returning to the gospel or joining in because of imperfections, Al says “Come!” She would approve of my saying, no matter where you have been, just put it all out there. Don’t duck and hide and let mistakes define you. Embrace them. Breathe them in and exhale them out. And put your arms around anyone who needs reassurance and encouragement. Keep on trying! Change is not easy. And it is definitely not a solo journey.
After our third plate of salad, it was time to leave. She ran her fingers through her hair and checked her phone one last time. Her special someone was texting her. He sounded like a fantastic guy! Lucky to have a girl like Al!
Thank you, AL FOX! I feel blessed to have met you in person. You are a gem of a human being meant to do incredible things! I want you to know that I’m taking full credit for introducing you to my favorite soup—Zupa Toscana! You can thank me later. Perhaps, a steak dinner will suffice. :))
Go to Al Fox's blog and YouTube videos click HERE 
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