In an interview with Omika, Ariel Pearse, Miss World New Zealand who will be competing in the international competition later this year, unabashedly shared her LDS faith, speaking about her mission, the power of prayer, the lessons she's learned from living with a physically disabled brother, and the importance of modesty in our lives.
On her public Facebook page, Pearse also shares her religious beliefs by posting quotes from Church leaders:
Here's a beautiful reminder that we hold the power in our lives! #tendermercy #missworldnewzealand #anythingispossible Posted by Ariel Pearse - Miss World New Zealand 2016 Finalist on Thursday, February 25, 2016
Here's a small excerpt from her interview with Omika:
"I want to be an example of how someone who still has strong values and lives moral principles can achieve within the world. We are so pulled back by our fears, our fears hold us back and some of us feel like we don’t fit in or belong, but we can succeed. Being a member of the (LDS) church, having what other people call restrictions, being able to live through them–one of the things is modesty. Too often we are controlled by what other people think and oftentimes girls dress in a way that they feel they will be more accepted and more beautiful–I believe if we take the power back and choose what we want to wear, we empower ourselves.
"I remember choosing before a party, I had two options of an outfit to wear, neither were extreme and I remember the moment where I chose to wear the other option that was still beautiful but didn’t draw attention to my body–I remember driving away and feeling not only good but in such good control. One of my mentors said, 'You gain power through the small things' and I knew that this was one of those small things. Through that experience I am a champion for empowerment, using your own choices to help others by being completely you–you can’t help others by being anyone else."