Hi, I'm Ryan

I am a father of four, a fly fishing photographer and real estate developer, and I love being Mormon.

About Me

I live in Arizona and have been working here in real estate for the past 8 years, which has been quite a ride with our real estate market and economy the past few years.
As a hobby, I own a fly fishing photography company and have filmed and fished throughout the world. For me, just being out in the woods or on the water is the best part.
I have a wonderful marriage, we have four children, and our home life is great. My wife and I attribute this to doing our best to implement the teachings of Jesus Christ into our every day home life.

Why I am a Mormon

The reason I've stayed active and involved in the Mormon LDS Church started when I was a child. While I was about the 5th grade my Dad taught me about setting goals. I knew I wanted to play college basketball, so I set a goal that I wanted to play college basketball. Even at that young age and throughout Junior high I practiced regularly. As a freshman in high school I was invited to play on my high school's varsity basketball team. This was a great experience for me and I really enjoyed it. About the same time, I started to think about my life and I didn't really feel content or at peace--something I expected to feel. I felt that I was missing something but I didn't know what it was. On the first Sunday of every month LDS congregations have a meeting where members of the congregation share their feelings about Christ and their lives. A woman in my congregation shared a statement from the President of the Church, who spoke about the effect that reading the Book of Mormon has the life of a peson. This woman told that she felt this feeling in her life as she read the Book of Mormon daily. I listened and felt like I should try it for myself. I went home that night and I began to read the Book of Mormon. I found that there is really a power in that book, and that the Spirit of God is in that book. I began to seriously study the book and I discovered great truths. I learned that God is literally our Father and that we are literally His children. I learned for myself that He loves me and found that through prayer I can communicate with Him and He with me. I learned for myself that Joseph Smith told the truth. And most importantly, through this book I have learned the purpose for my life and that gives me great perspective when things don't work out like I hope or anticipate. My reading of the Book of Mormon at 15 years old gave me great enlightenment and perspective on life. Since that time I have continued a regular serious study of the Book of Mormon, The Bible, The Doctrine and Covenants, The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and Church History. I've found that the more I study this out, the more sense it all makes. I've also found that the more I bring my life to be consistent with these teachings the more happiness and joy I have, and the closer I am to God. I know for a fact that God the Father of us all lives and I know for myself that Jesus is really His Only Begotten Son who died on the cross that we might life. I know this for myself. Joseph Smith said that the purpose for our existence here is a "subject we ought to study more than any other. We ought to study it day and night, for the world is ignorant in reference to their true condition and relation. If we have any claim on our Heavenly Father for anything, it is for knowledge on this important subject." I've found that through the Book of Mormon and the teachings of current prophets, that God has given important information to mankind about our purpose. To me, this has brought and still does bring great peace. This is the statement by the President of the Church which I referred to above, the President was Ezra Taft Benson. “It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life’ see D&C 8485, and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.”

Personal Stories

Can you talk about the missions of the Church and your participation in them?

I served a mission in upstate New York. I absolutely loved it. When I turned 19, I had a choice to follow my childhood dream to play college basketball or to serve a two-year LDS mission. I chose to serve a mission and I've never regretted that decision.
One of the places I served was in Syracuse, around the Campus of Syracuse University. I was there from my 3rd to 6th month of service. It was a hard place to work because most of the people were my age and most of these people laughed at or made fun of our message. Being dismissed by a peer group from which I normally felt acceptance was uncomfortable for me and caused me to seriously consider what I was doing. I prayed a lot and considered more carefully if the work that I was doing was really inspired by God and if I was where I was supposed to be. Through the Spirit of God I came to understand even more deeply that the work was true, that Joseph Smith really was a prophet, and that God can be involved in every aspect of our lives if we desire that. I learned this in the way that Paul describes--that spiritual things are "spiritually discerned." (1 Cor 2:14)
There are not adequate words to describe the growth and value that came to me as I served as a missionary. I gained invaluable experience in teaching the gospel. I saw very literally, that miracles still happen daily and that God is not far away if we will believe in Him.
The foundation of faith and action that I gained in this effort outweigh in every way the small sacrifice that I gave to go serve a mission. I thank God for the privilege I had to serve.

How has the Holy Ghost helped you?

The Holy Ghost has helped me considerably. Through the Holy Ghost I’ve felt many answers to questions that I’ve asked God and have felt a lot of guidance in my life.
One experience that illustrates how I’ve experienced the Holy Ghost is as I was in the Bahamas on a photo shoot with two of my business partners. We had rented a 24' boat and were traveling from one small speck of land to another in search of bonefish.
One afternoon we parked this boat on a more rocky patch of ground and left fishing. As I walked along the beach I felt a very quiet feeling tell me to look at the boat. I looked at the boat and did not see anything out of the ordinary. I felt the same feeling again tell me to look at the boat. I looked and could see nothing wrong. The third time I felt it, I began to study the boat and I could tell that the anchor had come loose and the boat was drifting toward the deep ocean.
I ran as fast as I could to the boat and caught the anchor line in about 4' of water, just as the boat was headed into deeper, shark infested waters.
I've learned from this experience that God's voice is a still, quiet voice and that we need to be quiet inside to recognize it.

Please explain the part prayer plays in your life?

Prayer plays an ever increasing role in my life. The falling housing market in the USA, and particularly in Arizona, has very much affected my income. Prayer has helped me find peace and understanding as I've watched some material support fail. As so much in our family's life has changed, the feeling I feel when I sincerely pray has been constant and stable. My experience has been that God does hear and answer our prayers. I've found this to be true as I've prayed for help in small things--like finding my misplaced car keys. I've also seen prayer have an effect on large things like serious health concerns or employment. I am certain that prayer can be a significant benefit in our lives.

How I live my faith

The most important way I live my faith is through personal study and worship and then teaching what I learn and am trying my best to live to my children. I wholeheartedly believe the instruction that the most important work that we can do in this life is within our own homes.
My recent responsibilities in the Church include serving as a teacher and scoutmaster to young men between the ages of 12 and 14. I did this for five years. Most recently I've been called to teach a class to help young men and women prepare to serve as full time missionaries for the Church. I also have been called to teach college age students at the Mesa Community College LDS Institute of Religion. I've taught there for the past 3 years and have taught classes on the Old Testament, New Testament, LDS Doctrine and Covenants, and Missionary Preparation. I absolutely love being a teacher. Outside of my family, this has been one of my greatest sources of satisfaction and enlightenment.

Who was Joseph Smith?

Ryan answered...

Joseph Smith is the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
He was born in a small town in Upstate New York. When he was young was concerned about his salvation and he wanted to know which church was true. He prayed to know which church God would have him join. God answered his prayer and through subsequent events, Joseph was called as a prophet and led by God to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth.
We love and revere Joseph for what he did, but we do not worship him. I recommend to anyone who wants to know more to read about that experience in his own words, I believe it is published in here as “Joseph Smith’s Testimony.”
I’ve studied the Bible a lot, and I’ve taught college level biblical courses. I find Joseph’s experience to be entirely consistent with the way that God has worked in the past. God called the prophet Samuel when he was a child. He spoke to Amos as Amos was herding sheep, Moses as well. As members of the LDS Church, it seems to me that we see Joseph Smith the same way that the Children of Israel would have seen Moses or his successors who wrote books in the Bible.
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Mike answered...

Over my lifetime, I have heard countless theories concerning Joseph Smith - his intellect, his integrity, his sanity, everything about him. Some of the stories about him being a prophet sounded convincing... but then, some of the stories of him as a criminal sounded convincing, too. Then I read about Joseph Smith's visitation by the angel Moroni. Moroni told him that his name would be "had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken among all people." Well, that was certainly a true prophecy. So, it seemed, whether Joseph Smith was a prophet or not, tons of accusations and slander would be said against him anyway! That realization made me understand that only God could confirm whether or not Joseph was truly called of him. I got a strong confirmation of that truth. When others tell me that they "know the truth about the Joseph Smith," I always question their sources - it's usually a book or magazine article, possibly even by an esteemed, intellectual person. But I cannot and will not question my source of the real answer.

Why do you have 12 Apostles? They were just meant to be around for the time of Jesus Christ, not to be replaced with new apostles.

Scott Jackson answered...

When Jesus Christ was on the Earth, He established an organization of prophets, apostles, teachers, and other leaders to lead and guide the members of His church (the body of Christ, as it is referred to in the New Testament). When Judas died, and Jesus had left the Earth, the first order of business for the other 11 apostles was to fill the vacancy. They did so by praying and seeking out revelation. They eventually decided on Matthias. This example shows us that apostles were not only to be used for when Christ was on the Earth, but that God wanted Apostles to lead His children at all times. Unfortunately, apostasy stirred within the early church, and the apostles were killed one by one. The world was left without Priesthood leadership, until the time of the Restoration, when this same authority was given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery from the very same Peter, James and John (as resurrected beings). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has 12 apostles, just like in New Testament times. These special witnesses of Christ bear solemn witness that Jesus is the Christ. They help the Prophet and President of the Church to share the Gospel message to the four corners of the Earth.