Hi, I'm James

And I'm most definitely a Mormon.

About Me

I am a college student working on my Business Management undergraduate degree. I just got married this last summer and I think that being married is the best thing ever! Right now I'm working on some extra time on my undergrad degree so I'll be prepared for a PhD program in Organizational Behavior. I'm excited for what the future holds because I think I've found the right niche.

I love spending time with my three sisters who live in town, as well as my wife's siblings and family. Life is good!

Why I am a Mormon

When I was a teenager, maybe 14 or 15, I read the Book of Mormon. I didn't have a strong or powerful manifestation at any time that I was reading it over a course of a couple months. But I did notice that I was happier, I was a better person, and things just seemed to go my way on days that I would read from the book. When I finished I prayed and asked Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon was true. He helped me to feel and understand that I already had my answer. I had seen how my life had changed, and I knew that was no coincidence. It's like the Savior taught, you know whether something is good or not based on it's fruits. I experienced firsthand those changes, not around but within me.

Personal Stories

How does making right choices help us make more right choices?

For me, I know that I seem to have experienced a kind of a spiritual intertia or momentum in life. It's a lot easier to do what's right when I already have the view in someone's eyes of being "the kind of person who does the right things". That being said, even in the intensely personal and private areas of my life, when I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. It's that simple. Some may attribute that to just a healthy conscience, but I think that a conscience is part of a broader purpose God has.

What I believe is that we are fundamentally "feeling" our way back Home to Heaven to live with God again. We are here to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). In a very real way, God lets us know when we are doing well in life by giving us predictable and natural feelings of peace, joy, and happiness when we "choose the right". So, when a person has that knowledge, and when they're presented with a choice between right and wrong, even if the choice is difficult, they know that it's worth it to make the right one. When I'm in those situations, reason tells me, and even more importantly, my very own experience tells me, that I know what I must do.

I think experience is the greatest teacher on this concept. Try it out! Try beginning to make a few more right choices and see if doing so does not get easier and easier. I can promise you'll get spiritual momentum moving toward doing the right things and away from doing the wrong things.

Could you talk about your baptism?

When I was baptized, I was eight years old. I had grown up in a family that was Mormon. My dad was the bishop. I remember him asking me if I wanted to get baptized. I thought he was crazy! Of course I want to get baptized! I realized that he was giving me a choice. I could have said no if I wanted to. But I knew, even though I was young, that it was right.

I can still remember how I felt when I was baptized. It was the most clean, awesome feeling I have ever felt. I have felt feelings like that since then, but I'll never forget being baptized. I told my parents that I wanted to get baptized again, all the time. It just felt so good. They helped me understand that I could feel that feeling again and again, but that you only get baptized once. You feel that way if you continually live the teachings of Jesus Christ. I've found that to be true. The more that I turn to Him in my day to day life, the more the happiness stays.

How I live my faith

What I love most about my faith is that it makes me happy on a day-to-day basis. I feel like I've found what makes me happy. I read the scriptures, including the Bible and the Book of Mormon every day, as well as pray. These two things seem to help me put all that's going on in my life into the proper frame. As a result, I can honestly say that I feel that life is wonderful, even when it's hard.

Why do Mormons believe in the Bible?

James answered...

Interestingly, we believe that it was through the study of the Bible that Joseph Smith felt inspired to pray and ask God about which church we should join.
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What are Mormon Temples used for?

Corey answered...

A temple is a house of the Lord, a place where we may worship our Heavenly Father and feel of His presence. It is a sacred place where no unclean thing can enter. Because of the importance and sacredness of the temple, a temple recommend is required and is received based on individual worthiness within the church in order to enter its holy walls.

The temple is where I go to find answers, to find peace, and to feel the Spirit. We are encouraged to go as often as possible and to attend seeking Spiritual guidance. Inside we perform sacred ordinances for ourselves and more often for others, those who are deceased. God requires that all to make covenants in order to return to His presence and many died without the opportunity to make these covenants. In the temple we perform the ordinances for them in their name giving them the opportunity to reject or accept the ordinance and thus enter into the presence of the Father. The temple is a very sacred and holy place.