Hi, I'm Brian

I write software and paint paintings. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I work in the information technology industry, writing software that helps computers speak to blind people. My wife and I live in Minnesota and have raised five children. I love genealogical research. When I find time, I draw and paint. My favorite subjects are Minnesota scenery and Mormon Temples.

Why I am a Mormon

My parents were Mormon, and I was raised in the church. I was happy to participate in youth activities, and felt the care and interest of good adults in my congregations. When I was 18, I determined to find out for myself if it was all true. I read the Book of Mormon, cover to cover, and then prayed about its truthfulness. I received a witness that it was the word of God.

This gave me courage and confidence to be a Missionary for the church for two years in Denmark. I saw many answers to prayer and small miracles that strengthened by belief in God and the truth of the LDS church.

Since then, I married, finished school, took employment and raised a family. I continued to serve in the church in different assignments, often with the youth, often in leadership. I have seen many more answers to prayers and small miracles which give me confidence this is the right path.

Personal Stories

Which of the Savior’s teachings have influenced you in your life?

Christ continually served others. He served everyone -- the rich and poor, the able and less able. He heard the need and moved to act. He served even when he was tired and weary.

Selfless service is easy to believe in, but it can be harder to do in practice. It is hard enough to serve those we love without grumbling. It takes real effort to serve strangers, serve those who are demanding or needy, or serve when we are busy and tired. Yet Christ was able to do that. We have no record of him complaining -- ever.

Two things that help me serve with a Christ-like attitude are:

First, remember that when we serve others, we are really serving Christ. (Matthew 25:40). I consider that if Christ asked me, I would do it. Therefore, when one of His children has a need, I should do it as if for Christ himself.

Second, when my attitude is grouchy while serving, I sing a simple children's song about service. "When we're helping, we're happy, and we sing as we go..." The lovely tune and simple words remind me there is joy in service that goes beyond worldly reward. As I sing, service become easier, and then a pleasure. It is Christ I ultimately serve, and therein is my true joy.

What are you doing to help strengthen your family and make it successful?

One thing we learned is that religious family traditions are most easily established when children are young. Older youth often resist religious observances, but if you start when they are young, it seems natural and is comforting as the youth grow older. When our children were young, we prayed together each night kneeling in a circle and holding hands. At the end of the prayer, I would kiss each child on the forehead. This was a loving family tradition and it was cute when the children were little. As the children grew to teen agers, they were still appreciative of a kiss on the forehead from dad, as a gesture of affection. I doubt most teens would have put up with that had we tried to start that when they were 14. Yet even now when they come home for Christmas, we kneel in a circle, and usually still hold hands, and I give them a kiss or no kiss choice, and most of them still allow a kiss on the forehead.

If you wish to start any tradition of faith in your family, start as young as possible, and be consistent as possible and it will be a great foundation in your home.

Why do Mormons do family history or genealogy work?

It's fun! OK, perhaps that's not the reason I started. We research our ancestors so we can provide baptism and other ordinances for them. The ancestors, who are dead, can accept or reject the ordinances in the after life. We believe this is fulfillment of the scripture in Malachi 46 about the hearts of the children turning to their fathers. We sometimes refer to this as the spirit of Elijah. As you begin to learn more about your ancestors, a funny thing happens the genealogical research goes from an duty to a fascinating research puzzle. It becomes interesting, enjoyable and -- fun! It is a favorite hobby.

How I live my faith

I pray and read scriptures daily, and attend church each week. I try to be good father and husband. I try to be kind to my neighbors. I strive to be like Christ in my personal interactions with people.

I serve in leadership over 12 congregations. I train other leaders, and visit, speak and teach gospel principles to members of these congregations. I help provide many larger faith-based activities each year for the teens. I meet and counsel with other area leaders.

How can I find someone to talk with, in person, about the Mormon religion?

Brian answered...

Do you know any members of the church? Ask them.
If you prefer a little more anonymity, go to www.mormon.org which is more for visitors, or www.lds.org which is more for members. All the scriptures, the doctrine, the magazines, and the curriculum are there.
If you want to chat with someone anonymously, www.mormon.org has a Chat Online link where you can ask questions.
Visit any church service on Sunday at a local chapel. Look up chapels and times as www.mormon.org, link Visit Us - Worship with Us.
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Aly answered...

On Mormon.org you can chat with a missionary online. At first I didn't feel comfortable inviting missionaries over to my house, so I chatted online with a missionary in Utah. I found that missionaries are just normal people, with normal hobbies and interests. After that I felt more comfortable, and I submitted the form to request that missionaries come to my house to teach me. Missionaries are very knowledgeable and can answer any questions you have about the Mormon faith.

Why don’t women hold the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? How do Mormon women lead in the Church?

Leeny answered...

This is a question I had to really consider before joining the Church. My mother is a non-denominational chaplain, and both my sisters are pastors. Female leadership in church settings is very important to my family.

It is to me as well. I think many people become offended when they learn that only men hold the priesthood because they misunderstand it. The priesthood is a tool given to men in order that they might serve others more. It does not in any way give them power or dominion over women. Those people who suppose the priesthood is a way to control others are deeply mistaken.

My husband is a priesthood holder, this means I am too. I have claim on my husband's priesthood power. Even more than he does. If I am sick, discouraged, or in need of help I can call upon my husband to give me a blessing through the priesthood that he holds. I then recieve many blessings because of my husband's worthiness to work in behalf of Christ. My husband is never able to give himself a blessing though. If he is sick or discouraged he must call on other priesthood holders to administer to him. My husband holds the priesthood so that he can bless me and our child - never himself.

The priesthood is the power of Christ on the earth. It allows those who hold it to serve their families in the same way Christ served the Church. Did Christ do any deed for himself during his earthly ministry? No. Christ spent all his energy serving the people. This is what the priesthood does for my husband. It infuses him with Christ's compassion and ability to love, and then my husband is able to use that celestial love in our family.

Why don't women also recieve this special gift then? The simple answer is women don't need it. As women we are innately endowed with compassion, selflessness, and love. Think about the way a mother loves her child. I believe there is nothing more pure and similar to Christ's love for us, than a mother's love for her children. Women naturally have the ability to love as Christ does.

In an ideal situation, which is what God always intended for us, there are two partners in marriage. There is the husband and father, a priesthood leader who can be called upon to administer blessings and serve in Christ's name. And there is also the wife and mother, who is blessed with the ability to love as Christ loves and sacrifice for her family. These are two seperate and divinely appointed roles. Each complementing the other. Both make a complete home.

Women do not hold the priesthood because they do not need it. Women have other God-given powers that raise them up to the task they are called to. A man is appointed to serve his wife and children - it is the power of the priesthood that enables him to do this.

I am grateful to have a husband who is worhty to use the priesthood in my behalf. It has blessed me many times and I know that it is a special gift from God - not only to my husband, but to me as well.