Hi, I'm Hiram

I own a popular educational websites that serves 150 million children worldwide. I am a Mormon.

About Me

I am the founder of what is arguably the most popular educational website for kids on the Internet. I enjoy astronomy, and salt water fishtanks. Above all, I enjoy my wife, and our seven children.

She and I started dating 16 years ago, and have been married for 12. I began my career as an elementary school teacher. I worked for three years as a consultant to school districts across the nation. During this same time, I began working on my educational websites during my spare time.

Over the ensuing years, these websites have drawn millions of viewers. Today we receive more than 150 million monthly hits, and employee a small staff.

In our spare time, we camp and travel as a family. My beautiful children are involved with a number of sports and musical instruments. I also enjoy playing hockey in a local league, and have season tickets to our local hockey team.

Why I am a Mormon

I was born into the Church. My parents, grandparents, great grandparents, on up through my great great great grandfather were all members of the church.

I have a wonderful heritage, that I treasure. My ancestors belonged to a group of Protestants known as the Waldensians. The Waldensians were among the very first peoples to break away from the old Church, predating by many years the Lutherans, Calvinists, and others. Indeed Martin Luther cited the Waldensians as justification for his movement.

They were over the centuries persecuted, and driven to a small handful of valleys in Italy, where a Mormon Missionary by the name of Lorenzo Snow found and taught them. John, my ancestor was converted, and sent his five children to Utah. Only three survived the journey, including my then teenage Great Great Grandfather.

Alone, and without the English language, these three children survived through faith, living in a cave on Antelope Island, where they tended the cattle of Brigham Young, the then leader of the Mormon Church. I am a proud Waldensian Mormon.

I have since prayed to find out for myself if the doctrines taught and believed by my ancestors are indeed true. By prayer, and meditation, I have obtained a confirmation that this Church is more than just my heritage. It is the very Kingdom of God on Earth.

I testify that I do indeed know that this work is true. I do know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that he calls prophets. I know that he called such a prophet in 1820 in the form of Joseph Smith, and that through this young boy that he restored his priesthood authority and the full doctrine of his gospel. I know that this priesthood has been passed down from Joseph Smith by the laying on of hands through an unbroken chain of prophets and apostles until today. I further testify that I know that Thomas S. Monson is today the Lord's mouth piece on the Earth, a living Prophet.

I further testify that this same confirmation of these truths can be obtained by any individual who sincerely desires to know, and who is willing to put in the effort to find out.

Personal Stories

Please explain the part prayer plays in your life?

Prayer is a crutch that I use to survive. I have been blessed in this life far more than I deserve. I have often found myself in situations where I am not sure how to proceed, or where I am genuinely nervous / scared about an upcoming assignment or responsibility.

consider an assignment to train a group of professionals in a business atmosphere. Or a meeting where I need to remember to say all the right things, in order to get an individual to understand an issue from my point of view. Or consider my interactions with my children, where I have a deep and inexpressible desire to correct an issue one of them is facing.

All of these tasks are beyond my own skill set. However, I have learned that prayer is a powerful thing.

"Father, help me give a good presentation", or "Father, my daughter is rolling her eyes at me, I know I am right, but I have no idea how to get through to her, help me".

Through prayer, I have also found answers to many questions that I may be struggling with, such as "is it really wise for me to quit a good paying job, to begin an Internet Startup".

There have been times in my life, when our family has faced significant challenges. Years where the money I was making with a young company was not enough to cover the medical bills that were piling up from an ill daughter.

During these times, I found peace and a lifting away of unbearable stress through prayer.

There is no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father listens to, and answers our prayers.

How I live my faith

I have had the privileged of serving whenever asked, and have been blessed by so doing.

During my time as an educational consultant, we lived in a rural part of the United States, where there were very few members of the Church. During this time, I served as a cub scout leader, a primary teacher (Sunday School Teacher for small children), a seminary teacher (for teens on weekdays before school), a councilor to the Elders Quorum President (working with young fathers), and as a councilor to the Bishop (working with families in our area).

We later returned to Utah, where I have since also served in a number of positions, including as a youth leader, a councilor to another Bishop, and most recently as the Webelos Den Leader (scouts for 10 year old boys).

I have also helped on numerous youth camps, ward camps, parties, activities, planning, visiting sick members, and regular service projects, including our local crop farm, macaroni factory, dairy factory, dry pack cannery, wet pack cannery, and cleaning local churches and temples.

What is the role of the husband and the wife in the family?

Hiram answered...

Family is everything. It is the source of joy in this life. Mothers and Fathers work together, uniting to create an atmosphere of love and devotion. A safe haven, where children feel completely safe, totally secure, and unquestionably loved.

As a father, my children admire, and trust me. It is my obligation to earn this trust, by living up to it. I work hard to provide for their physical well being, as well as their spiritual and emotional well being.

The most important thing that I can do as a father is to set the example for them of how a man treats his wife. By loving my wife, treating her with respect, honoring her, and modeling proper kindness, I teach my sons how they aught to treat their future wives, and I help my daughters to understand how special they are, and insure that they set the bar appropriately high as they search out their own future spouses.
Show more of my answers Show less of my answers One Moment Please
Katie answered...

Husband and wife in a marriage are meant to be equal, partners. The husband is the head of the household and is responsible for the temporal welfare of his family. His role is to support his wife. The wife is also to support her husband and to nurture her family both spiritually and emotionally. Husband and wife are meant to work side by side in providing a safe haven from the world for their family. Their roles are different, but equally important and essential to building the family and the community.

Who is the Mormon prophet today?

Amber answered...

President Thomas S. Monson is our current prophet. He is called of God to receive revelation for us today. I am grateful for living prophets and apostles to lead and guide us in this troubled world. I know that they are called of God, and if we follow their counsel we will be happy.