Hi, I'm Mike

I'm a Mormon. I would love to visit with you about my beliefs and faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

About Me

I am the happy husband of my High School sweetheart. We have been married for over 24 years and have raised 3 beautiful daughters, two of which are married and have provided us with 4 grandchildren so far. Our youngest is about to leave home and attend college. Happiness and Joy are constant companions when you have a great family like us, my wife and I feel truly abundantly blessed.

Why I am a Mormon

I was raised in the church and have a lifelong belief in gospel of Jesus Christ. From the time I was a little child and heard the stories of the gospel from my mothers lips, I was a believer. As I got older, may faith increased and matured. When I was 19 I had several profound spiritual experiences that led me to serving as a full-time missionary. My faith and beliefs are what keep me grounded and on a firm foundation.

Those spiritual experiences have provided me strength and peace during the many "storms" of life. I love the feeling of peace and comfort that we receive when we are worthy of, and perceptive to, the stirrings of the Holy Spirit. Many times in my life I have had to rely upon this faith when making decisions or enduring the struggles and strife that can so often overwhelm us in our human condition.

This faith, this hope, this sacred knowledge is available to all mankind. But for the Grace of God, all can partake. I bear solemn witness that these spiritual and sacred messages contained in the restored Gospel can be shared and freely given. So go ahead, "ask and see if you shall not receive", "knock" and see what "opens" for you. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints my whole life. I served a mission because I had a very strong sense of duty. It was more than a feeling of obligation in fact, I would say it was the single most important thing I have done with my life. I served out of an honest desire to share the gospel with others. I felt so blessed by the opportunities and blessings of my life, all of which were greatly enhanced because of that knowledge.

It did not seem like a sacrifice to me at all. I loved the goodness of the Gospel and I knew that there are many people in the world who have lost their faith or who have never had it. I wanted to share the hope and message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a missionary I was able to devote my whole being to the service of others. I was able to share the message of hope and bless the lives of many people. In the end, I grew in my spiritual life to the point where my own faith was strengthened and increased. The blessings of this service continue in my life today. I feel rooted in my faith and I can still help others to find their way to truth and light.

By the way, I have also since come to realize that the mission never really ended for me...I may not be serving in a full-time capacity anymore, but I do reap the blessings of the gospel everyday and I still see the miracles that this knowledge can give people.

How I live my faith

Well, I am far far far from a perfect person. In fact in my carnal state as a man, I surely need the redemption of Christ in my life. So, how I live my faith is like this.

I try, I fail. I try again, but I try in spite of failing. Sometimes I even succeed at being righteous in a few things. But, as a man, I am doomed unless, unless I accept the healing power of the Atonement of Christ.

With this being said, I live my faith by attending church services, by keeping my thoughts and passions within the bounds of righteousness. By having my heart and thoughts drawn out in prayer as often as I can, everyday. By serving others, by praying. Even by being forgiving. If I weren't able to partake of the Sacraments on the Sabbath day, I would be totally lost. So, what I am trying to say is, that "living my faith" is a process. It is not a destination or an achievement. It is an attitude of faith and hope. Some days I know I have been an instrument in the Lord's hands, other days.....well, I sure am glad that the repentance process works.

The very bottom line here is, I know my Father in Heaven loves me and you, I also know that Jesus Christ, His Son, is my mediator to the Father and in ways I cannot comprehend or express, I know that my Redeemer lives and that faith and hope allows me to continue upon this path. I hope your path heads in that same direction and I pray that you find it and I hope you pray that I find it too! Just remember that the path is always there it is us who depart from those ways...

What is the difference between attending a Mormon Church and a Mormon Temple?

Mike answered...

Temples and Church houses are both sacred places but, they serve different specific purposes. The Church houses are for the day to day, and week to week church services. There are weekly worship services held here, and Sunday School classes to study and learn. There are many different meetings held at these places at various times each week. Some are for the youth programs that help instruct the youth and prepare them for the challenges of life that lay ahead. There are even social activities held to help the members feel like part of an extended family. The church houses also are used by one of the largest and oldest woman's organizations in the world. This group is called the "Relief Society", here women study together and work to provide service and teach each other skills and principles.

Temples on the other hand are very special buildings where sacred and holy covenants are made, where marriages performed. We make special covenants or promises to the Lord wherein we dedicate ourselves to the church and are instructed in the Gospel. Special important work is done here vicariously for those who have died, who may not have had the opportunity to participate in the restored gospel. We perform these sacred ordinances in their behalf hoping that they will accept this work and enjoy the blessings of having these ordinances performed for them even though they are dead. It should be noted that these things are of a very sacred nature and thus require reverence and understanding. Should you want more information please contact any member of the church or speak with a missionary.
Kimberly. answered...

We go to church weekly to worship and take the sacrament, which is like communion. Everyone, no matter their faith, is welcome to come to church services and learn more about the Gospel.

The temple is a special place where members make further promises to Heavenly Father that they will keep his commandments. It is also where we are married, or sealed together, and where we can be baptized and sealed for our family members who have died before having those opportunities in life.

To go to the temple you need a card called a temple reccomend from your church leaders that confirms that you are currently doing your best to follow Christ and His Gospel as a member of the Church.

Why was a Restoration of the Gospel needed? Haven’t we always had the Bible?

Joshua answered...

The Restoration is needed because of the Apostasy. The apostasy is a time foretold of by the prophet in the Bible Amos. In Amos 8:11-12

" Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

Amos tells us that there will be a time when the gospel, or "the word of the Lord" will be lost. That time came when Jesus Christ and the Apostles were killed. Even though we still had the bible, there were no prophets or apostles to keep the gospel pure and true. Man was left with their own interpretation of the Bible. As we all know, there are thousands of christian churches all based on the bible, BUT all teach different doctrines. When Christ was on the earth He did not set up thousands of different churches so that there was something different for everyone. He had one church. His church. The prophet Peter tells us that there will be a restitution or a restoration of the gospel, in Acts 3:21

" Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."

In short, the gospel was lost during the Apostasy and the Restoration brought it back. So, now we have the same gospel that Christ set up when he was on the earth. :)