Hi, I'm Jeff

I'm a sports nut. I'm an intellectual. I'm a geek. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am currently a Senior Systems Analyst for a major oil and gas company in Houston, TX. My wife and I enjoy the good things in life traveling, athletics, good movies, and teaching 3/4 year olds at Church!

I grew up outside Chicago and love the city! I am an avid Chicago sports fan and nothing can tear my from the Bears, Bulls, Sox, and Blackhawks - I'm really struggling with becoming a fan of the teams in Houston. Haha!

I'm also a fan of movies, photography, theater, literature, and gadgets! Oh have I got lots and lots of gadgets...

Why I am a Mormon

I'm a Mormon because first and foremost, I believe the Book of Mormon to be true...

I should start by saying that I didn’t always believe the Book of Mormon to be true… My Father is a Mormon and my Mother is a Presbyterian. I grew up going to church with my Dad, but I spent a fair amount of time wondering whether or not any of the stuff I was learning was true. It’s a little out there, right? A boy named Joseph Smith seeing God and Jesus Christ, then being instructed some years later to translate a book of scripture from America. It's kind of a crazy concept, right?

My testimony is that it IS true. In high school I decided that it was time for me to figure out whether or not this book really was true. The only way I could think of to prove it was to read it and to pray about it-trusting that God would never lead me astray if I were to pray in full faith, asking for enlightenment. Remember John 1122 – “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”

When I read the Book of Mormon, I felt peace and sense of faith come over me. Knowing my Bible pretty decently, I thought of the scripture Galatians 522-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against such there is no law.” I knew something was right.

After reading I'd pray and ask if the book and its words are true-I would always feel at peace, filled with love, and with a desire to continue reading more. I continued in the Book of Mormon until I had completed it. In the final chapter, the prophet Moroni promises that if we should read the book, ponder our relationship with God and how merciful he has been to us, and then pray to know of its truth, God will answer our prayers. I can testify that it works, because it certainly worked for me!

That knowledge has changed my life. If you’re curious for yourself, take the time to validate the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon for yourself!

Personal Stories

How has the Book of Mormon brought you closer to God?

The Book of Mormon has been a strength to me throughout my life. At times I struggle with the complexities of life, and I realized a long time ago that the teachings in Ecclesiastes are true, and that a life filled with good things is still empty and futile if it is without God. When I read in the Book of Mormon, and the Bible for that matter, I feel the Spirit of God in my life and I can make it through the hardest trials and feel the greatest joys when things seem to be going my way. One of my favorite Book of Mormon scriptures is found in Helaman chapter 5, when the prophet Helaman spoke to his sons, saying in verse 12:

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

As an LDS Missionary I saw the Book of Mormon change people’s lives. These weren’t simply non-believers that finally found Christ, but devout Catholics, Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses that began reading the Book of Mormon and discovering the truth of it for themselves. The teachings in the Book of Mormon drive us to become better disciples of Jesus Christ, and that was the challenge that each of these converts took upon themselves.

How I live my faith

I work hard to be the best Christian I can be.. I fail, often, as I'm certainly not close to being perfect - but I feel like I've put myself on the correct road. I strive to be a better man every new day, waking up and saying to myself, "Today I choose Jesus." I serve within the Church by teaching a weekly scripture study course Institute. Boy is it hard coming up with lessons that will captivate an audience of single adults in their late teens and twenties, but I love the challenge and I think the scriptures can be fascinating when you really start to understand them including the history and context.

What do Mormons believe concerning the doctrine of grace?

Jeff answered...

I've often been criticized by friends of other faiths who misunderstand what some refer to as the "Mormon Work Ethic". Due to our culture, a lot of people think that Mormons are constantly trying to work out their own salvation and earn their spot in heaven. Granted, there may be some members of my faith who actually believe that, but that is certainly not the Truth of the matter.

Yes, there are reasons to perform works - they're a demonstration of our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ, but it's only through His grace and atonement or sacrifice and resurrection that we can become clean and hope for salvation. We believe that grace is not only the only hope for our salvation after this life, but as the key to harnessing Christ's power during our lives!

I turn to Jesus and His grace when I need strength to overcome my weaknesses, or when I need motivation to make it through a trial, or when I need a blessing for a loved one... Grace is what gives us a connection to the Savior. There is no way I can be saved, or even live a truly Christian life, without grace from God and Jesus Christ!
Carlos answered...

There is a passage from the Book of Mormon that can help us understand the doctrine of grace:

"And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free... there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah... he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved"

We fully belive in justification and reconciliation by grace - it is an essential doctrine of the Church, and is found repeatedly throughout the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
Anyone who believes in Christ shall be saved and inherit all that the Father has; however, we need to understand what it means to believe - we need to understand the word "believe" as Christ intended it to be understood.

The prophet Joseph Smith taught that faith is a principle of action. Yes, it's true that all we need to do to be saved is to believe, but believing isn't just a verbal declaration - true belief requires action.
Knowing that the world is full of breathable air isn't enough to live - we actually need to act on that knowledge and breathe in order to keep living. Likewise, having faith in Christ isn't just something that we say we have - we have to act on that belief. I can't honestly claim that I have faith in Christ and know that His path is the path to happiness if I'm not consistantly trying to gain that happiness.

We fully believe in salvation by grace, but it's possible to fall from grace if we lose our faith - and if we are not doing the things that Christ requires of us then we do not have true faith.
All we need to do to attain grace is to develop faith in Jesus Christ, but developing faith unto salvation in Jesus Christ is a lifetime endeavor which requires our absolute best sacrifice.

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.

Garet Mang answered...

Well if Jesus Christ decided to have twelve apostles to minister to the people once he was gone, then why would he change his mind and decide not to have them ever again?
The twelve Apostles are like a pedestal, a foundation, where the church which is a beautiful vase is built upon. (Ephesians 2:19-20) When there was twelve and Juda fell away, it was important to replace that lost leg of the pedestal, so they chose Matthias, to replace Juda so the foundation would continue to be strong.
But when all the apostles where killed off, and rejected. It was like pulling a leg off of the pedestal, leg by leg. once you start taking off almost all of them, it becomes very unstable. because all the legs were torn off, the vase fell. And everyone knows when a vase falls, it shatters. There were still bishops around though, and they tried to piece the vase back together, and made it look very similar to what it once was. but there were still cracks in it and it wasn't perfect. And if you place water in that vase, it's going to leak out of the small cracks. Those cracks are small and simple truths, and authority that was lost. Because even the Bishops had to report to the Apostles before they were killed
But because God loves us and is perfect, he had Jesus Christ work through Joseph Smith (A prophet) and created a new Vase exactly like the one he made before (The Church), and a new pedestal (The Twelve Apostles). Because Jesus Christ church was the way he wanted it, and so it is again.