Hi, I'm Otto

I'm a husband. I grew up in Arizona. I studied marketing in college. I love to serve others. I'm a mormon.

About Me

I am a newly wed. My wife and I do everything together. We love to read, run, bike, cook, go to musicals and travel. My wife is a nurse and I work in marketing for a technology start up company. We spend a lot of time with our friends, and we're working on implementing an emergency preparedness plan for our neighborhood.

Why I am a Mormon

My parents taught me Mormon values since childhood, so living the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ has positively impacted my life and the lives of those around me. Several years ago I served a two-year mission in Mexico. Helping others adopt the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and seeing those families grow closer together was a rewarding experience.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

Mormons go on missions for one simple reason - to share the blessings we have received from living the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone. Missions are funded by the missionaries, often with the help of their family. Missionaries spend two years living far from their home. As missionaries, we spend two years focused entirely on serving other people.

I served a mission in southern Mexico. It wasn't easy, but it was one of the best experiences of my life. Moving from the United States to Mexico required leaving behind the creature comforts of home like air conditioning, English, and mom's home cooking.

As a missionary I spent 12 hours each day knocking doors, teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and giving meaningful service in the community. Dedicating myself entirely to the gospel of Jesus Christ for two years strengthened my testimony and helped me learn how to better apply the principles in my life. The most rewarding time on the mission is watching people change their lives as they adopt the principles of the gospel.

How I live my faith

My wife and I attend church weekly, and enjoy the opportunity to grow closer to the Savior. When church is over, we talk together about a few things we can do that week to be more like Him.

We live in a branch (small church unit), but there are still plenty of opportunities to serve. We have the responsibility to teach the members of our branch how to manage finances, store food, and prepare for emergencies.

Can a husband and wife be together forever? Do Mormons believe that families will live together in heaven?

Otto answered...

Yes! We can be together forever. This is, perhaps, one of the sweetest doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the sealing power exercised in the temples, we can be sealed to our spouses, children and parents. If we live righteously, the sealing power will bind us together as families forever.
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Daniel answered...

When married by earthly power and the authority of man, our vows are "Until death do you part."

We believe that families can be together forever as part of our Heavenly Father's Great Plan of Happiness. His Work and His Glory is to bring to pass the exaltation and eternal life of man. He wants us to be even as He is and to return home to live with Him again.

Through the ordinances of his Holy Temples, God's son's and daughter's are able to make covenants. Through the power of His Holy Priesthood, be sealed together for all of time and eternity as Husband and Wife, parents and children.

Families were designed and instituted by God with the intent that they be forever. The love we feel in this life does not need to be cut off when we die. Those who have already died are not lost us forever. God has mercifully made a way by which all who would accept these saving ordinances can do so, living or dead.

We perform these ordinances for those who have in the past died so that they may have the opportunity of accepting them on the other side if they so choose to do so.

What is the Mormon lifestyle like? How do Mormons live?

Serge answered...

Family is everything to us. Our family spends lots of our free time together because we like each other. Life gets crazy with teenagers, dance practice, after school academic decathlon, usually with a toddler in tow, but no matter what, every Monday night is Family Night.

The kids know that every Monday we spend time together and nothing gets in the way of it. It's our commitment to each other. We bake cookies, have lessons about the Savior, work on personal goals, go to the park, go geocaching, play board games or just go out for ice cream.

We do lots of things together. The point is that at least once a week we spend an hour or two together, just for the sake of being together, just because we love being together as a family. It's not as perfect as it may sound, with all the poking and "she's in my spot," and all the other crazy things family members do to each other when scrambling for a spot in the living room, but we try real hard. It takes effort to make sure we don't miss, but it's worth it.

I'm not sure the kids will remember all the games we played, the places we went or what we did, but I hope they always remember that we loved each other enough to dedicate one night a week to be with each other. And that we spent every Monday night together for as many Mondays as they can remember because family is everything to us, and every member of our family is important.