Hi, I'm Clif

I love real Mexican food. I love soccer. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am 23 years old. I am a college student studying Mechanical Engineering. I have been married just under one year. I like to play jazz on the trumpet and soccer. I speak Spanish fluently.

Why I am a Mormon

I was raised in the church, and I am lucky to have parents who live its teachings. Growing up, most of my friends were not members of this church, but they seemed to be good people. As we have all grown up, I've noticed that most of them have drifted into a lot of irresponsible or unhealthy activities. I've had the church to anchor me, keeping me where I know I'll be happiest.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

While I can't answer for anyone else, I know the answer I gave my mission president when he asked me why I went. I decided to go because I knew it was what God wanted me to do. I stayed out on the mission despite all the challenges because I got to see first-hand how the gospel helped people be better, whether they had a drinking problem, had family troubles, were unemployed, or were just simply unhappy with their lives. I think if I were to serve again, I would do it out of gratitude for everything the Lord has done for me.

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

I love the spirit of the Book of Mormon. To me it represents the stories of a lot of ancient people trying to do what God wanted, and the blessings they received. I remember one time as a teenager finishing up the New Testament and starting over the Book of Mormon as part of my regular scripture study. Now, I love the Bible, but Revelations confuses me. When I started reading anew the Book of Mormon, I felt the Holy Ghost peacefully assure me that the Book of Mormon is scripture. It is clear, and it speaks of Christ. it makes me feel the same way I do as when I read the New Testament Gospels. Reading it helps give me the strength to do the things I know I should do, even when its difficult.

How I live my faith

The wonderful thing about the church is that everybody is a volunteer. At the same time, we don't choose what we volunteer for, we are assigned by God through our church leaders to fulfill certain tasks, ones that will help us grow spiritually as well as help other people. In my current assignment, I help to watch after the young children (2-3 years old) in the nursery so their parents can attend Sunday School.

Why is family so important to Mormons?

Clif answered...

We know that we can be physically together with our families forever, but only if we follow God's commandments. Now if you knew that you were going to be around your mother/brother/spouse/kids for that long, wouldn't you also try especially hard to have a good relationship with them? I've had the opportunity to make a lot of friends/acquaintances, but I have never received so much love and support from any of them as I have had from my parents. They really want to be with me forever, and that makes me feel so good.
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Greg answered...

After I joined the Mormon Church I learned about the importance of families. Not long after that I realized that if I was going to follow this teaching I needed to tell my father that I loved him. That was very difficult for me since my dad and I argued so much. I spent the better part of 2 weeks trying to determine how I could do this. When the time came I found that the words came more easily than I had thought. From that point to the time he died, about 22 years later, he and I had an entirely different relationship. We were now friends. And I found how much I regretted all our arguments while growing up. And now I find that I miss him and more fully understand how important our families are.

Why do some call Mormonism a cult?

Jeff answered...

I think some call Mormonism a cult mainly because they don't understand what it's about. Before I was a Mormon, I used to believe that Mormons did not believe in the Bible, in Jesus Christ and a good deal of other things. I didn't realize how incorrect I was. There have been some pretty amazing things that have happened in conjunction with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and if you don't get the whole picture, then some of the stuff can sound pretty odd, and I think that's where I was before.
An example I sometimes use is: if someone told you that he had cut a man with a knife, from that limited piece of information, you'd probably report him for stabbing someone. But if you found out that this someone was a Doctor, and that he was preforming a surgery to save a man's life, having the full story completely changes your perspective on the situation.
In regards to the church I belong to, once I did have the whole story, I could see that Mormons were not cultish, but that they really are in fact Christians. I've even found that I have a stronger love of the the core things I believed before I was a Mormon, like the Bible and Jesus Christ.