Hi, I'm Craig A. Smith

I love the outdoors.

About Me

My parents moved to the Pacific Northwest from Iowa when I was very young, and although they now reside in Arizona, I am still here. I love the mountains, the ocean, and yes, the rain. In fact, although I enjoy road trips all over the western United States with my wife and sons, I always enjoy coming home to Washington State.
I am proud to be a member of the Veterinary Profession and currently practice feline veterinary medicine & surgery exclusively.
I enjoy photography as relaxation, especially in and around Mount Rainier National Park.
My sons are 17 and 13, both are good pianists, and we raise chickens, geese, ducks, and turkeys on our 1.25 acre Ponderosa.

Why I am a Mormon

My parents were baptized into the LDS Church in Iowa, just before we moved to the Puget Sound region. We moved every 3 or 4 years, and the one stable activity we had was attending church every Sunday. Over the years, I became acquainted with plenty of young people my own age, in different cities, and was exposed to a lot of different Church leaders.
I was extremely inquisitive and am very grateful for the time that others took to answer my questions, teach me from the scriptures, and challenge me to understand the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I do not know of a specific event or place wherein I initially felt the Holy Ghost testify to me that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's authorized church on the earth, but it happened for me while in my early teens.
Since that time, I have been blessed with the companionship of the Comforter during the challenging periods in my life, and felt His promptings in a wide variety of circumstances. I have been blessed to hold the Priesthood and serve my brothers and sisters as an instrument in the Lord's hand.
It is my firm belief that our Heavenly Father cares for each person individually, and that He wants to bless and comfort all those that seek Him. I believe that Joseph Smith indeed was a prophet, ushered in the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and organized the Priesthood on the earth after it was lost. I believe that we are led by a Prophet and Apostles today, and that by following their inspired counsel, we can have genuine peace in our souls, regardless of the man-made storms raging around us.

Personal Stories

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is trust in our Heavenly Father that even though life seems to be a struggle at times, the challenges help us to better understand ourselves, our fellow men, and ultimately Him.

Peace is the primary thing that I hope for, and I have focused my energies personally to control my temper and anger in situations that irritate me. This has been an ongoing struggle for me over the past 3 decades, and yet, I have progressed, and am nearly the master of my emotions.

I strongly believe/hope that as more people take the challenge to control their outbursts, our world can and will be a more peaceful place to live.

Why do Mormons go on missions?

Ideally, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints embark upon missions because they desire to teach others of the restoration of the gospel and the priesthood upon the earth, thus helping people to learn about and follow Jesus Christ. Young men are strongly encouraged to be prepared and desirous to serve a two-year mission at age 19.
When I was approaching my nineteenth birthday, I was very well prepared, but not desirous. I had a job that I enjoyed and was ready to pursue the education I needed to join the veterinary profession. I honestly did not want to take two years out of my life to perform missionary service.
My Church leaders at the time were very patient with me and did not do anything to coerce me to serve. They regularly visited with me, encouraged me to continue to ponder my life and personal goals, and assured me of their genuine care for me as an individual.
Over time, as I continued to work and save for my education, I spent a lot of time thinking about my options. One afternoon, during a break in my work day, a thought occurred to me that I had never yet considered "You have always tried to choose the right."
The following Sunday, I met with my leaders and told them that although I still did not honestly WANT to serve as a missionary, I knew that it was the right thing to do. I knew that I had been greatly blessed by my Heavenly Father, and this was one way to show my gratitude to Him. I committed myself to serve, not as a trial run, and not from a burning desire, but rather as a willing follower of Christ.
I have often reminisced about that decision, and felt gratitude for the prompting of the Holy Ghost that helped me to choose. I fully admit that I had to serve a number of months as a missionary before I felt real desire to do what I was doing, but it was real, not imagined. I left home hoping that I had made the right choice, and I returned absolutely confident that I had.

How I live my faith

I strive to be honest and forthright in all my dealings with other people. At work, at home, at church, in my profession, where ever I am and whatever I am doing.
I currently serve as the Scoutmaster for the 12 and 13 year old young men in our congregation. Together with other adults, I endeavor to teach them to live clean lives and treat others with respect.
I am a big believer in education and take every opportunity I can to visit local schools and encourage young people to study and learn. I am an active participant in an outreach program developed by Washington State University to help teens understand the value of higher education.

What do Mormons believe about the Holy Ghost? Who is the Holy Ghost?

Craig A. Smith answered...

We believe that the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit that has the power to speak to the souls of all of our Heavenly Father's children.

His influence is the primary force of good in all aspects of our lives. In many instances, men and women receive personal inspiration to answer all kinds of questions, not just those of a religious nature.

He can also reveal truths to our minds, helping us to understand things that we are pondering, or just plain confused about. He can help us to make choices, or even prompt us to do something somewhere that is ultimately the answer to another person's prayer.
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What are Mormon church services like? Are visitors allowed at church meetings? Can I attend church?

Brad answered...

Our fundamental religious service is what we call our Sacrament meeting. Anyone is welcome to join us in Sacrament meeting as well as our other Sunday meetings at any of our buildings. Sacrament is a time when we ponder and reflect on Jesus Christ's atonement for our sins, for He is the path by which we can repent of our wrongdoings and begin anew on a correct path with additional guidance from our Heavenly Father. Furthermore, on Sunday we have general Sunday School meetings where we talk more in-depth about the various doctrine of the gospel as well as meetings where we meet in groups of similarly-aged individuals to learn and discuss gospel topics more focused to each particular age group. We welcome anybody and everybody and would love to see you in our congregation spiritually connecting with your loving Heavenly Father and drawing nearer to him and his son, Jesus Christ.