Hi, I'm Steve

I'm a college student. I'm a hard worker. I'm a friend. I'm a believer in Christ. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I consider my life to be pretty normal: I'm a Californian with an awesome family and a great group of friends. I enjoy being around others and doing anything that involves lots of laughter. I like to see people happy. It lifts my spirits and inspires me to help those who are discouraged.

The biggest thing going on in my life right now is school: I'm currently a college sophomore. I'm majoring in business management, trying to decide whether to emphasize in supply chain management or marketing. Finance is out of the question.

Right before college, I served my mission in central Alabama. The people there were amazing! I loved walking around in the hot summer sun, having opportunities to bear my testimony of the reality of our Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to opportunities for future visits there someday.

One of my most recently discovered hobbies is ballroom dancing--I know, right?--. I was almost literally dragged to a swing lesson & dance by some friends about a year ago. I was SO nervous, but I paid attention to the instructions that the teachers gave, and had a blast! After that, I signed up for a semester-long class. Loved it, and signed up for the next one! Now I'm considering teaching ballroom dancing myself.

Another hobby of mine is filmmaking. I started back in high school with some friends, making low-budget fan films and having little showcases every couple months. I decided to pick it back up this past semester at college and joined their video production group! It was a great experience, and I hope to keep having opportunities to use that talent.

Ultimately--and I hope it doesn't sound cliche--I think what defines me best is the fact that I am a child of God. Through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, I know that God is real, and that we are literally His sons and daughters. God loves me for who I am, as He does all of us. Though I make mistakes from time to time, He stands by me, ready to help me get back on track. I recognize that while I am imperfect, God has a plan for my eternal happiness. He loves me. He loves us all.

Why I am a Mormon

Even though I was born into an LDS family, every member of the Church must decide for his or her own self what he or she believes. Fortunately, I have never faced a major instance where I doubted the truthfulness of the Church. In my growing up years, the gospel message just made sense: God lives, and He leads us through His chosen prophets just like He did anciently. There's nothing about that knowledge that seems out-of-the-ordinary to me.

Of course, there's always room to increase in faith and testimony. I will share one occurrence of such that happened several months ago.

I was facing some major challenges while attending school--trying to decide which direction to take in my education, praying about future career possibilities, and wondering about the family I hope to start someday. I felt very discouraged. I felt as though no matter how much time I spent thinking about the issues, I couldn't find answers. In despair, I prayed as wholeheartedly as I could to my Father in Heaven for inspiration. I followed this prayer with a little personal scripture study. Miraculously--so it seems--I turned to Alma 38 in the Book of Mormon, and read the story of a prophet's counsel to his son, a young returned missionary. Verses 2 through 5 struck my heart like a bolt of lightning. I found so much similarity between what this young man could have felt at that time, and what I was feeling now. I was overwhelmed with peace and comfort in that very moment . . . greatly increasing my testimony of the reality of God's love and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

So why am I a Mormon? I know it may sound typical of many Church members, but I have sincerely prayed for God's help and guidance to show me the way I should live my life, and every action He has prompted me to take has involved this Church in one way or another. This Church carries the name of our Savior--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is His Church. There is power in the knowledge that He is at the head of what we as Mormons believe and do.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

I went on my mission to help others come closer to Jesus Christ. With so much turmoil in the world, it's hard to understand what truth really is, and where to find it. In these last days, the Lord has commanded those who have the truth and the fulness of the gospel to go and share it with others. We desire to let all who are willing partake of all the blessings that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ can offer.

Missions are a tremendous sacrifice for all who serve them. I know that while I was serving my mission, we faced big challenges at times. But I took joy, as do many other missionaries, in the fact that the Lord helped us overcome our weaknesses and setbacks as we spread His word. And the joy that came from seeing others accept the restored gospel is indescribable. Our commitment to share the gospel across the world comes from our willingness to do as He commands, and a realization that He will bless us as we do so.

How I live my faith

While my life will never match that of the greatness and wonder of the Savior's life, I still try to pattern my daily actions and behaviors after Jesus' example.

I make an effort to perform some act of service every day. This can be either a large task, like helping somebody move or a small act, like holding the door open for someone who's in a rush. While my service may not seem elaborate or noteworthy, I still feel as though these are things the Savior would do Himself if He were in that situation.

In addition, members of the Church, including me, have callings: specific assignments given to different people to help spread the work of the Church and the gospel. I have had many callings over the years, from teaching the gospel in another state to leading the music in our weekly worship services. Having a calling helps me to realize my ability to reach out in some small way and help others come closer to Christ, just as He would do.

How is the Book of Mormon different from the Bible? How did Joseph Smith obtain the “golden plates” or Book of Mormon?

Steve answered...

The Book of Mormon is an account of God's dealings with His children on the American continent. During the time the teachings of the Bible were being written by God's prophets and apostles, our Heavenly Father also called prophets and apostles in the Americas. He instructed them to record His teachings as well. This is because God loves all of His children, no matter where they are on this planet, and He wants ALL of us to return to Him someday.

Perhaps the most significant part of the Book of Mormon is an account of Jesus Christ appearing in the flesh to the inhabitants of the American continent, shortly after His resurrection. He taught His gospel to them and established the leadership of the Church just as He had done in mortality in Jerusalem. Through this He proved that God does not value one soul above another, but loves us all equally.

But rather than asking how the Book of Mormon differs from the Bible, it's also important to ask how the Book of Mormon and the Bible are the same. Both books are holy scripture given to us by God through His chosen prophets and apostles. Both books contain instruction and guidance to help us prepare to live with our Heavenly Father again. Both books testify of the importance of each other, and both books increase our testimony of the glory of God and His perfect plan of salvation for us.

Why are Mormons asked to donate 10% of their income to their Church?

Megan Cosgriff answered...

Latter Day Saints(Mormons) donate 10% of their income to the church because the Lord has commanded us too! In Proverbs 3:9 it says, "Honour the Lord with substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." This is talking about tithing, tithing literally means one-tenth, which is 10%. So when the Lord commands us to donate one-tenth of our increase(income) that is what we do. If you look at Malachi 3:8-10 you will see that the Lord is asking for us to give him our tithes (10%) and in return he will open the windows of Heaven and pour out blessings, so many that we won't be able to contain them. Wouldn't you want to receive innumerable blessings for just giving Him 10% of your pay check? It seems like a pretty fair trade to me.