Hi, I'm Jonathan

I grew up in UT, AZ, TX, PA, and LA. I'm a student at BYU, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I served a mission for the Church in Guatemala and speak Spanish and Q'eqchi', a Mayan dialect. I study history at school and plan to go into law. Some things I enjoy are reading, hiking, spending time with my fiancé, playing the piano, and tennis.

Why I am a Mormon

I was born a member of the Church, but my conversion to the gospel has taken the same path that many others take: I made mistakes in life and experienced the miracle of the forgiving and healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord invites us all to be free from the terrible effects of sin, pain, and death. The Bible and The Book of Mormon both contain an invitation from the Lord "to buy milk and honey without money and without price." The gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Mormon Church is the way to that happiness. The only price the Lord asks for it is our heart and a willing mind. The wonderful thing is that as I continue to give my heart and will to the Lord, He continues to free me from the guilt, sorrow, and sadness that at times comes my way in life. I know that the Lord Jesus Christ lives and leads this Church. He is the only one who has the power to save, heal, and uplift.

Personal Stories

Can you talk about the missions of the Church and your participation in them?

This is a great question. Many of you have probably seen Mormon men or women dressed as missionaries with plaques bearing the full name of the Church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Without pay, they go from door to door and offer to preach the restored message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As far as I understand the term, to restore means "to bring back" or "to return something to its original form." The main, important message that missionaries bring to people is that Christ has placed His Church back on the earth again in its original form through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Through direct revelation, God restored the Church in its entirety to Joseph Smith. This includes the authority that Christ gave to His servants, or apostles, while he was on the earth. It also includes all the saving ordinances like baptism and confirmation that we need to "enter in at the straight gate" on our journey back to the presence of Heavenly Father.

From 2005-2007, I had the privilege of being one of these missionaries. I learned Spanish and a Mayan dialect and taught these truths to many people in Guatemala. The people of Guatemala are full of faith, and many of them are in better spiritual shape than I am, but I can tell you that the Spirit testified to them of the truthfulness of this message. Missionaries do not forcibly convert people. It is through gentle promptings that come from the Spirit of the Lord that people become convinced of the truthfulness of the Mormon Church. I have witnessed this process of conversion many times, and it is a wonderful thing.

How I live my faith

I go to church each week on Sunday to take the bread and water that is blessed to remind me of the body and blood of Christ. I listen to and read the words of the living prophets and apostles who direct the Church, and I try to apply their teachings to my life. I study the scriptures and pray about their meaning.

I've also found that sharing my experiences with others builds the faith that I have in the Savior and His love for all of us.

What do Mormons believe about the nature of God?

Jonathan answered...

Mormons believe that God is the Father of our Spirits and the Creator of the Earth and all things in it. God created us in His image. This means that God patterned our bodies after His own. God's great work is to bring us back into His presence after we have departed from this life.
Kathleen answered...

This question is easily answered in the words of one of the children's songs "I know my [Heavenly] Father lives, and loves me too". We believe in a loving God, who knows us each individually. Another way I know that God loves me because he has heard and answered my prayers many times. Some people think that God is angry, but I do not believe that is so. Matthew 7:11 reads, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask him?" I think that just explains it all- as parents we want the best for our children. God, our Heavenly parent, wants the best for us, too. As parents, we recognize that giving our children everything they ask for isn't necessarily what's best for them. God does this for us also.

Are Mormons Christians?

David answered...

Depends on whom you ask. If you ask a faithful Latter-day Saint, the answer will be "yes". The arguments that I've heard against our being Christian are that we believe in the Book of Mormon (Another Testament of Jesus Christ); we believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are two separate beings with physical, glorified bodies of flesh and bone; we believe that Joseph Smith was called of God in our time as a prophet; etc. The short answer is "yes", we are Christians. I would even go so far as to say we are the only Christians; that is, we are the only church that Christ has given his priesthood authority. If a Christian is a disciple of Christ, then we are certainly striving to be Christians. Certainly, other churches help and serve in ways that are admirable. There are good people everywhere in the world. However, Heavenly Father is a God of order, not chaos. He has established one faith, one church, and one baptism. There are not several roads that lead to His Kingdom; there is one. We all can receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that we are on that one path that leads to eternal happiness.