Hi, I'm Ken Crabtree

I'm a Mormon and a funloving grandfather.

About Me

I am a dad and a grandfather and enjoy my grandkids immensely. I love being out of doors, even pulling weeds in the yard, working on home remodel projects, playing a little tennis and getting away on long weekends with my wife. I spent most of my career in aerospace from bombers to fighters to the international space station. I recently moved to commercial manufacturing in the windows industry and enjoy the daily challenges of the diverse supply chains I manage.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon because I want to be. I was raised by Mormon parents but when I was 18 I found myself at a crossroads and needing to know for myself if a church that required so much more than most people thought prudent was something I wanted for my life. I found my answer in prayer and have never looked back, have never regretted that decision for even a moment in my life and have cherished the opportunities to become so much more than I could have ever made of myself.

Personal Stories

How has The Book of Mormon helped you understand the purpose of life?

The Book of Mormon is amazing. I have read it many times and each time is a wonderful experience. It is the writings of ancient prophets who lived in the Americas. It contains the doctrines of salvation. It teaches us of our relationship with God, that we are His spirit children and that He has a plan for us. He desires us to have all that He has. Through the Book of Mormon I have learned with clarity that I have a purpose in life, that life is eternal and that through the faith and obedience of myself and my family, we can continue to enjoy these sacred relationships through the eternities. "This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God" stated the prophet Amulek. The pages of this book feel me with the desire and teach my how to meet that challenge.

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is a great blessing of the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is the recognition that God does live and that through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can overcome the trials, the tribulations and the temptations of this world. Hope is what brings peace to the soul and the optimism that things will work out. I love my family and it is my hope that we can continue to build on the love and enjoyment we have now throughout the eternities.

How I live my faith

My most treasured service in the Church has been assisting someone dealing with challenging circumstances, whether youth or adult, from moving to burying a departed loved one to encouraging excellence to just being a friend. I love to hometeach and enjoy the interaction with the families. I thoroughly enjoyed my 25 years in leadership callings and found the sacrifices of time and effort to be more than compensated for in my life, spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally. These callings have pushed me well beyond my comfort levels, provided an education in leadership and stewardship, introduced me to wonderful community and religious leaders and provided me with frequent opportunities to teach and to share what makes me happy. I have also volunteered for several years at the district level in the Boy Scouts of America. Currently I serve as an advisor to the 16-18 year old young men, a calling that keeps me young and allows me the opportunity to mentor these young men through a critical transitional period of their lives. My goal is for each one to develop self-confidence, a foundation of faith and a willingness to serve others in their lives.

Does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endorse political parties?

Ken Crabtree answered...

No, but we do encourage members to be involved in the political process and to make informed decisions when voting, upholding those candidates that they judge to be men and women of integrity.
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Josh answered...

No. The church advocates principles and doctrine but does not endorse a certain political party or candidate. If you look in the United States Congress, you'll see members of the Mormon church sitting on both sides of the aisle from the current Senate Majority Leader to a 2008 presidential candidate.

However, the church is involved in the public arena when political initiatives intersect with principles of Christ's gospel. When this happens, the church will release a statement advocating certain principles and encouraging members to uphold these principles. This type of action often leads to confusion. Church support for an initiative for religious reasons should not be taken to imply support for a particular political party. These are two distinctly separate activities.

What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' attitude regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Aaron answered...

This issue is one that is rife with misunderstanding to outsiders. First, let me say here that we love and accept all of God's children, regardless of beliefs. That being said, we affirm that the central purpose of life is to make and keep covenants in a family relationship. By extension that means bringing children into the world, born in loving families with both a father and a mother.

We believe that our genders are an essential aspect of our eternal identities, that we were male and female even before we came to this earth. Neither sex is more important than the other; both serve the purpose of God to save His children. Both priesthood and motherhood are essential in the rearing of children.

I myself am unspeakably grateful for the blessing of having both a loving father and mother. They each supported me in different ways, unique to their identity as a man and a woman.