Hi, I'm Brandon

I'm a wakeboarder, a graphic designer, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

Well I am pretty much awesome... sometimes I wish I was me, and then I realize that I am me and I have a great day.

I'm kidding... but seriously, here goes:

I am originally from the West Coast. My wife and I recently moved to Florida to pursue wakeboarding and graphic design. I plan to infiltrate the wakeboard industry from both sides. As an athlete and as a designer. My goals are high, but as Henry Ford once said, "the man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can't are both right."

I am currently working as an instructor at a wakeboard camp in Florida, operate and teach at a a cable park, create and upload content for an online wakeboard instructional website, and I also do freelance graphic design in my spare time, including designing wakeboard graphics, T-shirts, and board shorts.

I also served a two-year mission for the Church in the Arizona Tucson Mission, which spanned from Tucson, AZ to El Paso, Texas. It was hands down the best experience of my life so far.

Why I am a Mormon

It all started when I was very young. Be it the teachings of my family or an outside source, I don't know, but I always knew deep down that I had a Father in Heaven who loved me. I had experience after experience that reassured me of that truth. As I grew, all of those experiences started to add up to one great whole. That I had a relationship with God. I then began to recognize and understand personal revelation.

I went through a stage in my life where I didn't want to be a part of the "churchy" aspect of religion, but I couldn't leave it. Every time I wandered, I felt the relationship that I had with God begin to weaken.

I learned that I had to fight to keep that relationship close, and to keep the door of personal revelation open. I started praying more, reading the Book of Mormon, attending church, etc. The more I fought to keep the commandments, the closer I felt to God. I learned to repent of my mistakes and misdeeds. Through repentance I gained a better understanding of Christ and his Atonement. I came to know and recognize the hand of God in my life when I was living right, and when my heart was in the right place.

I served a full-time two year mission in the Arizona Tucson Mission, which spanned from Tucson, AZ to El Paso, Texas. For two years I taught Gospel principles to anyone who would listen. I could go on literally for hours about the experiences I had and the lessons that I learned. I saw firsthand how God interacts with his children and how he communicates to me. Those two years changed my life. It put new perspective on everything. It all made sense. I have now recommitted my life to God, and I seek to be a blessing in the lives of others. Not a day goes by where I don't use some skill or knowledge that I gained on my mission.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that this is His Church. I know it better than I know my own name. I have come to know and love God. Jesus Christ Lives. He is my Master, My Savior, and My friend. Of these truths I invite all to discover on their own, through prayer and personal revelation. "...and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." -The Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:4

How I live my faith

As I explain some of the roles that I have at church, I may stumble across some terms that may or may not be familiar to you. Directly below is a list of terms and their definitions that may be of help to you as you read.

"Ward" - The local congregation defined by a geographical area.

"Calling" - A duty or responsibility that has been assigned to and accepted by a member of the ward.

"Priesthood" - The Power and Authority to act in the name of God.

"Elders Quorum" - A group of men who have the Priesthood meet together during part of our Sunday worship service.

"Home Teaching" - Every member, with a companion, is assigned a few families to visit each month and deliver a gospel message, as well as make sure that their physical and spiritual needs are being met, and just be a friend to rely on when needed.

I have two Callings in my ward. I am one of the Counselors to the Elders Quorum President, which means that I help out with a lot of the physical and spiritual needs of the people in the Quorum. Sometimes we help organize a service project for someone who doesn't have the ability or means to clean up their yard, we oversee the Home Teaching that goes on in the ward, etc.

I am also a Teacher in the Elders Quorum. On the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Sunday of every month I teach a Gospel lesson to the Quorum.

I love serving and helping in any way that I can. It's an awesome experience to just help people without expecting anything in return. The most fun part about it is that God helps out in the areas where I feel inadequate. So, I feel as if each calling that I have, God is my partner helping me accomplish everything that I need to. It's a wonderful experience.

Why is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called Mormons or Mormonism?

Brandon answered...

There are a few reasons that we have the nickname "Mormons" instead of the official name of the church.

One reason and probably the least important is that "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" is a mouthful. So, naturally, in a world of abbreviations and acronyms, any sort of nickname would have a tendency to stick rather easily.

The name "Mormon" comes from "The Book of Mormon", ancient scripture that we revere as a companion to the Holy Bible. The Book is a collection of sacred writings from prophets of the ancient Americas. One of the last prophets to write in the Book was named Mormon. He compiled some of the sacred texts from previous prophets and put them together in one book The Bible was similarly assembled. Because an ancient prophet named Mormon put it together and prevented the record from being destroyed, the Book was titled, "The Book of Mormon".

Most people don't know that about The Book of Mormon, so the nickname "Mormon" was given to the Church. Over the years, the nickname stuck, and we have gotten used to being referred to as Mormons. However, we do not like to refer to the Church as "The Mormon Church," because it is not. Mormon was a prophet. We do not worship him. It is the Church of Jesus Christ. He is whom we worship and strive to become like.

Now you know the inside scoop! Tell your friends!

What are Mormon women like? Do Mormons believe in equality of men and women?

Asia answered...

Women have a divine role, as designed by Heavenly Father before we came to earth. We were given the sacred opportunity to be mothers and to work alongside the brethren of the church to serve, uplift, and strengthen others. Women are powerful and strong forces for good in the world. We must be careful, however. The world today often tries to demean the divine role of womanhood by over-sexualizing women or saying that they should be the same as men. Women and men are different for divine purposes. I don't want to be a man. I know that Heavenly Father sent me here to be who I am because I can contribute to this great work in a way that no one else can. I'm grateful to be a woman today.