Hi, I'm Josh

I grew up all over the US, I'm studying to be a dentist, I'm recently married and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I'm in college right now studying to go to dental school. When I'm not in class or trying to catch up on sleep, I'm either playing my guitar or reading. I love music and literature. I also love being outdoors and exercising. Hiking is definitely a favorite activity of mine, and I always enjoy a good game of paintball or ultimate frisbee. I'm recently married; my wife and I were sealed together for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple. The most important thing about me is my wife, and the fact that I get to be with her forever.

Why I am a Mormon

I was born into a Mormon family. Many people wrongly assume that this means that i was destined to follow in my parents footsteps and that i didn't really have a choice in my religion. I obviously have chosen to continue to follow the Mormon faith throughout my life, but it has been my own personal choice. One summer in high school I accepted the challenge to finish the Book of Mormon before school began in the fall. I finished just in time. Right when i finished reading the last chapter, i knelt down to pray and ask my Father in heaven if the book was true. I didn't have a grand vision; no pillar of fire appeared at my bedside, but I did feel the presence of the Holy Ghost. I felt like God was telling me, "you already know that the Book of Mormon is true Josh. You've seen what it's done in your life." There is no specific point in my life that I can recall where I gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but that was the moment when I realized that i had a personal witness of its truthfulness. That was the moment that I knew that I knew. I still know to this day that The Book of Mormon is true. I have seen in my life the blessings that come from reading it. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior and provide us with the opportunity to return to His presence. I know that God has a plan for us. We can't always see what lies in store, but we can always know that He is in control and that if we trust in Him and doubt not, that all will work out in the end. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's church and that anyone can possess this same knowledge if they are but willing to read the Book of Mormon and pray with sincerity and ask the Lord if it is true.

Personal Stories

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

Male members of the church are encouraged to serve a two year, full time, proselyting mission when they turn 19. These missions are located all over the world, and each young man is called by the prophet and apostles to serve in a specific area and language. When I was 19 I was called to serve in the California Long Beach Mission speaking Spanish. What an amazing experience! I learned so much about myself, and came to better appreciated and love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I developed a stronger testimony of, and a closer relationship with my Savior. Through service as a missionary, i was able to catch a glimpse of what God sees. I learned to love and serve the people in California. I gained many close friends who are now stalwart examples for me. The days i spent serving in the streets of California were long, hard, and life changing. I wouldn't trade my two years as a missionary for anything.

How I live my faith

Since I am currently at college, my experience serving in my community and ward is unique. One way that I currently serve is as a home teacher in my ward. This means that once a month i go, with my companion (a fellow ward member), to visit other families in our ward to see how they're doing, and to share with them a faith promoting message. I love this responsibility. It is such a good feeling to serve others and to help them draw closer to the Lord.
Another way that i am serving in my community is by helping members of the community learn English. I go out once a week to visit a family from the Dominican Republic and help them to perfect their English. It's a great blessing to be able to associate with such great people and to help them as they learn. Plus, it helps me to practice my Spanish!

What are some things that tell to you there is a God?

Josh answered...

For me, everything i see shows me that there is a God. I recognize that science has an explanation for many of the natural phenomena that we see here on earth, but that only proves to me that there must be a God, a great creator and orchestrator of this beautiful world upon which we live. Simple things like watching the snow fall remind me of the greatness of God, and His attention to detail in nature, as well as in our day to day life.
Mark answered...

Everything around us testifies of a God who created all things. The complexity of life points toward an Intelligent Being who designed it, organized it and brought it to existence. The probability that everything around us may have arisen by mere chance is infinitely small, and the idea of a Supreme Creator is the only one that can make sense of all the beauty and complexity of nature including ourselves. And yet, these still do not prove the existence of God in the same sense that scientific concepts are proven. It is really impossible to prove the existence of God in the same, logical way used in science (the scientific method). That is why we say that we believe that there is a God, even if we have not seen him - this is called faith. I have not personally seen God, but my inner self tells me that he exists. Ultimately, it comes down to individual choice. We decide based on what we see and feel, on what the surroundings tell us, whether God exists or not. I choose to believe that there is a God, and this choice is one of my most important freedoms.

What is a “testimony” that Mormons speak of?

Jen answered...

The word "testimony" is used frequently by members of The Church. When they use this, what they mean is they have knowledge that a certain principle or doctrine is true because they have studied it, and received a witness of it from the Holy Ghost. For example, to gain a 'testimony' of the Book of Mormon, you read it, study it, and ask Heavenly Father if it is true. He will typically respond with a feeling of peace or happiness. This feeling is the witness from the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true. Once you receive this witness, you have built a testimony of the Book Of Mormon. This process can be applied to any aspect of The Church, or your life.