Hi, I'm Don

I found the Church at age 17 after growing up as a Protestant in California. I found answers that make sense. Now I am a Mormon.

About Me

I am happily married and the father of three adult children. Two daughters are in college, and my son is high-functioning autistic. My wife is a fifth generation member of the Church, while I am a convert.
I am an engineer, and currently design printers (previously space hardware and wafer processing machines). I enjoy gardening, camping, and hiking, as well as reading books and searching for news online.

Why I am a Mormon

My real introduction to the Church was the result of a tragedy that brought me to face the realities of life and eternity.
I was brought up in a Protestant faith, which never really took with me. I had come to the conclusion that nobody had the answers to some key questions, so I was really not seeking any religion.
My high school's choir was in a bus to a choir competition when they had a tragic accident near Martinez, CA. Twenty-nine people on the bus were killed, and many others injured. Many of them were my close friends. Over the next several days, I attended several funerals. Only the Mormon funeral seemed to have any concrete answers to the questions that I thought that nobody could answer. Over the next two months I visited injured friends, one of whom was a member of the Mormon Church. I was impressed by her spirit and strength despite her injuries.
Soon I began studying the Book of Mormon, and talking with the missionaries. I was very impressed by their lesson on the Plan of Salvation. I began to pray, and I felt the Spirit tell me that it was right. Four months after the bus crash, I was ready to be baptized as a member of the Church.
I have sometimes considered what my life would have been like if I had not joined the Church, and I am so grateful for having the Gospel and the Church in my life. I am an active member of the Church, and am very happy to have the guidance and support of my Savior Jesus Christ in my life.

How I live my faith

I try to be involved in both church and community, but I put a priority on my family. My disabled son is a volunteer at our church's food bank, and I drive him to the bus and to other activities (we live outside of the city). I have attended many community forums, including open meetings of our County Commissioners. I try to be an informed voter, and to see all sides of issues rather than blindly following. I think that primary elections are critical, since the primary will select the contenders for each party.
In church, I have been involved in Scouting, especially when my son was in Boy Scouts. I have also served as a clerk for church records. My current duty at church is a secretary for one of the men's organizations, taking roll and other administrative tasks. Like most adults in the church, I visit other members of the church to strengthen those families in the Gospel.

What is the role of the husband and the wife in the family?

Don answered...

My wife and I each have strengths that strengthen us as a couple and help us raise our children. She and I are definitely partners, and complement the other. We try to reach decisions together. It is not that I am always more impetuous and she is more cautious, but rather that we each have our own expertise, and depending on the situation we work things out. Twenty-six years and going strong!
Katie answered...

Husband and wife in a marriage are meant to be equal, partners. The husband is the head of the household and is responsible for the temporal welfare of his family. His role is to support his wife. The wife is also to support her husband and to nurture her family both spiritually and emotionally. Husband and wife are meant to work side by side in providing a safe haven from the world for their family. Their roles are different, but equally important and essential to building the family and the community.

What is the Book of Mormon?

Ben answered...

We believe in a loving Father in Heaven who desires all of his children to have His precious word. "Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?" (2 Nephi 29:7).

Of course, with any thing concerning God, it is important to find out, personally, if the work is true. What better source can we trust than God Himself? Through prayer we can know, independently of anyone else, where the truth lies concerning any matter.

In the introduction to the Book of Mormon we read: "We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost." I testify that this pattern of revelation is true. If we take the time to study it out in our minds, ponder upon the truth and ask God, in faith with desire to act upon our answer, that we will receive. He has answered me, and He will answer you when you ask in faith.