Hi, I'm Paul

I grew up in Texas. I am an avid snowboarder and paintballer. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am a clerk in my ward or congregation. I love being in a position to serve and help the Bishop and his counselors. I am also an instructor in our priesthood class. I enjoy teaching and learning from the scriptures. I also read and collect books especially ones that center on Mormon theology and doctrine.

I am an avid snowboarder in the winter and paintballer in the summer between the two hobbies I always have something to do. I also enjoy running, lifting weights, mountain biking, rock climbing, and outdoor activities.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon because I was richly blessed to be raised in a Mormon home. On my father’s side of the family I am the descendant of a long line of Mormon ancestors that sacrificed so much to follow the prophet Joseph Smith and gather with the saints. My mother and her parents are converts to the Church and joined when she was in her teenage years after many years of searching for the true Church of Jesus Christ. I know like those that have gone before me that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth today by the prophet Joseph Smith.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

The reason so many Mormons go on missions is because of the duty and responsibility we have to share the message of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. The essence of missionary work is the service and salvation of our fellow man.

My decision to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is perhaps the best decision I have ever made. All the good things I have accomplished in my life since can be traced to that critical decision to serve a mission. I served my mission in Provo, Utah were the majority of people there are already members of the Church. I had the great privilege to reach out and minister to those not of my faith in a foreign language (Spanish) even in the U.S.A.

How I live my faith

Perhaps the best indication of how I live my faith is how I am perceived by others and if I am becoming more like Jesus Christ. In all that I do I hope that I reflect the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ that has so richly blessed my life. I try to be kind, patient, and love one another as the Savior would do. I try to keep His commandments and live my life in such a way that He would be pleased. By so doing, I hope that over time and by His grace I will continue to transform myself and my life to be and act more like Jesus Christ would.

What is the priesthood?

Paul answered...

The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God. It is the same power through which “the worlds are and were created” (D&C 76:24). The purpose of the priesthood is simply to redeem and exalt all the children of God. A portion of this same priesthood is delegated or given to men in the flesh to accomplish the purposes of God “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

The priesthood authority authorizes men to act in the name of the Lord to administer the saving ordinances of the gospel such as baptism, sacrament (The Lord's supper), temple marriage, etc.
Show more of my answers Show less of my answers One Moment Please
Ethan answered...

I like to approach questions by looking at the words of things

"priest" has reference to either the concept of one who leads, one who is elder, or one who is holy I like to remember that the words 'holy' and 'whole' are linked by a common ancestry. When something is 'holy' it's essentially saying that it's complete, that it's healthy..

And "-hood" makes reference to the state of being, and not just any state of being but a state of being that's worthy or correct for it's placement. That is, that it's done properly.

So one could say the priesthood is leadership or a point of reference that's completely suited to the position in which it's been placed.

Another way to look at it is to say it's God's perfect order. That is, it's God's perfect arrangement.

In our Church we often give a definition of priesthood as being "the authority to act in God's name" and that's exactly what it means to be a part of God's perfect order. If God commands something to be done by you, and you do it, then you are acting under, and with that portion of God's authority that he's permitted you to exercise within his perfect order.

Just as with any instance where someone tries to act in the name of someone else there are bound to be those who try and do so falsely. That's why God has things ordered in such a way that one can know for certain if someone has His God's authority, or not.

What do Mormons believe about the Bible? Do they regard it as Holy Scripture and the word of God?

Jonathan Richardson answered...

We believe that the Bible is the word of God, given through his Apostles and Prophets in the days of old. Through generations the bible has been translated time and time again, and now it stands with some of the simple truths of Christs teachings being either removed or complicated. That is why there are so many different views on what the scriptures teach, and so many churchs created for those views. We believe that God has restored those simple truths and clarified the complicated view through the Book of Mormon which is a record of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.