Hi, I'm Chip

I grew up an Air Force bratt. I now serve as an officer in the U.S. Army. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am the second of ten children (seven boys and three girls). My dad was a pilot in the Air Force, so we moved around a lot. I went to college and was commissioned an officer in the US Army. I married my high school sweetheart three days after graduating from college and we now have six beautiful children (4 girls and 2 boys).

Why I am a Mormon

Because it's true!

My parents grew up in the Methodist and Lutheran churches and were always religious. When my dad was going through pilot school, they had a good friend that was LDS and they became interested the the church. Shortly thereafter they were baptized. I essentially grew up in the church and was taught correct principles my entire life. That said, I still had to find out for myself that the principles of the gospel were true. The process is simple...study the principles (i.e. read the Book of Mormon and other scriptures), ponder it's messages, and then get on your knees and ask Heavenly Father yourself if it is true. We are promised that if we do so, the Lord will answer us through the power of the Holy Ghost. That's what I did. I understood the principles having been taught them my entire life and they always made sense to me. But I still had to get on my knees and ask God if it was all true. When I did that, my mind was enlightened and I felt in my heart that indeed it was true. I've travelled the world and discussed many other religions, but no other has come close to answering the basic questions that we all have about where we come from, our purpose for being here, and where we are going after this life.

Personal Stories

Why/How do you share the gospel with your friends?

I share the gospel with my friends because I know it is true and will bring peace, happiness, and understanding to their lives. I am not perfect and I do not push my beliefs on others, but I do not hide the fact that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I am always willing to discuss gospel topics with others.

How I live my faith

Over the years I have worked in the church in several capacities. My favorite is working with the youth, especially with the Scouting Program. My mom also started me on piano lessons when I was in the third grade to keep me out of trouble. It stuck with me and I continued to take lessons until I graduated from high school. Thanks to that, I also participate in church through music by playing the piano or organ to accomany the congregation as they sing hymns or primary songs for the kids. I also enjoy singing in the choir or accompanying the choir on the piano.

What is the priesthood?

Chip answered...

The Priesthood is the authority to act in God's name. When Christ was on the earth, he organized his church and called twelve apostles to direct it once he was gone. Before he sent them out to preach the gospel and perform the saving ordinances such as baptism, he gave them the priesthood (authority) to act in his name. Without this authority, man is not representing the Savior...he is acting alone. left to his own resources and lacking direct revelation from the Lord, man will often get it wrong, even if his intentions are pure. The priesthood only exists in one church...the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
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.

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

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.