Hi, I'm Andrew

I love music, computers, and my family, but not in that order. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am 20 years old; I come from a large family (8 children all told; I'm the second oldest). My parents were both born into the church and raised my siblings and me in a gospel-centered home. My older brother served a mission in Pennsylvania and inspired me to want to serve, as well.

I love to sing (it is my passion), read, compose music, and work with computers. I've recently become interested in investing, in business, and in human relations. The Mormon church encourages the development and use of talents and ablilities, and this has played a great role in encouraging me to develop in myself the seeds of divine nature that God has planted in each of his children.

I want to join the National Guard at the conclusion of my mission in order to learn important life skills, serve the country that has enabled me to enjoy the freedoms I have, and help pay for my schooling. I'm not sure as to where I want to attend college, but it has got to be someplace where I can study music and computers.

Why I am a Mormon

I'm a Mormon because I gained a testimony that Jesus Christ is my personal savior through reading the Book of Mormon, pondering its message, and asking my Heavenly Father if it was true. Though I was raised Mormon, I did not always follow its teachings. Throughout my high school years I strayed from the counsel of the prophets and the teachings of the Savior. The guilt and shame I felt during those years was unbearable, but I did not at that point have the courage or the faith to change. On the night of my 19th birthday, I kneeled down in prayer and asked my Savior for forgiveness. I promised with all the conviction of soul that I would do anything and everything he asked of me in order to be cleansed from my sins and healed from my addictions. Somehow, as a result of that prayer, I got off my knees with such an added measure of strength that enabled me to bear the trials of the repentance process and witness before God that I had a pure heart and clean hands.

Personal Stories

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

I share the gospel with my friends because I want them to have the blessings and happiness that it has brought me. I share the gospel by living its teachings, being an example of what I believe, and by inviting others to learn about it. I don't try to prove anybody's way of thinking wrong because, honestly, it doesn't change anybody's opinions.

Please explain the part prayer plays in your life?

Prayer is an opportunity to communicate with the most intelligent being in the universe-- our Heavenly Father. On numerous occasions, as I have approached my Father with questions-- questions like, "Should I serve a mission" or "What career path should I pursue?"-- I have been able to receive answers. These answers haven't come in the form of visions or manifestations of heavenly beings-- it's more intimate than that. It's a process of asking in faith and humility and pondering the options before me, then listening for the feelings of the Holy Ghost in my heart and mind. The answers I have gained have put me in positions to learn, grow, and draw closer to the Lord and strengthen my relationships with those around me.

What has helped develop greater harmony in your home?

When you grow up in a practicing Mormon home, you learn the importance of strengthening family relationships and learning how to get along with each other. God's plan for the family, after all, is to have it continue in the next life, never to end. I grew to love all the members of my immediate family dearly, even if I didn't understand them completely or get along with them all the time. The teachings of the gospel-- of repentence, love, service, prayer, forgiveness-- over time helped us to put aside most of our differences and work in relative harmony.

My parents always did their best to teach us right principles, to love God and everyone else around us. Most importantly, they taught by example. My mother was (and is) an ideal model of charity, service, and sacrifice. She listened. I could talk to her about anything or ask anything of her. My father was a staunch advocate of integrity, hard work, and frugality. He taught me the value of eating the fruits of your own labor and the importance of budgeting. I can count on one hand the number of times I saw my parents argue.

Why do Mormons go on missions?

Mormons go on missions to bring hope through Christ to people living in a world that is becoming more and more violent, depraved, and desensitized. Mormons help others come to Christ by helping them make covenants or promises with God through baptism. Missions have many, many positive side effects on those who serve faithfully. I have changed and matured so much as a result of the rigors of missionary work. I have been priviledged to get out of my shell, see new places, and watch people become transformed as they make changes in their life to follow the Savior. There are many people skills and leadership traits I've picked up along the way, and they will help me in my life from now until the day I die.

Please share your feelings/testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel.

God always called prophets, all throughout the old and new testaments, to preach the gospel to his children. God gave guidance through prophets in times of old, when life was simpler-- how much more do we need prophets today, when life is so complex and chaotic? I feel that if God really loves us, and if he's an unchangeable being, he'll call prophets to guide us today, just as he always has.

However, people don't always want to hear what God has to say, and sometimes they killed the prophets or ran them out of their cities. When that happened, God gave them what they wanted and let them try and muddle through things on their own. The same thing happened when Christ's church was on the earth-- Christ's apostles were persecuted and killed, and the church fell. Over the next dozen centuries, the plain and simple truths of the gospel were lost or distorted.

God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet, and through him God restored all the truths and authority that had existed previously in the church that Christ had originally set up. I've come to know in my heart that these things are true because of the Book of Mormon-- a book written by ancient prophets in the Americas and brought out of obscurity by Joseph Smith-- I have read it cover to cover many times, pondered its teachings, and applied them to my life. I have asked God to know they're true. He has answered me through my feelings, my thoughts, and through the blessings that are ever present before my eyes.

How I live my faith

Following my the above-mentioned experience, I decided to serve a 2-year, full-time mission for the church. I was called to the Washington Tacoma Mission where I am currently serving-- I have seen many successes, miracles, and trials in the months that I have so far served, and hope to be able to work with faith for the time I have remaining.

I've been blessed with the gift of music. During the course of my life, I've had many, many opportunities to reach out to those not of my faith and share my belief in Christ through song. I believe that is why God gives us talents and abilities in the first place.

What is the Word of Wisdom that Mormons talk about?

Andrew answered...

The Word of Wisdom began as a revelation given to the prophet Joseph Smith (See Doctrine and Covenants, Section 89). This revelation contained a revolutionary (for the time) health code directed to all the members of the church-- and to all the world. It gives specific instruction pertaining to diet and use of substances such as tobacco, alcohol, etc. Modern prophets have said that, specifically, members of the church need to abstain entirely from coffee, tea, tobacco in all forms, alcoholic drinks, and illegal drugs-- prescription and over-the-counter drugs are not to be abused, either. The Lord promises that those who live the Word of Wisdom will be blessed with health, energy, and sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. In addition, adherence to the Word of Wisdom is a requirement for entrance into Mormon temples.

Scientific studies in recent decades have verified the health benefits of living by the Word of Wisdom-- many hours of research and tax dollars have established what was already known to the prophet of the Lord nearly 200 years ago.
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Mark answered...

The word of wisdom is the Lord's law of health. We abstain from drugs, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and tea, and are encouraged to eat wholesome food and grains, and not eat excessive meat. I am asked all of the time by my fellow residents at the hospital why I don't drink coffee, and how I can stay awake all night on call without it. I don't consider it a sacrifice, though, and am as awake and perform as well as any. It is true that the body will be more healthy when following the word of wisdom, the but the main benefit is spiritual. The knowledge that you are in line with the the Lord's teaching is the most important thing.

Why is authority to perform a baptism important?

Cary answered...

If baptism is the gateway to Heaven, then the baptizer is a border agent. Would you want any old person who claims to know how it's done to just start letting whoever wants to into your country? Why do you insist they carry a badge and wear a uniform, and have an ID which proves they are legitimate representatives of the government? It's the same way with God's rituals. All over the scriptures, whenever there's a ritual performed it was performed by a duly authorized representative. Doesn't it just make sense that if something essential for our salvation would be required, that it should need to be done God's way, by God's authorized representatives? Acts 19:1-6 even shows a time when the authority of the baptizer was in doubt, and Paul re-did the baptisms for good measure. With all the confusion that comes from competing people claiming to speak for God, or claiming to know His will in this matter or that, I'm glad Mormons teach about authority. There's so much more clarity about who we should listen to, and who might be perfectly well-intentioned, but who really shouldn't be listened to because they're not authorized.