Hi, I'm Shaun

I'm a Mormon. I'm married and I'm in the Navy.

About Me

I'm married to a beautiful girl. I'm a college graduate; I have a B.S. in psychology and I just joined the Navy. I work out about six days a week, except when working out leaves me so sore I can't even roll over =) I served a mission for the LDS Church from 2005-2007 in the western Idaho area - Boise, Twin Falls, Nampa, Jerome, Buhl, Murtaugh, and Glenn's Ferry. Those places are like home to me.

My hobbies are video games, guitar, and reading. I played in my high school drumline too.

Why I am a Mormon

Being a Mormon isn't something I do some days and not others. It's not something that comes in handy at times and at other times isn't an issue. Even to say it's a way of life just doesn't do justice to what it means to me.

Being a Mormon (or a Latter-day Saint, to use the proper term) is like looking through a clear glass and being able to see vividly everything that so many other people only wonder about. I'm talking about things that others scoff at the idea of being able to understand.

I know who I am. Independent of anything I do or say, I am first and foremost a literal - spiritual, but literal - child of of a loving Heavenly Father. The way I live my life has eternal consequences ("consequences" might sound like a scary word, but I'm talking about good consequences too!). To be a child of God gives me hope that He will lead me to happiness and fulfillment as I follow his teachings.

His teachings come from living prophets. I know because I've listened to and read the words of these prophets. You've heard of people like Moses and Paul from the Bible? Prophets like them are on earth today. TODAY! Throughout history, God has always communicated with His children through prophets (because heaven knows, we can't figure it all out on our own). A prophet is someone whom God has designated to be his messenger to the world. This system keeps us from being confused about what to believe and how to interpret things.

If you're wondering what makes me believe all this, the answer is: I wanted to. I heard the message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from a pair of missionaries, and the things I heard sunk deep into my heart. It is a message of hope and comfort. Who wouldn't want to believe it? So I chose to. But that doesn't answer the whole question.

The question that most people don't think to ask Mormons is, "How do you *know* that your Church is what it claims to be?" Indeed, we understand that our claim - that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living church on the face of the earth and that only by following the precepts therein can a person receive eternal life - is a big one. But we stick to it. I stick to it. Because I know - really *know* - that this Church is true.

I know because I have read The Book of Mormon. This book is another testament of Jesus Christ, and it is evidence of the veracity of the Church. I have asked my Heavenly Father to help me know if the book was true and if the leaders of the Church really are prophets of God. The response, over and over, has been affirmative. God speaks to us through our minds and hearts, and I have had many such experiences. It's like the feeling of being home. I know it is true, and striving to live a Christlike life has blessed me in so many fundamental ways.

How I live my faith

Every day I read the scriptures. I've learned to find peace and comfort in the words of Jesus Christ and His messengers. Reading the scriptures is what Mormons do instead of morning coffee - it brings me closer to God and lets us have His Spirit with him to guide us and comfort us throughout the day. It's a great blessing, aside from all the things I learn about God and his plan for us.

In the Church we have a lay ministry, meaning that there are no professional/paid clergy. My responsibility to the Lord in my congregation is to help Sunday School teachers to teach good lessons each Sunday. I also visit other families to teach them and support them in whatever they need (every household in the Church has someone to do that for them).

My wife and I read the scriptures together, attend Church and the temple, and we have a special time set aside for family night each week. These things improve our relationship with God and with each other.

What will the Mormon missionaries talk about when they visit my home?

Shaun answered...

Missionaries will start by using the scriptures - the Bible and the Book of Mormon - to explain God's pattern of guiding His children on earth through a specific leader (called a prophet) chosen by God Himself. They'll show you how important it is to have a prophet on earth to help us be happy in this life and to return to live with God. Then they'll explain that there is a true and living prophet on the earth today and how he was chosen by God. Then they'll tell you about how you can know for yourself that the message they've presented to you is true. It's a wonderful experience.

On subsequent visits, they'll shed some light on the fundamental questions regarding the purpose of life and what happens when we leave it. They'll also explain the teachings of Jesus Christ and help you to become closer to Him through faith in Him, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and maintaining a pattern of righteous living throughout your life.
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Jordan Christiansen answered...

I served a mission in South Korea for two years, so I can tell you. :) The missionaries will probably be as nervous as you are as they arrive at your home. The nervousness does not come from timidity or a lack of belief in the message they bring, but because they want so much to express their testimonies and the Spirit they feel to you.

The missionaries will likely introduce themselves and get to know you and your family. Though missionaries are called by God to preach His word, they come from largely every-day backgrounds and have lives likely much like yours.

After getting to know your family, they will likely ask what questions you may have about life or the Mormon church. Using the scriptures and their own personal experiences, they will seek to help you find answers. Don't be afraid of asking any question or thinking you may offend or sound silly to the missionaries. They are called to help and serve and are very understanding.

After answering your questions and sharing a spiritual message, the missionaries will ask you to act on the message. A soccer player does not listen to his coach during practice only to go home without kicking a ball, right? In the same way, the missionaries will invite you to read a chapter of scripture or seek for yourself that what they are saying is true. You don't have to just take the missionaries' word in what they say--a loving God is happy to answer thoughtful, earnest prayers seeking for the truth.

How can I find someone to talk with, in person, about the Mormon religion?

Taylor answered...

A. You could go to a mormon.org profile from someone in your area that has a facebook link, and locate them that way!
B. You could go to the link on mormon.org that says "request the missionaries"
C. You could go to the link that says " Find a Church" and come visit us. We all would be more than happy to meet you to and explain why this message is so important for all of us.