Hi, I'm Mark

I was raised in New York and now live in the UK. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

First and foremost I am a husband to an amazing wife and a dad to 2 awesome children who are at University.

Born in the USA, I now live in the UK, and have been here for over 20 years. I am a Learning & Development professional, spending a number of years managing the training departments in companies. This gives me the opportunity to help others to learn and develop their talents which is very satisfying.

Outside of work and Church responsibilities, other things I love include music, playing the guitar and singing, English football, reading and playing and writing about hobby board games.

Why I am a Mormon

I first heard about the Church over 31 years ago before I married my wife as she was a member since she was a young child. I was curious, especially when I learned about the importance of families in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When I learned about the concept the families could be together forever, I was immediately keen to find out more as I had grown up feeling that family would always be the most important part of my life.

We attended church at a local chapel and I met 2 well dressed young men who I found out were missionaries and were responsible to teach those who wanted to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

These wonderfully patient and surprising mature young men (I asked them a number of tough questions) visited with me taught me about the ancient people of the Americas whom I immediately recognized as ancestors of the Mayans and Aztecs about whom I'd studied at school. They gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon and taught me about the restoration of the Gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. Finally they gave me a challenge to read and pray to Heavenly Father as to whether or not the Book of Mormon was true because if it was, then the rest of what they had taught me was true. Everything depended on knowing that the Book of Mormon was true or not.

I woke up early on a Saturday morning and started to read. As I did, I asked Heavenly Father to help me know if the Book of Mormon was true. And to my surprise I felt a strong feeling of reassurance and confirmation that I was doing the right thing; that in fact, the Book of Mormon was true and through joining the Church and striving to live the Gospel I would have the opportunity to achieve my goal of being able to be with my family forever.

Since then, I have learned so much! And, I continue to learn. I have been so blessed by my Heavenly Father to have a wonderful wife and children and to have had many opportunities to grow and serve others and develop a strong relationship with him and my elder brother, Jesus Christ.

I know that the happiness I have experienced and will continue to have in my life is as a result of having the truth of the Gospel in my life which anchors me in truth, strong values and strength to withstand the challenges in this world.

Personal Stories

How has the Holy Ghost helped you?

The greatest gift I have received has been the Gift of the Holy Ghost who provides me with promptings and inspiration, usually in a very understated, yet clear way, which helps me know my Heavenly Father's will for me and how I might act so as to live worthily to bless the lives of others. The strong feeling that I continue to receive of a sure knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true and that we have a Living Prophet on the earth who we can look to for guidance reassures me that the Holy Ghost is a powerful influence in my life.

How I live my faith

I try to live my faith in a way that is natural to me. I try to be myself and to genuinely be caring, concerned for others, positive and happy. I hope tht this comes through in my attitudes and behavior. I also strive to serve my family and others as a Father, Husband, family member, friend and colleague. I have voluntarily served in a number of Church callings which provides me opportunities to provides service to others and to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am always happy to talk to others about my faith and beliefs and I hope that I live in such a way that I can represent my Savior Jesus Christ in the best possible way.

What are Mormon church services like? Are visitors allowed at church meetings? Can I attend church?

Mark answered...

Coming to Church is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It may seem a little overwhelming at first but please be assured that my own experience as a convert has been that church members are very enthusiastic and welcoming.
Brian answered...

Mormon church services are unique. When I first started attending I felt three hours was too long to be in church, but I quickly grew to like it because I realised that each of the three meetings has a very practical, edifying focus. The Sacrament meeting is the principal meeting and it is where everyone (women and men, young and old) come together to have the sacrament (communion) and hear talks by their fellow church members. Since there is no paid clergy, Mormons take turns speaking to the congregation about how a particular principle or doctrine has strengthened their faith in Christ. Depending on the size of the congregation, a Mormon can speak as often as once a year to once every two or three years.

In Sunday School, the youth attend classes according to their age and the adults attend a class together. The curriculum varies from year to year, but the focus each year is on a book of scripture and how its lessons can help us develop stronger families, be better neighbours and parents, etc. For example, this year (2011) all the adults are studying the New Testament.

In the third hour we group together as men and women. The men's class looks at how the gospel of Christ can help us in our roles as men, husbands, fathers, etc., while the women study how Christ's teachings can help them be better women, wives, mothers, etc.

Visitors are welcome in all of these meetings.