Hi, I'm Chad

I was born with a backwards heart, I am from a small farmtown, and I'm a Mormon

About Me

I was born with a hereditary heart defect that would have killled me if it had gone untreated. Knowing that it ran in the family, my mother flew accross the continent before I was born so that I would be able to be worked on by the only doctor who knew how to do the surgery I needed. Within 4 days of being born, I had 2 open-heart surgeries to try and fix the problem, and furtunately I was allowed to stay here on earth. Lots of my early childhood involved going to hospitals and having regular checkups. I know that the Lord played a large role in my life and without him, I wouldn't be here. Having the restored gospel in my life really makes it resonate just how important our time on Earth is, and I hope to do everything that I need to accomplish while I am here.

Why I am a Mormon

I was born and raised in the church, when I was younger it seemed like a burden at times but as I've grown up I realize what a blessing it was. I can't thank my parents and church leaders enough for helping me to learn good values and habits that have helped me in life and will continue to do so. I love being a part of the Church and I plan to continue to do so all my life!

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

If I had a dollar and I gave it to you, you would be a dollar richer, and I would be one poorer. If I had knowledge, and I shared it with you, then we are both are uplifted. The reason we go on missions is to share the good news of the restored gospel to the people of the Earth, so that everyone will be able to learn and grow and be able to have the gift of knowledge of the plain and simple truths that are so direly needed in these troubling times.

Could you talk about your baptism?

I grew up in the church, so I was baptised when I was 8. I lived somewhat far away so instead of being baptised at the church, I had my baptism service in the home of a member who had an indoor swimming pool. I remember being very excited to be baptised, and although I didn't know perfectly what it meant, I knew that it was the right thing to do and that I would be happy for doing it. Looking back I completely agree, being baptised was only the first step towards becoming closer to God, and from there I was able to grow in my testimony and I had a greater desire to keep going down the right path. On my baptismal date, my parents gave me a set of scriptures with my name on the cover. I loved those scriptures then and I still do today, having used them for 11 years, and I plan to continue to do so. I also got a pocket sized hymbook from our Stake president (who we were good friends with) which I also still hold onto and use.

How I live my faith

I am originally from a branch that is very very small, so I had the blessing to be very active in what I do. Leadership in youth activites, being able to teach and speak in church, and helping out in the other church ordinances are just a few of the things I was able to do. In my community, I simply try and live my life the best that I can, and be an example to others. And if a bit of it rubs off, all the better

Why do you have 12 Apostles? They were just meant to be around for the time of Jesus Christ, not to be replaced with new apostles.

Chad answered...

God is the same yesterday, today and forever, as we know from the scriptures. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints proves this, as we have the same organization in leadership (a foundation of apostles and prophets) as they had when Jesus Christ lived on earth. The 12 apostles Jesus Christ called were not meant to be the only ones ever, this was shown after Christ's death, when the vacancy in the 12 (made when Judas Iscariot comitted suicide) was filled. You can read about this in the Bible. After the apostles were all killed off though, there wasnt a chance for them to all get together to fill the spots, and the apostleship was lost and wasn't able to be passed on, until the mid 1800's when Peter James and John passed on the keys of apostleship to Joseph Smith and he passed it on to his apostles, who have continued to pass these keys on up until today. Each one of the 12 apostles today can trace their apostleship to Joseph Smith, to Peter James and John, and to Jesus Christ himself.
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Garet Mang answered...

Well if Jesus Christ decided to have twelve apostles to minister to the people once he was gone, then why would he change his mind and decide not to have them ever again?
The twelve Apostles are like a pedestal, a foundation, where the church which is a beautiful vase is built upon. (Ephesians 2:19-20) When there was twelve and Juda fell away, it was important to replace that lost leg of the pedestal, so they chose Matthias, to replace Juda so the foundation would continue to be strong.
But when all the apostles where killed off, and rejected. It was like pulling a leg off of the pedestal, leg by leg. once you start taking off almost all of them, it becomes very unstable. because all the legs were torn off, the vase fell. And everyone knows when a vase falls, it shatters. There were still bishops around though, and they tried to piece the vase back together, and made it look very similar to what it once was. but there were still cracks in it and it wasn't perfect. And if you place water in that vase, it's going to leak out of the small cracks. Those cracks are small and simple truths, and authority that was lost. Because even the Bishops had to report to the Apostles before they were killed
But because God loves us and is perfect, he had Jesus Christ work through Joseph Smith (A prophet) and created a new Vase exactly like the one he made before (The Church), and a new pedestal (The Twelve Apostles). Because Jesus Christ church was the way he wanted it, and so it is again.

How do I become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church)?

Taylor answered...

You definitely can learn about the Gospel of Christ (Faith, Repentence, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End) from the missionaries and then follow the steps to apply these in your life. When you truly live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you will do this thorugh the proper preisthood authority of God. A natural consequence is becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!