Hi, I'm Risto

I have Finnish roots grew up in the United States love learning am a husband a father and I'm a Mormon

About Me

My wife and I just had our first baby. My employment is in the aviation industry. I teach new employees how to use our reservations system. And I update our internal manuals. Ice hockey and soccer are some of my favorite sports. Flying airplanes is a good hobby of mine.

Why I am a Mormon

During the teenage years of my life I moved several times. This lead me to seek firm foundation that would remain with any change in my life. I studied religions and spirituality and ultimately decided my decision needed God's blessing. Praying and receiving an answer from God has helped me to know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints God's church upon this earth.

Personal Stories

Why do Mormons go on missions?

I served a mission in Canada. This I did because of the joy the Gospel has brought into my own life.

Which of the Savior’s teachings have influenced you in your life?

Kindness opens doors. This principle has helped me in my professional life. Many people return to me for assistance at work because they remember the kindness I show them. Kindness is a passport to opportunity.

How can we develop greater harmony in our homes?

We spend one night a week dedicated solely to improving our family. We pray together and read scriptures daily. These unifying activities build a strong bond with my wife.

How I live my faith

In my faith I visit a few families in my local congregation and help them improve their lives. I am a personal assistant for our local Bishop who is busy sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all that will let him. As a father I see that my family reads scriptures daily and we try our best to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Who founded Mormonism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Risto answered...

God. Well it started with Adam and Eve. The true church of God has been on earth and fallen away many times. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and especially Jesus Christ have restored the church of God. It was most recently restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
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Joseph answered...

I went on a bicycle ride one day with a friend of another faith. He was a believing Christian but told me as we rode that he believed churches and organized religion are unnecessary and that the best way to find truth is to look everywhere. He bought into the notion that there are "many ways to the top of a mountain."

I think there's truth in that view, too. I believe that God wants us to find truth everywhere we can get it. And yet something nagged at me about his view. As we hit the steeper part of our ride, I said, "I think that's a cop out." (We have a pretty comfortable relationship - we talk pretty bluntly with each other). "If there is a God, don't you think He'd have an opinion about what's right and what's wrong? And don't you think He would have a plan for His children? And finally, don't you think He'd want us to know the truth about that plan? If so, how can you believe He would not create some credible and organized way to help us figure out what is true?"

Throughout history that way has been to reveal the truth through prophets. As my friend and I spoke he saw more clearly that there was no reasonable argument for why God would say, "2000 years ago prophets were a really good idea. But today I changed my mind."

Joseph Smith did what prophets always do. He revealed new scripture that confirms all that we had before. He restored God's full Gospel. And he pointed us to Christ. I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. And now my friend does, too.