Hi, I'm Mark

I'm a hard workin, tennis playin, drum bangin, excited college student, and I am a Mormon.

About Me

My name is Mark, and I am currently a college student studying Chemical Engineering. I have grown up in several different areas in the United States including Texas, Utah, and California. I am just sophmore trying to get through college while working recycling and trying to balance homework and social life. I love to play tennis in my spare time. I grew up since sixth grade playing the drums and love to hear any type of music. I am trying to better myself each day and hope to some day have a family and career that I can call my own, but as for right now, I am just hitting the text books as much as I can.

Why I am a Mormon

I grew up with my parents taking me to the LDS church ever since I was little. I remember being taught ever since I was little who Jesus Christ was and what I needed to do to be able to follow his commandments in the scriptures. I know that God and his son Jesus Christ love me and want the best for me. It came to a point in my life when I left the house and started college that I had to decide for myself if I really wanted to keep going to church now that my parents weren't going to take me and teach me these things anymore because I was now on my own. I decided to see if what my parents had taught me about Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon, and even Jesus Christ were true and really did exist. I decided to read from The Book of Mormon and pray and ask God if all these things were what I was supposed to be doing. There is no possible way that I can deny what I felt from that sincere and honest prayer when I asked God about these things. He lovingly answered me and told me that I had indeed found what I needed to do and that what my parents had been teaching me this whole time was what he himself would be teaching me if he were on this earth. I am a Mormon because I asked God what he wanted me to do, and he told me through sincere and honest prayer that he had established The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the earth for his children to follow him. God has told me, keeps on telling me, and I am trying my hardest to obey him.

Personal Stories

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is a great gift from our Heavenly Father that he has given us in this time that we are not currently living with him. We don't know 100% of what is happening and/or what will happen in our lives. He has given us the opportunity to know a little bit of what is going on and he helps us to rely upon him and trust that he knows what is going on so that we will rely upon him and his knowledge and less upon our own. Hope gives us an opportunity to look at what we know, apply it to what is going on in our lives right now, and put the rest into God's hands because we know that he is going to help us out because we are doing all that we can to follow his commandments.

What are you doing to help strengthen your family and make it successful?

I am currently not married and do not have a family of my own. I am however trying to make myself the type of man that I hope to be for my future wife and children. I am trying to develop habits right now that I can teach to my children in the future. God has given us the perfect way to establish guidelines for our families. He teaches us these things through his prophets which are his mouthpieces on the earth. I don't know everything that is going to happen to me right now with my future family, but what I do know is that I have faith in the Lord that he is going to take care of me because I am going to try and do all that I can to follow him. Even though I do not know exactly 100% of what is happening, I am going to act upon his teaches that he has given me, and know that it is going to work out for the best.

How I live my faith

God has asked us to do certain things in our lives. Most of these things are have a very big impact on us and those around us, but are still really simple. I served a two year mission for the LDS church in South Carolina teaching both English and Spanish people. That two year break in my life is one of the experiences in my life that has had the biggest effect on me. Now that I am not a representative of the church 24 hours a day however, I am trying my hardest to live what Christ has taught me through other methods. I am trying to study my scriptures on a daily basis and always think about Heavenly Father throughout the day. I am going to church and just trying to let everybody I know just how amazing our Savior is and what exactly he has done for us. Being a follower of Christ is a job that is there every day, all day. I am trying to live my faith by just doing what Christ would do if he were here. He would be trying to help everybody he knew and letting everybody know how our Father has brought his church to the earth today.

Who is the Mormon prophet today?

Mark answered...

God has called prophets in times of old to lead and guide his people upon the earth. People like Moses and Joshua during the times of the Old Testament and people like Peter during the times of the New Testament. Today he has called a man named Thomas S. Monson to be his prophet upon the earth. He is a modern-day Moses for our times and for the problems that the earth has right now in its time in its existance. God loves us and wants to lead and guide us at all times, and for that reason he has called a prophet for us on the earth today.
Jordan Judkins answered...

Thomas S. Monson.

What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' attitude regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Jim answered...

I have a testimony of the "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." It is scripture because it is the word of God coming to us through an inspired Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, prior President of the Church, and living Apostles. It clearly states, “We believe that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God." As long as a person abstains from homosexual relations and cultivates wholesome thoughts, they worthy before God. The Church does not and will not ever condone "gay bashing." I see same-sex attraction as a special challenge to overcome in this life, and not a curse. God loves all of his children unconditionally, but that does not mean that He condones sexual relations outside the bounds of a legal marriage between a man and a woman. I bear my witness that the Atonement made by Jesus Christ is not only has the power to save us from physical death and redeem us from sin, but it also the power to transform our lives. As we yield ourselves to Christ and seek to do his will, we will find the grace and healing to deal with whatever challenges or circumstances life deals to us.