Hi, I'm Marshall

I am a father, husband of 26 years, liver transplant recipient and I am a Mormon.

About Me

I currently live in the mid-west but the beautiful northwest is still my true home. I have fond memories of long walks along the sandy beaches with my wife, children and dog amid the rocky headlands with the smell of the moist salty air. We love the ocean and are a family of divers. Prior to my diagnosis with liver failure we would try to escape each winter to warmer waters and spend a week diving and relaxing. Now, following my transplant I am egger to get back "under the sea."

One of my great passions in life is cooking. While not my career I have been cooking for over 30 years. During this time I have made multiple trips to France for cooking lessons and even had the rare opportunity to participate in a truffle hunting expedition. I have also taken classes from renowned chefs in the Portland area. Whenever possible I love to do dinners and events for family and close friends, these have ranged from simple intimate dinners to multi-day catering for 200 people. I still believe that the reason my wife married me was because of my cooking.

Why I am a Mormon

I was the first born child to parents that were both mormon. I grew up participating in the church and church youth groups. After I was married I began slowly drifting into inactivity and away from gospel principles. After about 13 years I had set myself on a very self-destructive path. A path that threatened my marriage, my family and my church membership.

Thanks to a loving, patient and forgiving wife I was able to change the course of my life. After about five years the embers of the testimony I once had were fanned and eventually my heart was softened. I sought out church leaders to help me with the repentance process that was necessary to regain my church standing. Repentance was not easy, there were many demons to face as well as godly sorrow for the many people whom I had hurt as a result of my actions. Eventually I did feel the warm embrace of the Savior and the knowledge that my sins had been forgiven.

Since then I have moved forward with an ever growing and strengthening testimony of the gospel, Jesus Christ as my Savior and Redeemer and the Restoration. In many ways I was a convert at 40. This was now my Church, my Faith and my Religion. I had chosen to embrace them and make them a part of the fabric of my life. I have never looked back.

In recent years my faith has been tested to the vary core by physical ailment, but no matter how dark it seemed I knew that my Savior was nearby, that he understood my pain and my fears. Time and time again I felt his comfort. Even as my future seemed bleak and it appeared the liver disease would take my life before I received a transplant I felt his comfort and knew that no matter what the outcome he was there and this was his plan for me.

I was blessed with a transplant at the very hour of my greatest need. I know that it was through my faith and the power of the priesthood that I was preserved.

I am Mormon because I know my Savior and know that this is his Church restored in these latter-days.

Personal Stories

What blessings have come through your faith in Jesus Christ?

In June 2009 I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. The treatment and prognosis were dependent on the actual cause of the cirrhosis and it would be about six weeks of testing before we would have an answer, treatment and prognosis. During this period I received a priesthood blessing that promised me that i "would be made whole" and make a full recovery. We understood the "full recovery" part and felt comforted, but we were a bit perplexed by "made whole"

Eventually the diagnosis came, Alpha1 Antitripsyn Deficiency. We were told that a liver transplant was the only treatment and I would need one within two years. At 45 being told that I might not live more than two years was hard to accept. I received another priesthood blessing desiring hope, comfort and understanding. This blessing was very different from the first, it promised trials, pain and sorrow. It admonished me to "lean on the Savior" for strength and comfort and I would receive the promised blessings in my "very hour of need" according to my faith. Over the next two years I would think back on these blessings in times of turmoil and try to put my faith in Christ. This always brought feelings of peace and comfort and being lifted from the depths of despair.

Following Mothers Day 2011 i was admitted to the hospital for the 28th and final time. My body began failing one organ after another, I was at the top of the transplant list. Days and then weeks passed with no news. I began to spend more and more of my time unconscious. Despite my grave circumstances my faith was now fully focused on the Savior and I was at peace. By May 31st I had became very aware of my mortality and knew that I was near the end of this life. Then in the "very hour of need" came word that an appropriate liver was available. Just after midnight I received the new liver. I had been made whole.

It was my faith in Jesus Christ that carried me through this trial and brought about the many blessings I received.

How I live my faith

Several experiences that have made me realize the tremendous love that our Savior has for each of us and how that love was exemplified by his example of service. Service that culminated in his atoning sacrifice. To emulate the example of our Savior I try to participate in acts of service to my fellow man, members and non-members.

Service can take many forms, an organized service project, humanitarian projects, teaching a class in church, or serving in a leadership role. But, what i have learned is the small but personal acts of service make the greatest impact. Personal service comes from knowing or listening to the recipient and doing those thing that will have meaning to them. It may be as simple as note, a phone call or a visit and a plate of cupcakes. It may be something like clearing snow, removing winter debris, or a fallen tree limb. Regardless of the actual act of service what make a difference is putting ourselves aside and putting the recipient first. When we do this we are emulating the Savior and touching peoples lives in a way that will open their heart and allow them to feel the Savior's love for them.

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

Devin answered...

One of the core teachings of the Church is the eternal nature of the family relationship and that marriage and gender play foundational roles in that relationship. Gender is an immutable aspect of our identity that has been part of us from the beginning, before this life. Viewed from this eternal perspective, marriage is more than a contractual arraignment between two people. In the Gospel of Jesus Christ, marriage involves eternal commitments, including having children and teaching them to distinguish right from wrong. In addition to the ability to conceive children, Men and women have unique parental characteristics that, when combined, create the best scenario for raising those children. Those abilities and characteristics are not present in same-sex marriages.

As far as same-gender attraction goes, the Church's attitude mirrors that of its attitude to any sexual activity outside of the marriage relationship -- complete abstinence. In that sense, the Church does not distinguish between homosexuals and heterosexuals in how it looks upon sexual activity outside of marriage. It emphasizes the cultivation of heterosexual relationships at appropriate times because it is that relationship that leads to marriage.
Jenny answered...

My father is gay and I have many friends who are gay. Though we have some differing opinions and beliefs, we have a great relationship - each respecting the other's right to choose their own way. Its no secret that the Church does not support gay marriage. We believe that God's plan for the family is, always has been and always will be a man and a woman and their children. However, the perception that the church is anti-gay is inaccurate. We support the rights of all men and woman to exercise their free agency and be entitled to the same legal rights as anyone, as long as they don't erode the principles on which our country was founded - freedom of religion. The scriptures affirm that homosexual behaviors are a sin, but I believe Christ understands the extreme difficulty that a gay person would experience refusing to act upon their same-sex attraction. I also believe that through Him, all things are possible and that no person is unworthy or undeserving of His love and the benefits of His atonement.

What is a “testimony” that Mormons speak of?

Megan! answered...

A testimony is the knowledge that a certain principle is true, right, or good. For example, I have a testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He did truly atone for our sins. In order to gain that knowledge, I have studied, reflected on what I learned in my study, and prayed to have that knowledge confirmed in my heart. As an answer to those prayers, (for there were many--building a testimony is an ongoing process) I have felt the truth in my heart.
We can gain testimonies of many principles. Another way is to put that principle into action, as sort of a test. In order to gain a testimony of prayer, we might try praying. To gain a testimony of the principle of tithing, we might try paying a full tithe. (10% of our income.) As we strive to live these principles, the Holy Ghost will confirm the truthfulness of them to our hearts. We will know that they are right; we will have a testimony of them.

Mormons also talk about "bearing testimony." This simply means to share the testimony we have gained with other people, either in a formal setting (like in church) or in a more informal setting (like in a conversation with a friend.)