Hi, I'm Stephen

I was born in Washington state. I was mostly raised in Texas. I'm a missionary in the California Carlsbad mission. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

Right now I'm an LDS missionary serving in So-Cal (Southern California). Before I began my service I played video games. Now, I enjoy getting out more and being active, and especially talking to people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was your average high school student- able to do the work, just not too excited about it. I'm looking forward to continuing my education, and hope to become a family practitioner. And, of course, starting my own forever family.

Why I am a Mormon

I come from a bit of a broken family. My parents were divorced early on in my life, and I have experienced a lot of turmoil from the partial custody relationship that occurred as a result. Eventually, my father gained full custody and did his best to raise us, but it was apparent to him that he needed help raising us. Through a mutual friend, he met my stepmother. After a few months of courtship, they were married, and my life changed as I knew it.

My father had, until that point, been a not-so-active member of the Catholic church. My stepmother had been introduced into the church a few years earlier, and was baptized. She introduced my family to it, and a little while later, my father was baptized. I was baptized at age 9 in January of 2001. Since that time, my family has hit a few rough patches, but we manage to come out okay.

In the middle of 2009, I was contemplating whether or not I would serve a mission. I had been thinking about the advantages of taking care of my undergraduate degree first, and then worrying about a mission, if I still wanted to go. While I was thinking about all of this, I began to question my beliefs. I had practically been raised in the church, and so it was all that I had ever known. I wanted to know if serving a mission was really worth it.

My final decision came through a lot of prayer and study. I remember two important experiences I had. One was a scripture I had read in the Book of Mormon that pointed me in the right direction. It was in Moroni 7:16-17. It helped me to realize that the negative feelings I had towards serving a mission were not coming from my loving Heavenly Father. My other experience was a sincere, heartfelt prayer for my Father in Heaven to direct me in this decision. I received an overwhelming witness from the Holy Ghost, by the feelings in my heart, that my Heavenly Father loved me and wanted me on a mission. And now, here I am.

Personal Stories

How does making right choices help us make more right choices?

I once heard a song where a few of the lines were "When you tell one lie, it leads to another. Then you tell TWO lies to cover each other. Then you tell THREE... FOUR... FIVE... SIX lies, and, you'll collect, a life filled with worries and fears. 'Cuz you can't remember how many lies you've told, and half the things you say aren't true. And sometime you'll slip up, you'll trip up, and then, whatever will become of you? So you lie and lie, WITHOUT EVEN TRYING, and each lie you tell will keep MULTIPLYING, 'TIL THE WHOLE, WIDE WORLD WILL KNOW YOU'RE LYING..."
I cut some of it off there, but this is what has come to be know as the snowball/domino effect. The deeper we get into a lie, the harder it is to dig out of it. At the same time, whenever we make a right choice, or do a good thing with all of our heart behind it, the easier it becomes, in my experience, to continue to make right choices. In other words, the choices we make now will affect our choices in the future. If we choose now to avoid things we know we shouldn't do or be around, when the time comes for action, our choice will have already been made and we will not have to think twice about what we know we need to do.

Please share your feelings/testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel.

One of my favorite hymns (songs we sing in worship) is called "We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet," and it starts off like this:

We thank Thee, O God, for a prophet
To guide us in these latter days.
We thank Thee for sending the gospel
To lighten our minds with its rays.

Knowing that the gospel has been restored in these latter days, and that there is a living prophet today who speaks to God and receives direction from Him for the world has been a great source of support for me in my life. It is a manifestation of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. He gave our ancestors prophets to guide them and keep them walking the path of truth. And, because he loves us just as much as he loved them, he has given us a prophet in these days to give us direction for our times. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving us a prophet to guide us.

How can your talents and gifts bless others?

We all have talents and gifts, and it is our responsibility to use them wisely for the edification (building up/ helping) of others. Right now, I have been greatly blessed with the gifts of intelligence and the ability to acquire knowledge. While this may not be much by itself, when applied, it can be very useful. I am aspiring to be a medical practioner some day, and with the humanitarian efforts headed by the church, I am looking forward to using my then found abilities to help others in distress. There are other members of the church who have many wonderful gifts, and when we all work together, using our different know-hows and talents, we can accomplish many great things.

How I live my faith

Right now, I am serving as an LDS missionary. We're the guys in white shirts and ties, slacks, dress shoes, and a name tag. Sometimes we're on a bike, and sometimes we're in a car or walking. We do this 24/7 for two years. The sister missionaries dress a little differently, and do this for 18 months. We go around and offer to help people in need, whether we're moving you in, mowing your lawn, cleaning your garage, or helping you in any way that Jesus would were He here in the flesh, all the while trying to teach others about Him and His ministry, and sharing the glorious message of the restoration of His gospel here upon the earth. If you ever have any questions about what else we do, or are curious about the church, feel free to request a missionary visit using this website, or stop us on the street when we're walking by. We are always happy to talk and share.

Is it true that Jesus appeared in North America after his crucifixion and resurrection according to the Book of Mormon?

Stephen answered...

I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God, just as I know the Bible to be so as well. I have come to know for myself that the events talked about in the Book of Mormon really did happen. I know that God spoke to His prophets on the American continents in ancient times, and that the Lord Jesus Christ did appear to the people living here. He taught them His gospel, healed their sick, blessed their children, and called twelve disciples to organize His church here, just as he had done in Israel.
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Does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endorse political parties?

Steven answered...

No, but we are instructed to be involved and to seek spiritual guidance in all political matters.

We believe that the leaders of a nation, state, and community can have a great influence for good or for evil and we need to ensure that they are represent our values and beliefs.