Hi, I'm Steve

I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I'm a husband and father. We have five children and two grandchildren - they are such a blessing. We like to get together and enjoy each others company. I enjoy the beauties of nature and enjoy backpacking.

Why I am a Mormon

I love that Heavenly Father has a Plan of Happiness for all of His children. I have studied and prayed about the doctrines of the gospel and I have received answers to those prayers. I have read the Book of Mormon many times and I have put it to the test of asking God if it is true - and He has answered.

Personal Stories

Can you talk about the missions of the Church and your participation in them?

When I was nineteen I left college and spent two years as a missionary in Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula. I had saved money to be able to pay for this along with help from my family. I had the opportunity to meet many people, to serve them and to teach them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Since then I have had many opportunities to use the Spanish that I learned. Spending two years serving God has laid an important foundation in my life. I now realize that serving as a missionary has blessed me much more than any sacrifices that I made.

How I live my faith

Family is such a large part of my faith - since families can be eternal it must be the central part of my thoughts and activities. It is through service to others that I find my greatest happiness and direction in life. I have had the opportunity, through my church, to serve many people of many different ages - from teaching families, teaching music to children, being a scoutmaster, leading a congregation,etc. I have also had opportunities to work with Spanish-speaking families in my community. My faith is not a Sunday thing - it is who I am and how I live my daily life.

How can faith in Jesus Christ influence us in our marriages and family relationships? in our friendships?

Steve answered...

When we see life more from the perspective of the teachings of Jesus Christ then we can be better husbands and wives, better fathers and mothers. It is easier to forgive others as I recognize that we all are children of our Heavenly Father. My faith in Jesus Christ makes me want to try harder to be the kind of person that He would have me be - to reach out to others in friendship and to try to bless their lives.
Brennan answered...

Jesus of Nazareth was, and still is, the great healer. It is our faith in Him which enables Him to perform miracles in our lives. Often that miracle is a change of heart which allows us to forgive, see others in a new light, or feel an increased measure of love. Having faith in Jesus as our divine redeemer enables Him to bless our marriage and family relationships with an increased measure of unity and love.

Why do some call Mormonism a cult?

Elizabeth answered...

It's funny, I used to call the Mormon Church a cult too. I just didn't understand it.

Mormonism isn't weird or strange. Its members don't perform satanic rituals or brainwash teenage boys into walking around from door to door in suits and name tags (nor is anyone forced to -- everyone who chooses to serve a mission does so out of their own free will and choice).
I used to call Mormonism a cult because it seemed foreign and unfamiliar, which I deemed scary. The same thing happened to Jesus' first followers as well: they were accused of cult worship too! Others who understood little of what Mormons truly believe told me lies about so-called "practices" in the church which, in reality, were just made-up stories and falsehoods intended to give the church a bad name.
When it comes down to it, a lot of people just don't understand this church, and lies about it spread like wildfire. Mormons believe that Jesus is the Christ. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world, plain and simple.
Is that so weird or cultish?
Today, there are close to fourteen million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide, and more live outside of the United States than inside. That doesn't seem very cult-like to me!