Hi, I'm Eric

I like to read, I like to sing and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I have a mom and a dad. I'm the oldest of three children, which I'm told is small by Mormon standards. It's certainly smaller than the family I will have!
I enjoy reading books. Mostly, I enjoy reading informational books, but I have gotten interested in science fiction/fantasy ever since the third Harry Potter book came out.
I have always been excited about public transport systems, and libraries, and silly little things like that. I guess it means I'm normal.

Why I am a Mormon

My parents were Mormon, and I followed in their steps when I was a child. When I grew older, I needed to discover for myself if I wanted to continue in the faith of my fathers. Being a member of this church is not easy, and I needed to be sure I was in the right church before I continued on. I followed the direction of James "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God". I prayed and asked God. My answer was almost a whisper "You know it is true". I did already know it was true. Growing up, I had seen so much good in the church. At some level, I knew that something couldn't be that good and be bad. Yet, I had doubts and I asked because of them. The answer I recieved was tailor-fit to me. It reminded me of my past conviction, and of my parent's faith. Because of the answer I recieved, I was able to continue on, and as I have continued to serve in the church, my conviction and faith has grown. Now, I do not want to be anything but a Mormon.

Personal Stories

Can you think of a specific challenge in your family that Gospel Principles helped overcome?

Yes. When my sister was not even eight years old yet, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. I was around ten at the time. People would ask my dad, "how can you believe in God when He has done this to your child?" My dad's reply, and mine, was "How can I not?" Nothing could have gotten us through that besides faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We knew that everything would be okay. If she lived and conquered this, she would be stronger. If she died, she would be happier. If she received permanent brain damage, we would get by. She went in for surgery, and we prayed for her. We had extended family members praying for her. On a US Navy vessel a cousin had all of the LDS members on the ship praying for her. She was okay. Now, many years and a few radiation and chemotherapy sessions later, she is happy and healthy and wants to a nurse. That is the power of prayer.

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is having a desire to achieve a goal that is not for certain. I hope for a wonderful future. I hope to raise a beautiful family on righteous principles.

How I live my faith

The church gives you many oppurtunities to serve others. I have taken advantage of them when I can. As a young man, I was called and served as a leader over other young men in my age group. Ever since I was 14, I went with my dad to visit member families once a month to teach them the gospel and to look after them. When I was 19, I started my two-year mission for the church. The church is very family-oriented. My family was close. Not to say we didn't fight, but we have always remained close friends. We have also kept track of and cared for extended family members. Many times, my family would visit my Great-Grandmothers to talk with them and cheer them up. One time, we took time out of a vacation to Disneyland to visit a Great Aunt of mine who had reciently discovered she had leukemia. In fact, the point of most of our vacations would be to visit family members.

Why do Mormons perform proxy baptisms in their temples?

Eric answered...

What greater joy could you find than extending the blessings of the Atonement to deceased family members? That is why we perform proxy baptisms to extend the wonderful blessings of the Atonement that we have experienced to our ancestors.
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Donna answered...

We have a loving Father in Heaven, whose work and glory are to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. He is our Father, and wants each and every one of us to return to him. Some of His children never had the opportunity to receive the blessings of the gospel and be baptized in their lifetime. Because our Father loves all of His children, each will have the opportunity to accept the gospel, even if it is taught to them after this life. We do baptisms in the temple by proxy so that those who did not have the opportunity in this life to be baptized into the church may receive this ordinance if they desire it.

Are there restrictions based on race or color concerning who can join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have the priesthood?

Brooke answered...

Nope, “every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color.”