Hi, I'm Stephen

I'm a missionary, a gamer, a lover of people, and I'm a Mormon

About Me

Hi I'm Stephen, I was born and raised in Alaska and have lived there my whole life. So it would be easy to assume that I love fishing, hiking, hunting, kayaking, snowboarding, skim boarding, etc. Believe it or not, in my hometown we have more than 90 miles of sandy beaches and the conditions are perfect for skim boarding! I love all sports, but basketball holds a special place in my heart, my freshmen year we won State for Alaska Basketball! I'm also known for my extreme passion of video games, weekends usually consist of playing video games all night and going on facebook! My favorites are Smash Bros, Zelda, and Halo, but I like just about any video game. I am also serving my mission right now in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission and loving it so much! The Gospel has made a huge difference in my life. I was heading in a direction that could have easily turned out deadly, but God had something else in store for me and I'm glad He cares and loves me so much. He never gave up on me, not once! And because of that, now I can go and show other people that He will NEVER give up on them either! That is not only my mission here in New Hampshire, but my mission for the rest of my life

Why I am a Mormon

I use to be with many other faiths and I could remember at the age of 13 wondering about religion. My Dad's side of the family have been members for awhile, but my Mom's side of the family were all kind of scattered. When my Mom and Dad got divorced it really changed things and made things more confusing then they already were. I can remember specifically walking back into the LDS church one Sunday and having this feeling of immeasurable comfort. I literally felt like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were welcoming me back to the church. Ever since that moment I knew the LDS church is where I wanted to be. There have been many, many interesting circumstances that have lead me to actually serving a mission, the kind of circumstances that when you look back, you say to yourself, "Someone has to be looking after me, for sequences like that to happen over and over again. That's not just a coincidence, that's love." So I guess in short, I'm a Mormon because God has helped me to become one, I have been made a better person, a better son, a better brother, a better friend, and above all, a better follower of Christ. The best thing about that is, if I continue to strive to follow Christ, I can keep improving because I am by no means perfect, AT ALL. Far from it in fact, but that is what brings me comfort, to know that Christ doesn't look at what I am now, He looks at what I can become.

Personal Stories

What blessings have come through your faith in Jesus Christ?

My parents divorced when I was about 6yrs old. I still remember the cold, dark feeling being at my Dad's house because the divorce hit him very hard. When my little sister and I would go to my Mom's house it was always a struggle, my Mom sacrificed a lot just to get food on the table. Then my Dad got remarried and my Mom remarried later and things really turned around. With my Mom we would go to the Presbytarian and Assembly of God churches most, however they could never fill the spiritual void. When I was around 13 I started going to the LDS church again and found that it was filling the gaps I had in my life. I was baptized in a river in November it was amazing! After my baptism I received the gift of the Holy Ghost and that played a huge part in my high school life because He kept me from engaging in serious sins or illegal actions. Then came the time to go to college, I was accepted into a college in Hawaii, it was August 2009 and I was playing a video game. When I was playing the game the thought of a mission popped in my head. Having had no knowledge of what it was, I thought to myself, "Hmm, that's weird, what is a mission?" Then I turned off my game and went to my room to think about it. The next day I prayed about it in church, but received no answer. Then Monday at lunch I went to my Dad's office and told him these exact words, "Hey Dad, uhh.. I think I want to serve a mission." His jaw dropped and he asked me how the thought even entered my head. I told him how it came to me then asked him about missions and he filled me in on the basics. Then the next Sunday my dad got up and bore his testimony. He was sharing how happy he was about my decision and he started tearing up, which lead me to tear up. It was one of the strongest moments of feeling the spirit in my entire life. Later he told me that he hadn't bore his testimony in over 25 years. Then I went to school in Hawaii, which changed my life and helped me understand and accept the gospel.

How has your knowledge of the Plan of Happiness changed/benefited your life?

Because of the Plan of Happiness I was able to find the God that I knew was out there, the God I love and know, the God who loves and knows me. Having the knowledge of a spirit world, where we go after we die to hear the true gospel, gave me a sense of peace, knowing that all of my family members who aren't members of a church will be okay. Because there are other churches out there that teach if you are not baptized you automatically get sent to hell. The true gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that there is a place between the Kingdom of God and earth and in this place everyone who has not heard of God or Jesus Christ will get their chance there. Think about it like this... Let's pretend you have no knowledge of science whatsoever. Your senior year your teacher makes you take this science test and in this test you need to explain to him the atomic mass of carbon, xenon, lithium, and cobalt. Not only that, but you also need to list all of their known isotopes. To make matters worse the teacher is counting this test against your grade! So now you're being judged according to things you don't know! That is unfair and is not the way a loving Heavenly Father works, the same One who loves us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son! God loves all of us and wants us to know Him on a personal level. The Plan of Happiness as revealed in the Book of Mormon, gave me this peace and now I can live forever knowing that I will see my family again and have a hope strong enough to keep all of His commandments.

Could you talk about your baptism?

My parents divorced when I was 6, my Dad is a member of the church and my Mom is nondenominational. So when we were with my Mom we would go to whatever church she was going to at the time, I can remember being in the Presbytarian church and the Assembly of God church. Neither of which brought me the comfort I was looking for as a 13 year old boy, trying to look for things to fill the gap within me that was left from the divorce. Then I went back to the LDS church one time and I remember having this overwhelming feeling of belonging, then I told my family on my Dad's side that I wanted to be baptized into the LDS church. When I was 14 I was baptized in a river, in November, in Alaska, in the middle of a blizzard. The shocking thing was, the entire time my Dad and I were walking into the water I wasn't cold, as a matter of fact it was quite the opposite, I was warm! All the way until after I was brought up out of the water, a couple seconds went by after I was baptized and then it hit me and my Dad and I shot out of that water faster than you can think. The Holy Ghost was with me as we went into the water, He wanted me to know that this was the right thing to do, so He protected me, just as He will with you as you decide to follow Christ's example and be baptized by the proper priesthood authority.

In what ways have your prayers been answered?

My step-mom had pharyngeal cancer in the summer of 2010, which only attacks about 1 out of 500,000 people and 2 of that 1-out-of-500,000 people get the same cancer my step-mom had. So you could say it was super rare! I prayed that whole summer that she would be taken care of and that my loving Heavenly Father would bless my dad with the strength he needed to get through it. I had multiple friends put my step-moms name in the Temple Prayer Roll, her name was in Temples all around the nation. Then in February of 2011 I received an email from my Dad, that my step-mom was now cancer free. When we first got news of her cancer we were told that it is too rare to operate on, then we were told that she has a slim chance, then we were told there's a chance, then we were told it's looking good, then we were told it was gone. If that isn't the work of a loving God then I don't know what is. It was all because of our prayers and being faithful that we were able to witness such a miracle. Miracles happen all around us, you just need to ask yourself if you're looking in the right places?

Please share your feelings/testimony of Joseph Smith.

Joseph Smith is a man of integrity, a man of faith, a man of love, and most importantly, a man of God. Joseph Smith truly was God's prophet on this earth, just as Moses, Abraham, Noah, and Enoch were. Joseph brought forth doctrines that have been lost for centuries and centuries! And he explained them in such plainness that a child could understand them. He knew he was a prophet of God and he knew that God knew it, therefore he could not deny it. All throughout his life he was persecuted and mobbed, yet he stayed faithful to what he knew was right and true. He testified of Christ and His restored church all the way up until pistol and ball would take his life. Never did he waver, never did he deny, and never will any man on this earth take that away from him. He lived great and he died great and when Christ comes again we will see Joseph Smith standing by his side in all of his glory. His word will condemn those who denied him as prophet, seer, and revelator.

How has the Holy Ghost helped you?

The Holy Ghost has helped me in so many ways, if I had to start with one example it would have to be when He influenced me to serve a mission when I didn't even know what a mission was. I just kept getting this feeling like I was suppose to serve a mission, so I went to my Dad about it and he couldn't believe what I had just said because he had never once mentioned serving a mission to me. I kept getting the promptings and when I went to college I made a lot of friends who had served missions already and they were a huge help to me. Once my understanding of what a mission was increased I knew that that is what I needed to do and I don't regret ANY of it! As a matter of fact my mission saved my life, the Holy Ghost saved my life and He can save anyone's! All they need to do is listen to His promptings, which can be loud at times, but that is very rare. Most of the time it is just like a whisper or small nudge or a slight feeling in your chest or stomach. The Holy Ghost will always help you make life-changing decisions and He will never let you break a commandment without warning you first!

Why/How do you share the gospel with your friends?

This question is very easy to answer, you just do it! Your friends know that you love them and care for them and if they don't then you need to make that known. When I get back home from my mission I'm going to make sure I invite all of my friends to partake of this gospel because it's blessed me too much to keep it to myself. Just let them know that you care for them and bear your testimony how you know this message will improve the quality of their life, answer their deepest and most desired questions, and fill a gap in their life they've been trying to fix for a long time now. Sometimes they don't even know they're trying to fix something until they've been introduced to the Restored Gospel and then they realize, "Wow, where have you been all my life!" That's how it was for me.

Why do Mormons do family history or genealogy work?

We do family history and genealogy work because we care for our deceased ancestors and want them to enjoy the same blessings that we enjoy. This life isn't the end, there is so much more and God's commandments are eternal, they don't just apply to this life, so those who were not baptized need to follow that crucial commandment. So we do genealogy work, so that we know who our ancestors are and we can go to the temple and carry out those sacred ordinances for them vicariously. Read 1 Corinthians and you'll find a scripture in their that talks specifically about baptisms for the dead. Family History work is important and I testify to all of those who read this that I know it is true and I know it is ordained of God, He loves and cares for all of His children and wants all of them to return to Him.

How can your talents and gifts bless others?

This is something that I have grown to love and respect the most since being on my mission because my loving Father in Heaven has given me a certain number of talents and expects me to use them to help others. I am an avid lover of video games, there have been several times where I have used my knowledge of video games to talk with other people and let them know that there is nothing wrong with liking video games. It doesn't automatically make you a "loser" or an "outcast of society". Some of the best friends I have ever had have been video game players. We just need to take the time to realize what our talents are and use them to help and uplift others. I absolutely love the talents that my Father in Heaven has given me and I hope that throughout my life I will be able to use all of them to strengthen others and bring them closer to the God who made them.

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

Well, I have yet to start a family of my own, but when I do have one I hope to build it from the foundation that Christ laid down for us. I have a hope that my family will be a close family, one that can share ideas and feelings with one another, a family that can be there for each other in any moment, a family that helps others and gives freely of their time to serve others. We will also be a church going family and I hope that I can learn to raise my kids in righteousness and allow them to make decisions for themselves and simply be there for them at every step of the way if they ever need me. I hope that we will also spend quality time together and exercise the beautiful tradition of dinner-table dinners. My family today means everything to me and I know that we mean everything to our Father in Heaven, I only hope that I can mirror a fraction of that love to my family in the future.

Think about your everyday activities. What are things you act upon each day where you cannot see the end results? How does faith move you to action?

There a lot of things that I don't see the end results of, one of them is simply being nice to people. When you extend a welcoming "hello" to someone it makes an impact on them. Maybe someone is having a really rough day and you're one little "hello, how are you doing" with a smile on your face makes this person's day better! We should be constantly engaged in making people's days better without wanting to see the end result or gain glory or praie from it. My childhood hero, Michael Jordan, once said, "Championships are won when no one is looking." When we practice what we preach behind closed doors it naturally comes about when we are out and amongst our bothers and sisters on the streets, in Walmart, in a restaurant, wherever it may be. These simple acts will show others how much we care for them and that we truly are doing what we can to help them.

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is a Christlike attribute that each of us can acquire through patience, diligent scripture study, and prayer. Over the years it has been confused to be a type of "light-minded want". Say you're listening to the weather forecast and it says it will be raining and cold outside then you walk outside and see that it is pouring rain and cold, then you make the comment, "Man, I hope the sun comes out today." The comment was made because you were disappointed that the weather wasn't better. When really, hope leads us to make comments because we are confident that they will happen because we have faith in Christ and know that things can become better. For instance, one of my greatest joys in life will be getting married in the Temple for time and all eternity and having a family. I am hopeful that this will happen, not because I looked at the world and was disappointed it wasn't better, but because I am confident and have faith in the Lord that as long as I am obedient to His laws and do all that I can to help my fellow brothers and sisters, He will help me find the right person for me who will have the same desires that I do to raise a righteous family. We should hope for things because we are confident that they will happen, not because we are disappointed that they didn't.

How I live my faith

I live my faith by doing what Christ has commanded us to do. I am serving a full time mission, telling everyone else about His infinite love for them and how much hope there really is. I live my faith by helping other whenever I possibly can, whether it be financially, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. I try and do things that I could see my Savior doing, He would never turn His cheek on anyone. I live my faith by not touching any alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea, or illegal drugs. I live my faith by continuing to go to church and showing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that They are number one in my life. Lastly, but most importantly, I live my faith by always being faithful.

Why is authority to perform a baptism important?

Stephen answered...

The proper authority to perform baptism is important for the same reason why having the proper authority to give a speeding ticket is important or why judges are given the authority to do what they do. If any old joe were to give out speeding tickets or start sending people to jail for no reason than there would be so much chaos! Any knowledge of what we use to know was good and true would be completely lost and there would only be total confusion and misunderstanding. This is what happened after Christ was crucified and the authority to perform baptisms was taken from the earth, this authority is called the priesthood. When people realized the priesthood was taken they tried desperately to gather together anything they could and tried there very best to put a church together. However, without the proper authority they couldn't and didn't bring together all of the correct teachings of Christ. Today we do have the proper authority and with it we can perform baptisms and give the gift of the Holy Ghost. This authority lives in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Show more of my answers Show less of my answers One Moment Please
Cary answered...

If baptism is the gateway to Heaven, then the baptizer is a border agent. Would you want any old person who claims to know how it's done to just start letting whoever wants to into your country? Why do you insist they carry a badge and wear a uniform, and have an ID which proves they are legitimate representatives of the government? It's the same way with God's rituals. All over the scriptures, whenever there's a ritual performed it was performed by a duly authorized representative. Doesn't it just make sense that if something essential for our salvation would be required, that it should need to be done God's way, by God's authorized representatives? Acts 19:1-6 even shows a time when the authority of the baptizer was in doubt, and Paul re-did the baptisms for good measure. With all the confusion that comes from competing people claiming to speak for God, or claiming to know His will in this matter or that, I'm glad Mormons teach about authority. There's so much more clarity about who we should listen to, and who might be perfectly well-intentioned, but who really shouldn't be listened to because they're not authorized.

Do Mormons practice polygamy?

Marc (Bo) answered...

Absolutely not!! This is one of the many myths about Mormon's that hollywood and the media continue to propogate. It is true that the early memebrs of the church did practice polygamy, but the church oficcialy denounced the practice 150 years ago!! If any church member today practices polygamy they are excommunicated. There are people who leave the LDS church and start their own religion base loosely on LDS beliefs. Some of them practice polygamy. They are NOT memebrs of the LDS (Mormon) chruch, nor do they have any affiliation with the LDS church.