Hi, I'm Stanford

I'm a life long member. Currently, I'm unemployed and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am an architect and photographer. I am father to three children and a husband. My oldest child is graduating from high school and my youngest is only a few weeks old.

Why I am a Mormon

I was born into an LDS family and have been a Mormon my whole life. In my youth my first strong impressions from the Spirit came to me as I read the Book of Mormon. It is difficult to explain the knowledge that the Spirit imparts but I have found when I yield to those tender feelings and thoughts, my knowledge and surety of God grow ever so certain. I am grateful to belong to a church that is lead by a prophet who yields to the Spirit and follows the Lord.

How I live my faith

I live my faith one day at a time by yielding to the small promptings of the spirit. It may be in the smallest actions like a smile or in the realization that I need to repent. I do my best and know the Lord will work me as continue on this long road to perfection.

What is being a Mormon like?

Kristin answered...

Many people think that being a Mormon is very strict and holds people back from experiencing all that life has to offer. However, I know that it is the exact opposite. In The Book of Mormon, an ancient governor named Pahoran tells us that the spirit of God is the spirit of freedom. I know this principle to be true. The things of the world bind us with feelings of guilt, sorrow, envy, hatred, doubt, judgment, chaos, and confusion. The things of God bring peace, contentment, happiness, joy, satisfaction, clarity, and love. Through family relationships, The Book of Mormon, communication with a loving Father in Heaven, repentance, baptism, church attendance, and making sacred promises in God's holy temple, I have experienced these feelings of freedom. Being a Mormon is not just something I do, it is who I am! Mormonism is not just a belief, it is a lifestyle. This lifestyle has provided me with clarity, purpose, value, and direction. I will forever proclaim the truthfulness of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! It is Christ's true church upon the earth. It is the pathway to true joy in this life and the life to come!
Rebecca answered...

My membership in Church has been very rewarding. Here are some of the reasons why:
- It helps me focus on the things that will matter most in the long run, such as building my relationship with my husband, teaching and making memories with my girls, and serving others.
- It provides a rich social environment, but at the same time motivates me to reach out in my community and carve out time for personal reflection and meditation.
- It helped me prioritize my education when I was a teenager and young adult.
- It has helped me develop management and leadership skills. I've had numerous opportunities to lead meetings, plan and execute events, teach classes, mentor individuals, and speak to groups.
- It has consistently enabled me to build relationships with individuals from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds. I have a vested interest in the future of people in a variety of circumstances, facing a range of challenges.
- It encourages me in healthy living -- exercising, eating right, and avoiding addictive habits.
- It's given me a vision for what I want to do when I reach retirement age: my husband and I plan to serve a mission, which could entail doing humanitarian service in a developing country, or teaching people closer to home about Jesus Christ.
- It has helped me understand that the purpose of my life is to try to be like Jesus Christ and to serve him, and that after I die I can live in His presence.

Why did your church previously practice plural marriage (polygamy)?

Leo Ebbert answered...

The short answer is that, for a time, God commanded it. It was a challenge for those families commanded to practice it, but they accepted the challenge with faith.

There have been many times throughout history that God has asked His people to do difficult things or things that go against the norms of society. For example, God has commanded plural marriage in the Bible. He commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, stopping it at the last minute. He commanded the ancient Israelites to destroy all inhabitants of many of the settlements in the land of Canaan when they returned to the promised land.

The knowledge of these things challenges our faith but we must recognize that God's ways are not our ways and He controls all life.

If plural marriage is something that keeps you from the church or keeps you from investigating further, I invite you to consider this: it really comes down to one thing. Was Joseph Smith a true prophet or not? If he was, then the commandment came from God and He restored His church through Joseph. Answer that question and the rest falls into place. I am happy that I did.