Hi, I'm Bruce

I'm a hiker, a backpacker, a cyclist, a father, a husband, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I love to be outdoors. Whether cycling, camping, hiking, backpacking, climbing, canoeing, or just working in the yard I'd rather be outdoors than in. While I do most of these activities alone most of the time, one of my greatest pleasures is introducing others to some of my favorite places and activities and watching their reactions as they've rarely seen or experienced anything like what I take them out to do. This holds true for everyone from scouts, where I served as a Scoutmaster for many, many years, friends who frequently consider me a little extreme in my outdoor pursuits, or members of my own family, and the satisfaction I receive from sharing my favorite activities and places is tremendous. I now see that same desire to share in my son, and I take pride in the fact that the places he now takes his friends are the very same I've taken him since he was very small.

I also build and fix things. I don't necessarily like fixing my own stuff as there are other things I'd rather be doing, but I love fixing things for others, especially if they have limitations that prevent them from doing so themselves. I can figure out how to fix most anything and consider the words "No User Serviceable Parts Inside" a clear challenge. This has saved my family a lot of money over the years, but more satisfying is that it's saved people that don't have the money in the first place a lot when I can do something for them.

Why I am a Mormon

I'm a convert, joining the Church at the age of 24. I'd been raised without religion, though friends throughout my life had occasionally taken me to services at their churches for many years. My goal in life was to be an astronomer and unravel the mysteries of the universe, and the more I learned and understood, the more I realized I didn't know or understand. There was always the underlying question in my mind of why everything was here and how it all got started and a feeling that there was more purpose and organization than science gave credit for. Due to family issues, I dropped out of college with only a couple of quarters to go and began working full time to help support my parents, and in the office where I worked I met a woman that I became very interested in. She was different from others I'd met. She turned down my requests for a date many times, but finally condeded to go out with me. On that first date she gave me a book that she had written inside the cover of and told me she wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone that she couldn't marry in the temple. I decided to read the book and sat down one evening to begin it. I was so engaged that I read the entire book in one night. Here were answers I'd been seeking to why things were the way they were, how it got started, and where we're going. Add to that the values of faith and family and the opportunity to continue these relationships beyond the mortal grave and I couldn't turn away. I lost a brother and a grandfather when I was very young, and here was the chance to meet and develop a relationship with both. Add to that the fact that the woman that got me started in the first place suffers from a disease that will likely shorten her years on the earth, and without the message contained in the complete scriptures we would be separated at death. The decision to become a Mormon was mine and I've never looked back from the day of my baptism.

How I live my faith

I've served in many capacities in my ward and stake and have spent most of my time working with young men, primarily in scouting. I do my best to live the values we hold so dear, honoring my Priesthood, sustaining and honoring my family, and fulfilling all obligations to be best of my ability. I've been involved in several major events for our youth including annual stake youth conferences and treks and love the vitality and energy of our youth. They keep me young with their high energy and positive outlook. I love working with the leaders of our stake and appreciate the sacrifices they make for our benefit.

Those I work with, including those that work for me, know of my faith as I am open about it. They frequently come to me rather than others in my work leadership team to discuss issues, whether personal or work related, because they've come to rely on my honesty and character, attributes I know come from my faith. I strive to live the values of our Savior and, though I often fall short through personal weakness, always strive to improve, to become the individual He knows I can be.

I tend to keep to myself most of the time, but am not afraid to share my enthusiasm for the Gospel with others when the opportunity presents itself.

I am the only member of His church on my side of the family and know that I must uphold the highest standards to provide an example for my parents, sister, and nephews. While they have not yet been receptive to the Gospel, I know that my greatest opportunity to teach them of His church is through the example and service I can provide them.

Why are Mormons asked to donate 10% of their income to their Church?

Bruce answered...

Tithing is one of the simplest, easiest principles to understand and live. The concept of paying 10% of our increase, or in most cases income, is very straightforward. We believe that we receive all that we have through the blessings of our Father in Heaven, and all he asks is that we give 10% back to him in the form of tithing. This principle has become the cornerstone of my testimony as I struggled to understand and live it early in my life in the church. I received council from a wise bishop, and following that council lead to an unshakeable testimony of tithing. At one point in my life my wife and I could afford only one of two equally expensive options, that of adopting a baby or buying our first home. We'd waited for a long time to adopt and had virtually given up on it ever happening, and so committed the money we'd saved for a down payment on a house. Shortly after signing the papers on our house we received the call from the adoption agency telling us that they had a baby for us. We bought our house. We adopted our son. We paid our tithing. When all was said and done we had money for both, but to this day I cannot make the numbers work themselves out. I simply know that because I faithfully paid my tithing my Father in Heaven blessed me with the means to fulfill these two obligations. I continue to pay my tithing and will do so for as long as I'm blessed to be on this earth.
Kristen answered...

This is nothing new, nor is it exclusive to the Judeo-Christian tradition. Many faiths practice alms or a tithe, including Islam and Sikhism.

A voluntary religious contribution of 10% is a tithe or tithing. This type of offering is mentioned many times in the both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. In the book of Genesis, chapter 28 verse 22, the ancient patriarch Jacob covenanted with the Lord, "and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee."

Everything we have, our lives, the earth and everything in it, have been given freely to us by a loving Father in Heaven. He asks only a small portion in return to help build his kingdom on the earth.

When my husband and I were first married, we decided to make paying a 10% tithe a top financial priority, and it has been a great blessing to us through the years. In Malachi, chapter 3 verse 10 it states, "Bring yea ll the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you thei windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." This has certainly been the case with us.

I realize that 10% of one's income can seem like a large sacrifice. However, when the law of the tithe is kept, it serves as a portal through which great blessings (both tangible and intangible) can flow. The Lord always finds a way to bless those who do what He asks them to do.

What are some things that tell you there is a God?

Danny answered...

For me, nature is one of the strongest evidences that there is a God. It is hard for me to believe that the mountains, oceans, forests, flowers, animals, and skies were randomly formed. It is hard to deny the beauty and the peace one can feel while sitting in silence and looking into the night sky.

Beyond that, answered prayers tell me there is a God. I have prayed too many times and seen answers too many times for me to think that it has all been coincidence. These were prayers that expressed my concerns of which no one knew, yet were accompanied by answers that were so specific and detailed. God loves us to a degree we cannot comprehend, and as we look we will feel His love in very powerful and comforting ways.