Hi, I'm Tony

I'm a mixed bag of disabilities and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I live at home with my legal guardians, also known as my parents, also known as my aunt and uncle.

I have autism, a seizure disorder and a host of other issues. I wasn't quite two when the courts removed me and my older sister from our abusive dad and placed us with my Aunt and Uncle. My Aunt learned every thing she could about my issues and then did every thing she could to get services and help for me (and my sister).

I started school before age three. By age seven mom had created a home school program for me. We did therapies, academics and life skills. My family exposed me to as much of a normal or typical life as they could. As a result of their efforts, I love camping, hiking, music, going out to eat and much more.

My disability makes me love doing laundry. This makes me popular with overworked mothers, family and neighbors who jokingly tell me to come over and help with their laundry. I like that.

Why I am a Mormon

My biological parents were members, my current family are members, and most of my extended family are members. Mentally I'm around a 4 to 6 year old, so being a member is natural and normal to me.

I do know that I love it when Mom reads the scriptures to me. I love the musicals and inspirational movies related to Christian beliefs. I have some of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's music on my ipod. I love to share my testimony with anyone patient enough to listen to me, as my speech is difficult to understand.

I am a missionary in my ward and I get to visit members and investigators. I love these visits. I tell people that I believe the scriptures are true, that God answers prayers, that we have a living prophet, and that Jesus and God live.

I love being included and participating in activities. This church has so many family and ward activities that I get to make lots of friends and have all sorts of fun and experiences. Members take time to get to know me, and help me and this helps them to love me and include me.

Personal Stories

How can your talents and gifts bless others?

I have a lot of disabilities, so it's hard for me to think that I have any talents or gifts.

In a blessing I received from a special member of our Stake, he told me that I am a gift from God. That I am a gift of love. Over the years, my parents have seen this unfold. Mom says I have opened doors that were closed to members. She says I have softened hearts that had no desire to know God.

My love and enthusiasm for life, for Church, for others just shines through and I love everyone. My love is my strongest gift and others feel it.

How does this bless their lives?

My foster brothers softened their anger with their situations. Family and friends have softened their own disappointments with their situations. Everyone says they feel a special spirit in me. Other mothers want to protect me, other boys my age want to follow my example of enthusiasm for service. Church leaders want me to be included and involved. Everyone helps me feel included, therefore everyone is learning to be of service to others. When we are in the service of others we are in the service of our Lord. And He blesses our efforts.

How I live my faith

As a family, we attend our Sabbath day meetings. Because I am a missionary in my ward, I get to attend the class with investigators. Once a month I share my testimony with everyone. I love to help pass the sacramental bread and water. I love to shake everyone's hand and say "Hi".

My Mom takes me to the cannery and we help where ever they need us. Sometimes I help others stock the shelves in the Bishop's store house. Sometimes I help make boxes for the canned products. Sometimes I go with my Dad to help someone move, or clean the church building. I have gone visiting teaching with my mom lots of times. I also help when she delivers meals to members who are sick. When ever Mom visited someone in the hospital, I would go with her.

I love to mow our member neighbor's yard. I love company and I love to be company.

Mom says people remember me and are happy to see me, but they forget mom's name. She gets' called "Tony's Mom" more often than she gets called by her own name.

Mom is teaching me to pray every night and morning. She usually said the prayer for me, but now she says it's my turn. In one of my blessings, our bishop said that Heavenly Father wants to hear my voice. Heavenly Father knows what is in my heart, but He still wants to hear me say it out loud.

Why do Mormons perform baptisms for the dead?

Tony answered...

I do not completely understand why Mormons perform baptisms for the dead, but I do know that I love to do this. I love to go to the Temple and take a turn being baptized for people who lived on this earth but did not get a chance to be baptized when they were alive. It feels so peaceful in the Temple, and everyone is so nice, so loving. I have lots of good feelings inside when ever I do baptisms.

I have copied and pasted part of the official answer for this question below.

Because all who have lived on the earth have not had the opportunity to be baptized by proper authority during life on earth, baptisms may be performed by proxy, meaning a living person may be baptized in behalf of a deceased person. Baptisms for the dead are performed by Church members in temples throughout the world. People have occasionally wondered if the mortal remains of the deceased are somehow disturbed in this process; they are not. The person acting as a proxy uses only the name of the deceased. To prevent duplication the Church keeps a record of the deceased persons who have been baptized. Some have misunderstood that when baptisms for the dead are performed the names of deceased persons are being added to the membership records of the Church. This is not the case.
Stuart Clark answered...

We believe that baptism is essential for salvation. It is a covenant with God to obey his commandments. Christ taught that we all must be baptized. Some people die without being baptized or knowing about the Church of Jesus Christ. They must also have an opportunity for salvation. Those who have died are taught the gospel in the world of the spirits. But, baptism is an earthly ordinance. So we can perform that ordinance for them by being baptized for them, just as Christ died for us as a proxy for us, we can be baptized for others. This is authorized by Christ in his church to be performed in the temples. The person who died can either receive this gift or reject it. They still have their agency.

What is the Word of Wisdom that Mormons talk about?

Mark answered...

The word of wisdom is the Lord's law of health. We abstain from drugs, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and tea, and are encouraged to eat wholesome food and grains, and not eat excessive meat. I am asked all of the time by my fellow residents at the hospital why I don't drink coffee, and how I can stay awake all night on call without it. I don't consider it a sacrifice, though, and am as awake and perform as well as any. It is true that the body will be more healthy when following the word of wisdom, the but the main benefit is spiritual. The knowledge that you are in line with the the Lord's teaching is the most important thing.