Hi, I'm Rob

I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am Sharon's husband. We met on a blind date. Since then eighteen years have passed in what seems like the blink of an eye. We have six children; three boys and three girls ages sixteen to one. They surprise us everyday. I am part owner of a company that develops business management software for medical companies. We spend a lot of time at football, soccer, band and other activities. I enjoying running including an occasional race, rock climbing and reading. Balancing is a challenge.

Why I am a Mormon

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ because all the pieces, all the answers fit perfectly. There is a power, a clarity, a depth that I do not find anywhere else. In 1 Kings there is a story about how The Lord spoke to the prophet Elijah in a still small voice. Over the years I have often heard that voice speaking peace to my heart and mind as I have studied the scriptures including the Book of Mormon or listened to the words of living prophets and apostles.

How I live my faith

Just as in the Church at the time of Christ, we have no paid clergy. When someone is sick or out of work, when someone needs help, we minister to each other. Each individual has opportunities to teach, to serve and to lead in ways that stretch us and allow us to learn. Christ said that if we we would do his will we would understand his doctrine.

Being a Mormon is demanding. That makes sense to me. Christ required his followers make great sacrifices and he told them that eternal life was to be found in knowing or understanding him. The church gives us real and challenging opportunities to live the doctrine that Christ taught and in so doing to understand him and our Heavenly Father in ways we could not otherwise.

What do Mormons believe about family?

Rob answered...

Paul taught that neither is the man without the woman neither the woman without the man in The Lord. Why would that change when we pass out of mortality and into eternity? Why would God have us spend mortality caring for and serving each other, creating these profound relationships only to tear them apart at death?

I know people for whom the idea that families continue after this life is very intuitive yet they were married only until death separates them. God, our Father created men and woman in his image to follow his example and to live as he lives which obviously involves family. Christ told Peter that his church and kingdom would be be built upon the rock of revelation and priesthood authority; the authority to act in God's name and to bind in heaven what is bound on earth. That same priesthood power Christ gave Peter has been restored to the earth in our day and it is through that authority that we as families can be sealed for time and eternity.
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Bradley. answered...

The family is a key component to support us in God's plan for gaining immortality and eternal life. All of God's children (all the inhabitants that lived, are living, and will live on Earth) are inseperably connected to each other, both (physically) by our Earthly families and (spiritually) by our Heavenly Father.

Families help us to understand our divine heritage. In this, life takes on purpose and meaning. Our immortal spirits were created by our Heavenly Father before Earthly existance, and we are directly connected to Him in this way. As a spiritual family, our collective purpose on Earth is to follow the commandments of God that lead us to live in heaven with Him again.

Our spirits need to progress, learn, and grow. In order to achieve that, Earthly existance was created as our test. Our Heavenly Father knew that being exposed to opposing forces on Earth was the only way for us to gain knowledge and wisdom.

However, we will not always choose righteousness, and so our Savior, Jesus Christ, is that great mediator to pay the debt of our mistakes. He is the only way by which we can be saved from our sins and transgressions. He is the ultimate example by which direction we need to live our lives. With the support of our earthly kin, we can learn from each other, serve each other, and strengthen our mortal weaknesses by being disciples of Christ. Our families are a gift from God, and we can be together forever.

What do Mormons believe concerning the doctrine of grace?

Carlos answered...

There is a passage from the Book of Mormon that can help us understand the doctrine of grace:

"And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free... there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah... he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved"

We fully belive in justification and reconciliation by grace - it is an essential doctrine of the Church, and is found repeatedly throughout the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
Anyone who believes in Christ shall be saved and inherit all that the Father has; however, we need to understand what it means to believe - we need to understand the word "believe" as Christ intended it to be understood.

The prophet Joseph Smith taught that faith is a principle of action. Yes, it's true that all we need to do to be saved is to believe, but believing isn't just a verbal declaration - true belief requires action.
Knowing that the world is full of breathable air isn't enough to live - we actually need to act on that knowledge and breathe in order to keep living. Likewise, having faith in Christ isn't just something that we say we have - we have to act on that belief. I can't honestly claim that I have faith in Christ and know that His path is the path to happiness if I'm not consistantly trying to gain that happiness.

We fully believe in salvation by grace, but it's possible to fall from grace if we lose our faith - and if we are not doing the things that Christ requires of us then we do not have true faith.
All we need to do to attain grace is to develop faith in Jesus Christ, but developing faith unto salvation in Jesus Christ is a lifetime endeavor which requires our absolute best sacrifice.