Hi, I'm JJ

I'm a high school student who loves mathematics, photography, and playing instruments. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I was born in the covenant so I grew up being a latter-day saint. I wasn't fully converted to the gospel until halfway through my teenage years. I'm currently 17 and I'm in my junior year in high school. I go through many trials; but, with the help of God, I learn how to overcome them. I want to be an engineer or photographer when I grow up. I play the piano, guitar, and a little bit of harmonica. I think music is a great way to uplift one another. Both of my parents are converts to the church so missionary work is a very significant part to my life. Without them and the gospel, I wouldn't know the happiness that the church brings me. I want to serve a full-time mission when I turn 19. I'm currently learning more about the gospel and staying worthy to prepare myself and be called by our living prophet to serve the Lord for two years. I'm a regular young man who falls sometimes; but, through Christ, I know that I can become a more perfect being and Mormon.

Why I am a Mormon

I'm not a member of the church because of my parents, family, or friends. I'm a Mormon because I choose to be one. I have faith and testimony that Christ lives, that we are all children of our Heavenly Father, that this is His through church, and that we'll eventually come back to Him if we continue being righteous. I'm grateful for the temple which is the house of the Lord. I love the happiness it gives me every time I get a chance to do sacred ordinances for the people who didn't get the chance to hear the gospel in this life. I want to have an eternal marriage there someday. I love my family and I know that we are eternal. Through the spirit, I know that families are together forever. The knowledge that I'll be with my loved ones eternally just gives me comfort. I'm grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and His atonement; because, it allows me to repent, be forgiven and be more like Him. I'm grateful for the prophets and I know that they are called by God. I know that through prayer, I can personally discuss both my problems and blessings with our Heavenly Father; and, that through the scriptures and our living prophet, He gives me answers. I love the living gospel, our Father in Heaven, and being a Mormon.

Personal Stories

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

I share the gospel to my friends because I know that they are also children of God and deserve to find true happiness. I don't want to keep the gospel to myself; I want to share my blessings with them because I love them. The easiest way to share the gospel is by simply being a good example. Through my actions, I know that they see that I respect my standards and obey the commandments of the Lord. I also try to answer their questions whenever they are interested in learning about the church. I made a goal to hand out at least one copy of the Book of Mormon to my non-member friends because I believe that it can potentially change their lives.

How I live my faith

I live my faith by trying to be an example of the believers every single day. I try to treat other people in a way that Jesus Christ would treat them. I'm developing Christ-like attributes that I know will help me as a person, the people around me, my friends, and my current and future families. I share the gospel to my friends because I know that they're also children of God and they deserve to find true happiness. I love the teachings of Jesus Christ so much that I want to share the comfort it gives me. I try to live my faith in every way I can and I know that people will see the light inside me as I continue to be a good example and being a worthy Mormon.

Why is family so important to Mormons?

JJ answered...

Families are so important to Mormons because it's the basic unit of "life". We are all sent into families by God and I know that He has a purpose why He does that. He knows that all of us our weak, that we need to learn and grow. He gave us families in order to help us go through those hard times. Families will always be there for us. As we better our families and strengthen our bonds, we'll realize that they're the most significant part of our lives. It's true that not all families are perfect and some have problems within the family itself; but, we share the same blood, we wouldn't be here without the other. As we live more like Christ, we'll learn how to strengthen our families and possibly extend it to everybody. We are all children of God after all, we belong to a big eternal family.
Kevin answered...

We believe that our families are the basic unit of any society, and that failure in the home means that we've failed as a nation and a people. We've heard that it takes a village to raise a child, and that's true enough. But our leaders have told us that the most important work we can do in life, even more than any professional pursuits, is to raise our children in righteousness.

Think about it. If each father and mother were just a little more engaged in their family's lives i'm not talking about controlling their family, helping their sons and daughters with the challenges they constantly face, the crises we find ourselves in as a nation would become much less. We'd more good in the world as a result. You may think that naive or unrealistic, but I know how much good one family can cause, and how much pain another can cause. We want to change the world, and to do that we need to change ourselves and help our families become better too.

Do Mormons only help Mormons?

Sam answered...

Absolutely not. I personally have been a part of countless efforts to serve those not of our faith. We don't just serve others because we want them to join our Church. We serve because it's the right thing to do. Because it's what the Savior taught and exemplified. I think God often places people in our path when we are in a position to help. Sometimes, this can be a litmus test for how committed we are to living a Christlike life, especially if this "opportunity" comes at a very inconvenient time.

Perhaps we sometimes overlook opportunities to help because we are too focused on the problems staring us right in the face. I do know, however, that the Church makes a very concerted investment of time, talent, and resources in humanitarian aid throughout the world. We are often some of the first to arrive and the last to leave in cases like Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, and areas affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. We often coordinate our efforts with other organizations like the Red Cross or the Catholic Church.