Hi, I'm Vaughn

I have been retired for 11 years, I am a six years widower, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I worked for 40 years as a plumber but I am now retired.

I am a father of four children and now I have 11 grandchildren. I grew up in a family of eight children. We were part of the church and learned the doctrines and standards.

After my wife died, I started to study different topics. I now study about health and the different things I can do to exercise or eat to keep myself healthy.

Why I am a Mormon

I was 50 years old before I started learning things. I started reading the scriptures, memorizing them, and learning what the Lord wanted me to do. Through these actions I have come to feel the Holy Ghost in my life testify to me that the scriptures are the word of God. I now study the scriptures often and ask my Heavenly Father what he wants me to learn from the things I read.

How I live my faith

I live my faith by doing any service opportunity I can do. I work at the temple and love to go there often. I do anything I can to help the Lord's work move forward.

What do Mormons believe concerning the doctrine of grace?

Nadja answered...

How could we ever hope for anything if it weren't for the grace offered by our Saviour Jesus Christ?

God is just - which means His laws are just. They are eternal. This means that His dealings towards us will always be just, but it also means that He exacts justice from us, His children. Regardless of the commandment or law, justice demands a recompense for obedience, but also a punishment (or consequence) for disobedience.

Jesus Christ has paid for these trespasses, and He willingly extends that payment to each one who earns or deserves it. This grace is awarded based on our repentance, a change of heart so profound, we abandon the desire to repeat the offense.

That is grace: forgiveness (meaning: not having to suffer ourselves for our own mistakes and disobedience) which follows sincere repentance. What an incredible gift!
Tamara Forsyth answered...

We are all saved by grace no matter how we have lived our life, as long as we believe in Christ and believe that he is our Savior. Most Christian religions believe that this is all there is to being saved. Mormons believe this for the part of being saved in which the body of flesh is reunited with the spirit. For this part of being saved, yes, Mormons believe that all people, no matter how they have lived their lives, will be saved and have their body reunited with their spirit at the resurrection through the grace of God. However, Mormons also believe there is another part to Christ's atonement and being saved, and that refers to his taking on of our sins. To be saved from our sins, and take upon us the name of Christ such that his atonement will wash away our sins and we will have everlasting life in God's presence, we must repent of our sins. After we have done all that we can do, then the grace of God will wash away our sins because of Christ's atoning sacrifice on our behalf.

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

Shannon answered...

Because the Lord commanded it for a period of time. It wasn't easy for those who practiced it. Many, even Brigham Young (the second prophet after the death of Joseph Smith) had difficulty accepting the revelation. It took a great deal of soul searching and personal submission and communion with God for many of those individuals to reconcile themselves to the practice of plural marriage.

Even in ancient times, when the practice was culturally accepted, plural marriage was difficult. Moses, Abraham, and many others who practiced plural marriage because of God's commandment all experienced personal challenges arising from their family situation. But sometimes life is such: God requires difficult things. The difficulties never seem appealing to us, but if we are faithful, we will find that God had reasons for the challenges He gave us.

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Joseph Smith

As is the case throughout history God has communicated to His children through prophets. God used a humble man as a prophet to restore His Church on earth who ultimately died defending His faith.

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