Hi, I'm Christian

I'm a student, husband, and woodworker - and I'm a Mormon

About Me

I'm a student, studying accounting, and will soon be pursuing a PhD in that field. I enjoy spending time with my wife and family, exercising, camping, playing guitar, and woodworking. I am interested in science, technology, finance, business, politics, and religion.

Why I am a Mormon

As a boy, I remember reading about the story of Joseph Smith. I read that he was confused about what religion to follow, and at length, came to inquire of God regarding what church he should join. I distinctly remember the feelings I had as I read his account. He prayed, and God & His Son Jesus Christ appeared to him. He was consequently called to be a prophet - like Moses, Noah, or Abraham. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ in it's entirety, was restored to the earth again. I felt a peace sweep across me as I read that story, and I knew what I read was true.

I try to live my life, to the best of my ability, in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ. I have come to find that living the gospel of Jesus Christ truly is the key to happiness in this life, harmony in our homes, and peace in the world. The teachings of Jesus Christ help us to think outside of ourselves, and to help others.

I seek to find the truth, wherever it can be found, and rely on the Holy Ghost to help me understand it. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the entirety of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its simple, and purest form has been restored to the earth. I am a Mormon because I believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through a prophet, and is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Having said that, I have the utmost respect for those who believe differently than I do. Jesus Christ taught us to not judge others.

Simply put, I'm a Mormon because it makes me happy, helps me to learn great wisdom, and helps me to be a better Man, Husband, Neighbor and Friend.

Personal Stories

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is confidence that things will turn out for the best. In a Gospel Context; we have Hope when we are obedient to our Father in Heaven's commandments. We have hope for every part of our lives, and the lives of those we love. Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ fills us with that hope.

That doesn't mean that things will always be the way we want them to - it just means that if we trust in the Lord, and obey him, we can be assured that he is helping us to become the best we can be. He often uses difficult trials, and tribulations to mold us into our best selves.

We have hope we will be happy - and our supreme hope is to be able to return to our Father in Heaven's home with our Families.

How I live my faith

I try to live my Faith, first and foremost, by living according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, I am very active in my church.

I serve as a liaison between the full-time missionaries in my neighborhood, and those who are learning about the church. The church is divided up into geographical units called "Wards." We meet together at church in these "Ward" groups. I volunteer my time to serve in a position called Ward Mission Leader. I assist the missionaries with the work they are doing in my area. They meet people, and teach them about the church. I have lots of opportunities to meet with my neighbors, and get to know them because of this responsibility. I find it very rewarding, and enjoyable. I also teach a class about Gospel Principles at church on Sundays.

One of the things I like most about serving in the church is being a Home Teacher. I have a wonderful opportunity to be assigned to visit several families in my ward each month. I visit with them to see how everything is going, and leave them a short, gospel-based message. Coincidentally, I have a home teacher who visits me in my home once a month to do the same. Its a wonderful opportunity to serve, and to help those that I home teach.

My service in the church has helped me realize the importance of public service. Consequently, I volunteer for several academic, professional, and welfare-based organizations.

What is the priesthood?

Christian answered...

The Priesthood is the Authority to act in God's name for the benefit of his children. The Priesthood is used to heal the sick, bless those in need, and to perform ordinances such as baptism, and giving the Gift of The Holy Ghost. The Priesthood is essential in the administration of the Church of Jesus Christ.

When Christ was on the earth, he called 12 apostles, laid his hands upon their heads and conferred this power upon them (John 15:16). They were to lead his church (Ephesians 2:19-20) Unfortunately, the Apostles were persecuted and killed, and this power was lost from the earth for a time. The Priesthood was restored to the earth once again through the Prophet Joseph Smith. He received the Priesthood from Angelic Visitors (John the Baptist, and Peter, James and John). Since the spring of 1829, the Priesthood has again been on the earth.
Ethan answered...

I like to approach questions by looking at the words of things

"priest" has reference to either the concept of one who leads, one who is elder, or one who is holy I like to remember that the words 'holy' and 'whole' are linked by a common ancestry. When something is 'holy' it's essentially saying that it's complete, that it's healthy..

And "-hood" makes reference to the state of being, and not just any state of being but a state of being that's worthy or correct for it's placement. That is, that it's done properly.

So one could say the priesthood is leadership or a point of reference that's completely suited to the position in which it's been placed.

Another way to look at it is to say it's God's perfect order. That is, it's God's perfect arrangement.

In our Church we often give a definition of priesthood as being "the authority to act in God's name" and that's exactly what it means to be a part of God's perfect order. If God commands something to be done by you, and you do it, then you are acting under, and with that portion of God's authority that he's permitted you to exercise within his perfect order.

Just as with any instance where someone tries to act in the name of someone else there are bound to be those who try and do so falsely. That's why God has things ordered in such a way that one can know for certain if someone has His God's authority, or not.

Why was a Restoration of the Gospel needed? Haven’t we always had the Bible?

Daniel answered...

When Jesus was on the earth he established his church. To guide it, 12 apostles were called by God and had priesthood authority to act in his name. When an apostle died, he was to be replaced so that there would always be 12 “special witnesses” of Christ (this is shown by the calling of Mathias as a member of the 12 in Acts:1)
The early years were troublesome times for Christians. The greatest antagonist to the church was the Roman Empire. During this era of persecution, apostles were killed and priesthood authority was lost. Centuries after Christ was crucified Rome pulled a 180 and adopted its own form of “Christianity” as the mandated state religion. To conform to previously held pagan traditions, ordinances like baptism were changed and creeds of faith, not found in the bible, were established.
Recognizing the discrepancies between this church and New Testament Christianity, righteous people protested and many of their followers formed new churches. This era of protestant reformation was critical in advancing religious liberty. But simply recognizing the errors of a church, does not give one God's priesthood authority (see Hebrews 5:4) Even those with the best intentions of following Christ’s teachings need proper priesthood authority to be baptized. The world needed a Restoration of Christ’s original church, not a reformation of an apostate version of it. And as soon as a nation was established with the religious freedom to allow it, the Lord did restore his church!