Hi, I'm Ryan

I am a Mormon.

About Me

I love snowboarding, movies, video games and spending time with my family. I have two children, one girl, one boy.I am currently a student striving for a PHD in Astronomy and Physics.

Why I am a Mormon

I have many reasons as to why I am a Mormon. The main reason is because I love my family and want to live with them for time and all eternity. My family has been a source of strength in my life and I love that the gospel teaches about the importance of families. I know the gospel is true and that it is because of this gospel that my family can live together beyond this earthly life.

How I live my faith

I defend the gospel everyday, explaining to acquaintances of mine the true teaching of the gospel so they no longer have the mis conceptions that they have heard from the many other people they have spoken to.

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.
Leo Ebbert answered...

The short answer is that, for a time, God commanded it. It was a challenge for those families commanded to practice it, but they accepted the challenge with faith.

There have been many times throughout history that God has asked His people to do difficult things or things that go against the norms of society. For example, God has commanded plural marriage in the Bible. He commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, stopping it at the last minute. He commanded the ancient Israelites to destroy all inhabitants of many of the settlements in the land of Canaan when they returned to the promised land.

The knowledge of these things challenges our faith but we must recognize that God's ways are not our ways and He controls all life.

If plural marriage is something that keeps you from the church or keeps you from investigating further, I invite you to consider this: it really comes down to one thing. Was Joseph Smith a true prophet or not? If he was, then the commandment came from God and He restored His church through Joseph. Answer that question and the rest falls into place. I am happy that I did.

What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' attitude regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Aaron answered...

This issue is one that is rife with misunderstanding to outsiders. First, let me say here that we love and accept all of God's children, regardless of beliefs. That being said, we affirm that the central purpose of life is to make and keep covenants in a family relationship. By extension that means bringing children into the world, born in loving families with both a father and a mother.

We believe that our genders are an essential aspect of our eternal identities, that we were male and female even before we came to this earth. Neither sex is more important than the other; both serve the purpose of God to save His children. Both priesthood and motherhood are essential in the rearing of children.

I myself am unspeakably grateful for the blessing of having both a loving father and mother. They each supported me in different ways, unique to their identity as a man and a woman.