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Hi I'm Kyle
I'm a future Masters of Accounting graduate and accountant. I'm obsessed with video games and movies, and I'm a Mormon!
About Me
I'm 24 years old and currently studying for a Masters of Accounting. I was born in Utah and grew up there all my life. I hope after graduation to pursue a career in public accounting and eventually make partner in a firm. I am the oldest of 4 siblings, two boys and two girls. I have two loving parents and as I consider it the best family anyone could ask for!
Why I am a Mormon
It all starts with my upbringing. I was raised in the Church and with a very strong Mormon family where faith and love were always taught. As I grew older I kept learning more, and always felt good as I stayed true to the principles and doctrines I was taught in the Church. As a teenager, my always questioning mind lead me on my own search to answer the question in my head of "Is this Church the true Church or is there something more out there?". It took me some time to receive an answer. I asked my Father in Heaven whether or not the Church was true. After studying and praying for sometime, I received an answer from Him that all that I had been taught as a child were true, I had been taught correctly by loving parents. This answer came in time in many small instances were the Spirit confirmed to my heart the truthfulness of specific doctrines and teachings the Church has. As I put them all together, I know now without a shadow of a doubt this is where God wants me to be. This is why I'm a Mormon; this is why I'm serving a mission to help others on this same spiritual journey to the truth.
How I live my faith
I live my faith by giving up two years of my life to serve my Savior as a missionary for this church. This is a big sacrfice, at least for me, and serving like this has become one of the greatest blessings I could ever ask for. I make sure that I stay rooted in the scriptures, the Bible and The Book of Mormon, for they are what draw me closer to my Savior. I strive to stay in constant communication with my Father in Heaven through prayer. I do the best that I can, despite my shortcomings and mistakes, to become what my Savior wants me to be.
What will the Mormon missionaries talk about when they visit my home?
Kyle
Missionaries are not there to preach to anybody. They are there to present a message about Jesus Christ and His Atonement. They teach about God's plan for us to return again to Him and how the Gospel was restored in our day. They will also answer any questions you have about the church. Plus they are fun to be with and will bring the Spirit into your lives and into your homes.
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Are all Mormons required to serve a mission?
Kyle
Nope, we all chose whether or not to serve a mission. The male members of the Church who have received the priesthood are encouraged to serve as a mission is part of our priesthood duties. However the decision to serve rests entirely upon us. Young women can also serve missions too, however they don't have it as their duty as members. Serving a mission is actually a blessing more than anything else. I can testify of that. As I've served my fellow brothers and sisters by sharing the gospel, my relationship with Jesus Christ has grown stronger in more ways than I could ever dream. I love being a missionary :)
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Does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endorse political parties?
Kyle
No, the Church is politically neutral and doesn’t support or attack any political party. This is the Church's official public statement on this matter. The Church however encourages us to be involved in our nation's political election system. We are encouraged to study out the issues and candidates carefully and decide for ourselves whom we will vote for. The Church in no way shape or form tells us who and who not to vote for, we are told to decide that for ourselves and actually vote.
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Why do Mormons believe in the Bible?
Kyle
The Bible is a testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ. It is divided into two sections of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament provides us with prophecies and teachings of Christ before His birth. The New Testament provides us with a record of His life and Atonement here on earth. It also tells us how He established His church on earth with prophets and apostles.
Without the Bible we wouldn't know who Christ is or how significantly important He is to our eternal salvation. We would be lost without the testimony and truths contained in the Bible.
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What are some things that tell you there is a God?
Kyle
There are so many things that tell us there is a God.
Psalms 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork"
Alma 30:44 "All things denote there is a God: yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which do move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."
To think that we as humans can understand everything about the world around us is impossible. There is so much out there that we can't comprehend it all and understand how it all works. To say that God doesn't exist because we don't have any scientific proof of Him being there is arogent of us. If we want to know He's there, we have to play on His playing field to understand Him fully.
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Are Mormons Christians?
Kyle
Yes, the Church's real name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is His church and He leads, guides, and directs the affairs of this Church. We believe He is real and He is our Savior. It is only through His Grace and His Atonement that we can be cleansed from our sins and return again to live in the presence of our Father in Heaven. Without Christ we can't do anything. He is the chief cornerstone, He is the Rock of our Salvation. We strive each and everyday to become more like Him by following His commandments and His example, by serving others in a spirit of love and charity. Everything we do in our worship is done in His name.
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What is the priesthood?
Kyle
The priesthood is the power and authority of God to act in His name. This authority is necessary for His church to be established and operated. Jesus Christ gave this same authority to His apostles when He established His original church on the earth during His life. That same priesthood authority was restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey and has been given to worthy male members of the Church to lead and guide this church today.
The priesthood is necessary to led and guide Christ's church. Some of the functions of this priesthood are:
- Leading the Church congregations
- Performing necessary ordinances of salvation such as baptism
- Blessing those who are sick or afflicted
God's priesthood can only be used if the priesthood holder is righteous and are striving to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him and others with love, gentleness, and kindness.
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How are the activities of the Mormon missionaries funded?
Kyle
Missionary work is all volunteer. Each missionary pays for all the expenses of their mission. There are about 53,000 of these missionaries serving around the world and they all make tremendous sacrifices to serve. They serve from 18 to 24 months, all out of their own pocket. They do this becuase they love their Savior Jesus Christ. He blesses each and everyone of their lives and they desire for all to come closer to Him and experience the same blessings He has shared with them.
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Why do Mormon missionaries proselyte?
Kyle
Because they love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is what makes everything possible. Without Him we cannot return to live with God again. Mormon missionaries have experienced the many blessings that come from living Christ's gospel and want to share that with others. They have felt His power and have come to know that His teachings are true. They love Him and desire to serve Him with all they can muster. Because of this love they have for our Savior they strive to be like Him. He loved everyone and invited all to come unto Him whose arms are outstretched towards us.
Because they love Him so much, they follow His counsel that He gave to His apostle Peter in John 21:15-17 "Lovest though me?........Feed my sheep."
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What is being a Mormon like?
Kyle
Amazing, simply amazing. Because of the things we learn about Jesus Christ in this church we are truly blessed. Having the light of the restored gospel is what keeps me going. Because of the Church I enjoyed a number of blessings.
- I know that my Savior Jesus Christ lives and that He is real. It is only through His Atonement and His Gospel can we be clean from sin and return to live with our Father in Heaven.
- I know about Christ's Gospel which outlines how we apply His Atonement in our lives.
- I have received some of the ordinances of salvation performed by those holding the authorized priesthood of God. One of the most important ordinances I have received are baptism.
- I have been sealed to my parents and my family so that in the eternities I will be able to live with them forever in the presence of our Heavenly Father.
- I have access to many different scriptures that teach me more about God and His son Jesus Christ.
- I know how to pray to my Heavenly Father to receive guidance, direction, wisdom, comfort, and answers to any of life's challenges.
- I know my Savior Jesus Christ more personally and intimately than I ever could before. He is real.
- etc, etc, etc.....
The blessings go on and on. There are no downsides to being a mormon. All the happiness in the world and more are available to me because of Jesus Christ and His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
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Who chooses the Mormon prophet?
Kyle
The church is lead and directed by the one whose name it bears, Jesus Christ. He leads and guides this church today and calls prophets and apostles in our day to carry out the work and growth of His church.
When the prophet passes away, the senior apostle of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes the new President and prophet of the Church. Senior Apostle means the one who has been an Apostle the longest, not in terms of age.
This pattern of succession was the approved method Christ has commanded. After the Prophet Joseph Smith was killed in Illinois, Brigham Young who was then the senior member of the Twelve, led the Church and became the next President. After his death, John Taylor was the senior Apostle and became the next President of the Church. After John Taylor, the Church has been led by:
Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant, George Albert Smith, David O. Mckay, Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, Howard W. Hunter, Gordon B. Hinckley, and currently today Thomas S. Monson.
The Church today is led by the First Presidency of the Church (President of the Church and two counselors) along with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Each is chosen by God and does His will regarding the affairs of His Church.
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Who is the Mormon prophet today?
Kyle
Our Heavenly Father has always chosen prophets to lead and guide His Church in ancient times and in our time to. The current prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Thomas S. Monson. He is supported by two counselors who are Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uctdorf. These three men make up what is known as the First Presidency of the Church (Peter, James, and John were also a first presidency after Christ ascended into heaven).
The members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are all apostles and prophets. The current Twelve Apostles are Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom Perry, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, and Neil L. Andersen.
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Do you really believe there is a prophet like Moses alive today?
Kyle
Yes we do. God has always provided His children here on earth with a way to learn more of Him and what we need to do to return again to His presence. From the beginning God has always used prophets who are called by Him and receive His priesthood authority to teach His children more of His ways (Amos 3:7). As you go through the Bible, you learn about many different prophets. Men like Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Elijah.
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Why would He use prophets throughout history then all of the sudden just leave us on our own? He wouldn't, He loves all His children and when they are ready He will reveal His ways through His appointed means, through a prophet. We live in such a marvelous time when living prophets are back on the earth once again. Joseph Smith was the first and there has been an unbroken line of prophets down to today's living prophet Thomas S. Monson.
We can know for ourselves through our own personal revelation if God has once again provided us with living prophets today. We can ask Him directly and He will answer our prayers (James 1:5)
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