A Lurker...now a Member ;-)
Posted: June 4th, 2011, 2:01 am
Hey All!
I've been reading non-stop for the last 2 weeks everthying I can find on this forum...thank you all for your amazing contributions!
I've lived all over the country, lived in Palmyra, NY even, until I was baptized (8yrs old), we literally moved back to Utah the next day. We would go to the Sacred Grove, what seemed like every Sunday, when the weather was good. I took my first piano lessons in the Grandin Building from the Senior Missionary couple in charge of maintaing the property before it was restored like it is now. I even went to Pre-School at the Presbyterian church--one of the literal "church on every corner" churches there. I remember A LOT from those first years and I gained a huge appreciation for the humble beginnings of the church and the Smith family. I even remember the then Elder Hinckley walking right in front of me at the Hill Cumorah Pagent one summer evening! I even remember one Sunday our inspired Bishop telling us that one day there would be a Temple in Palmyra
Then we moved to SLC, while my dad finished up an MBA at the U. I have a lot of pioneer heritage (and I was born on the 24th of July
so my mom would take us to Pioneer Village, This is the Place, and the church history museum downtown every chance we got or hand family visiting from out of town. Then we moved to Sandy where a love for Scouting was instilled in me by great leaders and parents. We were able to attend the Bountiful Temple open house while there and soon after we moved to Louisville, KY where I spent my high school years. It was an interesting transition to go from SLC to the heart of the "Bible Belt" and be a "religious minority" at school, but it gave me some insight into what it must feel like to be a non-LDS person that lives in Utah! I loved Louisville and had some AMAZING missionary experiences while there, including introducing a Baptist minister to the Gospel who later joined the Church (long story-so cool) and the opportunity to baptize a good friend from school. I had great early morning seminary teachers who I still keep in touch with today. I liked KY and even got a scholarship to UK, but I knew I wanted to go to BYU for a year to help better prepare me to go on a mission...thankfully I got in, went two semesters and got called to serve in the Tokyo Japan South Mission. Ironically enough, my mom as a child lived within my mission boundaries! Her dad was a Naval Aviator and was stationed at Atsugi Air Base for 6 years. My mom's older brother, the only active member of the Church in her family also served a mission in Japan but had passed away from a brain tumor eight years prior to my "call to serve". I loved Japan! What an amazing two years. I saw miracles, I saw the REAL power of the Priesthood and I got a huge boost in understanding of how to communicate with the Holy Ghost.
Fast forward 8 years and add a whole lot of me disappointing my Heavenly Father, then when I made all the necessary course corrections with the Church and the Lord (and learned what the Atonement was truly about), I met an amazing woman who I fell in love with and am now sealed to.
My Dad is in the Stake Presidency back home (good guy) but we never discussed the fantastic doctrines of the Gospel beyond what is discussed in Sunday School--I'm not here looking for "deep water" doctrine, just a better idea of the big picture. I hope to be able to contribute where I can, but I'm here mostly to continue learning inbetween Sundays.
I've been reading non-stop for the last 2 weeks everthying I can find on this forum...thank you all for your amazing contributions!
I've lived all over the country, lived in Palmyra, NY even, until I was baptized (8yrs old), we literally moved back to Utah the next day. We would go to the Sacred Grove, what seemed like every Sunday, when the weather was good. I took my first piano lessons in the Grandin Building from the Senior Missionary couple in charge of maintaing the property before it was restored like it is now. I even went to Pre-School at the Presbyterian church--one of the literal "church on every corner" churches there. I remember A LOT from those first years and I gained a huge appreciation for the humble beginnings of the church and the Smith family. I even remember the then Elder Hinckley walking right in front of me at the Hill Cumorah Pagent one summer evening! I even remember one Sunday our inspired Bishop telling us that one day there would be a Temple in Palmyra
Then we moved to SLC, while my dad finished up an MBA at the U. I have a lot of pioneer heritage (and I was born on the 24th of July
so my mom would take us to Pioneer Village, This is the Place, and the church history museum downtown every chance we got or hand family visiting from out of town. Then we moved to Sandy where a love for Scouting was instilled in me by great leaders and parents. We were able to attend the Bountiful Temple open house while there and soon after we moved to Louisville, KY where I spent my high school years. It was an interesting transition to go from SLC to the heart of the "Bible Belt" and be a "religious minority" at school, but it gave me some insight into what it must feel like to be a non-LDS person that lives in Utah! I loved Louisville and had some AMAZING missionary experiences while there, including introducing a Baptist minister to the Gospel who later joined the Church (long story-so cool) and the opportunity to baptize a good friend from school. I had great early morning seminary teachers who I still keep in touch with today. I liked KY and even got a scholarship to UK, but I knew I wanted to go to BYU for a year to help better prepare me to go on a mission...thankfully I got in, went two semesters and got called to serve in the Tokyo Japan South Mission. Ironically enough, my mom as a child lived within my mission boundaries! Her dad was a Naval Aviator and was stationed at Atsugi Air Base for 6 years. My mom's older brother, the only active member of the Church in her family also served a mission in Japan but had passed away from a brain tumor eight years prior to my "call to serve". I loved Japan! What an amazing two years. I saw miracles, I saw the REAL power of the Priesthood and I got a huge boost in understanding of how to communicate with the Holy Ghost. Fast forward 8 years and add a whole lot of me disappointing my Heavenly Father, then when I made all the necessary course corrections with the Church and the Lord (and learned what the Atonement was truly about), I met an amazing woman who I fell in love with and am now sealed to.
My Dad is in the Stake Presidency back home (good guy) but we never discussed the fantastic doctrines of the Gospel beyond what is discussed in Sunday School--I'm not here looking for "deep water" doctrine, just a better idea of the big picture. I hope to be able to contribute where I can, but I'm here mostly to continue learning inbetween Sundays.